Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

I used to think I was just a slattern, but now I realise I have revolting children!

51 replies

MrsNouveauRichards · 11/05/2012 09:37

Seriously, when DD was little, I used to take her out and about a lot, and the housework wouldn't get done nearly as often as it should, but it didn't matter as we weren't really making much mess. I used to have a list of jobs for each day and would usually get them done.

Three years later, I have a DS too (21m) DD is at preschool in the mornings, which limits our trips out because of school run, so more time is spent at home.

My house is a shithole. Aside from the mountains of toys and laundry, there are piles of stuff I hardly notice anymore, the hall and kitchen floors are nearly always muddy and the general grot is astonishing. I don't do these things, not because I am a slattern as I previously thought, but because I spend all my time just clearing up the chaos left by DS (mostly, DD contributes her fair share) this includes (but not limited to) shredded tissue or kitchen roll, wet sand from the outside sandpit being brought in by a bucket, half chewed bits of toast stuffed into furniture, all the sofa cushions and throws made into a trampoline, dried pasta emptied out of the cupboard, and the paper and pens/crayons/pencils that gets put away a minimum of 45 billion times a day. Not to mention the amount of washing caused by one small boy unable to stay away from any mud or water.

I used to actually do dusting FFS!

OP posts:
SpiffingWeatherForDucks · 13/05/2012 08:33
Smile
gnomeland · 13/05/2012 08:38

People Hoover twice a day? Confused

Wanders away from thread muttering .…

perplexedpirate · 13/05/2012 08:48

Children are revolting, that's part of what them so great!
Shoes off at the door? That house sounds fun.Hmm

pictish · 13/05/2012 08:53

OP - I have three kids, including a four year old and a three year old. I got you too!

What do yOu do when your ds is in bed???

issimma · 13/05/2012 08:58

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

pictish · 13/05/2012 09:04
eggyblackett · 13/05/2012 09:12

I hear you OP. I salute you for being able to look after 2 horses and young dcs. I find that looking after dcs, dogs and chickens has me absolutely maxed out. As for cleaning the house it would be more efficient and less time consuming to keep painting the Forth Rail Bridge.

rubyrubyruby · 13/05/2012 09:15

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

eggyblackett · 13/05/2012 09:16

Love the question of 'what do you do when your dc are in bed? '

I like to don a hair shirt and do 3 further hours of cleaning. Hmm.

rubyrubyruby · 13/05/2012 09:19

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Dropdeadfred · 13/05/2012 09:20

Ha - whatever makes you feel better... But it would take far less than three hours to make the house tidier
I understand if the op doesn't want to tidy up... I do know that cleaning after a toddler makes you feel like you are living groundhog day. But unfortunately I cannot relax if the room in in in a horrid mess so I would at least spend 30 mins tidying up so I could enjoy the next 2 and a half hours Smile

eggyblackett · 13/05/2012 09:30

Well, the time it takes would depend on the size of house, number of people living there and number of pets. I'm sure there should be an algorithm to determine the number of hours :o

In all seriousness, I do hoover everyday largely down to having two shedding dogs, and DH and I do blitz the key rooms every night. However it does grind me down so I can empathise and totally 'get' the OP.

AberdeenAgnes · 13/05/2012 09:39

No one is worked up about the fact your house is a ness. It's just that your reason for it being so is kinda lame. I Hoover downstairs twice a day because our dog and wooden floor combination makes it necessary. It takes about ten minutes. I haven't suggested that everyone else should do the same - just pointing out that having a toddler doesn't necessarily make it imposssible to do a minimal amount of housework.

MrsNouveauRichards · 13/05/2012 19:34

Just to remind everyone, it was a lighthearted thread.

Anyway, I do sweep downstairs every day (sometimes twice) I do between one and two washloads a day, but somehow there is always more, I clear up after every meal and my kitchen worktops are always clean, my bathroom gets cleaned around twice a week.

The stuff that doesn't get done very often (due to small destructor) putting away paperwork, piles of clean washing often stay on top of chests of drawers, toys are usually herded to one corner rather than all put away, hoovering gets done very rarely (all wood downstairs) etc. It is not exactly Life of Grime standard.

The muddy floors are due to living in a small terraced house, so it is quite tricky to get everyone in the house and out of shoes within the first foot or so of the doors. Also, kids in and out of garden.

Our bedroom is the place that I get stressed with being a mess as it turns into a dumping ground. Friends with small houses have said the same happens at theirs.

Oh, and the dusting doesn't get done.

OP posts:
missnevermind · 13/05/2012 19:59

My house is a shite hole.
I have 4 DC 14, 11 3 and 9 months.
I hovered the mat yesterday, happens about twice a month. Nevermind twice a day.
The house is clean, but really cluttered. We have too much crap. It just gets shoveled from place to place.
I spend the first half an hour of cleaning getting the room back to how I left it and then another actually cleaning it

CatsSleepAnywhere · 13/05/2012 20:50

When my DC go to bed I am normally too tired to do anything so play on MN or go to bed too! Wink
I have a 3 yr old and an 8 yr old so understand where you are coming from OP. Smile

gnomeland · 13/05/2012 23:30

I had a whole list of sorting to do tonight and have spent the evening on here instead Blush

busymuminjapan · 13/05/2012 23:47

Mines the same but I have 2 destructive 3 year olds plus a baby. Yesterday they dug up my tomatoes while I was making lunch so got that cleaned up but dishes got dumped in the sink, laundry got dumped in the basket, toys didn't get put away yesterday. I'm exhausted by the time I get them all to bed. Once I'm on top of it I can stay on top of it but I was sick last week and it has all gotten on top of me again. Sighs!

MrsNouveauRichards · 14/05/2012 06:31

I have always said that it doesn't matter how on top of it you are, it only takes 2 days to turn to shit. One day away/sick etc is ok to get back on top of, but two or more and you are screwed!

I am going to (try to!) join Madamchinlegs on the 69 things to do thread this week in the hope I can get a bit extra done.

OP posts:
WantAnOrange · 14/05/2012 07:46

I don't think anyone was telling the OP off, just giving honest advice. I am a child minder and we eat at the table and take our shoes off in the house too, and still have plenty of fun! Or would you suggest I let the older ones walk mud in through the house and then let the babies crawl through it?

Little things can help keep your house clean, although I wouldn't expect anyone with kids to have a tidy house! Your house sounds normal OP! But eating at the table will definately help. Also, I wouldnt go round tidying up all day because your just going round in circles. I do a tidy up after dinner, and the children help and that's about it, or else they only untidy it again.

SweetGrapes · 14/05/2012 08:04

Some mothers just have 'em!! Like me. Dd is 10 and still the same. My eyes shift from her for 10 seconds and something is emptied/dropped/splilt/shredded/coloured/dismembered/torn/smeared Grin
Ds1 (6) and ds2 (18months) are working hard on their training but still not a patch on her!

issimma · 14/05/2012 12:29

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MrsNouveauRichards · 14/05/2012 12:33

I can't do links on my phone, but it is in GH.

OP posts:
5madthings · 14/05/2012 12:47

i get you op, i do TRY to keep my house tidy and i keep on top of laundry and dishwahsing, keep the bathroom and kitchen clean etc, but the chaos that a small child can create in the 40 seconds whilst you do the toilet etc is really quite incredible!

oh and my ds4 is just 4, i have just discovered that instead of putting his apple cores/banana peel etc in the bin he has been putting them down behind the wooden coffee table (actually its like a big woooden box only rectangular, its storage for toys in the sitting rm) which is pushed up against the wall nr the sofa. its heavy so i dont pull it out all that oftne, but i did the other day to hoover behind it! feeling virtuous about that only to discover manky rotten apple cores and slimy banana skin [boak] i also discovered an apple core under his bed this morning when hoovering his room. he KNOWS to put these things in the bin and just gave me a sheepish grin, i despair!!!

5madthings · 14/05/2012 12:49

and yes it is groundhog day, sometimes i barely sit down i spend my whole day going round and tidying up and sweeping the floor, i do hoover everyday but its bloody relentless!

the elder three are out at school during the day but as soon as they get in the door there are bags and coats and shoes, which I DO make THEM pick up but the wake of devestation they can leave in their trail, its quite impressive tbh!

Swipe left for the next trending thread