How do you decide what to do first............

[CatsSleepAnywhere]

When your house is a tip but you also need to go to the shops and fit this all in around school and nursery runs and whatever else life throws at you?

I feel a bit like I'm in a catch 22 situation (if that's the right phrase). It is easier for me to go out when alone but if I go out I'm not sorting out this mess that the house is in! If I leave the house till later when 3 year old is home, she will create more mess and also want my attention.

How do you decide?

do food shopping online as much quicker. do you have loads of junk - if so clear it out. sort out good storage. some people like to do things in 10 min sessions. i like to work round a room sorting it - find your style and when you have most energy. i like doing it room by room as it gives me some satisfaction - pre/post look. can you allocate a room as a messy room and park junk there and focus on other rooms? our study is always a mess but i can live with that if lounge and kitchen ok. set yourself a target for each day this week - eg sort one room each day? think about putting systems in place that reduce workload - eg i sort washing once a week as quicker. there's loads of tips threads on here to read and lots of people talk about some lady whose name i forget who advocates 10 min slots

flylady

I use the fly lady method, basically she tells you what to do today, this week, this month. There's another thread, but I'm useless at doing links, it's baby stepping and lists. We all post what we aim to do then update with what we've done.

If that seems like yet another job to do then pick the room which is most important to you and start there. Spend 15 mins picking up things that should be esle where. Have 3 bags/boxes- rubbish, recycling, other rooms. The rubbish must go straight in the bin, recycling straight in the car or whever you store it.

Move to another room, repeat process- remember only 15 mins in a room before you change.

www.flylafy.com

Has loads of tips for speeding up the process of cleaning, they also do Kid's Challange for the older DC, things like run around the house collecting all the books/toys/clothes you've left in your wake. Only 1 thing tho, so that they don't become as overwhelmed as you and give up?

I always start with my bedroom when the house looks like a tip, whatever else I get done or don't, my room is a relaxing refuge at the end of the day.

Online food shopping is a must if your life is like that. If money stretches to it get a cleaner. That gives you a goal/motivation once a week to get things tidy before she comes. Therefore you keep more or less on top of things so they never deteriorate below a certain level.

Re your 3 year old, sit down and give her full attention to do what she wants for an hour. Then she'll not feel deprived of attention. Then say, right now you can do X while mummy cleans for 45 mins- 1 hour. X can be whatever she likes - TV, sticker books, colouring etc. Tell her after that hour you'll do something together again. You could get a lot done in 2 hour long bursts per day. Do what you can in that hour and do a different room the next day. If she still naps then get things done then.

Dreamingofsun has good ideas

Good luck

Oops, you know about the baby steps thread, don't you? I was reading and running, sorry.

I agree with the others re online shopping, it saved my sanity when my DDs were toddlers.

Another thing you could do with a three year old is get them to "help" you. In the bathroom, give them a wet cloth, they wipe the bath while you clean the loo. Same in the kitchen, you do the hob or floor, they do cabinet doors. If cooking lunch is an issue they could go on a mission to collect ingredients, veg from the fridge, bread for a sandwich etc. this way they feel involved and attended and you still manage to get things done. They can pass you pegs when you hang the washing out. You could ask them to use all the red pegs first, then blue, green, yellow according to what pegs you have. When the washing comes in, you pass pegs back and they put them in the bag.

Also have to chime in with Flylady.

I have six year old twins and two year old twins and would not be able to keep on top of things without the structure that Flylady gives.