New house, new rules?

[scotgirl]

So I'm moving next week. From a 4 bed to a 3 bed (initially though we plan to extend) with a tiny kitchen and separate dining room.

I am overwhelmed with housework - laundry is always a issue in this house - there seems to be an endless amount of clothes to put away and clothes to iron - an this is when I have a utility and pulley (which I'm about to lose...)

So, my question is, if you were starting from a blank canvas what processes and rules would you instigate to ensure a smooth running house.

DC are 4 & 6 aka pretty useless mess generators.

I want to start as I mean to go on!

Good luck with the move .

What about getting your DC to tidy up their toys for 5 minutes before dinner? I think they're old enough to do that.

Also get them used to putting dirty clothes in wash basket at night.
Buy 2 new laundry bins + use one for darks one for lights.

Get a box with each Dc's name on + make that the box for clean clothes they can "help" you put them way till you feel they can do it unaided.

Good luck with your move.

DCs could be taught a tidy- up game, and a put your clean underwear away game too. I'm sure there must be a help mummy fold these towels game.

If you want to have new rules in place I'd advise making it clear before the move.

I'd have, depending on space, more than one linen basket- upstairs and downstairs- and if the clothes aren't inside it they don't get washed.

Depending how they go with tidying toys maybe you could put away, as in out of reach for a couple of days,what's left laying around.Maybe they could earn points for helping you with simple tasks like dusting etc. They do X and get an ice-cream at the weekend, simple things like that.

What about your DP scotgirl?

That is another problem entirely !

A few new rules are definitely needed then. You could try the 1or 2 things per day approach? We used to do that, e.g. clean kitchen on Monday, Hoover house on Tuesday etc. We're more of a Do-most-things-over-the-weekend family now. It's easier to remember when to do things that way ('Oh yes, it's the weekend, everything needs to be done.'). Then there's Fly lady, which there are lots if threads on here about. The HomeRoutines app is quite good, you can tick off daily tasks, and the list can be set up to synchronise with your DP's. You could also separate tasks so that some are yours and some are your DP's?

Apologies for the random list!

I do the certain things on certain days thing, and it makes it all seem bearable. We live in a big-ish 5-6 bedroom house (vicarage) so it is a lot of space to clean (though lodgers allegedly take care of their own rooms, but having extra people in the house generates extra crumbs and dirtier loos grr). I break it down into: clean kitchen, dust and hoover downstairs, dust and hoover upstairs, clean bathrooms, mop floors - ie one biggish job a day - with laundry/sheet changing coming in on the act as extras.

Works for me.

We have a no shoes policy which i know is a love/hate issue but it means that although the carpets can get slightly bitty - they are not shoe dirty iyswim which makes me happier (stemmed form when dd was a baby and on the floor and i prefer it that way now...)

I second Recursives suggestion of Fly Lady but pick which bits work for you .

EG: I don't get all the emails but I often use a list, wash a load and put away every day and give the toilets and handbasins a quick spray and wipe down every day. And of course clean up the kitchen after tea every night.

Also suggest purging any clutter and keeping kids clothes to a workable minimum. I am not an ornament or knick-knack person mainly because I hate dusting - If you like them then maybe put out one thing at a time so its easy to dust and then just change over now and then.