If you have small children, when do you clean?

[DitaVonCheese]

I have 4yo DD and 1yo DS. DD is at preschool 2.5 days a week but I work for one of those days. If I do housework when they're around I feel bad for not playing with them. Was doing some while DD at school but DS now rquiring more interaction. WDYD?

I don't clean much but what I do I do when they are with me.

It is not a bad thing to do jobs while they are there, you don't have to play non-stop. Get them to help. Four year old should be able to help a bit (my 3 yo washes up all the non-breakables/sharps now, keeps him happy for ages while I do other stuff).

But him his own dustpan and brush, play henry or dyson and make a game of it.

All of mine have loved cleaning, takes twice as long to get a half way decent job done though.

Polishing is fun, you spray on, they shine. DS1 had his own spray bottle I used to put just a cm of water in the bottom.

Babywipe surfing is good for a quick clean (baby wipe under each foot scoot around).

I do a bit every day and I think it's good for them to see that running a house takes work - it doesn't 'magically' clean itself when they're asleep or out! Having said that, I also have a cleaner who does the more onerous stuff - the washing of floors, hoovering, cleaning the bathroom - but laundry, beds, floor sweeping, washing up, loading and emptying the dishwasher, shopping, cooking, etc all happens when they're around. I also take the time to play with them, read to them, go to the park, playdates, etc, but I also think it's healthy to leave them to make their own entertainment some of the time. My mother certainly didn't play with me and my sister all the time - we had to amuse ourselves, which is a valuable skill to learn, surely?

You just have to do it when they are around or it doesn't get done....

I hate cleaning but hate dirty houses more....

At night or when they are napping.
If they are distracted enough I can dust whilst in the same room as them.
Ds1 likes to take over and spread the dust everywhere!

Rarely. They fight quite badly so I don't dare turn on the Dyson as I can't hear what's happening. Mum usually runs around with the dyson when I'm at work and they're at school / nursery.

Same for the bathroom. I daren't have chemicals around when they're awake so it waits for a few weeks until I get an hour on my own.

I just do the bits I can so the house is presentable, but rarely do proper cleaning.

I try to do a few basic bits like load the dishwasher, do washing and empty bins while they're around. Big jobs wait for evenings or weekends, quiet stuff when they're in bed, anything noisy or hazardous DP or I take it in turns getting them out the way for.

I don't iron.

DS2 never naps very well, so things aren't dusted very often and there are quite a few bits of the house which could use a deep clean instead of a wipe and hope. We have clean clothes and most things don't look too bad unless you look under the furniture.

Do it in small bursts.

Give any child standing about a duster / wet cloth / bit of kitchen paper.

Meglet - you really don't use kitchen or bathroom squirter when your children are awake?! I hardly stand there and squirt it in their eyes, but I absolutely do some cleaning in their presence!

My 16 month old actually seemed to quite enjoy being given a clean, damp J-cloth to polish the kitchen cupboards with earlier this week! She also helped polish the slate fireplace!!

In a word 'badly'.

Your children will be fine if you spend some time cleaning. Just don't do too much.

"badly"!

Good advice.

When I said don't do too much, didn't mean it in a weird way. Just that I am lazy and with each child seem to do less housework. I vac and the kitchen, loos etc are clean. About it really. If I could do them on my phone would do blush emoticon now!

Ds is 1.5.

When he's asleep I:
Clean bathroom (chemicals)
Empty dishwasher (he tries to climb in it)
Clean kitchen (chemicals)
Do most cooking (he is always a pest if I'm cooking as he gets impatient when hungry)

When he's awake I:
Hoover
Deal with laundry

You don't have to interact with your child 100% of the time, surely it is good for them to see you doing other things whether it is cleaning, reading a book or whatever.

I would clean whilst my DS was playing independently watching tv or having a nap (fortunately he slept a lot) or he was in his playroom which had a stairgate across - do playpens still exist or did they go out with the ark? .

A good tip I learned on Mumsnet was to clean the bathroom whilst your DC was in the bath (obviously clean the bath afterwards ) and use mild products.

I clean with DD around, she is 2 and likes to have her own duster and follows me around 'dusting'.

I do deep cleaning every month or so, any
Chemicals are used when she is having a nap or DH is home. Saturday mornings are fairly productive and I typically do cooking while DD is in a sling on my back.

I also do laundry whenever the baskets are full, DD likes to help load the machine and helps hang things up afterwards.

Will also start cleaning bathroom when DD is in it, thats a great tip

Regularly. Every blue moon that falls on a thursday and an annual spring clean every Feb 29th

Vacuuming - done by DP while I do bathtime. They like to ride on the hoover too if its done during the day.
Bathroom cleaning - Normally when they are in bed, but sometimes DS will stand in the bath with his pants cleaning the tiles, while I clean the rest of the room and the bath around him.
Ironing - 1/2 in front of Cbeebies on my day off, 1/2 on an evening by DP
General washing up, loading washing machine / dishwasher, hanging washing out can be done around them. DS1 can sort the cutlery tray into the drawers reasonably well.

Im off (well from paid work at least!) on a Monday. DS goes to nursery...I do weekly shop...cook/freeze a few meals for through the week and do all my cleaning, laundry, etc.

Dd is at the stage where she likes to see where I am all the time and cries when I leave the room. I've realised now I can do the ironing in the hall while she's in the playroom as she's happy enough knowing I'm near and the stair gate on playroom door stops her getting too close to the iron.

When I do cleaning I do it alongside my kids. Plus I do the bathroom when they are in the bath.