Help please with keeping on top of stuff with two under two

[Lilipot15]

I think every day that I would like a housekeeper! I have a 19 month old and a 3 month old, a kitchen with not enough work surface and piles of washing everywhere.

I have a cleaner who does 2 hours once a fortnight and she usually gets round the downstairs plus bathrooms in that time.

I am struggling with keeping on top of things like washing bed linen, ironing, sorting kids clothes, and just generally putting things away.

Because of the age gap I can't leave the children in one room safely except for the baby's nursery where she has a cot. The baby needs quite frequent changes of scene (as they do of course) and my back isn't really up to carrying her in a sling in the house. Plus without fail, when I try that she vomits on me and that is more washing!!

I have someone who has advertised in a local shop coming over next week to see if she can help (mature lady cleaner / housekeeper) - but I'm concerned as she obviously wasn't personally recommended. We are new to area so don't know loads of folk to ask and I don't want to come across as precious to the few friends I have here. Current cleaner won't increase her hours!

Any tips as to how I can improve the system myself, even signposting to a previous thread?

And any advice as to what would be the best tasks to ask this lady to do if she does seem okay?

I'm trying to do a bit of work towards an additional qualification I need to advance my career in what spare time I do have....

I have similar issues. I have an 8 month old and a three year old and the 8 month old freaks any time I leave the room plus she's crawling so I can't leave her unsupervised.

The best advice I can give is routine, routine, routine.

When I get up in the morning I immediately make the bed, then go put a washing on before hubby leaves for work. Then I do breakfast for us all and get us all dressed. When dd2 was around 3 months I would put her in the swing while I showered and got ready and take dd1 with me to the bathroom etc.

I do a lot of 'little and often' things. Every hour I take 10 mins to go and do a task like cleaning the kitchen counters or unloading the dishwasher. When hubby gets home I hand the kids straight to him and go and put the washing away right away daily so it doesn't pile up.
I don't iron unless absolutely necessary.
Every night before bed I run an anti bac wipe around the bathroom to keep on top of it.
I use the slow cooker a lot so that dinner is minimal effort and bulk cook and freeze.

My house isn't spotless but it's mostly company ready and we all have clean clothes and clean dishes.

Have you ever tried a sling or baby carrier? They are designed not to put strain in your back. I have a Tula carrier now and it's brilliant.
Do you have a swing or bouncy chair for the baby?
Does your 19 month old still take a nap?

Trying to get baby to nap at same time as toddlers (presently lovely long) nap is a challenge. Gritting my teeth and wearing the bjorn at the mo to get her to sleep.
Can you actually do jobs like unloading washing machine with baby in sling? I keep worrying I will tip her out!
I saw a Tula sling the other day. Problem is I already feel I have wasted money on another sling - the close caboo which I cannot get the hang of. I have long babies and a short body myself!!

Decided to get into the habit of always taking stuff upstairs when we go up without children. I think that's one of the issues - laundry builds up downstairs.
And planning to have a basket of dirty washing ready for DH to put on when he goes downstairs first thing.

Bouncy chair occupies baby a bit, think we're in a wonder week right now so she's super clingy. Borrowed a swing for a while but it didn't suit her (but at least we saved that money!).
Borrowed jumperoo in garage ready for when baby's ready.

I will try your little bit an hour trick.
And the antibac wipes as well.

I know standards need to be lowered and things are hygienic, it just looks a bit messy which makes me think that things are worse than they actually are!

Ps and I sound much more scatty than you Scattymum

I went back to work and left the nanny to figure it out. Now both kids are in school and daycare.

However it is challenging. Laundry is huge. In our old house I got a 2nd washing machine installed so I put 2 washes on at the same time. Today I have one machine and do a load every night before bed and put another one on in the morning. We have 3 beds so I change our bed one day and the kids beds another day. Nearly everything goes in the dryer. When DH is away all week I send the kids laundry out. I'm lucky that it's cheap where I am. It comes back folded too.

I handed over all control of the washing to DH. Such a relief.

Lol I'm definitely scatty. My house is definitely lived in (we're stuck in a two bed flat just now so no room for anything and dd just brings toys from her room into the living room constantly argh.

I had the close caboo and it worked well for us and not all babies or mums like it. I've got a short body and longer legs so I do find it tricky sometimes. Dd2 is quite petite still (only just 15.5lbs at 8 months) so I find it easier to 'wear' her than dd1.

I can wear her to empty top rack of dishwasher and to Hoover, dust and sort washings.

With regard to washings, I haven't done this yet but when I move I plan to. Planning on having four small baskets for washing which I've seen in wilkos. I'm going to get four different coloured ones and have one for each of us. When the washing comes out the tumble drier I'm going to sort it there and then and put hubby's in one, mine in one and the girls can have one each. It's then going to be put in their room and if I don't have time to unload it then at least it's not lying around downstairs. Not sure if it will work though. It's a good theory lol.

Scatty- I do that with the boxes for each person. Saves it building up in my room, and at least everyone knows where to find their clean stuff! My oldest (5 yo) puts hers away, too sometimes !

I've only just mastered it and it took me 3 years with my 2. Morning I do school run. DH hoovers upstairs and makes beds. I get back, hoover downstairs, wash pots and put a wash on. DH then goes to work and I do everything else in small bursts as and when.

Going to try to tackle the backlog this weekend and see how it goes next week. Bit of progress in that baby napped in sling today so I got stuff done.
Although those naps lying next to the baby, or with her on my knee are also nice

I miss my baby sleeping on me now. Never thought I'd say it but she prefers to nap in her cot now. The only time she does sleep on me is when she's in the carrier.

Getting caught up is the hardest part. Then keeping on top of it gets a bit easier as you're not playing catch up.
I'm going to have to do a marathon clean tomorrow as my brother is coming and staying over with his partner. Have managed to sell the baby crib though so at least I'll be rid of something else cluttering the place up!!

Try flylady for developing a system that works for you. There's a thread on here to help x