Gather ye dusters (fledglings) while ye May, for soon we shall be Flying ... !

[Slurrycart]

Welcome to the May 2017 fledgling Fly thread!

Feel free to park your mops and buckets here from the 1st of the month!

This is where we attempt to declutter our homes and follow the 30-step wisdom of Flylady (minus cutesy barftastic language and a surfeit of e-mails) with lots of chat and support and mutual motivation (and of course) along the way.

More info available here, here here and here.

As usual we will be following a three-pronged approach - and don't worry - we are all at different stages. (Some of us are still stuck at the decluttering stage after quite a few years ):

1 - repeat or start baby steps (again!)

2 - repeat baby steps + do 15 mins a day decluttering in the current zone

or

3 - reinforce babysteps and/or do daily missions
And those of you who have decluttered and are really enthusiastic can throw some detailed cleaning in to the mix as well!

The idea is that we focus on short, ring-fenced, daily bursts of activity (steps and routines) that will help our homes run (more or less!) on "automatic pilot" allowing us to do far more interesting things instead!

This is a very long-running thread so we may appear cliquey but we really aren't! All newcomers, long-termers, lurkers and intermittent returnees welcome!

Helpful pointers: No perfectionism allowed! If it took a while to create the current C.H.A.O.S. (can't have anyone over syndrome) in your home, then it will probably take a while to reverse the situation (you can't clean clutter!). Small steps are the key! And you are never behind: just jump in where you are at!

Any questions, don't hesitate to ask!

Good luck!

*

The summary for Saturday 13th May is available on the Flylady website here under "Today" and via the flight plan which should update itself automatically on a daily basis.

Baby-step no 13 for Sat 13th is here. Fledglings, go find a mission, any mission, and complete! (This is meant to introduce newcomers to zone work btw.)

Tomorrow will be our last day in Zone 2 (if you do zone work at weekends that is) : Kitchen, Back Porch, Laundry Room, Pantry here. (May 07-13)

Spend 15 mins decluttering the current zone.

When you have finished decluttering, the detailed cleaning list (if you are at that stage and do zone work at weekends) for Zone 2 is here.

For your information, next week, we will be in Zone 3: The Main Bathroom and One Extra Room (May 14-20).

No missions for Saturday because it is the weekend - yay!

The daily focus for Saturday is family fun. Hopefully the weather will hold!

The monthly habit is moving in May!.

Daily reminders (which should also update automatically) are here.

Take it steady everyone! Particularly if you or your dc are ailing, or you are sleep deprived x

***

and available in vast quantities for all in the naughty corner! Cheers! [hic]

SC, enjoy the . Well tbh although I do think it is much, much easier than when they were tiny I really am starting to hope t gets a bit easier when DD2 starts school. Just seems so relentless a lot of the time in terms of trying to have some semblance of a tidy house, progress on clutter is so slow and I really really want to improve our evening meals and improve my cooking skills and shop better (DH is the cook in this house) but DD2 wants to 'help' which is sooooooo slow and messy and I can never be bothered to put lots of time into meal planning. So I feel a bit better if you are saying it is still hard at 4 and 6 .

That was a ramble! Wing flaps to all.

Knitwear? Yeah that and my wool stash is in the freezer. I have worries about the fabric stash but that is going to go into the washing machine this weekend and the fucking things aren't hiding, they are all over the sodding place. I am killing them as fast as I find them. I have sprayed some pesticide but without significant man-force, caffeine and hours it would be impossible to sort out and clear all areas the buggers could be hiding.

I am going to go against the trend. Cleaning when children are very little is HARD but trying to convince a 12yo to do their chores, not trash the place and not do 1001 things so you have time is hard too. It doesn't get easier it gets different. AND if you can start them tidying and cleaning early to help you as you do then you just might have a chance of having them half trained before they morph into creatures that require their technology chargers hiding in order to get them into the shower (and then turning the boiler off to get them back out again) Also the words I need your blazer (wed evening) as I am not doing a load of school uniform this weekend will be ignored and you will be presented with a blazer with emptied pockets for you to wash on friday. And don't forget the new species they grow complete with looks of horror if you dare suggest they open a window for some fresh air.

Seriously I could shove a hoover around the house twice a day when ds was 1yo, I managed to clean the kitchen, weed the garden regularly. And he was an early walker who never fucking slept. Now? Can't even find the flipping floor to hoover it And until recently didn't have the time to find the floor because he travelled miles for training 3 times per week.

My ta da list?
I did the ironing. 2 hrs worth.
Packed ds' suitcase for his weekend away
made fresh bread using the bread machine.
And I am about to consider making a bannoffee pie. But tbh i think i might just ignore it and consider my next move to tackle the flying plague of moths.

Aaaagh Einstein, that does not fill me with hope! It does make sense though and you are right, must make a renewed effort to get them interested in tidying etc.

It is all about good habits and tactics. When ds was very little we had a tv in the kitchen so whilst I cooked tea he sat in his high chair and watched a film/played with some toys. When he was 2ish he used to have his children's knife to cut mushrooms to help etc. He used to get a cloth and help polish the window/banister etc.
I was inconsistent due to lots of life issues (including him being bullied his entire primary school time). In my defence he knows how to cook, iron, operate a washing machine, plumb in a radiator. It is just convincing him to do the damn thing. Because you know, he's 12 and he knows best because all 12 yo do Sometimes he surprises me and things just get done but mostly he also wants the reassurance that I am still there and will do stuff for him and that he is not self sufficient. Its an awkward age. Soo grown up but also young too.

But lets be honest very few people like tidying up, we do it because it needs to be done not because we want to iyswim.

[Cover your eyes Toostressy ]]

[swigs gin]

I know what you mean Einstein I find it's the emotional energy one expends on teens with all the emotional ups and downs that is so very draining. Not to mention the anxiety as they gain more freedom ... .

[swigs some more]

Remind me to tell you about the time ds went on a sleep over with instructions to let me know what time he will be back only to remember he didn't have my mobile number and I didn't have his and he was supposed to walk home by himself. And of course now he is getting to the age where you know the parents to speak to but you don't have phone numbers. I lost sleep that night... That was a nice surprise of the great phone fuck up of the last 12 months...

Although I am going to say that stress levels and meltdowns are so much lower these days since he left that fucking primary school. It must be the home environment my arse However 12 yo boys are RUDE and not in the lack of manners way. My days is parenting getting interesting. How the fuck do you answer questions like 'why is it always portrayed that men do the raping and women get raped? Men get raped too. It is a gender steroetype.' bastarding child using my consent discussions against me... at least he is asking some the right questions about society and stereotyping, now to get him to understand privileged position. Seriously getting them to do their homework is less painful on the brain even if that requires sitting down and making them actually answer the fecking question and not being half arsed at 6am because they lied about having homework until they barged through at 6.

See that is where my cleaning and tidying time has gone. It all makes sense now

Great that yr ds has found his niche at secondary school!

And agree that the "interesting" debates are one of the best bits!

Can't agree about hwk though - still fairly tortuous here - but system v rigid.

Einstein hi! Oh dear teenage years are a long way off here, I'm going to bury my head in the sand!

I managed a bit of ironing after dinner and we tidied kitchen and living room and dh hoovered so not too bad after all. Ds has already woken up once this evening so not hopeful for a good night tonight! Off to bed for me.

Thanks everyone for kind words btw.

you have no idea some of the topics we have covered. Seriously they are either deeply ethical or they are back on the lines of degree level science (again often deeply ethical) which last hours and generally at some point require 2 computers and massive amounts of googling. Shouting about homework for 2 hours after those actually seem like child's play. Especially as he doesn't want to be in trouble for not doing it even if he doesn't want to do the homework I refer you to a recent piece of RE which involved him screaming he didn't understand it and after 5 hours (5 fucking hours) he submitted a piece that got him the highest mark in the class and he was very proud of. At which point he conceded it was worth putting effort into homework. Apparently only in theory because it hasn't happened since

And yet I still think homework is easier. I must. be. mad.

Foxes the trick is to train them to bring you coffee and breakfast in bed as soon as they are safe and interested. It really helps.

For what it is worth when ds was younger it was not him being little that was the issue it was the lack of sleep. My sleep disorder child still doesn't sleep but he knows to let me sleep. Sleep deprivation is the worst.

See this is why it is not a good idea I wander back I scare those with little people.
Seriously every stage is different, every stage has its good parts and bad parts, and we will all find different things at each stage to complain about. Just hang in there it will change and become different soon enough and I am sure it will be all too soon that ds will have grown up and gone off to live his life as an independent adult. (scary thought) And i will be complaining that he doesn't need me to do stuff for him anymore. Just like my parents did in the past, and their parents did.

Welcome back Einstein. I have been nodding through your posts, I was pulled up by DD (11) for making a sexist comment earlier (she was right). Her room is a tip. But she's just finished her SATS so it's been a tiring week. DS (13) has banned me from entering his room, however I have only agreed this on condition he keeps it tidy and hoovers it himself, which he is doing. But he leaves stuff all over the floors downstairs . They have both been lectured this week about what future house/flatmates will think of their untidy ways.

Morning all

I have been AWOL again this week

House looks like bomb went off.

Putting on hard hat

Just had a quick flick through last few days! Seem to be a couple more new names, so welcome any new people or returning people. Sorry to hear some are struggling with poorly DC / difficult situations etc

Now I must crack on

Power of 3

To Do

Empty dryer
Reload dryer
Steriliser on

This week I've had a 215 am start to the day with a teething baby , the same day, dd came home from school and we discovered headlice, her hair is below her bum, we were doing her hair till 11pm and have been doing it morning & evening since, ds struggles with really bad headaches, so I took him to the gp, he's been referred straight to the paediatrician and was booked an emergency eye test the same day (he wears glasses so needed to check the prescription was right) now ds has been up all night being sick - what a crazy 48-72 hours . So not too much flying but lots of boil washes !! Haha!! I have to laugh, I think I'm a bit crazy from lack of sleep ! I have sold / given away a big baby seat and my brother is coming to pick up the dining cabinet today. Sorted a few bits in the playroom too while dd2 was happy playing, although the sofa is now under a pile of clothes again so a little bit of decluttering but not a great end of the week! Luckily the kitchen isn't too bad, but the cooker could do with a going over - has anyone got any tips for cooker / oven cleaning?

Oh and my to do list for today:

Pack for dd school trip (she goes tomorrow, really really hoping she doesn't get the sick bug!)
Finish boil washing ds duvets / pillows / teddies and get them dry
Survive with lots of caffeine and cake !!

To Do

Empty dryer
Reload dryer
Steriliser on
Reload washer
Bottles to soak
Dry washing away

To Do

Empty dryer
Reload dryer
Steriliser on
Reload washer
Bottles to soak
Dry washing away
Kitchen bin empty
Table clean post breakfast
Dry pots away