How much do you do once the DCs are in bed?

[Letmesleepalready]

I'm looking around the living room, to a floor full of toys, not a single surface clear, and I know the other rooms are no better. The DCs are finally asleep so I should be doing stuff, but I'm thinking that we don't have a great routine with tidying up. Do most of you have a tidy house by the time the DCs are in bed? And how do you get in the habit of tidying as you go? I'm always forgetting to do so, and yet it doesn't seem like it should be this hard!

Let me sleep I'll be honest. My 6 year old is the worst. He will moan & moan & moan. But I don't care as long as he's going it whilst moaning haha. I think he thinks I'm going to tell him off for moaning. But if I do that he gets out of tidying up. So I just let him crack on & here him muttering to himself. Then once he's done I'm over nice to him. Awww thank you sweetheart you did that so fast! I didn't think you could do it that quick. I'm impressed. Then he forgets I was moan earlier! My 1 year old seems to enjoy putting bits away at the moment although I'm sure that will change. He just likes the clapping once he's done it! My minded children are brilliant though! Definitely helps if they're not your children! .

I'm always so tired that as soon as I sit down for the evening I fall asleep. So in my head I write off any chilli g out time till 8.30. Then it doesn't matter as everything's done.

I think start as you mean to go on. You got a few years of this so just do what needs doing & worry about the rest on a weekend. Sorting out rooms & wardrobes & cleaning the bathroom grout are done in 6 week bursts here when I get a couple of days off in school holidays. I pick a day or two & stay in. Let kids watch too much tv & eat too many snacks & I get the big stuff done.

Oh & I probably sound hard on my boy. But I'm not. We tried pocket money for chores but he would just say I'll wait till xmas or bday etc. So I made it about helping the family. Not getting stuff x

Everything downstairs is put away ten mins before bed; can't bear kid clutter during adult time. Usually with threars of bin bags Tec.Their toys live in the kitchen.dh washes up/hoovers, I do teeth. 1 midweek wash, rest saved for weekend. Come downstairs and I do marking/prep/data while dh plays on his phone.

I pass out on the sofa mostly.

Sometimes I pick up some bits but mostly I tidy as I go during the day.

We have a unit with storage boxes and once they are in bed we quickly put toys in these. Each box is organised into an area e.g. Role play, creative (arts & crafts, instruments), jigsaws, books etc and this means play can be better organised rather than everything just tipped out and they don't know where to start. I try my best to keep up with this but have a 1 year old and 2 year old and perk part time so every few weeks I end up having to sort the boxes out to keep on top of it.

I try and do jobs whilst they're up e.g. I clean bathroom whilst they're in the bath, fold put away clothes as they're playing in their room. I find the key is to do little and often. If I miss just one day of doing anything then I really notice the difference.

My 5 year old kinda enjoys tidying. The secret? I let him use the kitchen tongs to do it. Yes it takes ages but he gets every last bit of plastic off the floor and into a box.

Haha, love that MoonDuke

MoonDuke that is the best life hack ever (slinks off to find tongs).