No delayed exit for clutter - March Flylady Thread 2019 for fledglings!

[ChicCroissant]

What would a combo of exit and clutter be, clexit? Exclutter? Perhaps we should just stick with declutter ....

Welcome to the March Flylady thread, we’d love to have you with us as we chat and work our way through our houses in March. Flylady uses the zone method of cleaning so we’ll be focusing on a different area of the house each week – we will post daily links to the Launch Pad on the Flylady website which gives all the details of the current Zone, daily missions and babysteps.

Newbies are always welcome so feel free to join in at any time. Flylady does recommend decluttering your house first, so if you are not ready for the cleaning routines yet it’s fine to focus on the decluttering bit – add the babysteps in if you wish.

Careful Hills I might take you up on that one day!

In the meantime, please send rockets!

Hi everyone, fast moving thread so I’ll just hand out to anyone in need!

Long day here which was not the easiest (dentist appointments which went fine but had to wait a while with bored kids etc) so I am ready for bed now. Need to do dishwasher etc though and sort tea for DH as he was back late.

Thanks for cookery tips SC and glad medical appointment went well.

Re. teens and challenging children: I was an extremely good child (did have some moments as a teen but generally good as gold). In fact this has not really helped me as a parent. It just always seemed to me to be the easier option to be behave well rather than badly so I have to work really hard to understand that most children are not like that and will push boundaries, behave badly etc. I often think I would find parenting easier if I had been naughtier as a child . So perhaps you can console yourself that they are at least storing up knowledge for parenting in the future. As you said Ive, if you know all the tricks you are more prepared! I do realise life isn’t as simple as all that but perhaps some positive thinking of things anyway .

Interestingly I am much more of a rule breaker as an adult. Nothing bad (or illegal!) but I like to know the rules and also know when they can be broken. In fact, I have a job where if I didn’t challenge rules, hierarchy etc at times then I would be doing it wrong. There must be some armchair psychology in there somewhere! Both DDs asleep so must get up and on, even though I really want to collapse.

Big wing flaps to all.

Ooh would never have thought of you as an insurgent Toostressy! (Although I'm sure you have good reason.) Up the rebels!

Hope you have collapsed by now btw!

I am a natural stickler for (and to) rules, and my DD is too. I was quite anxious and a worrier until my late teens and my DD is taking after me in that respect!

zoo we found a rare quiet corner in Disneyland Paris once, we were just settling down with a snack when a child had an epic meltdown - I think it was the noise that made my DD look initially but I spent the next 20 minutes hissing 'don't stare at her' as her head turned occasionally (the parents were doing a fab job, but sometimes you can't help and have to leave them to it). Even as a baby, DD would become distressed if she heard another baby crying in the supermarket! I hope your DS is OK now. It can leave you with a horrible feeling for a while afterwards

SC good news about the results, so pleased! That is quite a weight loss though

DD's cold seems to have got a bit worse, we'll see how she is tomorrow morning.

Am really, really going to get an earlier night tonight. Honestly.

Launch Pad link for Wednesday

Ooh yes forgot to say super pleased and relieved about the health news sc 💐❤️

Feel somewhat brain dead this morning, won’t be doing much work though as DSD is popping round for a bit.

I think I will need to be just as careful about myself reaching “home ed burnout” as the Caglets, just on a longer term scale. Being more organised would help though. It takes a fair bit of time when the books have been left somewhere and we can’t find them! We did have a designated shelf but it’s a mess of course. So we need to get stricter about that and also in Flylady style, setting stuff out the night before. Ideally I’d like a whiteboard where we can write up the plans for the next day. They have a set of things they ALWAYS do in the mornings (certain apps, maths worksheet etc) and we need to get into a set routine with that too.

Morning all.
I’ve fallen off my 🧹 broomstick.
Tried to catch up on all your news but boy you have been chatty so haven’t got through them all.

Thanks for the thoughts and good wishes. We are still struggling as a family. I saw DS2 yesterday at his work and he is not himself at all. Very subdued. His friend was also a work colleague ( well that first then friend) and the workforce are struggling. The company brought people from other areas to cover so anyone could go. Funeral was very quick and odd, mainly music as the proper funeral will be in his own country. His parents don’t speak English so it was kept short and necessary as time slot short. Over a hundred there probably nearer two hundred.A real outpouring of grief,I often get very emotional but needn’t have worried here as some of the youngsters were sobbing. I sat with the parents afterwards with a translator. They thanked me for all the Christmases he had with us. His mum was distraught at the funeral. At least two of my my boys are going over and the family have told them not to worry about accommodation. The collection has supported the family and lots left for the funeral. I was doing well yesterday but got to the crossroads and burst into tears. He will leave a hole in our 💔
It is still hard to parent adults at times.

DD is back home and tidied a lot of our house ...because her friend is coming to stay🙄 most of the mess seems to be in my room. There is a pile of washing that needs ironing and seems to have grown from the kitchen to here! So I need to do that today. I have a report that I need to do for this morning and take it in before lunch. I have half a class of books to mark. I need to buy a pair of new wellies for a trip tomorrow as mine have a hole in. I was hoping to do something in the garden with DD but I also need to chase up an order in another town by physically going there to discuss it or cancel it.
Better get up. Yesterday I so wanted to sleep in. Today I woke at 7am.
I fed and let cat out. Made tea and waited for her to come back in. Took tea back to bed. Did a crossword and browsed on here so poky stick ———————> needed. Too cosy. Hope you all have a good flying day.

PS. I was a good teen most of the time. Too busy playing sport and looking after horses and helping with my little sisters x3 to get into mischief. Was seeing an older guy 23/4 when I was 17/18 which mum didn’t know about. He was also horsey.😉
Mum did leave me with two sisters for five days, when nana died. I remember not going to school one day so I could catch up with all the washing and ironing and clean the house. I was 15!

There’s some nuts in our school too ...mainly the teaching staff!

DP🧥🙄what about the🎒?

Oh bower that’s so sad :( I’m glad the family had you for support xxx

Really utterly fucking sucks how they’ve just left DS with no work. I don’t get why at least some subject teachers wouldn’t send an email saying what they are doing that week or something? We used to have textbooks for most subjects though so maybe that would’ve been easier then, to say “pages 35-40” or something :( my DSDs didn’t seem to use textbooks at all in secondary. I love textbooks and am growing quite a collection!

I can’t really say if I was a “good” teen or not. Certainly I was and still am a stickler for rules, never even tried a cigarette let alone drugs. Alcohol, meh got drunk at sleepovers a few times in college. I certainly caused my parents a fair bit of grief though, I had a lot of MH issues and was dealing with trauma from childhood (that they had totally failed to protect me from, so... karma? 🤪😂) and was an inpatient in a psychiatric hospital when I turned 16 so I have no idea what normal teen years look like at all!

Cagletini didn’t really like her first overnight oats, but I didn’t sweeten it enough, Greek yoghurt is sharp and Granny Smith is too 🤦‍♀️ But she quite liked the Greek yoghurt mixed with tinned peaches (including some of the juice - not syrup!) and some ground almonds this morning. Getting her breakfast prepped is one part of the being more organised for home ed plan - less time faffing with that means more time to just get on with work.

Hi all!

Chic I hope your dd feels better soon!

Bower that is all so very sad about the funeral. What a terrible loss to his poor family and friends. Very difficult with language barrier etc. I am sure they would have been very reassured by your support though

Big waves to everyone else! Now I have been signed off by the doc and (almost) have free rein to go back to normal, I have a Zoo-like list and am in the middle of doing laundry, making butter nut squash and red pepper soup, with a blueberry, lemon and yoghurt loaf going in afterwards and a Pan Haggerty work in progress! Also making a huge slogan for protest march (Brexit) I will be attending tomorrow! (I wonder if the Beeb will cover it - doubtful - but perhaps I should wear a purple rubber glove or something attached to my lapel and wave at you all just in case)!

Designated shelf and white board sound good Cag

Bower ooh that sounds like something out of a Jilly Cooper!
I can smell the whiff of saddle soap from over here!

Hope you are surviving Hills!

Cheery wing flaps to everyone else!

Oh no Cag I'm sorry that you had such a dreadful experience in your teens. That sounds really, really hard Until you have one, you don't realise how vulnerable adolescents are, never mind traumas on top of that

Yes Zoo at dd's school, there is no longer any reason to miss work if you are off sick for any reason as all tasks are sent electronically via the "hub" etc. Surely they could sort something out via technology if nothing else?

Morning all

Sorry to hear of tough times and struggles

Re teen years (so far) my dc have been raised with more consistency and boundaries than i was. I don't take no shit but am realistic about expectations. I am hopefully this will stop anyone turning in to the nightmare i was myself.

Great news on medical stuff sc

bower

Morning everyone! Today is powered by coffeeeee (I've had too much of it already!)

Ta da
School run (dh at home so I took dd on her own so she could ride her bike)
Daily routine
15 minutes decluttering and tidying bottom of wardrobe
Anti procrastination - finalised plans for next week

Technically I should do some more bedroom decluttering as the above is today's mission but...I feel like it's acceptable to just roll those two things into one thing

Rest of the day plans are to go for a bike ride with ds and try and avoid doing any baking because we have had too many cakes recently! Have got some work to do as well.

Aw thanks, it’s not something I really dwell on these days, life moves on. I am so far from that person now. But I do look back on it wondering if things would have been any different if my autism (and other stuff - I’m now being referred for ADHD assessment ) had been picked up on back then. Obviously I was struggling because of the situation but in hindsight so much of it was autistic meltdown/burnout too. But meh, you live and learn right? :)

DSD is round for the day and we did a bit of work in the morning but now watching crimes of grindelwald, finally. :)

Oooo we enjoyed that in the cinema. But the ending seriously film makers!

I am feeling so stressed considering getting signed off from work for a few days. But that won't fix the problems so going to construct a worry tree and see what I can get done to reduce the triggers.

Well I suppose its a good thing that these conditions have more recognition nowadays Cag. And although recognition good, now need more provision and funding to actually support!

Thanks for kind words re : medical good news I've , Cag and others!

Sounds like a very sound strategy for your (future?) teens I've.

Sorry to hear that Hills

Yes that is very true! It makes me sad when I think how so many older people have missed out on this altogether, like my dad (so clearly autistic, not functioning, but told he was too old to refer for assessment) :( lots of people say oh these conditions didn’t exist in my day, NO, it’s just that awareness was next to non existent.

Can’t really get into the film TBH, will try again another time. I have zero concentration ability atm, can’t even make it through a 20min anime episode without pausing it! 😳

Hills hope you can rest a bit. What is a worry tree?

bower

Another day another axe to grind....
"D"p suggested the route for our walk with D's in countryside.beautiful,but long route we passed where he used to rude(got took over and being reconstructed as elitist horsey place which upset D's,I saw a footpath and asked dp where led to.was told on main road not far from roundabout near where we parked car so I said ok shall we make it a circular route...turns out to be over 45 mins walk along major road frequented by artic lorries and vans.halfway along D's quivering wreck and the path disappears so I suggest heading thru a village that leads to a reservoir we can clip along the side of "d"p goes off on one saying we shouldn't come on walks then ,I can go get car,can't see point going long way round,it's not that much further blah blah blah.at this point we are two hours in and D's is a breaking point so I told him to get head out arse and not start and concentrated on diverting D's to look at village gardens and get himself calmer again.walk ended up being 3hours,when my original idea was about an hour as I was tired and D's does need get his schoolwork in somewhere!!
Popped Aldi on way back for few veg for pack ups

Lunch eaten
DS now doing English workbook.ive strong urge get that spade- garden still quite wet but I'm so cross pretty sure I can dig a 6x4 foot hole

I should add we(D's and zoolets) often walk 2+ hours for fun,three hours isn't beyond realms our capabilites,.in fact we aren't feeling sore etc so it wasn't a case of I was over exhausting him offering a quieter route back to the car.more case dp lazy bugger who wanted quickest option as walk was further than he envisioned as he drives it don't seem as far!!