House is a complete tip due to lockdown with 4 kids at home

[Legoandloldolls]

Hopefully my dd 5 is going back to school on Monday four days a week.

I have 4 kids. two deffinatly have sen but I suspect my dd has too. She she PDA traits, follows me every where and is very controlling.

Because of her clingy nature I haven't been able to do much beyond the basic washing, washing, hoovering etc.

I want to make the most of the time she is out of my hair next week.

I normally split rooms into days of the week and set 30 minute timers to tackle each one. Icant do fly lady as it's all a big mess. Every room. Everywhere. I need to do bits of everything every day to just get it back to a point where I can go back to my routine.

Its the first time ever I dint feel we dont cope well with four kids. But I couldnt see them being home 24/7 with no where to take them for 10 weeks.

Washing is ok. But not put away properly. Clothes was sorted to go but that mounted up. Toys everywhere.

Any words of encouragement so I'm ready to go come Monday morning? Dh can hp but he has to be told to do each job so I just want to sort it myself before I think about delegating jobs again

TOMM is probably more useful to you than flylady, at the moment. More helpful for prioritising.

I've just abandoned plans to tackle the ironing mountain. I've cleaned the table so I can fold things as I go twice, now and both times, Ds2 has made himself a snack and covered it in crumbs again. Bored autistic teen, already had as long a walk as we could both stand with today's weather.

Is it best to follow the organised mum on FB? I'm currently going around, picking up five things as I see them and binging them but again dd stands by the door or takes the cardboard to junk model.

I'm quite the hoarder and have had various CBT so I hate binging things that could go to charity. But I think it's bad enough to bin some things as no charity shops are open. That's another reason its mounted up in some areas as I can't get rid.

Thank goodness it's not just me.

My house is disgraceful. We decorated during lockdown & it looked smart and presentable all of 2 days. Literally, there is chocolate/god knows what smeared everywhere, toys everywhere, clothes mounted in the corners of each room. Wires, cables and the paperwork... oh gosh I can't even bring myself to look through it.

I have a very clingy 1 year old & a messy 5 year old. She's back at school now but that really isn't help as DS has no one to play with now so he's hanging off my legs.

Today I have made myself a list. Each room, jobs I know need doing (ones I generally put off) and I am going to tick off what I can. Even at the end of the day when it looks like I've not done anything, I will be able to see I sorted through the cables, I changed the bedding or I got some of the stains out of the carpet etc. I also wear a Fitbit and if I can get my step count up, that's really motivating to me.

I will put a movie on for the children, get them some snacks (that I'll have to clear off the floor by the end!) and I'm going to see how much I can do today.

Let me know how you guys get on & any tips, send them my way! X

As you can’t get to charity shops at the moment, could you put a table outside your house and offer passers by to take things for free? A few people round my area have done this and I plan to do it at the weekend too!

I don’t know about everywhere but round here you can go to the tip if you book a time slot. I managed to book a slot for Sat on Thurs so pretty good. I would do that and take a full car load to tip. I’d probably include the stuff for the charity shop too as otherwise it will be hanging round for ages and house will still look messy.

Mine has never been so tidy (not helpful) I have had three skips and got rid of loads of junk, made the kids throw all their crap out in the skip. Then there are now two of us at home to clear up instead of one.

Dry washing is put into piles where it lives and every time I go upstairs I take as much as I can carry and just accept it might take all day.

I'm going to try to sort the outgrown stuff tomorrow. My tip is open now so I should pop down and see if the clothes bins are open. If they are I might put when I cant give away to the local FB clothing bank in there.

I think its true that theres no end in sight re charity shops and I just want some sense of clearing out

this.

I've come looking for this thread tonight, I knew I would find it. My children are 4,6,8 and we are very busy with work. We have done what we can school wise and they have become brilliant in getting on with it and playing with each other.

What this means is every night there is stuff everywhere, every room is a tip and when the weather is good then there is piles of stuff outside too. They are knackered and altough they do help it is hard going.

I cant decide whether we need more storage or less stuff.

Weve got quite a bit more stuff over lockdown, probably another bookshelf of books that are currently just everywhere. But there is not much to get rid of really; it was different when they, you know, left the house.