How to keep ontop of cleaning with children

[Mumoftwowildlings]

I'm really struggling to keep ontop of the house cleaning with a 3 year old and newborn baby, how do other parents do it? I can just about manage to tidy toys away and cook me and the oldest dinner, how do I keep ontop of all other housekeeping with a newborn in tow? Any tips and suggestions are very welcome!

You have a few options

1. fuck it, it’s impossible
2. get your partner to do it
3. get a cleaner
4. attempt something like the TOMM method

Robot hoover helps.

With a three year old and a newborn baby I don’t think you should be keeping on top of the cleaning.
Do you have any DH/friends/family that could help for the next couple of weeks? You will find a routine as things settle down.

Lower your standards. Set some time each evening after your eldest has gone to bed to do a cleaning blitz

Mine have all left home now, and I have a lovely tidy house. Sometimes I wish I was a young mum again surrounded by chaos. In other words, don’t worry about it, enjoy and love your children.

Unfortunately no DP, he left us the week before I found out I was pregnant with DC2 so just me! I would let it slide however it is a private rental and the letting agents are a stickler for cleaning when it comes to inspections (my next one is on the 22nd of this month)!

Congratulations on your new baby OP!

This month: do you have any friends or family who could come and help as a one off?

Slightly longer term: get your 3yo to help (or "help") my DS has his own tiny sponge and duster and loves copying. We have a tidying up song. Treat of juice and biscuit when it's all done, or sticker for good tidying toys. Doesn't always go to plan but worth a try!

Sling for the baby - my oldest would go to sleep in it while I hoovered!! Every baby is different though, I don't think it was anything I did, it was just luck he liked that white noise

Cut right down on the number of products, it just complicates things. If you can find any multi surface products, they are your friend

Whenever you can, put stuff away don't dump it on a surface

I am the second least tidy person in the world (DH is worse!) but this keeps me out of actual health hazard territory

Good luck. You are basically superwoman with a three year old and newborn on your own. Be kind to yourself, you deserve it

We are just in a 2 bed flat and I have a 26 month old and a 14month old.

I dropped my standards a bit bit just try and keep on top of it as much as possible. I hate mess though it's irks me and makes my head feel messy.

Each night once they are in bed we put all the toys away and straighten the sofa covers. Make sure we wash up at the end of each night so we start the day straight.

Once a week I do a quick clean through, really helps if someone can take them to the park for an hour or two.

I don't really care if their toys are everywhere in the day, I just hate it when we leave our clothes all over.

I used the sling a lot to get bits done, I also made the most of naptimes and washed floors in the evening before bed. My house wasn’t and still isn’t shoe home standards but it helps me keep on top of it better

Also, if you don't have one get a slow cooker - cheap, easy, healthy tasty meals. Throw it all in in the morn and put it on low and it's ready then. Saves the pressure off dinner for you and your eldest.

Thank you everyone for your ideas, I do have a sling which I am trying to use however have quite bad backache and a lot of healing to do currently due to a very bad labour. I will definitely look at investing into a slow cooker just to save some time when making dinners!

Why is your landlord regularly inspecting your flat? That sounds odd

Loads of storage. Storage cubes everywhere that you can throw stuff in. Hoovering makes a massive difference. Try not to start a job without seeing it through (eg washing to dryer then immediately fold and put away). Playpen for the little ones.

If you hoover, put dirty dishes in hot soapy sink, run a zoflora-y or furniture polish cloth along surfaces and radiators and stick a good glug of green/blue toilet cleaner in the bog you can pass the whole place off as clean in 10 minutes or less!

Can you rope someone into coming round to help/ cuddle baby while you clean a day or two before inspection? I'd do one big push just before the letting agent comes and fuck it the rest of the time.

Lower expectations!

Make sure everyone is fed
Keep on top of clutter
Clothes washed when you have enough for a load
Kitchen sinks and surfaces cleaned
Bathroom has a wipe around every few days
Hoover whenever baby needs a good dose of white noise

Just keep what you absolutely need in your home and no more. It will make cleaning and tidying much easier

We used to put away toys together at bedtime. Wash up at night. I usually managed some time before 10am for essential tasks, then went out pretty often! I think routine helps.

BUT- a newborn? Expect little of yourself right now..You'll get there.

Honestly with a newborn I suggest you just do the absolute minimum for a year. So what if the letting agents are a stickler for cleaning? It’s incredibly hard to evict someone (in England anyway, not sure where you are). The letting agents may be unhappy and complain but they can’t actually do anything.

Separate out cleaning and tidying.

Get a cleaner - it's seriously the best money you'll spend, even if you just have one for a few months, until you feel a bit more able to keep on top of things.

Then you only need to do tidying, and little and often is the key - when you are in a room, do a 2 minute pick up and put away. Look up a tidying song (bbc baby club programmes have a good one), and every time your toddler comes to the end of a playing session, sing it and get them to help you put things away. That way at least things aren't getting worse. Get a bag or basket so you can carry a few things up and downstairs at a time, as that helps too.

Even aiming to not leave more mess than you started with is a respectable goal when you have a tiny one. It doesn't matter if you don't always keep to it, some days are just like that.