What five things do I need to do each day without fail, I'm talking right back to basics

[TrinityTrinityTrinity]

I'm trying to force myself to shower every other day which isn't working at the mo but I am showerin more than I was so it is working to an extent iyswim

next is five things that I can do every single day around the house, force myself to do and it will become habit

right now the house upstairs is drowning in clothes

the dishes need doing and I feel like I never get a chance to breathe and I'm trying to stop drinking

just to give you some background is all

'm drowning in everything so I'm talking really really basic, acheivable five things

Ive lost sight of normal

so what do you think

real basic

bribe encourage the kids to help .
i make mine earn their pocket money by doing the dishes /putting their own clothes away. Just put the clean clothes into a basket for each person and hand it to them and say "there you go , put it away" -takes 5 seconds .

Oh another thing which really helps, Trinity, I remember you had a thread a few weeks ago where you said you had a plastic bag in every room for rubbish - this has really helped me, to have a little bin or just a bag near the places where I sit so rubbish goes straight in there rather than being chucked wherever. And also a laundry basket (cardboard box works in the interim) in each room so clothes go straight there rather than multiplying everywhere. Same for toys. Cups, plates etc I am working on.

These boxes are a good size probably about half the size of a toybox/laundry basket. They have other colours too. They stack/nest when not in use and you can have one in every room. Chuck things in there when you are finished with them rather than on the floor (train kids to do this too) and then at the end of the day just pick up the stragglers, and then take the whole box to the main toy box or laundry bin.

This is a slightly odd set of tips, but intended to go with your aim to shower at least every other day:

1. Brush your hair at least once a day, preferably while looking in the mirror.

1. Put on some earrings immediately after getting dressed. They can be the same pair every day, but they make you look indefinably less disorganised and slatternly.

1. Put on a different top from the one you had on yesterday, i.e. not picking up the one off the floor and putting it back on. Again, it makes you look slightly more organised.

HTH

bertie - i do that , but have the clear boxes you get in poundland because they are cheap and you can see whats in them.

I think the main thing you need to do it see a doctor about your depression.
I find if you can't get going just do half an hour. I set the timer on my mobile and see how much I can do. At the end of the half hour you will be amazed at what you have achieved and more to importantly you will probably keep going.
Do you have anyone that could help you. My DD is in the same situation as you and I visit once a week and help to do everything and organise the house. When everything is in place it is easier to maintain.
Good luck hope you feel better soon.

DecorHate I am preening myself in a most outlandish way having read your Martha Stewart tips list as I do each and everyone of those things without even thinking about it. Very very proud indeed and you have made my day.

My basics for you Trin:

1. get dressed and brush hair
2. eat 3 meals a day and keep hydrated
3. wash dishes right after use so they never get a chance to build up.
4. either do a load of washing or put clothes in laundry bins depending on how many clothes you have in your family
5. at the end of the day, tidy up the living room if there are any toys or cups left there.

Its how I've coped when I've had depression or when DD was a tiny baby and I couldnt get a lot done. Getting dressed is so important IMO--it just feels like you're ready to do stuff if you're dressed.

Trinity, have you tried having a regular time to do some of the essential jobs each day? I've got 4 DC and DH works away during the week, so I have to be organised.

I walk the DC to school and nursery, ge home just with the baby, and do half an hour of work on the house. This is usually
-tidying away breaakfast things
-hanging a load of washing out
-sorting the load of washing that dried since yesterday
-putting a fresh load of laundry on
-tidying up 1 other room.

I time myself, and at the end have a cuppa tea and bf the baby, and resort to being my usual slatternly self for rest of day.

you are all amazing
thankyou so much

My best method of getting things done is to do them at a time when I have no chance of resting anyway IYSWIM!

So when DCs are eating breakfast I empty the washing machine, put it in the tumble dryer, do any washing up. When they are eating lunch I unload washing and fold, do some more washing up, chop up some veg for tea.
Whilst they are eating tea, I cook our dinner, washing up, clean worktops, sweep kitchen floor. I wipe over the bathroom whilst the DCs are in the bath.

This maximises the rest of the time to either play with DCs or just chill out if possible.

thanks trinity !, but actually im not amazing- not that long ago i was munching the AD`s like smarties (big scary high dose) and stuggled to cope with the smallest tasks....
Best thing ever happned when Bf told me to do 5 mins at a time .

Sorry, I shouldn't have put hoover on the list. I have a touch of OCD when it comes to cleaning and am really trying to stop hoovering every day but it's really hard. I need to do it every day before I leave for work or else I feel really uneasy about returning to a messy house

starexpat - cbt !

Trin why not come back to slatterns and let us kick encourage you? A lot of us have had lists with 3 things on lately and no pressure at all to keep up with the chat(I know you worried about that last time and really wish you hadn't felt it neccessary).

FWIW my minimum is

*All up, dressed and fed
*Washing up
*A load of washing (depends how much I have hanging around but when I had a backlog I made sure I did it)
*Kitchen surfaces and dining table wiped
MealsClean loo

I also usually hoover downstairs and do a quick tidy but that's just because seeing clear floors and surfaces makes me feel like I've cleaned even if I haven't.

i'm a flybaby.

every day I do the following without fail:

• Make the bed - cos it looks like you're winning then

• Make sure sink is clear (even if there are some pots etc still soaking - it's the visual of a clear sink first thing in the morning.

• Turn one load of laundry (even if done badly)

• brush the childrens teeth.

I find other stuff can be picked up and put down, so long as you've got the basic positivity from having a nice bedroom and an accessible sink iyswim.

I then try to squeeze in 15 mins of 'deal with the most irritating 'pile of stuff' - but don't manage that every day.

At the moment, we're trying to sell our place so we can move and have a room for DS. So we have to keep it pristine and clean every single day and dh has to help with it (which I secretly love).

drloves - lol. Actually, it might help....

its really rude to not keep up with the chat on the slatterns th0ugh I feel

I dont want to be getting help from you but not tryng to give back iyswim

Nah, we don't mind

so Trinity , on the spot here .... whats your 5 then?
tells us then we can give you a gentle shove now and again

Trinity - I'd start by thinking about what you want and how you work best in regards to times of day.

I'd be looking at these 5 priorities:

1 - hygenic kitchen
15-30 minutes to do washing up and wipe down the counters (2 lots of 15 or 30 mins at the end /start of the day)

2 - hygenic bathroom
5 minute wipe round. Get some of those disposable wipes, then you can just wipe down your surfaces and finish off with the loo before you chuck it

3 - clean clothes
One load of washing - washed, dried and put away

4 - clean bodies
shower or wash for you and kids

5 - full tummies (with good food)
just make sure, to start with, that they AND YOU get one good meal a day, whether that's a balanced packed lunch or a nutritious dinner and don't worry if the other meals are lazy for a while longer.

Then I'd figure out when your best time of day is - is it first thing, after the school run, lunchtime, after the kids are in bed? Pick when you're generally most motivated and make it your housework time.

Also, is it important for you to go to bed / get out of bed to a tidy house, or for the kids to come home to a clean environment?

I'd definitely agree with involving the kids according to their ages and abilities. My DS (2.4) loves cleaning - he sweeps up his dropped food with his little dustpan and brush and when I hoover he follows me round with the cheap carpet sweeper from argos He'll also help with the dishwasher when he's in the mood, or the washing up when I'm in the mood to deal with all the water

Also, I find lists very helpful - the feeling of satisfaction when I cross everything off by the end of the day makes me feel like I have achieved something. I recently split with my H and although we're getting on well at the moment, throwing myself into improving my house and getting myself into a good routine helped me not to go crazy!

And I'm on the fledgling fliers thread and don't really manage to keep up with the chat, but people don't seem to mind

Reading this thread has made me get off my arse and do an hour of 'making it look better'!

I've:

Wiped down the hob (there was a big spill mark from last night!)

Wiped down all the worktop, clearing the 'stuff' as I went along

Swept the kitchen floor

Dusted in the living room and hallway

Tidied DS's toys

Put the drier on

I'm sitting down for a cup of tea and a ginger nut biscuit then I'll start dinner.

Feel better for actually doing something!

Oh, you will feel better for doing something!

Well done

Oooh, just though of something else...

Our living room is set up so one of the sofas is about 4ft from the wall, all DS's toys that are downstairs are kept behind that sofa.
On a night I put all the toys back there, that way, when I sit down on a night I don't have to look at a single toy.
As the toys are the usual culprits when it comes to the living room being untidy not having any in view helps me believe everythings tidy relax!

trinity when did the tiny baby arrive? and what is it?

ok I think

one wash load washed, dried and put away
every day

wash up

put clothes out for the next day

wipe kitchen counters

tidy away toys in the living room at end of each day