Do you have a clean house? Or is it as I fear and like shovelling snow in a blizzard?

[sorkycake]

I'd love to have something resembling a show home even just once a week, but to no avail.

As fast as I tidy one place they've trashed another.

Should I just give up and scarf their chocolate or .......well, what is the alternative?

Please don't recommend FLYlady I hate it. I do have a routine, which used to work wonderfully but no longer does.

oh & I can't afford a cleaner either.

The dds have lovely padded body warmers with hoods - they're hidden because they take up too much room in the "porch", it's all the shoes as well - try to restrict it to trainers, school shoes & wellies but dd1 (11) keeps getting extra pairs so I know make her store them in her room

SO TRUE lol lol lol
the teenagers shoes on the shoe rack ( URGH)

its one thing four sweet little pairs lined up - another loads of size 10's (VOM)

Im with fizzbuzz on this one, my house is a complete and utter tip, and the older ones are worse because everything takes up so much room, twice a year I take a weeks holiday from work, just to do housework,I really clear and clean EVERY WHERE but within 2 weeks its back to normal pigsty I give up

My house is reasonably clean but this is only because the Au Pair takes care of the kitchen and sitting room.

Wow, these have made me feel loads better....Have just launched an offensive on the kitchen, at least some of the sufaces are clear......

The coat cupboard is still there like some corpulant overstuffed pig with doors hanging open, because too much stuff hung on them of course..........

My house is usually tidy, unless its the school holidays, i have four dc's aged between 4 and 8 but they spend loads of tiem in the garden, giving me loads of time to tidy up. I'dlike to be relaxed about mess, but I can't relax in my sitting room if it's untidy. I tend to find if I keep on top of things then its never a big job anyway.

While we are on the subject of coats and shoes,why oh why do they have to have so many? there must be about 40 coats and god knows how many shoes hanging around my house most of them never worn but if I mention clearing them out they all suddenly become someones favorite.

"By sorkycake on Wed 26-Mar-08 15:42:03
JamSamBam I answered you on the other post, I think Liaghen did too
Sorry you felt ignored x

The board was set up for people with 4+ children and all the additional parenting issues that come with them, although I've been granted a temporary badge status until I conceive no.4 (hopefully this month, in fact, hopefully today ).
I had to special promise an swear an oaf an everyfink."

hi sorkycake, ive replied on the other thread!!

if the definition of a large family is 4+ kids then i certainly dont fit in at the moment.....sulks off to eat the last easter egg.....

I blame frequent moves for the state of our house more than the children.

I do believe in the theory that if there is a place for everything then there is the potential for everything to be in its place...

I would not want to say that my skills have improved with the birth of each child BUT my house was a bigger mess when DB #2 was just a baby. She cried unless she was being held so despite being able to do most things single handed or whilst wearing a sling I just gave up on the idea of living in a show home.

In 3 years db#4 will be in school and unless we do have any more then I will have nothing to do but look at a tidy house all day and long for the messy good-old-days...

Clean is more important to me than tidy especially when the children are really little.

This is not for those with tidy houses:

Some houses try to hide the fact that children shelter there
Ours boasts of it quite openly, the signs are everywhere
For smears are on the windows, little smudges on the door
I guess I should apologise for the toys strewn on the floor.

But I sat down with the children and we played and laughed and read
And if the doorbell doesn't shine their eyes will shine instead
For when at times I'm forced to choose the one job or the other
I'd like to be a housewife, but first I'll be a mother.

My house is very clean and tidy, it would drive me insane if it wasn't.
I hate mess and clutter (just a personal opinion)
I do spend a fair amount of time every day cleaning,tidying,washing and ironing much of it when Dc's are in bed.
DC's also know there toys have to be put away before bedtime so their rooms are also tidy. I go in once they are asleep and sort out their clothes (although they do put things in their own laundry baskets and clothes they have taken off on chair) for the morning.

I know I probably sound very anal and probably deserve the nickname 'Monica' that my friend gave me!!

Shoes and coats are a big issue but I try to keep the ones that are in circulation to a minimum. We also have this images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=www.apartmenttherapy.com/images/uploads/9-8-paint.jpg&imgrefu rl=www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/good-questions/good-questions-should-i-spray-or-should-i-go-01 2315&h=213&w=250&sz=9&hl=en&start=18&um=1&tbnid=_SefyN1yqcMXXM:&tbnh=95&tbnw=111&prev=/images%3Fq%3D Leksvik%2Bcoat%2Brack%2Band%2Bshoe%2Brack%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26rls%3Den%26sa%3DN in our entry hall. It is not particularly attractive but it keeps everything contained.

We need one of those Caddy! I did see a good bench in John Lewis kid section recently, had a bench with a liftable lid, so would look like a nice kiddy seat in the hall, but would hide a multitude of crabby shoes!

our pigstyhouse is only ever tidy when when visitors are due so when it gets too much(avalanche of stray socks, small children missing under the pile of coats, cheerio colonies under the kitchen table sort of thing) I shame myself into action/ motivate myself by inviting a random school friend over, spend the day super cleaning and then shove a few fairy buns in the oven just before the mum is due to pick up the visiting child. As a result the mums at the school gate view me as a cross between Nigella and that Aggie woman from How clean is your house. Very stressful leading a double life like this..

Oh yes and I have the full version of this framed in my kitchen to use in my defence should anyone sue for an injury caused by my sloveny ways

"Cleaning and scrubbing can wait 'til tomorrow
For babies grow up we've learned to our sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs, dust go to sleep
I'm rocking my baby, and babies don't keep!"