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OK, I'm going to have 5 children. Please help me get organised!

20 replies

Ceolas · 10/02/2009 11:51

Not 5 at once

Baby number 5 due in August. I am not at all organised but somehow manage. It just occurred to me yesterday as I was making the dinner, supervising homework for the older 3 and trying to stop DD3 climbing on the kitchen table, that adding a baby into this already manic equation is going to require a degree more organisation!

So what are your best tips? I am pretty much OK on meal planning and shopping. But as far as housework goes, I have no routine. I tend to do things as I see they need done, but often everything seems to need done at the same time!

Help!

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idobelieveinfairies · 10/02/2009 11:57

Hello

What works for me/us is doing a lot of jobs come evening time once the children are upstairs/in bed (bathrooms, put washing on, hoover,dust..all whilst watching telly of course)..it's then a great positive attitude to wake up to a clean and tidy house..and you don't have the dreaded thoughts of..'oh my god look what i have to do today!!'
Don't forget children can help out too! So get some little treats stored up for all their help.

Friday is main day ..i get all uniforms washed and dried..school bags sorted ready in the evening for the monday...so thats one less job for the weekend....we try and go out and have fun at weekends and not think much of the house..they we re-start on Monday evening.

It works for us anyway. Good Luck

Madmentalbint · 10/02/2009 14:22

I'm impressed idobelieveinfairies.....I want to be like you! Every friday I say I am going to get the school uniforms washed and dried before the weekend begins - but it never happens. It's usually a last minute affair on a Sunday evening and Monday morning which I absolutely HATE!

I can manage washing in the evenings but forget anything else - I'm just too tired and struggle to stay awake past 9pm

I need to get organised too Ceolas....then my DH might be more open to the idea of #5 too!

Ceolas · 10/02/2009 14:23

Oh my DH would probably agree to 15. Not that he helps a great deal with the housework though!

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SoupDragon · 10/02/2009 14:23

Get a sling. It is a godsend. BabyDragon was only my 3rd but being able to shove her in the Coorie and carry on with DSs as normal was wonderful. I even managed to flip pancakes with her in it when she was a couple of weeks old.

LongStory · 17/02/2009 14:08

Congratulations on no 5! I note August - might want to check it's not twins ... i've just had 4 & 5 together and am finding the organisation thing quite hard. Still got DH on paternity leave, though, thank the Lord, have retired to bed with a headache! xx

Pollyanna · 17/02/2009 14:10

I have 5. My oldest daughter is fantastic at looking after the baby while i cook/do jobs.

Otherwise everything is extremely regimented in our house - lists, routines etc. I also try to do as much as I can the in the evening, including getting dh to cook the next day's meal if possible.

Ceolas · 17/02/2009 22:56

Sling. Check.

Scan says it's definitely only one

Routines and lists are my dream...

Do you do certain jobs on certain days - that sort of thing Pollyanna? No chance of DH cooking much I'm afraid!

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Sorrento · 19/02/2009 21:56

Can you afford help ?
In the past i've put babies into nurseries whilst I clean never again I shall be enjoying babies whilst others clean if I do it again.
Even somebody coming in once a week for 2 hours would make a big difference I reckon.
www.flylady.com is great too.

Ceolas · 20/02/2009 13:04

I'm not sure Sorrento. We don't have loads of spare money, but I'm not sure how much it would cost. Might look into it.

I'm sure routines/systems must be the key, but I've never managed to get it together.

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Sorrento · 20/02/2009 13:21

If you are entitled to tax credits you could find a local person, maybe a student or somebody who already works in a nursery and is looking for extra hours or ideally a cleaner who likes children, ask them to register with ofstead, crb check etc and then claim tax credits to cover the cost, I wish I had thought of it

PillicockSatOnPillicockHill · 25/02/2009 22:14

ceolas you need roomba

Shitemum · 25/02/2009 22:16

Oh, I read your thread title too quickly and thought it said 'help me get sterilised'...

Congratulations! Wish I had started young enough to have more kids...

PillicockSatOnPillicockHill · 25/02/2009 22:19

lol shitemum!

LackaDAISYcal · 25/02/2009 22:25

congratulations ceolas

no advice on getting organised; I strugge with three!!

rosyleecupoftea · 26/02/2009 13:02

get a cleaner. Its fab to come home to a clean house. The best £25 I spend all week!

BlueCowWonderss · 26/02/2009 13:06

deffo get a cleaner - and then make a packed tea for all dc and stay out as long as humanly possible so it stays clean/ tidy for longer!

Ceolas · 26/02/2009 14:12

See I thought you were all fantastic housekeepers, but you are cheating!

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PillicockSatOnPillicockHill · 26/02/2009 20:21

I dont have cleaner

I do have THIS although i did not pay that for it!

Astarte · 03/03/2009 09:13

It doesn't take long to get organised Ceolas.

On a morning I open the windows in the bedrooms to air them when the kids get up and throw back the bedding to air the beds. They have to tidy their toys away before bedtime (ages 6.5, 5, 2 & 2week old)

I wipe around the sink and counter tops whilst brushing my teeth. I put cleaner down the toilet overnight and check the towels are clean before going to bed. That's the bathrooms sorted for the next day.

My kids are HE but when the eldest went to school I would load the washer the night before (sometimes still do) and load the dishwasher too, then when I get up I switch them on. By the time I got back from school run the clothes and dishes were washed!
Around lunchtime I make the beds.

Meals are planned for the whole week and pinned up so everyone can see what we're having, I take whatever needs it out of the freezer each morning.

I have one day a week for washing bedding and other weekly items. I do 3 washloads a day so each one is hung straight out then ironed when the kids have gone to bed, or in Winter tumble-dried and folded straightaway so I don't have to iron.

I would love a cleaner and probably could afford one but I know I'd tidy up before she came

Windows are done once a month the same day the window cleaner does the outside. Floors are washed when kids go to bed, every other night. Dh does bedtime on these nights. He didn't used to be as hands-on as he is now, but tbh he recognises that 4 is a bit of a nightmare for mess and we would very quickly sink if he didn't pull his weight as well.

I got fab book callled "Confessions of an organised homemaker" which set me on my way

handmedownqueen · 03/03/2009 13:49

the sorting and putting away of washing is my big nightmare and i hate it
I tend to hide it all in abig blamket box then do a mega session once a week
keep activities of big ones simple, dont promise them the can do things that are a nightmare to get them to with littles in tow or speak nicely to friends for lifts for them
get older ones doing as much as possible, just simple things like making toast, getting drinks, carrying stuff upstairs for you
always know what oyu are having for tea and prepare it whilst baby sleeps
i have a babysitter for three hours on a sat pm, gives us a bit of a break at weekends, she looks after littles and we take big ones out

mine are 12 10 7 3 18 mnoths

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