Houswork/Me time/guests etc. - tips?

[ChaCha]

Evening all,

At last, DS is asleep!

In between entertaining/bathing/feeding/playing with DS I have managed to cook and feed DH and manage a few words of adult conversation before embarking on the night time run around. Have done some washing, hung it out/taken it in and feed/shower myself. I am now exhausted and my house still looks like a mess.
Yesterday's groceries are still to be put away, the ironing is piling up everywhere and i feel no matter how i try to organise my time there is always so much to do!!!

Can't be bothered having people round as there's always so much to do, being at home all day is not easy. Working outside the home was definitely easier. Lucky if i can get a hot cup of tea these days, even eating a sandwich has become a game to entertain the LO (I don't really mind this though, I love him to bits, just highlighting reasons for lack of housework)

I think it's a good day if we are all fed and watered, clean and happy. Housework can wait, can't it? Then why do i feel i'm always in this mess and having to catch up in the evenings when I'm dog tired knowing that DH can keep an eye on the LO. This should be ME time ...

Sorry to rant. How do you all do it? Any tips.
Flylady is not going doing well at the moment, she can shine her sink till it cracks!

Ta x
ChaCha & DS (19wks)

Hi ChaCha,

First thing I'd say is don't be hard on yourself! Happy DS is worth everything, I know its a cliche but you'll remember the times you spent with him not the state of your house.

With regards to housework I've found I've established my own routine of doing things, I'm not fanatical about it or anything but it does make life easier.

I do washing, drying, ironing for 5 people, usually 3 loads a day. I turn the last one on before I go to bed so its ready to dry in the morning and then I can get the next lot in. I usually have dd in her bouncy chair while I do it and let ds2load the machine for me. I sort the ironng out as soon as dry into has to be ironed and get away with not doing it. Ironing goes straight into a big basket so its hidden from view and then try and put all the other stuff away (but with 2 kids in tow can sometimes be a slow process!)

All breakfast things get shoved in dishwasher straight away, then take dd and ds2 upstairs to get dressed. I make the beds then, found that both of them like to be lying on the beds and having duvets wafted over them. (I always try to do beds just because has instant tidying affect on the rest of the room)

Can your DH take DS out for a couple of hours? I find I can get a weeks worth of stuff done when I've got the house to myself. Then the rest of the week is more of a maintenance cleaning rather than a battle against it all.

i have one of those stair basket things and if clutter from everywhere is doing my head in, I can carry DD around with me and empty different rooms of the junk into the basket and then deal with it later.

DD(16 weeks) likes watching me hoover and DS2 (2yrs) loves being chased by hoover so will do that when they're bored.

After DS2 goes to bed at 7, both DP and I spend half an hour just going round and putting away toys etc. I'm SAHM mum now so most of houework etc falls to me so its important to me that DP contributes some elbow grease everyday too!

Dont know if any of this helps but I know it really gets me down when I feel like the house is out of control simply cause I have to spend so much time here now.

I feel for you, it really isn't easy... I have a 14 months old dd and I haven't had "me" time in 14 months, not very nice... as for housework when I figured that I am only one person and that there's no way I can do absolutely everything I hired a cleaner, it sounds silly but I pay her £15 she comes for two hours and cleans my house, not a bad deal and definitely worth it, not saying you must go and hire someone but sometimes it's good to ask for help, seriously.
Anyway hope you get over that soon :) good luck!

i try to do all bottles/ dishwasher put dinner in slow cooker at about 12pm when dd2 goes for her nap (for 2hours) then either me or dp will spend about half hour having a quick tidy before we sit down (i work 5nights a week) so it's whoever is in that does it. as im at home in the daytime i do all the cleaning bathroom, washing hoovering etc usually while dd1 kicks/ plays on the floor. the place is generally quite tidy but dd2 is now 6 months old and dd1 is 6yrs old (so can help with tidying) dont be too hard on yourself when your ds is so little x

Me time? Whats that then?

Do you have a digital camera? Take pictures of your carpet when it is visible, your kitchen table when it is clear, the washing up when it is done. Show these pictures to friends when they come round! "I know the carpet is covered in raisins and lego now, but as you can see, last tuesday/half an hour ago it looked like this!"

As far as keeping your head above water, work out the absolute basics that you feel you need to do (For me empty bins and keep the washing going), work out the stuff that makes you feel better (hoovering, having fresh flowers and fresh sheets), do what you can while you are going along and don't fret about the rest.

Also, I agree about Flylady!

Thank you for these replies. I really appreciate them. Makes a lot of sense.
Never thought about the 'feel better' stuff, and it's definitely running the hoover round/clean linen etc..

Thanks ladies x

also try doing blasts of 15mins/ half hour at a time throughout the day. its amazing what you can get done in 15mins if you really try and know you can sit down with a cuppa at the end.

Put stuff away straight away. Flylady is right in that most stuff only takes fifteen minutes to do - you can get all the washing away in that time or wash the kitchen floor or sort out the toys - if you really go for it and don't stop halfway through.

Leaving stuff to fester means it breeds whilst you are not looking - paperwork, washing, toys, stuff to take upstairs....