It's a housework one...

[popgoesthewaffle]

So far this morning I have got myself and two children, washed, dressed, fed and to school.

I've come home and done two loads of washing. Loaded the dishwasher. Baked a loaf of bread. Dusted and vacuumed upstairs. Put away some miscellaneous laundry.

But...I still need to dust, vacuum and clean the whole downstairs. Put away washing on the line. Have lunch. Collect children from school. Make dinner. Do bath, bed and final tidy for the day.

I have a large outstanding list of things to do. Go to the tip, sort out the garden, clear the garage.

How do others plan their days to stay on top of every thing? I feel like I'm missing something!!

Well some of that is ad hoc stuff that doesn't need to be done every day.
I'd set the washing machine to go overnight and peg out first thing, bung another load on before the school run. I'd cut out baking bread.
Have you tried the organised mum method?

I was a SAHM when we had three pre school children and rarely had time at home without at least one child. I guess some people here would say I was a lazy, slovenly mum as I did not do a load of washing every day, let alone two loads. I did not dust or hoover the whole house everyday either, I just did the bathroom and kitchen/play area daily and did other areas weekly. I certainly didn’t make my own bread although I did enjoy baking cakes once or twice a week - but only if I had a free afternoon!

I did have a list of the one off jobs like going to the tip or gardening but those mainly got done at weekends when my husband was around to share them. I enjoy ticking things off a list!

My house was tidy if not spotlessly clean, I don’t like having knickknacks on display or lots of furniture which made my life easier.

I have a rough weekly plan for the housework, and I aim for hygienic and lived in rather than spotless.
Bathrooms get a full clean weekly, and spot cleaned if I notice something in between. The kitchen is cleaned every evening after dinner (sometimes DH does this).

I have a plan for the laundry that allows for air drying indoors in winter, so one load a day and things that can take longer than a day are spaced out.

Laundry doesn’t get put away immediately, I tend to do a session of folding and putting away once or twice a week.

The big jobs are done either with DH (sorting the shed), with him responsible for the kids (eg mowing the lawn) or are entirely his job (going to the tip).

I accept that I don’t live in a show home, but it’s usually clean and tidy enough that I wouldn’t be embarrassed if someone came round.

I dust once a fortnight, hoover twice a week, clean the bathroom thoroughly once a week and do the basin and loo most days quickly after everyone has brushed their teeth. Only room I clean every single day is the kitchen. Washing is done twice a week.

I have DD and DH at home and we both work 5 days a week. My home is by no means a show home but it's always tidy.

I think people can get a bit obsessed with how others see your home when it doesn't matter, you are the one who has to live there!

Seconding the recommendation for the organised mum method. 30 mins a day max for a regular clean for a clean and tidy house. I got the app.

Have also used the new rock the housework recordings but you don’t need them to do TOMM I just like them.