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Original poster

Q. for full timing working mummies, When do you do your housework?

38 replies

wangle99 · 31/03/2008 21:06

I have successfully got the job that I went for last week am delighted but this is the first time I've been working full time since before DD (who's 10) also have DS who's 4. and DH who might as well be the child for amount of use he is in the home lol

Do you draw up plans for housework? Do you do it in the evening/weekend? Can't afford a cleaner at the moment so we will have to do it.

How can I get through to DH now that I'm working full time I CANNOT do all housework too?

Any advice, tips etc gratefully received!

OP posts:
dizzydixies · 31/03/2008 21:09

write lists and make sure he knows what his chores are on the list

food shop online and have it delivered

wash on at night, hung up in morning and another put on straight after

forget ironing unless ab necessary

there should hopefully be less to do as nobody in the house during day as well?

congrats on job btw

roisin · 31/03/2008 21:17

Congratulations on the job.

I only work 32.5 hrs and term time only, but I still find it hard to keep up with the housework.

My boys are 8 and 10, and I rope them in to do as much as possible. We have a quick 'chores' session every day when everyone mucks in to keep on top of things. Then I catch up at the weekends and holidays.

Dh does the shopping and the cooking. He's not great at cleaning or tidying up, but he does muck in when we're having a real blitzing session.

snuffy143 · 31/03/2008 21:20

Agree with dizzydixies...I am back at work FT (have been for 18mos)...DC are 9 and 6. House does get less messy with no-one in it all day. DH is an absolute star...has certain jobs that are 'his' - loading and unloading dishwasher and...get this...the ironing! Cleaning we do between us...toilet is a priority! Am a teacher so it does get a bit bad sometimes and then I blitz it in the holidays! And we need to do some decorating but it doesn't seem very important! Congrats on job...and remember - people matter...housework never goes away!

fridayschild · 31/03/2008 21:21

you have to train your dh that some tasks are manly tasks he must do without being told. Sainsburys shop works for my DH, and he knows it has to happen on Monday night every week. Then you can move on to getting him to do his fair share.

BBBee · 31/03/2008 21:23

congrats.

crucial thing is to drop your standards big time!

Original poster
wangle99 · 31/03/2008 21:24

Thank you!

I think my downfall will be washing, I forget to hang it up! I'm very lucky when weather nice my MIL (who I live next door to) will hang it out for me.

Shopping def can be done online but I feel guilty as supermarket 2 mins drive from my house

I think it will take a while to get back into the routine and at moment children on holiday so house getting messier but once they are back at school should be easier to manage (or am I kidding myself?!)

Thanks for job congrats, this time last week I wasn't even looking for a new job and one appeared on Tuesday and by Thursday I had it!!!!!!

OP posts:
Original poster
wangle99 · 31/03/2008 21:25

Yes standards is a big issue, I like walking into a PERFECT house, hmmm it isn't going to happen is it?!!

Think DD needs to do more, she'd be a lazy little minx if I let her and trouble is I do because less hassle that way.

Love idea of housework blitz, perhaps we'll spend so long after tea everybody doing something.

OP posts:
dizzydixies · 31/03/2008 21:29

my dh was laughing at me today
was ignoring all the housework to get some mning college work done and he pointed out that pre dc the house would have been immaculate and I wouldn't be not doing what needed done

I seem to have gone from one end of the scale to the other!!

priorities change and things may slip but it won't be the end of the world if you decide to sod it and go off out with the kids for the day instead of cleaning under the fridge

you'll fall into a routine soon and work out what needs to be done when

fridayschild · 31/03/2008 21:29

Forgot to say, DH responds well to blitz suggestions and is actually much better at a blitz than I am. It is the day to day keeping on top of it all which is tricky for him.

DS1 is 4 and is quite good sometimes at putting a load of washing on. Mainly he likes to fling it down the stairs.

Some people suggest 30 minute set on the timer, everyone do as much as they can in that time? I haven't tried it myself

pointydog · 31/03/2008 21:29

we do little bits at the weekend. We don't really believe in housework.

gigglewitch · 31/03/2008 21:32

dizzy says it all .
we do all of what she says (and now I can afford it i have to confess to having a cleaning lady every fortnight - she takes care of the moving-furniture / blitz work that I can't get to)
I love no-iron bedding. Mandatory for working mums.
we give the dc a basket each just before bath time, and they race to round up all of their own stuff they are soooo gullible at 2,4 &7.
they have a good go at making their own beds too, so i just have to finish them off [the beds not the kids]
like you, wish i could train dh to make his (ok, our) bed occasionally. it has always somehow been my job

spicemonster · 31/03/2008 21:32

I have a cleaner now but when I didn't it was an hour a day during the week a(max) so tidying/washing up/laundry basically and then a hoover and clean at weekends. It just sort of keeps the dust at bay though - not really clean as such

dizzydixies · 31/03/2008 21:35

dh and I decided feck it today, as long as it gets blitzed when we have people over then that'll do

will just need to start falling out with everyone we know now

DrMonkeybird · 31/03/2008 21:35

I don't (when working, am on mat leave)

No, seriously, it has to be shared: DH does most cooking, we share shopping or buy online, we have a cleaner for 2 hours a week (forces us to tidy up beforehand)... Dishwasher is essential

we try to sweep/hoover when necessary but sometimes it does just wait a whole week till cleaner comes

washing/ironing is CONSTANT battle. Never get on top of it. Am increasingly of the view is that the only solution is fewer clothes: one set ONLY for each of 7 days...

pointydog · 31/03/2008 21:36

dishwasher is not essential

TheMoistWorldOfSeptimusQuench · 31/03/2008 21:36

I saw the title of this thread & thought "ho ho ho..."

But seriously, I reckon one big push is the way forward. I'm a FT working lone parent (of 1, age 5 so not much help domestically) & the only way I can both enjoy the weekend & retain my sanity is by slogging my guts out once she's gone to bed on Friday night until it's all done.

I sometimes do the bathroom on Thursday night, leaving me slightly less to do on Friday. Ironing may or may not get done at some other point during the week, but mainly it sits in it's pile until I decide I can stand it no longer.

I work at home one day a week, so leave as much washing as I can until then & pop loads in and out of the machine & onto the line throughout the day ( I like to think of it as my quota of tea breaks )

Original poster
wangle99 · 31/03/2008 21:42

I'm quite relieved to hear all you mummies who work full time don't have perfectly tidy/clean houses!

OP posts:
DrMonkeybird · 31/03/2008 21:43

no, I mean for me, pointy...

TheMoistWorldOfSeptimusQuench · 31/03/2008 21:44

I have never cleaned my oven & the freezer is so iced up it's stopped working properly...

dizzydixies · 31/03/2008 21:45

I'm not even full time

FleurDelacour · 01/04/2008 13:30

Congrats on the job! I work FT and love it. It works for us like this: DCs do jobs each day in return for not having deductions in pocket money and DH is in charge of all food shopping/cooking/kitchen cleaning. I do everything else though like DrMonkeyBird I am never on top of the washing or ironing.

I agree with Pointydog that a dishwasher is not essential but I wouldn't be without mine. The kitchen looks loads tidier without dirty crockery lying around. The DCs produce endless dirty glasses, plates and bowls but we hide them in the magic cupboard.

Iklboo · 01/04/2008 13:32

Ah ha ha ha ha ha! Housework! Ha ha ha!
Bits in the evening, bits at weekend.
DH does hoovering, putting bins out etc
Ironing - DS will probably grow up never seeing one
Washing - usually Sunday

Jackstini · 01/04/2008 13:34

DH does it - he works 3 days a week, I work 5 - only fair
Do you and dh work same amount of hours? If so, you should also be doing same amount of housework/childcare.
If you can't afford cleaner why about ironing? I send mine out and it's the best tenner a week I spend.
Congrats on the job btw!

Kewcumber · 01/04/2008 13:36

Ah ha ha ha ha ha! Housework! Ha ha ha!
Bits in the evening, bits at weekend.
No-one does hoovering, rates put bins out etc
Ironing - DS will probably grow up never seeing one
Washing - usually Sunday

Thanks Ickleboo - cut ans paste a marvelous thing

RubySlippers · 01/04/2008 13:39

i do a bits in the evenings and the mornings and then on Sundays we do hoovering etc (DS LOVES the hoover so it is no bother with him around)

Also, we did have a rota, but have now reverted to me telling DH what to do!

i don't iron

washing is done daily as we seem to have a lot of it