Keeping house tidy

[roseofsharon1]

@chrismclure42 I add bathroom to this priority list (kids are out of diapers) but that's once a week.

Laundry is just a never ending cycle. On my good days, it's just one load lol

 

[katrina2017]

@wh2 My house is pretty tidy, not perfect but it's good enough. I also live in a very small apartment and I don't have a lot of stuff, which really helps. It's easier to keep tidy when you don't have a lot of stuff.

 

[wh2]

@katrina2017 This is probably true. But it just seems like every time I clean up one mess there are 10
More. Every time my 1 year old eats a meal or a snack it’s like a tornado happened

 

[findsapientia]

@wh2 My kids are both tornado eaters. 1 and 2. I can't remember the last time my floors were clean. The only version of cleaning them I can manage on a daily basis is letting my dog lick everything up. My house is so dirty it makes me cry but I don't have any energy left by the end of the day to do anything more than dishes.

 

[wh2]

@findsapientia Yes my son is. It got better with my
Oldest, I forget what age, but hope it gets better for you too. It’s so hard

 

[wh2]

For those of you that do have a tidy house, can you share your tips? And kids ages? And if you have paid help (babysitters or help with childcare, if you stuck them in front of the TV? house cleaners, partner helps or works from home, etc)

 

[roseofsharon1]

@wh2 So, for starters, the pandemic helped me out here because nobody would just "stop by." So no longer did I feel the houses needed to be in a guest ready state.

My kids are 7.5 and 4.

The family all agrees that there are certain things that need to be done for the Household. But extra chores can be assigned for allowance money.

We just had a conversation at the dinner table about how if everyone does a little bit, then everyone has more time to spend together. That really helped them understand they why.

So our oldest helps with some chores, which helps, and everyone has to clean up after themselves.

They don't always (or often do it) but we keep trying to hold onto that value so that when they're perfectly capable to do so, the expectation they will is already engrained.

But practical tips is that everything has a home.
Ikea bins etc. Throw stuff in there and slide it to the side. I like things to be better organized than that but it's just not worth it with kids.

I also let them suffer with the loss of misplacing something cherished. The amount of times I respond with "well, this is why I tell you to put stuff back when you're done..." is mind boggling.

tl;dr: invest in some organizing things like bins and lower your expectations for what is acceptable and keep encouraging the practice of everyone picking up after themselves (while also lowering the expectations they will until they're much older).

 

[thetreehugger12345]

@wh2 I have one almost 2 year old, and pregnant with my 2nd. Also have 2 dogs. No paid help at all and my husband really just does the outdoor yard work.
I do one cleaning task each day, and usually try to get it done in the morning. Monday: vacuum (and mop if I can), Tuesday: bathroom, Wednesday: kitchen, etc. I don’t go crazy every time with a huge deep clean, sometimes it’s just wiping down the counters. But if I do a little something each day, it’s easier to maintain and nbd if I skip a day here and there. No screens. My little one plays around what I’m doing and sometimes I give him a feather duster or wash cloth to “help.” I try and time the bathroom clean around when he’s already in there playing with stuff in my drawers. Making him put away items once he gets them all out is ideal, and we’re still working on this.
Meal time tips: We sit down for every meal and snack (no cleaning up food around the house), and I give a hand-fed dessert item while I clean clean up dishes EVERY time. Usually dessert is just berries, applesauce, raisins, or yogurt melts. But it keeps his hands occupied while I load the dishwasher and clean any prep dishes. We run the dishwasher every night no matter if it’s only half full, and unload it with the toddler “helping” first thing in the morning.
I try and tidy up each room with him when we’re done so it doesn’t get out of hand.
I try so hard to do all this (and wash and fold laundry- maximum 1-2 loads a day) while he’s awake so that his downtime is just for me. I realize when my newborn arrives this will all get so much more difficult, but I’m gonna try my best to keep with the schedule.

 

[kmar123]

@wh2 I'd say my house is always tidy, but not always clean haha. Here's my situation:

A 2yo, husband is a resident so works long days, no childcare or house help, minimal screen time. Often contact naps.

We go on some kind of outing every morning (park, library, errands). That really limits how messy the mornings get. 2yo and I usually tidy up together when my husband is on his way home (mess stresses him haha). We also tidy up after she's gone to bed and pick up big items to run our robot vacuum. That keeps the pet hair from taking over downstairs. If there's time, we encourage her to pick up before bed and before nap.

By tidying up takes maybe 5 mins? I have some toy shelves in the kitchen and living room. There's also a play mat in the living room by the shelves. I just scoop everything up and stick it on the shelves/mat. It's not some pretty Instagram shelf system haha

Shoes, jackets, and purses get stuffed back into the hutch by the door. Wine bottles get put back in the rack (she lines them almost daily?). But it goes really quickly.

My husband does bathtime after dinner while I clean up the dishes and wipe down the kitchen counters. Then I do the final tidy, give the dog her meds, little things like that. Then I put her to bed while husband reviews cases for the next day. Then we go to bed haha.

For real cleaning like bathrooms and floors, I wait till the weekend and have my husband take her to the park for a couple of hours. But tbh, some things get dirtier than they should haha.

 

[ghex]

@wh2 Ok girl, your kids are still so little and you’re pregnant! Most people in your situation don’t have spotless houses! Now that my kids are 10, 7, and almost 2 my house is way tidier because I have more time to clean. My older two are in school full time now and the toddler still take an afternoon nap. Plus I dedicate time on Saturdays to cleaning.

My number one tip is to own less stuff. The less stuff you have, the less stuff you have to clean. Get rid of clothes you don’t wear, toys that aren’t played with, kitchen tools you don’t use, etc. it’s a lot of work to go through everything but it makes life so much easier! And you won’t miss all the stuff!!

 

[harulomilymiqz]

@wh2 You have two toddlers and you’ve just started your second trimester of pregnancy. A clean, pristine house is an insane standard to hold yourself to. You’re doing what you can.

We had two kids almost back to back, with SPD complications, and it was a good day if I was even able to stand up to use the bathroom without assistance. What I did in that time was focus on things that were absolutely necessary for the household to function: dishes and laundry. I had to take my time with everything else or get assistance from my husband/mom.

 

[sammypants]

@wh2 I have a three year old and a 6 month old, 2 cats and 2 dogs. My house will be tidy again one day. I think if I just got rid of 50% of our stuff … the house would still be a mess, but it might look less disorganized… still, who has time to declutter with a baby?

I try to get things to a manageable/not stressful for me to live in state every night before bed, so that I can drink my morning coffee in a “clean” house.

I really recommend the book “how to keep house while drowning “ both for actionable tips and a lot of grace in the process.

 

[wh2]

@sammypants You’re the second person to mention that book in this chat and I am adding it to my list immediately. Thank you for the tip!