When do you do housework?

I spread it out.  I mean there is plenty of time for a perfect house and this is not that time in your life.  I would sit with your hubby and get his top 1 or 2 most bothersome tings and then list yours.  Make sure to get those done as much as possible and take it a litte easier on the rest.  For example the rest of the house can be perfect but if the floor needs swept/mopped/vacuumed my hubby will say the house is dirty.  He can handle a little clutter on the counter or the bed unmade.  I on the other feel if there is clutter then the house is a mess.  I do my best to concentrate on those two things.  It helps to keep everything organized including closets and drawers.

Keep a basket or bucket around and if something is out of place throw it in there and then have you son help you put it away before bed.  My kids love that.  For the younger ones I say where does this go?  Then they run off to put it away.  Even my 20 month old twins can do some things.

My kids help to what their ability is, but some of it I do myself. When you really have to get something done there is no problem having them play alone for a while.  Set the timer and put the cleaning down when it goes off.  Then set the timer and play a while. Put him close to you, at the table with some colors or “special” toys he only gets when you really need to do something like dishes.  He doesn’t need to do it strictly right now, but if you have him help you and make it fun then he will do it when he is older without fuss.  My oldest is known to pass my room and see laundry on the bed and go in and fold it without me asking.  He likes to see my face when it is done and I ask who did it and thank him for helping wthout me asking. He is 8.

I would take the time now to get a system down and set aside some special toys.  They don’t have to be new just some from the toy bin for only special times.  Once the baby is here you can use those toys for that time too when you need to take care of the baby.  One or two small bins with a few toys each should do.  Keep a spare diaper and teddy bear around so he can change and feed his baby too.

Afer the kids are in bed I am tired, but that is my time with hubby.  I rarely do more than dinner dishes after the kids are in bed, and I have been known to leave them if I have to.  Hubby will sometimes help or wait for me to be done or sometimes he will just say leave it.  I put the dishes in the diswasher after each meal normally and start it before bed.

Maybe if you make a list each day of what cleaning has to be done that will help.  List them in order of importance.

We do housework every day and the 5 older children help but not the crawling baby, so 10, 6, 5, 3, and 2 year old.  We have morning chores, afternoon chores, and before bed chores.  I never tell my children “I can’t, I’m busy”, but instead say, “Right now this work needs done, how about we do it together for fun?”. 

Examples of the chores I no longer have to do because they are my children’s jobs (and the age of the children doing the job):

• Clean bedrooms, make beds (10 down to age 2, older helps younger with making bed)
• Cleaning bathrooms – counter, sink, floors, empty bathroom trash (10, 6, 5)
• Sweep with broom in Kitchen and dining room (10, or younger with hand vacuum)
• Load and unload dishwasher (10 down to 2, usually 2 children together)
• Pick up floors (all)
• Putting away laundry (all, buddied with little sibling)

I often help, we’ll do laundry together or I’ll work in the kitchen while they do dishes, but as they’ve learned how to do things I’ve been able to use my time in areas they aren’t ready for yet.  For example, I do the cooking.  My 10yo is learning, but I do the main cooking.  I do the vacuuming because it has to be done well with a crawling baby ready to eat things off the floor.  I wash and dry laundry because nobody can reach in our top loaders and because I enjoy it.

The house is not perfectly clean, but it can always be picked up to company ready in about 15 minutes of everyone working together.  Many hands make light work!

Hahaha!  I was going to post, “When do we do what??” 

What is houseweork???? No seriously when the girls were little hubby and I decided that a messy house and happy kids was the important thing, so though we taught them to make beds and do the basics, the house was often untidy, not dirty – just not a show house. I often did housework in the evenings when hubby was studying or doing chores himself and the girls were in bed – I did laundry in the evening as in England it is cheaper to run loads at night. Now we all chip in together and get things done – however I will still put the family and time with them ahead of a pristine house – I have been lucky to have a hubby who does not mind that as he feels the same way. The children are only small once, and it is important to have time to enjoy it – housework will always be there, and as long as the house is clean and there is good food on the table from a nice cooked meal, the rest could always wait. Linda

I cannot survive in an untidy house. Dusty, yes, untidy, NO!  My brain cannot function if toys and books are everywhere, blankets and pillows scattered all over. 

Ever since I read The Fly Lady’s website, I have had a schedule of specific chores on specific days because I don’t have 3 hrs at one time to devote to cleaning and laundry. Here is our schedule:

Sunday: wash sheets and towels, vacuum all carpets/rugs, mop tile/wood floors

Monday: laundry as needed

Tuesday: quick wipe down of all bathrooms

Wed: laundry as needed

Thursday: groceries; vacuum rugs/carpets and mop kitchen only

Friday: laundry as needed/ p.m. REST

Saturday: a.m. REST/ p.m. clean all bathrooms thoroughly including mopping floors/scour tubs

My dd’s help with dishes mostly at breakfast time. They help clean 1 bathroom 1x per week and take out bathroom trash. They tidy their rooms and make their beds. They pick up toys always before getting new toys out. 

So with my schedule above it probably takes me an hour to do those specific things per day. I always wipe down the kitchen after washing dishes (by hand) and the kitchen table and the stove. More thoroughly at night. I drain dishes in the sink unless dd’s are helping then they dry and I put away.

The main chores are done usually in the afternoon/evening time because we devote the mornings to school and outside time. Sometimes I may squeeze in a chore or two if we can’t go out…

HMMM noticed I didn’t put in “dusting.” lol I dust when I FEEL it’s needed. lol Usually spring cleaning time!

Tara

we have gone through the 31 days to a clean house and love it.

we also do chores in the morning before we start,  a tidy before lunch,  an afternoon tidy and a before bed tidy.  

it helps to do a little bit each time rather than a huge cleaning once a week

motivated moms is another planner I LOVE

I’ve been asking this question for a while now!  And one more:  When do you actually have time to schedule/plan anything?  I seem to be able to do only one major thing at a time.  Clean OR Cook OR School OR Child Training OR Planning, OR Think, etc.  I multi task like a pro INSIDE of these categories and can combine cleaning and cooking pretty well if cooking isn’t too intensive…but some of you actually sound organized…in my dreams!

I have 4 children so far 7 and under–been working on including them in the work and making progress too.  But, I feel like I am racing the clock to get organized in case the Lord blesses us with more.

jo