SAHMs - Do you clean up after/with DC throughout the day or just wait until end of the day?

HisBetterHalf

I feel like we're constantly cleaning up.  We don't have a separate play room so that is likely part of the problem.  DD goes from coloring, to play kitchen, to reading books, etc.  I don't usually make her put the things from one away before doing the other because it takes her FOREVER to clean up.  I'll usually put a few things away here and there and have her put her crayons away or whatnot.  I usually wait until the end of the day to really put everything away for the night.  What do you do?

penguingrrl

I try to pick up a little during the day, but mostly I pick up at night while DH gives her her bath (we're in a small apartment, so most of her toys and things stay in her room).

championmama

It depends.  although lately, i have lefft it the last few days, b/c why bother?  she'll just drag itr all back out.  As long as it is confined to her room, I can live with it somewhat.

KrisBriMcBunny

things like play-doh and crayons I put away but everything else is done at the end of the day...its part of her bedtime routine.

Bellisimo

A little here and there and then a bigger clean up before he heads to bed.

maxebook29

We clean up between activities so that there is space to do the next one. You know, put away the crayons before pulling out the playdoh. She puts away the book we just read as she gets the next one. I get stressed when it all gets too messy, and cleanup kills time too.

Brideofranken

we clean between major things, and then I clean in the evening too- toys anyway. I clean other things throughout the day. I am about to dust and fold towels, for instance..and then I'll unload the dishwasher, and mop the kitchen floor, and clean the bathroom once she wakes up from her nap.

I am cleaning all day. ALL DAY. but, I love to clean. so...it is a win win- I do not love to pick up toys, though...it seems futile. I throw foofa into the basket, suddenly foofa is on the coffee table. I put the xylophone away, and then I'm stubbing my damn toe on it in the kitchen!

I take nest breaks, obviously- but cleaning aqll the live long day.

JOEBunny

My DD is not super messy.  We clean up her room a couple of times a week and I encourage her to help, but she isn't all that good at it and because I am kind of an order nut, everything has a place, and she is definitely not good at that.  For the family room, where we play most of the time, I do make her help me pick things up and put them away, though maybe on a 3 for 1 basis.  I limit the number of toys in that room and we rotate them with those in her room, so there are not so many things to get out.  Right now, she is coloring on a giant piece of paper taped to the floor and she can come over and get one marker at a time, then has to bring me the other to get the next color, so their is not much mess. 

Today, she has mostly played with books, her sit and spin, and the big piece of paper, in addition to going to the park and a Dr. Suess birthday party, so not too much to clean up.  

The poop she put on the wall in her room at nap time however...  I wish I could make her clean that up!

mrsterry

A little bit of both.  I clean up major messes as they occur and I see them.  I do a more thorough clean sweep at the end of the day.  You know, for the boys to have a clean slate to "eff up" upon waking the next day...LOL

 

jennings235

It depends on how messy he is that day.  I tend to leave small messes around if I know it will just happen again.  But, I try to pick things up a little throughout the day so the entire house doesnt end up destroyed.

amygdala

I pick up a little here & there throughout the day just to keep the floor navigable (stuff like putting the gazillion balls back into the ball pool or putting all the puzzle pieces back on the table, etc.). ?We have 3 "big cleanups" during the day before their "brunch" & "supper" & before bed when we all pick up everything. ?I've found that it motivates them to have a "goal/reason" to pick up (time for the meal or bath/bed). ?Sometimes they're great...other times it's a lot of me handing them an individual toy & practically walking them over to where it needs to be put away, over & over. ?I also pick up everything when they go down for a nap.

marrymemylove

We do both. I'll try to get him to help me pick up easy things during the day, and I'll do some while he's playing with the next thing. But there's always cleanup after bed too. I do that while DH washes up mostly (sometimes vice versa).

We do have a separate playroom but it is upstairs, so downstairs usually has to be cleaned up each night.?