Please tell me that I am not the only one...

lbgriffith

...who has a house that is messy all.the.time!  Both DH & I get up around 5 then return home from work around 6.  We spend about 1.5 hours with DS before he heads to bed and then about 30-45 minutes for us.  On the weekends, we try to make up for not being able to spend a lot of time as a family by spending as much time playing with DS as possible or going out and doing things as a family.  Our house is just always a mess!  We have laundry piles everywhere (clean though!), dishes never make it to the cabinets before they're used again, LO's toys are EVERYWHERE.  I don't know when to squeeze in cleaning!  DS is a non-napper so doing it during his naptime isn't so much of an option.  And I am always desperate to play with him on the weekends since I see him for such a small amount of time during the week that I don't want to use that time having to clean.  I know I could wear him while I clean but I can't really see him or interact with him except for talking/singing to him...  What do you ladies do to clean if you and your SO both work?

Nechie122

We use a cleaning service that comes every other week. Otherwise, LO goes to bed at 7, DH and I hang out from 7-8:30 and 8:30-9:30 is when I do some light housework (wash dishes, fold laundry) and get myself ready for bed.

LifetimeOfLove

I could have written this post myself! Our house looks like a war zone about 95% of the time. When I finally find the time to clean, the house is trashed less than 24 hours later!

SurpriseMama

There are no awards for shiny floors, and a clean house isn't your ticket into Heaven  

Enjoy your baby, he's what's most important! (Coming from a mama who just learned to let the laundry and dishes go!) 

JulieBadulie

For those who use a cleaning service, how do you manage the noise from the cleaning person and naps?  I would love to get a cleaning person, but we had one come once when our son was a few months old and it was so noisy for so long that he just couldn't nap.

ksyknelvr73

We have a maid service....I HAD to do SOMETHING b/c we were literally in the same place you guys are, and it bothered me b/c LO was starting to crawl and I didn't want him getting into GROSS stuff. They only come every 4 weeks, and we try to clean whatever we can in between, but honestly, family time comes first.

gallegosdc

SurpriseMama:

There are no awards for shiny floors, and a clean house isn't your ticket into Heaven  

Enjoy your baby, he's what's most important! (Coming from a mama who just learned to let the laundry and dishes go!) 

Love it!

We have a cleaning lady who comes 2x a month, but seriously, my house looks like a tornado hit it in between her cleanings.  DH and I were just talking about how we really could tidy up a bit and then decided lounging is a better idea for tonight.

alisonemma

My house is clean until my husband gets home.

meheron80

We were running into the same issue about a month ago so we set up a rule: Madison goes to bed at 1030pm (yes I know but we both work 3rd shift and this allows us some sleep).  When we are home we go to bed at midnight.  At 1145 two things get done: the dishes and the living room is picked up (not cleaned but toys away, trash gone, throw pillow back where they go, blankets put back over the chairs).  At least in the morning's/afternoon when we roll out of bed we have a clean living room to be in and no dishes.... that helps at lot. 

mesmom2011

This is my mantra. . .

The cleaning and scrubbing will wait till tomorrow,
for children grow up, as I?ve learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down, cobwebs.  Dust, go to sleep.
I?m rocking my baby and babies don?t keep.

DH and I team up to get the dishes done and I try to do some cleaning on the weekends.   

pinkzebra

We finally hired someone to come in twice a month to clean. I was going crazy trying to keep the house clean AND spend time with DD & Husband after working all day.DH &  I pick up the living room/kitchen every evening before we go to bed and I try to do at least 1 load of laundry a day. My DH is off on Fridays so he folds all of the laundry that I've washed all week on Fridays. The rest, I leave for the cleaning lady!!! We had to make some sacrifices to afford the cleaning lady, but I'm SO glad we did it!

daniella2727

I have a bouncer that hangs from our molding in the kitchen so while LO bounces I clean the dishes. I have an excersaucer outside the laundry room so while she is in that, I put on and fold laundry. Find ways to entertain LO while you do some of these needed chores.

ITGurl0626

You definitely aren't the only one.  I either wear my LO on my back (I sing & talk to her & tell her what I am doing) or I plop her on DH's lap while I get to cleaning.  I wish we could get a cleaning service, but DH won't have any of it.  He feels that we shouldn't have to pay someone to do something we can do ourselves.

BeetleLinz1125

This post makes me feel so much better!!!

My house is always a wreck :-(  It doesn't help that we are still remodeling half the house.  Plus the dog & cat make messes too....ugh.

I am really thinking about getting rid of the dog...I can't take her anymore.  It wasn't our choice to get her, but we feel guilty getting rid of her because it was his mom's dog.  His mom passed away 2 years ago....since she was sick she didn't have time to train her properly, and neither have we.  It's not the dogs fault, but we can't take care of her like she needs.  I feel like every time I clean the dog messes it up.

I guess it wouldn't be so bad if DH wasn't as sick as he is.  :-(

jamiekendall

JulieBadulie:

For those who use a cleaning service, how do you manage the noise from the cleaning person and naps?  I would love to get a cleaning person, but we had one come once when our son was a few months old and it was so noisy for so long that he just couldn't nap.

We use Merry Maids twice a month (a Godsend!), and DD and I usually go out and run errands while they clean.  Then you come home to a sparkling clean house!!!

kje120

On weekends we get stuff done during his naptime.  I'll put him in the high chair so he can watch me while I'm cleaning up the kitchen and I can talk to him.  He plays in the around-we-go while I fold laundry or do other light cleaning.  I don't feel the need to interact with him 24/7 - babies need some alone playtime, too.  He can play in the jumperoo or around-we-go for 15 minutes while I get something done and then we have plenty of playtime together.  Having a messy house puts DH and me in a bad mood and that's not good for baby, either.

Bluescarf

Someone told me something that changed the way I think of this forever. He said that at the end of your life you will never say "Gee, I wish I would have kept the house cleaner when my child was younger." You will only regret what mattered and what you can't get back, like postponing special time with your loved ones to keep everything clean. It doesn't matter much in the long run, time with your baby will. I SAH and still can't keep it all together. I'll get to it eventually.

sarahns80

Your not alone!

lbgriffith

Thanks, everyone!  You made me feel so much better about our hectic house!  Glad to know I am not alone!