I need some help ladies. I doubt I'm the only one in this boat, but I feel like I'm drowning in all of the things I should be doing.
Do any of you stick to a weekly "schedule" of chores/housework? Now that I have a baby to care for I kinda feel like I need my housework broken down Barney style to Mondays-Laundry, Tuesday-Bathroom, Wednesday-dust/vac ect.
Has anyone found a weekly system that works for you? Any tips to keeping on top of to do lists? I just feel overwhelmed, and I will always (hope to God) have Layla, so I have to figure out a system to balance Layla/work/housework ect eventually. Tim will help with anything I ask and also takes point every once in a while (runs out of clean work clothes) but I am the lead as far as housework.
@CFox815 oh how I wish I could hire a cleaning lady, but that would never fly with Tim. We do not have a large house, so I should be able to handle it. He would say well if you weren't on that stupid website blah blah blah. Maybe I should "pay" myself to clean ect. For every hour I do housework I will spend $30 on me
Seriously though, I think I am going to make a chore chart like you see for kids and sign Tim up for weekly chores as well!
Monday: dust, vacuum, and clean up our bedroom Tuesday: scrub the bathroom (sink, tub, toilet, floors) Wednesday: dust, vacuum, and clean up the nursery Thursday: clean the kitchen (sink, counters, floors, dishes) and dining area Friday: dust, vacuum, and clean the living room Saturday: wash, dry, and put away all the laundry
What actually gets done? Sometimes I'll unload the dishwasher or pick toys and shoes up off the living room floor. And grocery shopping and cooking dinner every night on top of that? Yeah, not happening. One day I'll figure out how to juggle raising a baby, keeping the house clean, and cooking dinner, but today is not that day.
I really don't make lists, sorry. No help. My house stays clean because I do enough stuff around the house all day, make my 4 and 2.5 year olds do daily chores AND make them dust and mop for poor behavior, so... there's my answer: child labor. And, I am lucky in that DD is a GREAT napper. Nighttime sleep... not so much.
DH does his own laundry now since Sophia was born (thank God). I do Sophia's laundry on Fridays after a week of daycare blow out outfit changes. I tend to do my laundry on Monday or Tuesday. I do dishes daily. DH and I take turns tidying up clutter and vacuuming. We now have a cleaning lady who will come every 3 weeks to do everything else.
I know the price will vary greatly by region, but out of curiosity, about how much is your housekeeper? How often do they come? What all do they do? Anything they won't do?
Mine charges $90 a cleaning which may be a bit high but she will do about 4 hours worth of work: dusting, floors, vacuuming, base boards, kitchen and two bathrooms. Really she's doing everything but laundry and dishes...which when you think about it is A LOT.
I usually enjoy lists but I don't make them for cleaning. Saturday mornings seem to be my power cleaning day while DH watches J. He has litter box and trash duty but will do other chores if I ask. Like pp, I aim for a clean kitchen and hate when the sink is full. I started sweeping the floors every other day when I found cat hair in Jack's poop :-& #momfail
I usually enjoy lists but I don't make them for cleaning. Saturday mornings seem to be my power cleaning day while DH watches J. He has litter box and trash duty but will do other chores if I ask. Like pp, I aim for a clean kitchen and hate when the sink is full. I started sweeping the floors every other day when I found cat hair in Jack's poop :-& #momfail
See this is what I'm trying to avoid, I want weekends to be fun family time. I find myself using Saturday mornings to power clean as well. In theory I would like to do all of my "work" during the week so that Fri night-Sun is off time. I think in reality I just have too high of expectations of myself while at the same time massive laziness/procrastination. I will never be a pinterest mom, but I can't just say fuck it either. Gah, damn responsibilities!
I almost always have Thursday off work and that's when I clean. My house is small and I keep it clean throughout the week. Every night I tidy up (pick up all the toys, put laundry in the right hampers, vacuum if needed, load/unload dish washer, clean up dinner dishes).
But on Thursdays I take all the laundry to the basement and start it. I clean the bathrooms (we have 2 bathrooms) mirrors, counters and toilets, empty trash and shake out/wash rugs, I sweep it onto the carpet (I HATE dustpans!) and that usually only take me about 15 minutes.
Then I dust the living room and dining room. Sweep the dining room onto the carpet then vacuum that side of the house.
Then I wipe all the counters in the kitchen, do all the dishes and clean out the fridge. Sweep the kitchen into our room. Then dust our room and vacuum. Take out all the trash.
And in-between all that I'm switching laundry and putting it away. It usually takes me about 2 hours (except laundry) if Matthew is being good and just playing in his jumper/play mat/chair but if he's wanting to be held it can take me all day..
Another vote for hiring a housekeeper if possible. We have one coming every other week. She charges $110 and our place is about 1400 square feet.
I still have kind of a schedule though so the house doesn't get out of hand. Also, I WAH so laundry never piles up because I stay on top of that. I start a load before a meeting, throw it in the dryer once my meeting is done, fold and put away on my lunch, etc. I also do dishes as I go.
Daily - wipe and disinfect all kitchen surfaces, scoop Sinny's box. Trash goes out. I spend about 10 minutes each evening going around and trying to declutter, shred mail, etc.
Every other day DH dumps Sinny's box, washes it, and replaces all the litter
Monday - clean the toilets and wipe down all bathroom surfaces, soak and scrub kitchen sink
Friday - meal plan and shopping, wash A's daycare bedding, his toys, and his nursery bedding. Wash our bedding. Disinfect humidifier.
Saturday -DH vacuums, mops, and dusts. He sweeps the patio. He also spot treats the carpet in any areas where Sinny has thrown up.
I just get by myself but now I want a cleaning lady too! How should I go about finding this cleaning lady? Look around for companies? Ask for a referral from someone I know? Do you interview these cleaning ladies?? I'm lost... Help please?! (Sorry if I'm hi-jacking!)
Re: Weekly Chores
Seriously though, I think I am going to make a chore chart like you see for kids and sign Tim up for weekly chores as well!
Monday: dust, vacuum, and clean up our bedroom
Tuesday: scrub the bathroom (sink, tub, toilet, floors)
Wednesday: dust, vacuum, and clean up the nursery
Thursday: clean the kitchen (sink, counters, floors, dishes) and dining area
Friday: dust, vacuum, and clean the living room
Saturday: wash, dry, and put away all the laundry
What actually gets done? Sometimes I'll unload the dishwasher or pick toys and shoes up off the living room floor. And grocery shopping and cooking dinner every night on top of that? Yeah, not happening. One day I'll figure out how to juggle raising a baby, keeping the house clean, and cooking dinner, but today is not that day.
And, I am lucky in that DD is a GREAT napper. Nighttime sleep... not so much.
#LOLFITMAMA
#LOLFITMAMA
#LOLFITMAMA
I almost always have Thursday off work and that's when I clean. My house is small and I keep it clean throughout the week. Every night I tidy up (pick up all the toys, put laundry in the right hampers, vacuum if needed, load/unload dish washer, clean up dinner dishes).
But on Thursdays I take all the laundry to the basement and start it. I clean the bathrooms (we have 2 bathrooms) mirrors, counters and toilets, empty trash and shake out/wash rugs, I sweep it onto the carpet (I HATE dustpans!) and that usually only take me about 15 minutes.
Then I dust the living room and dining room. Sweep the dining room onto the carpet then vacuum that side of the house.
Then I wipe all the counters in the kitchen, do all the dishes and clean out the fridge. Sweep the kitchen into our room. Then dust our room and vacuum. Take out all the trash.
And in-between all that I'm switching laundry and putting it away. It usually takes me about 2 hours (except laundry) if Matthew is being good and just playing in his jumper/play mat/chair but if he's wanting to be held it can take me all day..
I still have kind of a schedule though so the house doesn't get out of hand. Also, I WAH so laundry never piles up because I stay on top of that. I start a load before a meeting, throw it in the dryer once my meeting is done, fold and put away on my lunch, etc. I also do dishes as I go.
Daily - wipe and disinfect all kitchen surfaces, scoop Sinny's box. Trash goes out. I spend about 10 minutes each evening going around and trying to declutter, shred mail, etc.
Every other day DH dumps Sinny's box, washes it, and replaces all the litter
Monday - clean the toilets and wipe down all bathroom surfaces, soak and scrub kitchen sink
Friday - meal plan and shopping, wash A's daycare bedding, his toys, and his nursery bedding. Wash our bedding. Disinfect humidifier.
Saturday -DH vacuums, mops, and dusts. He sweeps the patio. He also spot treats the carpet in any areas where Sinny has thrown up.
Sunday - more grocery shopping, meal prep
I do hate that weekends end up being chores and errands but we are going away this weekend and just saying f-it and nothing will get done.
I remember having a wheel of chores at summer camp- each week your name spun one over and that was your chore for the day.
Might be fun to do like pull a chore out of the hat! Each week put all the chores into the hat and then each day pull one out! Less monotonous!