July 21, 2008
Advice Request #1: When do you…
… sleep?
Nah, just kidding. Actually, I have a question for the moms about getting stuff done.
I’ve almost figured out how to fit in the “regular”chores (stuff that needs to be done on a daily or weekly basis). I don’t exactly do Flylady to the letter, but I like some of her methods, namely the ones about having routines. I try to have a morning routine that includes stuff like making up the bed, putting away clean dishes, putting away my stuff in the bathroom and wiping around the faucets, etc. Then I try every day during Anna’s naps to do something that needs to be done weekly, like various cleaning chores and laundry (such as bathrooms on Monday, bedroom on Tuesday, etc.) I haven’t ever actually gotten all this done in a week, but it’s a start. Oh, and I exercise, which also has to be done during nap time.
What I haven’t figured out is how to fit in “irregular” chores. For instance, I do have time to put away the dishes, but I don’t have time to clean out the tupperware cabinet so I don’t have an avalanche when I try to put away said dishes. I do have time to vacuum and dust the bedroom, but I have to work around that pile of stuff on my desk that I don’t have time to sort through and figure out what to do with. And anything outside the house—the garage, the flower beds, the car—forget it!
So, moms of little ones, what works for you? Any tips? Things you’ve tried that have worked or not worked? I know I’ll have to figure this out myself, but I’m looking for ideas here. And I have only one kid and no job; most of you have multiple kids and at least a part-time job! I can’t imagine how overwhelming that is.
Comments(5)
i hear ya! i helplessly watch the grass grow to levels usually only seen in front of abandoned houses, ’cause there’s just no going outside during naptimes, wake times, or any other times except to play.
let’s see, anna’s almost 4 months old, right? that means she’s still needing almost constant full-eye-contact-and-attention-from-an-adult supervision. (Sue and her hubby call it accidental suicide watch :).) i think you’re probably doing as much as you can under those circumstances.
as she gets a little older, and can sit up unassisted, or entertain herself with some toys a little bit more, you’ll find that you can be in the same room yet don’t have to be so hands-on.
i’m a big advocate of swings, bouncy seats, and when head control is mastered–exersaucers, and the like. then you know baby is safe and entertained, even if it’s only an extra 15 minutes that it buys you that’s more than you had before.
it gets easier as they get older, i promise. as they find their independence, you get some of yours back too :).
and about having more kids, i have two thoughts about getting anything done. first, it’s not as bad as you might think–your workload doesn’t necessarily double with an additional child. second, i’ve found that if i can’t get it all done like i want to, it’s far easier to just embrace it and lower my standards :).
Wow, you’re doing great to have all that down in only 4 months! I didn’t do regular cleaning until we moved to Fayetteville….when the kids were 5 and 2 years old. And you can forget exercising then…..I did! haha!
My trick now with a whole bunch of things is baby steps. If you don’t have time to clean off your desk, clean off the top 3 things on that pile. Then go do whatever else must get done. Then next time you walk past it, do the next 3 things. What you might find, like I have, is that just starting makes you want to keep going. Anna can lay on the floor and play while you trash or file things.
This worked with my pantry. We had a walk-in pantry in LR. (Loved it!) It was so messy you could NOT walk in it. I decided I would clean off the top shelf and only the top shelf one day. Without even realizing it, I cleaned up all 4 shelves AND the floor. I just got on a roll and didn’t want to stop.
The same thing has happened with exercising. I’ll be resisting it. So I tell myself I only have to do 10 minutes. But once I’ve done that 10 minutes, it feels silly to stop, so I don’t.
Also, like Megan said, if you don’t get absolutely everything perfectly organized and spotlessly clean, don’t fret! You really will have more time for yourself in just a few short years. Then you will cry wondering where your baby went!
Girl… let me know when you figure it out!!! It’s sooo hard. I have resigned to the fact that I will NOT have a real CLEAN house for years probably. I go back to work in a few weeks so it’s just going to get harder. I have seriously been toying around with the idea of hiring a housecleaner to come in a couple of times a month to do some deep cleaning.
Good for you on making the bed. I always feel like my house looks decent when the bed is made. I try to do at least 30 minutes of day cleaning. That can be laundry, dishes or whatever. I try not to go beyond that, but sometimes it is impossible.
at the annual homeschool kick-off meeting last year someone asked how you’re supposed to teach multiple children, cook, clean, and do anything at all. and the moderator said,”it’s all a game of how low can you go!” i LOVED that. so true.
my mil has the cleanest house i’ve ever seen. and i commented on it once. she said,”with kids you can never get it as clean as you want.” i find that truer and truer! and now can SO see why hers is spotless now – she’s makin’ up for all those lost dirty years!
that said, like megan said,”embrace it.” sometimes the avalanche is a given. although, pick the things you absolutely can’t stand and do just that. let something else go that you can handle letting slide. (of course, what you don’t mind letting slide and what your hubby minds letting slide can be different things and then you’re back to square one!)
i agree with the others – it’s just a hard place right now. in a lot of ways just one is harder than multiple – my children love to entertain each other, especially whoever’s the youngest. and you’ll adapt to letting them play alone but near you more and more.
i’m in process of reorganizing the whole house and simplifying (once again!) while still doing school, watching movies with the kiddos, finding read-aloud time, lunches, dinners, bedtimes, swim time, time for my hobbies (can you say sewing and php?!) but while i was working on the banner for church – laundry didn’t get done. period. piled to the top of the machines. from the floor!! but when the banner deadline was met then i started on laundry – 2 solid days of washing and drying. then on the 3rd day – an hour solid of folding clothes (all three bigger kids fold and put away all of their own and fold and put away the towels – i do mine, matt’s, the baby’s and all hang up clothes). by the fourth day the dishes were in dire need of catch up. (i had done them a couple times in there, but i have to run the dish washer somewhere between once and twice a day to be caught up.) so i spent the next day loading and unloading constantly until they were done. all this in between all the run of the mill stuff.
also, i’ve had to master the art of walking away. i’m a workaholic. when i start something i want to finish it. but i’ve had to adjust to doing just some of something and then coming back to it. still drives me crazy, but i can at least do it now.
and i have to say, i’m not a nighttime worker. when the kids go to bed, i’m done. whether i’m done or not. that’s MY time. no more. sometimes that means dinner dishes sit on my table til morning. i know, gasp!, i’d have never thought it when i had one or two kids, but i just have to now.
and i should also say, i don’t leave the house often. i used to never stay home and now i strategically plan when i leave the house and sometimes that’s on sundays to church and then maybe one other trip a week. it helps with time for the kids, gas money, gives me more time to clean, and helps with the money saving (not being tempted to spend money in town).
hope that maybe helps a little!
and if you have questions about getting your site the way you want – i might actually have a few answers now. maybe.