How do you manage cleaning the house with DC at home?

[AJP]

I'm totally serious, and admit I should have some clus as I have 3 DC. There's only so much slave work I'm willing to do while the twins are at preschool and I can't really do it all in one day. I'm struggling with keeping everyone occupied and happy while I do things like laundry and clean either the kitchen or bathrooms while everyone's home. Am I dreaming, or are others able to manage this? I have a Cousin-in-law who has a DS the same age as my girls and a dd a little older. Her house is ALWAYS clean. Sigh. I'm wondering if she just let's them zone out in front of the tv all day or what. I know my girls don't play with toys as much as the average 4yr olds I know, but the constant getting into trouble and hounding me is driving me crazy. I feel like I'm constantly saying no, we can't go outside right now bc I'm cleaning!! They want to do things that require me there and while we're no clean freaks, things like laundry must get done.
Do you super mamas stay up late doing house stuff? I can't imagine what kind of wreck this place would be if I had to WOH every day. I need a little down time between 8pm and bed to say...sit down or eat! Lol. It not even the toys really, just keeping up with the day-to-day. I do make sure there are times that are just for the kids, going places, art stuff etc. I just feel like they're bored every time I need to cook, clean etc.
I know this sounds like a BP, but I'd love to know how you handle this. My DH works long hours and in about to fire my cleaning person (whole other post there!). I am still unpacking from summer at the cape, drowning in bills and managing school/activities/ and a 14 mo old!

[ha98ed14]

I don't! Who was it that had the sig, "Cleaning with children is like shoveling during a snowstorm?

[edurnemk]

When I only had DS and didn't have a cleaning lady, I'd do most of the housework during nap time. And some of the less complicated chores while DS played (i.e. folding laundry while he sat beside me playing). By the time DS was 1.5 yo I did let him watch a show on PBS kids if I really needed him to be entertained while I did stuff, but not for hours, just one show. I also dedicated certain days to certain chores (i.e. vacuum on Monday, clean bathrooms on Tuesday, Laundry on Wednesday, etc).

But I have to confess my house was never 100% perfect. I have to say the money I pay my cleaning lady is the best money ever spent.

[TwoBees]

I don't.

We have a cleaning person every so often. I try to vacuum the one day a week I work from home. We clean up the kitchen after DD goes to bed. DH will clean on a Sat while I'm at gym class or outside with DD. Our house gets cleaned in spurts. It's far from perfect.

[Bens Momma]

Wow, it's amazing that I had this EXACT same conversation with DH this morning! I don't have twins but have 3 boys and the youngest is just a few months younger than yours! I am at my wits end and feel like such a failure and thought "my BBB friends will know what to do" so was coming here to post! I will be watching this thread closely! Obviously I have no advice but can offer hugs :22: as I totally know how you feel!

Momma to 2 ACTIVE DS :bouncy::bouncy:
and a little snuggle bug!

[wendibird22]

Mostly divide and conquer on the weekends. DH will watch the kids and I'll do a chore then we switch. For laundry the kids usually follow me upstairs while I fold. I try to keep fun stickers or other small toys/dolls that they only get to play with then. I can usually vacuum, mop, do dishes, and wipe counters while kids play. Someone has to be watching the kids in order to clean bathrooms. The basics of laundry and vacuuming happen every weekend. Anything more involved only happens every 2-4 weeks.


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[cono0507]

Honestly, i feel like it was a struggle until the kids were both in school. Now that my youngest is in all day kindergarten, I feel like I finally really have things under control.

[zukeypur]

Sme days are better than others, and I've all but given up on DD1's room. She's just a pig. Luckily, DDs 2&3 p,ay well independently and together. I do let them watch TV for 30 minutes to an hour a day sometimes.

[Mommy_Mea]

I usually at least get the dishwasher emptied/loaded, or some pots and pans done while the kids are eating breakfast or lunch. Laundry typically gets done in the evenings and weekends. But really any real progress is done on the weekends. I just try and do little pieces here and there as I am walking through the house or if the kids are actually happily pre-occupied for a moment.

I never get large chunks of time, but I try and use every little free moment I have. Our house isn't clean by any means, but I feel I am at least treading water. :)

[mmommy]

I do the laundry around everything else (literally, because I have to wheel the machine in and attach it to the kitchen sink) but otherwise we live in filth.

The exception is when 3yo DD1 gets the swiffer out. My mother told me to take the top 2 segments off the handle and let DD1 push it around - what a great idea! DD1 LOVES to do it, and the microfiber cloth I put on it picks up all of the hair I'm losing after having DD2, so it does make a big difference.

Oh, and DH and DD1 are both really slow eaters, so I get up after eating and start cleaning up the pots and pans while they're still occupied with eating, if DD2 is asleep or playing in her exersaucer for a few minutes. Not the best social meal lesson for DD1, but otherwise I won't have a chance to wash the pots, and they eat SO SLOWLY it drives me batty. At least I'm in the same room and can participate in conversation (such as dinner conversation is with a 3 yo)

But yeah, otherwise the place is a sty.

[♥ms.pacman♥]

I don't. I do laundry and dishes while they're playing, but some things (like loading/unloading the diswasher) are impossible to do while a 1year old is right there climbing in the dishwasher and trying to grab knives. we have a lady come to clean our house once every 2 weeks. but as for clutter etc it is most often there.

i agree with that snowstorm analogy. honestly i look forward to going back to work full time, so the kids won't be in the house to mess it up constantly...as it is now i feel like why bother cleaning if the kids are just going to mess it up seconds later. i take the kids out of the house a lot, even for lunch but still..so much mess!

[roseyloxs]

My house is a disaster and I only have two kids (5 & 3). I do have a strategy for laundry though that has been working pretty nicely for me. I like to fold the laundry on my bed. We have a small balcony off our master bedroom. I have a small, plastic ikea table out there for the kids to use. I also have playdoh, paper, crayons, and even some stamps and stamp pads out there too. So I let them pick which they would like to play with then I set it up and start folding. They get to be 'outside (but its shielded from rain and wind)' and I can keep an eye on them and fold in peace. If I had an infant in the house as well then I would try to do all of this during nap time if possible.

If you don't have a balcony then maybe you can adjust this by using a space where you have room to fold but the kids get to use a space they don't use otherwise during most days; so its special.

As far as dishes go I don't do anything fancy. I just tell them to go play. DH is responsible for the post-dinner dishes and for the bathrooms too. He works long hours so sometimes I help out with the bathrooms but most of the time they just get a bit dirty until he gets around to it. Some weeks DH really, really works long hours (like this week where he disappears from 5am to almost midnight). On those nights I just let the dishes soak overnight and I do them in the morning while dd is in preschool.

[Green_Tea]

My kids are older now, but when they were little, I did let them watch some TV so I could get things done. I could easily clean the bathroom in the 30 minutes it took to watch Dora. If I could get one task like that accomplished a day, I felt like I was in good shape. I am considerably more laid back about TV than many of the mamas here, though, and didn't mind if my kids watched a few show a day, especially on days when we had lots of other stuff going on (preschool, trip to the park, etc.).

Laundry I would sort while they played, and then it took just a second to throw in or flip while they played independently. I folded at night while I watched TV and talked to DH. I also sent them off to play while I did things like dishes or cleaned up from a meal. Or I did it during preschool/nap time. I sometimes resented using my "free time" to clean, but in the long run it was worth it because I wasn't stressed out by a messy house.

[niccig]

My kids are older now, but when they were little, I did let them watch some TV so I could get things done. I could easily clean the bathroom in the 30 minutes it took to watch Dora. If I could get one task like that accomplished a day, I felt like I was in good shape. I am considerably more laid back about TV than many of the mamas here, though, and didn't mind if my kids watched a few show a day, especially on days when we had lots of other stuff going on (preschool, trip to the park, etc.).

Laundry I would sort while they played, and then it took just a second to throw in or flip while they played independently. I folded at night while I watched TV and talked to DH. I also sent them off to play while I did things like dishes or cleaned up from a meal. Or I did it during preschool/nap time. I sometimes resented using my "free time" to clean, but in the long run it was worth it because I wasn't stressed out by a messy house.

:yeahthat: This is what I did. DS is 7, so it's easier to get things done now. He even vaccums the family room for me and loves to clean the windows with windex. He's been doing the windows since about 3 which meant they only get clean as far as he could reach.

Now I'm back in grad school and the house is worse than ever. DH does the laundry and we both do the kitchen. Every few days we do a major pick up. I'll get to all the major projects during winter break!

[twowhat?]

We have a cleaning person every 2 weeks. It's the only way our bathrooms and floors get mopped and clean.

I load/unload the dishwasher after they're in bed or before they wake in the morning. If we are having people over, I can sometimes run the vacuum to at least get up the dog hair - they think it's a game to go hopping between couches and chairs to avoid it. If I want to do dishes while they're awake (which I often do), I've resorted to the TV.

Our laundry is rarely folded - I grab what I need out of the unfolded pile. Even the girls know that if they can't find something, look on top of the dryer:)

But - it IS getting easier. Ours are 4 too and they are just very recently starting to actually REALLY play with each other for extended periods of time (they are doing it right now!). I've been able to do dishes while they play but I still wouldn't give up my cleaning person:) It helps a little to have dedicated play spaces - they have a downstairs play room and upstairs gameroom and we encourage them to use those as much as they can, but it really only helps a little. They want to play where you are, so their stuff still metastasizes all over the house.

When I went back to WOH FT, I really thought it'd be easier to keep the house clean, but it has only made a marginal difference! Think of how fast kids can get a room messy. Even though they're not in the house all day, they quickly undo everything when they get home, and then we're stuck picking up clutter after they go to bed. WOH FT did, however, keep the house clean of mine and DH's mess (mostly dishes). But now that I'm WAH, my mess is back. You can't win! But I think it does get easier as kids get older. Until then, lowering your standards is the best you can do:) I also try hard not to compare myself to other moms. You never know - their kids might be more independent or there are other differences that allow them to keep their house completely orderly. I get envious, but I've stopped telling myself that I'm not doing enough.

[ljackson]

One thing that makes life easier for me is to clean the rest of the bathroom while the children are in the bath. I wash them then let them play while I clean the toilet, sink and floor. I've only been doing it for a month or so and am kicking myself for not having thought of it years ago.

[Katigre]

I don't have TV so that's not an option for my kids to occupy them. My house is pretty clean all the time - it's totally clean at least 3x/week so every other day. My kids are good at occupying themselves while I clean. I break it down into small tasks such as clearing/wiping the table so that I do a bit at a time. It's also easier to keep up on laundry and cleaning when you have less stuff

We live in a small house - 780 sq ft - so our possessions are less than others. I regularly purge toys/items so that big messes are not as easy to make and are easier to clean up. The kids help with cleaning though it's a lot of work to teach them do to so when they are 3 and under. But the fruit of all that GOYB work pays off hugely with 4-6 year olds who pick up as asked. I also homeschool so the kids are home with me all day - no times where they're not except a few hours with the grandparents.

[SkyrMommy]

I'm still trying to figure out cleaning with two because DS is almost 6 weeks old & just now starting to settle into a more regular nap time in the morning & afternoon. One thing that's making it easier right now is I have a cleaning service coming once a month for a whole house clean, it really made a difference in the bathrooms & dusting so it doesn't take as long to keep up with cleaning in the interm.

Laundry gets thrown in first thing in the mornings and switched over when DS goes down for his morning nap. Laundry is folded in the afternoon when DS is napping and DD is playing in her room.

Kitchen gets cleaned when DD is eating breakfast at the table & DS is in his bounce seat after nursing.

Bathrooms are cleaned once a week when I get up before both kids & DH, I clean, wipe surfaces, floors and toilets, & then shower myself. It helps that DS nurses around 5:30/6 am so I put him back down to sleep and stay up cleaning.

Floors get vacumed on weekend, usually Sunday when one of us takes the kids out for a walk. The house is around 2500 sqft, so it takes some time, but it isn't too bad.

Toys are picked up every night with DD's help, otherwise we'd be a disaster in no time because I swear her toys multiply overnight on their own!

[nfowife]

I clean the toilets while the kids are in the tub. I clean the shower in our master bath one morning before I shower myself- I literally am in the shower naked, with shower shoes on (so I am not walking around with cleaner on my feet) scrubbing the shower and then after rinsing it all I shower myself. I do the mirrors of the bathroom while DD naps- I just go around and do all the bathrooms in the house counters and mirrors. The kid's tub and the guest shower only get scrubbed periodically as they aren't used much (guest shower gets scrubbed right before guests and kid's tub isn't used most of the time as the kids prefer our jacuzzi tub).

For vacumming I do intermittent vacuuming during the week with the kids around, they just follow me or play on their own for the few minutes it takes to do the family room/kitchen area (the only place I do more than once a week). For the rest of the house, once a week I vacuum the whole house while DD2 naps (big kids at school) and then I mop the downstairs hard surfaces right after.

Laundry I do all through the days (throwing in/swapping loads), but I don't fold and distribute until naptime or before bed usually.

I have my big kids dust the staircase and bannisters on the weekends with fun feather dusters I bought and some pledge. They love to do this!

When I vacuum I use the soft brush attachment and dust our nightstands and dresser in my bathroom, and the TV stand area/electronics as well.

I try to do one bigger thing each day while DD2 naps- like something that will take 30 minutes. Such as cleaning out/tidying a closet, cleaning my car, wiping down baseboards in main living area, cleaning out fridge, cleaning windows on our front door and french doors, etc. But I only do one of those a day, when I feel like it needs to be done. I might make a list of big stuff and get it all done over the course of the week.

DD2 is in the whiny, tantrumy, follow-me-everywhere phase so sometimes I do little tasks like wiping down appliances, cleaning under the couch, etc. to a wonderful whiny soundtrack. :tongue5:

[okinawama]

I hate using my kid free time (naps and evenings) to clean, so I try and get as much as I can get done while the kids are awake. I have a couple of strategies that I use, and it keeps the house running. It's not spotless, and things like dusting, mopping and other more deep cleaning things get done on the weekend.

* we use one of those tot clocks, and because of that, DS1willingly stays in his bed until 730. DS2 is still in a crib and I leave him in his bed until then as well.I make sure I'm up and out of bed around 710 or earlier, and I unload the dishwasher and reload it as my coffee brews, and I throw one load of laundry in on my way to grab my kids out of bed.
* I do the breakfast cleanup while my kids are strapped into their high chair or booster seat. My kids usually always eat a bagel or waffle, which are easy clean up and allow me time to quickly wipe down countertops and make sure the kitchen is decluttered.
* I often line dry my laundry ( I live in the dessert and it literally takes 20 minutes or less to have things completely dry here) and so I actually fold it while I'm outside with the kids.
*My kids also love to spend a ton of time outside playing together, and I can see them through the back of the house, which is basically all windows, so I try and get vacuuming and living room/dining room decluttered while they're out there.
*I'm usually am on my own for dinner/bath time, so the after dinner clean up gets done while my kids watch half of a tv show.
*bathrooms get wiped down while my kids are in the bath tub. Once a week I let them bathe in my jacuzzi tub and I clean the master bathroom then.

My biggest house cleaning strategies though are a 2x/month cleaning lady and staying out of the house as much as possible. I try and make sure it's clean before we walk out the door in the morning (for the gym and then a possible playdate or errand running), head home for lunch and naps, and then try and spend as much time after naps playing in the yard or going for a walk around the neighborhood.

[queenmama]

Honestly? I don't. The place is a wreck.

I do the bare minimum (laundry and dishes) and the rest is falling by the wayside.

[hillview]

seriously at that age it seems impossible to me. HUGS

[lhafer]

Umm.....:hysterical::hysterical:
Yeah. It doesn't get done around here. I try now that I have one in school all day, and the other in Mother's Day Out twice a week. On those days, stuff actually gets done.

Otherwise....:hysterical:

[joonbug]

I found staying on top of things every day a bit helps! Only one DD here, we're a household of 4 people (DH's son lives with us) but I'm the only one cleaning (DH will *sometimes* clean the bathroom, sometimes he makes DSS do it he's 20 so no child labor here LOL). DD goes to preschool in the mornings now so I do a bit every day, Monday: vacuum and pick up, Tues mop the floors and clean the kitchen, etc). My house is clean but not spotless. Toys get picked up all the time, but it IS like shoveling during the snowstorm nevertheless. When I have to go downstairs put the laundy in, I tell DD, she usually will play with her toys. Or turn the TV for her. I fold stuff on the dining table and she helps (she helped with the laundry in our old apartment when washing machine was in the kitchen, but the basement is unfinished and not a safe place for a 3 year old...). Before, I would just vacuum with her - she'd 'help' with her own little vacuum or I give her one duster and use the other one. Surprisingly, she can do some damage to dust too ;)!

[AJP]

Thanks for all the input and advice. I find the stuff that's easy to do while they're here is the stuff that gets undone/dirty again the quickest. I can pick up kitchen, do dishes, sweep the floor on the main level and clean the half bath. I'm pretty quick with those and can even keep the 14mo old happy with the broom for 20 min or so. Then it's lunchtime and there dare dishes again, crumbs on the floor again etc. so I feel like I wasted all that time and could have been playing with them. I think my real problem is that I've been spoiled by having a cleaning person weekly...what I loved about that the most was having the whole house spotless all at the same time! It forced me to declutter during the week, and just walking into the house knowing everything was clean (even if only for a day) gave me the chance to catch up on putting laundry away etc.
I do bring them all upstairs when I do the laundry and try to clean bathrooms up there and do sheets etc. my DD's have some toys in their rooms that they only really play with during this time. It seems to work, so I'll continue that. Its hard to keep DS safe and happy though. I still stick him in the exersaucer :bag: in my room sometimes so I can do stuff.
Thanks again everyone. I don't want to look back one day and say I wish I spent more time being "there" with my kids...I do need to take care of this place, but I don't want them to remember me being like "leave me alone to clean" lol.

[Green_Tea]

FWIW, I NEVER sweep the kitchen floor during the day. I do it once, after dinner. Otherwise I could spend ALL DAY sweeping.

[123LuckyMom]

My house is definitely not up to my own standards, but I have not yet found a cleaning person I felt was doing a better job than I could do myself, and I can't abide paying that much money when I end up having to reclean stuff!!! I also wash pots/pans while everyone else is finishing eating, or I leave them until the morning and do them while DS is getting ready and DD is on her play mat or in her bouncer. I vacuum at least once a day now, because my golden retriever has allergies and is pulling out lots of hair on top of the constant shedding he and the cat usually do! I literally vacuum around my children. I vacuum in a spot, move the toys (or the baby) to the clean spot, and vacuum in the spot the toys (or the baby) were. My kids are used to it. I do laundry in stolen moments, but I fold at night. I put away the kids' clothes during our nighttime routine while DD is in her crib with the mobile. I do the master bath while DS is in the tub if DD will tolerate being put down. Otherwise I wait for the weekend or a night when DH will hold the baby for a while. The other bathrooms and floors get done on weekends when DS plays by himself outside or DH watches the kids. It's hard! Mostly I do things in a cursory fashion or a tiny job (like wiping down a sink) at a time in stolen moments, and I wait for the day when the children are a little older. I'd say a cleaner house is about five years away.

[star04]

I basically only do dishes and laundry. The only time everything REALLY gets clean is when my parents come to visit (or other overnight guests), which is rare. I sometimes feel like DH is one of the kids with his mess/clutter, but he will help clean when we need it done. He has said we need to have people over more often just so the house gets cleaned! :)