SAHM's and a Cleaning routine?!

[PMJ]

Hi !!

I'm a SAHM (stay at home mom) of a 6-month old girl and a dog! I'm having the HARDEST time getting into some kind of routine... cleaning one.

I would like to think (though DH disagrees) -- that I'm a neat freak and like things tidy. Clearly w/ the new baby that has been put on the back burner. I have created many Cleaning routines in the past - on Excel and in data tables and my biggest problem is that I don't stick to them. Ex - Mon, do 1 load of laundry, Tues - sweeping, Wed - bathrooms etc...

I am so exhausted w/ taking care of DD, cooking meals and taking care of dog (minimal) -- that the last thing I want to do. DH does occasionally help out with some items on weekends, but that is not something I can count on as he works about 12 - 16 hrs a day.

Any advice greatly appreciated.!!!! My house is driving me NUTS!

Please help me get back on track.

-- First Time Mom

[LMPC]

Is there room in your budget for a housekeeper once a month? I would give up many things, but that is not one of them It helps me stay sane and have more time for my DD.

[edurnemk]

A lot of moms on this board use the motivated moms checklists. I've seen them but haven't used them myself.

I'm really obsessive about order, and the first few months with a baby were very stressful, because of course you can't keep the house in perfect order and I felt terrible about that. I found you need to adjust your expectations a little in order to feel happy with what you can actually do around the house. Don't be too hard on yourself, 'cause you're doing a lot of work, and of course it's more important to take care of your baby than it is to organize closets.

I agree with PP that hiring a cleaning service or housekeeper once or twice a month makes a huge difference, since the rest of the time you just have to "mantain" the house. Also when I cook I make 2 or 3 times the amount we need, and freeze the extra portions, so I don't have to cook everyday.

Starting at around 6 months, babies' schedules become more predictable and it will get easier to plan your day and dedicate a couple of hours to housekeeping. Also she'll be able to play on her own for a while. I always try to exploit my son's naptime as much as possible.

[MomToOne]

I used the triage system at that age ie I did what absolutely had to be done and that was pretty much it. So just basically the dishes and laundry. PP is right, at 6 months the schedule evened out a bit and I was able to expand what I did.

I also put up a mini list at about that time with five things I really needed to do every day, in addition to the above mentioned it included setting the coffee for the morning and wiping down the bathroom.

I had it by the dining room table. You could also have it in a sheet protector and cross them off as you accomplish them and then wipe it off and start again the next day.

[Melaine]

I signed up for Motivated Moms but to be honest haven't really used it much YET besides getting the daily chores down. For me, that has been a huge struggle. Things are finally starting to calm down after the utter chaos of having twins and adjusting to parenthood. Now, I feel like I am getting back on track and have gotten some GREAT tips here (there are some excellent threads, I will try to look for them).

Some things that have really helped me:
Dishwasher. Someone here said to have a dishwasher routine and it has done wonders, so much more than I expected. After dinner I run the dishwasher without fail. If it isn't full, I find some "extras" that I can throw in, like the sponge holder, drainer, toothbrush cup, bath toys, etc. I also am more likely to keep the fridge cleaned out because I'm looking for dirty dishes to fill the dishwasher. (Usually though, it is full from us being home all day, DH's lunch dishes, etc.)

In the morning, while the coffee brews, I unload the dishwasher. So right at 7, I start with a clean sink, clean counters, empty dishwasher. It is much easier to keep it loaded, etc. throughout the day. The sink doesn't even get dirty very quickly, because the dishes go straight to the dishwasher.

Like others here, I clean the fridge after my big grocery haul of the week. While the new stuff is on the kitchen table, I throw out the old and wipe down the shelves, etc. Doing it every week keeps it from being a dreadful ordeal. Although cleaning underneath and the vent thingy is sadly neglected.

I change the sheets the same day I mop the kitchen. I take the sheets off the master bed and make a fort in the living room with the Learning Tower and all the kitchen chairs. The girls have a blast playing while I have some time to do the mopping and picking up the rest of the house. Seems silly, but it works great for us. Finding a way to make it all less of a hassle is worth it.

Convenient/efficient cleaning supplies: I went through all my cleaning supplies and got a good caddy to keep them in. It used to take me literally ten trips to get all my bathroom cleaning supplies to the bathroom. Knowing it will take less time is a motivator. I have switched to all natural cleaners and they are SO much more pleasant to use, that yes, I am actually more likely to clean.

Better habits: Always putting something away when walking from one room to the next. Looking around the room to see what is out of place, and returning it to it's home. Everything has to have a home, or it will go to someone else's home.

When I see something that needs to be done, I just do it. I used to see tiny jobs that needed to be done and I would just let them depress and overwhelm me. Now, I sometimes actually do them immediately rather than continue to be annoyed.

If you could see my house, you'd totally roll your eyes that I am even giving advice at all. But the improvements have been notable, because it really was chaotic just last year. You are way ahead of me to be working on this problem when your baby is only 6 months old!

[boogiemomz]

I signed up for Motivated Moms but to be honest haven't really used it much YET besides getting the daily chores down. For me, that has been a huge struggle. Things are finally starting to calm down after the utter chaos of having twins and adjusting to parenthood. Now, I feel like I am getting back on track and have gotten some GREAT tips here (there are some excellent threads, I will try to look for them).

Some things that have really helped me:
Dishwasher. Someone here said to have a dishwasher routine and it has done wonders, so much more than I expected. After dinner I run the dishwasher without fail. If it isn't full, I find some "extras" that I can throw in, like the sponge holder, drainer, toothbrush cup, bath toys, etc. I also am more likely to keep the fridge cleaned out because I'm looking for dirty dishes to fill the dishwasher. (Usually though, it is full from us being home all day, DH's lunch dishes, etc.)

In the morning, while the coffee brews, I unload the dishwasher. So right at 7, I start with a clean sink, clean counters, empty dishwasher. It is much easier to keep it loaded, etc. throughout the day. The sink doesn't even get dirty very quickly, because the dishes go straight to the dishwasher.

Like others here, I clean the fridge after my big grocery haul of the week. While the new stuff is on the kitchen table, I throw out the old and wipe down the shelves, etc. Doing it every week keeps it from being a dreadful ordeal. Although cleaning underneath and the vent thingy is sadly neglected.

I change the sheets the same day I mop the kitchen. I take the sheets off the master bed and make a fort in the living room with the Learning Tower and all the kitchen chairs. The girls have a blast playing while I have some time to do the mopping and picking up the rest of the house. Seems silly, but it works great for us. Finding a way to make it all less of a hassle is worth it.

Convenient/efficient cleaning supplies: I went through all my cleaning supplies and got a good caddy to keep them in. It used to take me literally ten trips to get all my bathroom cleaning supplies to the bathroom. Knowing it will take less time is a motivator. I have switched to all natural cleaners and they are SO much more pleasant to use, that yes, I am actually more likely to clean.

Better habits: Always putting something away when walking from one room to the next. Looking around the room to see what is out of place, and returning it to it's home. Everything has to have a home, or it will go to someone else's home.

When I see something that needs to be done, I just do it. I used to see tiny jobs that needed to be done and I would just let them depress and overwhelm me. Now, I sometimes actually do them immediately rather than continue to be annoyed.

If you could see my house, you'd totally roll your eyes that I am even giving advice at all. But the improvements have been notable, because it really was chaotic just last year. You are way ahead of me to be working on this problem when your baby is only 6 months old!

wow! i might post this on my fridge... great ideas!

i too am home with my 5mo DD and 2 cats, one of whom has idiopathic cystitis (read: chronic bladder inflammation that causes him to pee on the carpet almost every day, sometimes more than once). it is a struggle to get beyond the absolute necessities of laundry, food prep, and dishes. i was going to mention Motivated Moms, i was planning on doing that sometime soon when we move into our new house this summer. but i guess it only works if you do it! don't be too hard on yourself. i agree with the above, that some of it is a matter of not allowing yourself to get overburdened and depressed, but if you see something small that needs doing, do it! this is a big one for me. i think if i'm going to embark on a cleaning/tidying project it has to be this huge ordeal, so if i'm not able to devote half a day to it, i don't do it at all. big mistake... i could get so much done if i would just do a little at a time!

all that is to say i don't have any great ideas for you, but can relate in a big way. good luck and congrats on your little one!

[salsah]

i found that in addition to a schedule, i need a system. like a pp said, she doesn't just run the dishwasher daily, she runs it right after dinner. unloading is done while she does another specific daily task. when i tried to make a schedule with daily tasks, i often found my self at the end of the day w/o having done that day's chores.
a couple of ideas that worked for me are that i don't leave my room in the morning until i have made my bed. when i leave my room, i take a load of laundry with me, put it in the machine and run it. if i'm having a good day, i'll find some time to dry and fold it, if not, i run the drier while getting the girls ready for bed and fold the laundry while sitting in front of the tv at night after the girls are asleep.
anther thing that helps me squeeze in some quick cleaning is having cleaning supplies accessible. i now keep a small spray bottle of diluted vinegar in each bathroom with a couple of rags (under the sink). that way when needed (or while waiting for one of the girls to finish up) i can quickly grab the spray bottle and spray everything (mirrors, faucet, counters, sink) and then wipe them down. helps keep everything cleaner between the major bathroom scrub down cleaning. and using the vinegar is not only safer/greener, but makes it easier because i can use one product on everything and not stress or worry about it getting on the towels or toothbrushes or even my hands. it only takes a minute but makes a difference.
another thing that has helped me is our cordless stick vac. i bought it to replace our dust buster for spot cleaning in the kitchen (after a spill or after the kids eat something crumbly) but since it is so fast and easy to use even for larger areas (like the entire entry way or bathroom or kitchen), it encourages me to do touch up cleanings in between the real cleanings. even though it is made for hard floors, it has worked in a pinch on the carpet too.

i would start slow. make a goal for this week, such as laundry. create a schedule and a system, and try to stick to it. if you find that it isn't working, fix it until it does work for you. don't worry about everything else. once you've got the laundry down, work out a system for the dishes. keep up with the laundry and get the dishes down, then add another goal.

GL!

[ourbabygirl]

I'm a SAHM, too, to an 18 month old girl, and believe me, it just gets harder to find time to clean when they get to be toddlers! I was able to manage things around here until she was about 14 or 15 months, then she started walking and has been going around making big messes ever since! Seriously, when she was younger and still napping twice a day, I could take a shower and get ready during her 45 minute morning power nap. Then for her afternoon nap I would catch up on laundry, folding and putting away, straightening up the kitchen and other rooms, maybe even vacuum. Now she naps once a day, and during that time I'm usually sleeping (pregnant and tired!) and/or getting myself ready. They make messes with toys, books, art supplies, you name it (not to mention snacks if you let them walk around the main floor with them, which I sometimes do). So I don't mean to complain but do want to tell you to enjoy this time while they're immobile, while you can!
I've tried the Motivated Moms thing, too, but honestly, there's so many little nit picky things on the daily (and weekly/ monthly) lists that I don't find it's worth my time trying to attend to all of them. I'm in triage mode, too, like a PP, and I just try to get dishes and meals taken care of each day (along with taking care of DD; playing w/her is my first priority)... laundry and vacuuming are my other priorities, but the vacuuming is usually only done once or twice a week now (though it needs it more than when DD was younger).
Not to be a total downer, but I just wanted to be honest. Getting someone to come help clean, even once a month, should help a lot to make you feel like you're not drowning in the mess. We just started a service that comes once every 3 weeks, and though they've only come once, we LOVE it and wish we would've done it much sooner!

Good luck!

[B.A.F.]

GREAT tips! Great post. :-)