Tell me about your WEEKEND routine!

[bisous]

You know, the kids DO have things they have to get done. They clean their bedrooms every single day and they also each have a zone that needs tidying every day. Then Saturdays is changing sheets, deep clean of their zone, showering, all their homework done throughout the week, and daily instrument practicing. After which point, they're allowed 1 hour each (in the aggregate that's four hours!) of screen time in which they get to pick what they do (switch games, movies, etc.) I hate screen time. I hate that it is their currency but it moves the kids through their entire week of chores. I wish I could personally do more during the week but I'm working 20 hours a week (last week was 30 because I have an audit coming up) and it is hard for me to do a lot of the organizing projects and household maintenance projects when the kids are home. It is even harder to concentrate on my accounting so I have to be super sparing in what I do while they are at school. I have started moving laundry to Fridays. Since I work from home I can usually move the loads around while working...

Working while they are watching screens works pretty well. I can toss their old artwork or go through their closets and they're so engaged on the screens that I don't usually have an issue. We have three boys sharing a room that measures 10x12 so I often feel like it needs biweekly decluttering. They are required to help me with some of that but it feels relentless. One week will be one child's clothes, then their personal effects, then their art projects (constant!) etc. DS2 is a crackerjack about getting his Saturday and weekly chores done. He's done hours before the rest of them. I spend hours reminding that chores need to be accomplished/cajoling kids to do their work.

DH is a total wildcard. He may sleep until 10. He may be up and active by 7. He monitors himself. He's neither helpful nor in the way with the kids. If we plan the day before, he still may do something entirely different the day of.

I think what might work best for me is to try to start my work super early. I have a hard time tapping out in the middle of a project. So maybe our "family fun" time can be closer to the end of the day. Then the kids aren't on screens/lazing about ALL day long. And maybe I need to require some kind of active time prior to screens? Like you have to do a walk outside, a trip to the park or an exercise video before they go on? I think maybe I need to be ok with the fact that my four kids want nothing more than to be on screens all Saturday if left to their own devices? And that's ok? I think I struggle with that. Somehow I feel like that is less worthy time than many other pursuits but it is honestly what all four of my kids and my DH most enjoy...I don't mind it in moderation so maybe the family outing is still ok to require?

Waking up early Sunday to a clean house, tired kids, and a whole day to worship and relax is truly wonderful. I just have a really hard time squeezing in everything I need to to make sure that actually happens. Imagine the above scenario post COVID or with other things sprinkled in? I'm good about seeming like I'm a flexible, go with the flow type of person but honestly it throws me off. I think flexibility on weekends is kinda essential though. How do you guys who like schedules handle that uncertainty?

Thanks in advance guys! I really appreciate the feedback!

[SnuggleBuggles]

You know, the kids DO have things they have to get done. They clean their bedrooms every single day and they also each have a zone that needs tidying every day. Then Saturdays is changing sheets, deep clean of their zone, showering, all their homework done throughout the week, and daily instrument practicing. After which point, they're allowed 1 hour each (in the aggregate that's four hours!) of screen time in which they get to pick what they do (switch games, movies, etc.) I hate screen time. I hate that it is their currency but it moves the kids through their entire week of chores. I wish I could personally do more during the week but I'm working 20 hours a week (last week was 30 because I have an audit coming up) and it is hard for me to do a lot of the organizing projects and household maintenance projects when the kids are home. It is even harder to concentrate on my accounting so I have to be super sparing in what I do while they are at school. I have started moving laundry to Fridays. Since I work from home I can usually move the loads around while working...

I think you just need to move into a bigger house.

[bisous]

I think you just need to move into a bigger house.

I think many things in my life would be easier with a larger house. While that's something we'd like, small, rundown homes in my area are now selling for 800K thanks to the sharply rising market prices and a housing shortage. And that's for something only maybe 1500 square feet vs our 1200... Since we still pay $1200 a month for rent, we don't feel like we can move right now! At this point I'm thinking by the time we can afford a bigger house...we won't need one!

[AnnieW625]

I think many things in my life would be easier with a larger house. While that's something we'd like, small, rundown homes in my area are now selling for 800K thanks to the sharply rising market prices and a housing shortage. And that's for something only maybe 1500 square feet vs our 1200... Since we still pay $1200 a month for rent, we don't feel like we can move right now! At this point I'm thinking by the time we can afford a bigger house...we won't need one!

I whole heartedly agree. Housing in SoCal isn’t that easy. I had a 1200 sq. ft. house somewhat near the beach (8 miles inland) and I had to move an hour away inland in the opposite direction; granted it was for a job, but really without the job there was little to not hope we would be able to upgrade in our old area without selling and then renting. So I totally know where the OP is coming from in hopes of getting anything bigger (I think I am about 2 hrs. east of the OP). We got 2000 sq. ft., 3 beds, 2 bath and an office for $7k less (plus 1/2 an acre with a pool) than what we sold our old house for. I am pretty sure now with more and more people working from home and not needing to live in the LA basin or general OC areas that our housing price is now higher than what they were a year ago. We almost didn’t get a house then either because supply was really low and there were multiple bids often over asking; we offered to pay closing costs on a house we really liked (not the one we got)….so about $10k over asking but they wouldn’t take our offer because we weren’t in escrow on our old place; those people ended up selling for less money and within a week of when we closed on the place that we got. We looked at a few other places that was under priced at one price and in both cases the owners knew it would go for more than listing; one we offered $15k over asking site unseen (it was a dupe of the house where they wouldn’t take our offer on) and it sold for $55k over asking and the other one sold for $75k over asking.


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[SnuggleBuggles]

I whole heartedly agree. Housing in SoCal isn’t that easy. I had a 1200 sq. ft. house somewhat near the beach (8 miles inland) and I had to move an hour away inland in the opposite direction; granted it was for a job, but really without the job there was little to not hope we would be able to upgrade in our old area without selling and then renting. So I totally know where the OP is coming from in hopes of getting anything bigger (I think I am about 2 hrs. east of the OP). We got 2000 sq. ft., 3 beds, 2 bath and an office for $7k less (plus 1/2 an acre with a pool) than what we sold our old house for. I am pretty sure now with more and more people working from home and not needing to live in the LA basin or general OC areas that our housing price is now higher than what they were a year ago. We almost didn’t get a house then either because supply was really low and there were multiple bids often over asking; we offered to pay closing costs on a house we really liked (not the one we got)….so about $10k over asking but they wouldn’t take our offer because we weren’t in escrow on our old place; those people ended up selling for less money and within a week of when we closed on the place that we got. We looked at a few other places that was under priced at one price and in both cases the owners knew it would go for more than listing; one we offered $15k over asking site unseen (it was a dupe of the house where they wouldn’t take our offer on) and it sold for $55k over asking and the other one sold for $75k over asking.


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I know CA is pricey.
But, there’s quality of life issues: how valuable is what’s outside your door if behind doors you’re stressed with high COL and nowhere near enough space? There are lots and lots of places in the US. I know OP has asked about them and has also always leaned towards valuing what’s outside their door most. Job and family ties too. But, I’d go crazy if I was trying to keep 6 people and their stuff organized if o had to constantly keep up with it.


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[AnnieW625]

I know CA is pricey.
But, there’s quality of life issues: how valuable is what’s outside your door if behind doors you’re stressed with high COL and nowhere near enough space? There are lots and lots of places in the US. I know OP has asked about them and has also always leaned towards valuing what’s outside their door most. Job and family ties too. But, I’d go crazy if I was trying to keep 6 people and their stuff organized if o had to constantly keep up with it.


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For sure and we were a family of 4 that survived a bathroom remodel with one bathroom. It was craziness but we put up with it because we liked the area. TBH if we weren’t tied to the state because of our jobs we would’ve left many years ago (we would’ve gone somewhere we liked as much as California; just where would’ve gone cost less then); I think the OP is in a similar quandary job wise as well.


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[bisous]

I know CA is pricey.
But, there’s quality of life issues: how valuable is what’s outside your door if behind doors you’re stressed with high COL and nowhere near enough space? There are lots and lots of places in the US. I know OP has asked about them and has also always leaned towards valuing what’s outside their door most. Job and family ties too. But, I’d go crazy if I was trying to keep 6 people and their stuff organized if o had to constantly keep up with it.


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It is a whole lifestyle and it's probably obnoxious. To me it is flip flops, sunsets, laidback, diverse...and then on top of it is the location of our jobs and near our families.

Keeping up with 6 people's stuff in our small space IS challenging so I appreciate the recognition! I do feel like on some level it is also about sustainability. We have to have less stuff than most people and that's probably good for our planet! If only my little people were as good about decluttering and minimalism as I am (or DH could meet me halfway there too!) it might be a bit easier.

[Myira]

OP, as far as living in a small space goes, I am always amazed how in the US we have more rooms in the house than the people in it! There is definitely that much more space you are paying for and furnishing and upkeep and you don’t visit half the rooms, it’s a white elephant. There are many countries in Europe and Asia where this is not the case, and they survive just fine. So I disagree that quality of life depends on the square footage of your house, if you’ve adapted your lifestyle to living in that space and made it very functional for your family!


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[bisous]

OP, as far as living in a small space goes, I am always amazed how in the US we have more rooms in the house than the people in it! There is definitely that much more space you are paying for and furnishing and upkeep and you don’t visit half the rooms, it’s a white elephant. There are many countries in Europe and Asia where this is not the case, and they survive just fine. So I disagree that quality of life depends on the square footage of your house, if you’ve adapted your lifestyle to living in that space and made it very functional for your family!


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Great point! I lived in Southern France for a little while and living spaces, even in the countryside but especially in the cities, were much smaller than most homes in the US. And they lived beautiful lives. I wish I was better about managing it all! I do spend hours per week trying to pare down, tidy up and have some space to breathe! I suppose that effort goes into reducing clutter though and ultimately that WILL have to be tidied up, just not every single week?

[Myira]

Great point! I lived in Southern France for a little while and living spaces, even in the countryside but especially in the cities, were much smaller than most homes in the US. And they lived beautiful lives. I wish I was better about managing it all! I do spend hours per week trying to pare down, tidy up and have some space to breathe! I suppose that effort goes into reducing clutter though and ultimately that WILL have to be tidied up, just not every single week?

Honestly, I’ve seen pics of DH’s cousins house in London( well suburb of London), plus another friend of mine and I find their spaces very warm and inviting although I admit I’ve not seen their houses in person!
I’m always in awe of the houses in Japan and how efficient they are in those spaces!


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