Housework tips / Routines

[fairydreams]

I don't know if I have put this in the right place but would be very grateful of any tips you all might have.
me and dh are on a trial seperation atm so im alone with the two children, he always helps when he comes over and my mother has been a godsend but I need to be able to do this all on my own, after all i would have to if there was no one to help iykwim plus it will make me feel better knowing I can manage it on my own if that makes sense?
it's just that after breakfast time the house looks such a mess I do not even know where to begin! and end up spending my whole time blitzing the lounge and kitchen, etc before I have time to sit down with the children, then once I do its time for their lunch to be made, etc!

what are your ladies routines, tips, etc for keeping a house half decent whilst raising children?

 

[fairydreams]

plus any budgeting tips would be gratefully received as I seem to spend too much too!

fairydreams

 

[Natasha2605]

Emm maybe rota housework? Like on a Monday Hoover, Tuesday Iron etc? As for budgeting I've started making meal plans for the week and only buying what I need. I've went from spending at least £70/ week in Asda to £30 inc Summer's milk and nappies xx

 

[Babydance]

Hey hunny sorry to hear about you and DH hope you manage to work things out. The way i work it and it's taken me 14 months to discover this is tidy little and often, as LO plays i tidy round her, when i go for a pee i bleech the loo, after my shower i quickly wipe the tiles and shower door with a face cloth, wash the dishes in small amounts dont let there be more than 10 items beside the sink.
i also have a morning chores list i keep on the fridge - dishes, dusting, sweep kitchen floor, wipe down worktops and table, washing and ironing. I take 30 mins in the morning before breakfast to run around doing these if i manage. Ironing never gets done i do that when LO's in bed! I find the list really helps.
Also what age are your LO's? kids love helping, give them a duster or a brush to sweep the floor.
Hope this helps a little hun xxx

 

[happygal]

i try to set myself jobs to do each day rather than try to get it all done at once,and i try to get most house work done in an evening before bed so i dont have as much to do in the morning it sounds simple but it helps me.
as for budgets, it takes a bit of time but i write down a rough menu for the week and then write a shopping list so that when i go shopping im not buying stuff that we arent going to be eating x

 

[fairydreams]

thankyou ladies, my dd is 4 and my ds is 1, I know my dd will happily help but gets bored after 5mins and ask for LO well he is a boy and has much more interesting things to discover atm! lol

I like the idea of the list, there is always a forever mounting pile of dishes that I end up standing over for half an hour, in fact I think I'm going to ask santa for a dishwasher for xmas, does anyone have any idea how cheap / expensive these are; I tend to generally keep well clear of hardware stores tbh!
I will definately be trying the menu planner to as like others have said you end up not eating half the stuff, there is a farm shop not far from us which is meant to be quite good too so may visit them next week and see what I save.

fairydreams

 

[amie-leigh]

i try to tidy as i go, some days its a pain but things like rinsing a cup when im done then the next time im in the kitchen put it away wipe bunkers after ive used them sweep kitchen while morgan eats wipe down bathroom after ive used it hoover while morgan plays in her ball pit (trying to avoid balls being thrown at me)

and for budgeting i try to make meal plans and buy cleaning supplies from poundland and places like that they are cheaper

hope you and OH manage to work things out x

 

[v2007]

As soon as i get up (8am) and go downstairs, i fill the sink up with hot water, put Katie in her high chair with her brekkie.

Then go do kids rooms (open windows and make beds)

Then our room same again.

The Bathroom (any clothes for washin, i chuck down the stairs)

Then by this time Katie has finished so clean her up get her dressed.

She plays in the living room while i hoover if needed, Clean Katies highchair, wash up, wipe down surfaces and then its about 11ish.

Katie goes back to bed for a nap and then i do the ''big jobs'' if they need doing like ironing, stripping beds etc.

Once you are in a routine it does get easier.

Best thing to do is when they have gone to bed, put all the toys away, wash the pots and whack some bleach in the loo, then relax.

V xxxx

 

[fairydreams]

Thankyou ladies, all of it such helpful advice and rather obvious too when you think about it!

I guess I just feel overwhelmed a bit at the moment but I sat down and wrote a list earlier, of what needed doing, did it whilst ds was asleep and dd watching cbeebies (god bless that channel! )

I have ticked mostly everything off the list, I just have to do the bathroom and ironing once the kiddies are bathed and in bed.

My dd starts her first full day at reception school on tuesday and I already have her uniform in the washer so will have one less thing for tomorrow.
do you ladies find time to take your kiddies to the park / playgroups in between housework, etc do you just make sure basic things are done before you leave for example?

fairydreams

 

[MissMummyMoo]

I have decided that we need a routine now that DD is starting nursery on a morning (8.45 )

So I have devised this:

7am: Get up and do the washing up, make DD and OH's lunches.
7.30am: Get kids and OH up and give DS his breakfast.
8am: Get the kids, washed, dressed, teeth brushed and hair done.
8.30am: Walk to nursery and drop DD off.
9am: Wash Breakfast items up and sort the bedrooms (make the beds, open windows, tidy kids rooms)
9.30am: Clean the kitchen and dust the living room and dining room then hoover.
10-10.30am: Give DS a snack and chill until I need to go for DD.
11.30am: Go pick DD up from nursery.
12pm: Get back and give DS lunch and put him down for nap while he's having a nap do a general tidy of the house and catch up on any ironing.

Then the afternoon once DS wakes up (around2/3pm) is for me DD and DS to go to the park/grandparents houses before going home to make tea for DH coming in

Night time routine is as follows:

5pm: Kids have their tea.
6pm: OH and I have our tea (apart from Mondays Wednesdays and Thursdays when I am at college/out)
6.30pm: Bath the kids and get sorted for bed.
7.30pm: Mummy and Daddy time!

LOL

My OH does tend to help quite a bit with the chores but I as I am home all day I prefer to get as much as possible done myself but it is perfectly doable as a single mum

I must admit I have to hoover about 2-3 times a day as DS makes such a mess after eating lunch/tea x

 

[billy2mm]

little and often and remember that it will always be there tomorrow!

i try to do dishes twice a day.
laundry i notmally do 3 loads at a go twice a week.
ironing gets done when the basket overflows and wont hold anymore
i have got a toy dyson hoover for the kids and when i hoover one of them hoovers too and the other one gets the duster or the dustpan and brush though normally they fight over the real hoover!

the most of my housework gets done at night after they are in bed. the bathroom gets cleaned while the boys are playing in the bath then after they are out i clean the bath.

my room ends up a dumping ground most of the time - its where stuff lands as i clean everywhere else that is meant to go in the boys room but they are sleeping lol so that always looks a mess at the mo. i spent 5 hours today rearranging the boys room today while they were at their grandparents - one epic cleaning spree and im paying for it now!!

while they are eating tea i can fold some washing and tidy some toys etc so i am there with them too.

i find bulk buying is the cheapest and freezing stuff. i make huge batches of stuff and freeze into smaller portions enough for a meal for all of us that way all i have to do it heat it up and do pasta/rice/potatoes fresh.

 

[sequeena]

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