I am looking for any good advice on keeping my house clean! I know, I know, you all think my house is immaculate already. Well, you are WRONG. It has become an increasing challenge for me. I'm not sure if the problem is:
a) the 4 little boys (make that 5 with Jason) that are constantly running around seeking to destroy all that I've done.
b) I am failing to use my time wisely.
c) You all have maids that I'm not aware of.
d) You all live in a parallel universe with more than 24 hours in it.
I'm wondering how you organize your time and accomplish all that needs to be done. Do you have laundry Mondays or bathroom Saturdays or what? I usually just do things as I see that they need to be done but lately this has left me in a never-ending quest for a clean house that I don't quite realize. (You know when you make your bed and your husband asks, "Are we having guests over?" that you may need to re-think your strategy.) Maybe I need to simplify and get rid of toys or other things that create clutter in my life, I just don't know. Maybe I expect too much at this stage of life, but I want to hear your secrets to cleaning success and how you find time to keep things clean and still have time to do what really matters.
13 comments:
You know what I'll say. A messy house means extra happy kids and a nasty mom. Ha ha!! Am...I got nothin'!! My house is always a disaster and that's that. I can't even keep the stinkin' couch pillows where they belong. Sorry.
I'll give you some advice as I'm staring into a kitchen that has clutter all over the counter and dishes in the sink, and there are still toys on the floor and it's 10:30 pm... although I have noticed that it's a lot less overwhelming if I try to do cleaning after CJ is asleep and before I go to bed (except for tonight because I'm too lazy and tired). But, it seems to give me a head start for the next day. I also have to limit my time on the computer (especially blogging!) until later in the morning/afternoon after I've finished my "chores". I personally think that it's better to not worry so much about the mess. With 4 little boys you will wear yourself out trying to keep a perfectly immaculate house. Try giving them chores like helping to fold the laundry or sweeping the floor. It may even keep them entertained for a breif moment! But then again I am NOT the one to be giving house cleaning tips. Love you!
Amberly-
First you gotta cut yourself some slack..you have 4 boys! :) Okay 5 :)When my kids were younger I did flylady, where I had laundry one day, bathrooms one etc...that was nice because when I saw a mess I was able to say "oh well todays not the day to do that room." and I ignored it and moved on to do fun things with my kids or for myself! That worked because I was able to focus day to day instead of trying to do it all in a day. Now I have chores for my kids where they are each responsible for a certain room or chore in the house for a whole week. Most of the time that works but most the time (especially right now) my house a mess. I swear you'd think the older they get the easier it would be to keep our house clean NO IT ISN'T! I don't know if that helps, other than to let you know with each stage of our lives I have had to try different things some work and some not so much. But most of all-realize you are doing the best you can and from what I hear and see you are doing GREAT!!!
Good Luck Love you...
This is such a great idea, I think for all of us who are blogging too, to get good ideas. I have the same problem with all the boys running around and it is impossible to keep my house clean. But I do do laundry on Tuesdays and Fridays. It ends up being two or three loads instead of like 6 or 7 if I do it once a week....OVERWHELMING! And I do all my deep cleaning on Fridays so I can play with my family on the weekend. I try to make sure everything is picked up and cleaned before I go to bed because I notice that if I don't do that, when I wake up the next morning, my day starts off the wrong way and to add to that mess, my boys will add an even bigger mess. It's never ending and I think you are doing a great job! But you will soon find something that works best for you :) Just keep in mind that your boys are still so young and it might take a couple years ;)
Well I obviously have no advice on keeping anything clean, I'm just barely realizing that I have to clean up after myself.... psssh totally sucks. hehe. Here is one thing to consider, remember when Britt (sorry to use you as an example, you can beat me up later) would curl her hair, and curl the same part again, and again, and again. (she no longer gets so carried away I know) But sometimes you give it all you have got, and then you have to stop! If you keep going over all the things that aren't clean and all the things that you haven't done perfectly, you will lose your mind. I know that in our family we have tendency to A. beat ourselves up excessively B. be perfectionists C. get obsessed with trivial things. I know how important being clean and organized is to you, but don't let it rule your life. There will always be another mess to clean up, probably for the next 25 years for you! I guess I have no cleaning advice to give to you, but maybe I have some mental advice to give you... that's still a long stretch. All I know is that when you feel out of control, sometimes your mind will do anything to gain some type of control, no matter how bad it might really be for you. Learn to laugh at the messy house and enjoy the little moments that are happening all around you, that you might miss while frantically trying to clean things up. There is no way to keep your house perfect, or maybe I should say, to your high standards!!!! (same thing right?) but there is a way to stay positive and happy no matter what, and we would much rather see that beautiful Julia Roberts smile on your face than a immaculate house, ANYDAY. Now, I don't know that that is the case, I'm know you are happy and enjoying life's little moments, just don't stress out! Keep that ticker and thinker healthy.
You are so cute Am...like WE can give you advice on keeping a house clean!!!! You are the best as far as I know. The only thing I can think is perhaps give the boys more responsibility, because then they may realize all that goes into cleaning! And yes...cut yourself some slack! Love you!
I gave up on having a perfectly clean house long ago. I am afterall married to Joe with a bunch of his spawns running around!
I don't think there is any magic strategy. I tried having a daily cleaning schedule, but I don't find that it's practical for me. Things get done when they get done. Certain things are higher on the priority list than others. I do have a hard time relaxing if things aren't somewhat tidy though.
My kids are a little older than yours, but I feel like it's really important to give them chores. For laundry, they are responsible to get their dirty things in the laundry basket. Once it's clean I start letting them put things away in their drawers and then slowly work up to hanging things up by themselves. I have them do the same things in the bathroom and with the dishwasher. I start by giving them smaller jobs (like cleaning the sink or putting away the silverware) and then they work up to more difficult jobs (like breakable plates and cleaning the toilet).
We each have our own systems. Whatever works for you is what you should do. It's a delicate balance between keeping things in order, teaching your children responsibility and making time for truly being a Mom. From everything I see and hear, you are doing an awesome job already. Give yourself credit where it's due!
Amberly! I'm glad you found our blog. Advice about cleaning? I only have one child - well one outside of the womb - and I find it difficult to keep up with everything, so I'm probably not the person to ask for advice. I remember my mom having certain days for things though. I know she always went grocery shopping on Thursdays, cleaned bathrooms on Mondays, deep cleaned kitchen on Tuesdays, etc. As a kid, I remember ALWAYS being required to help. It made me appreciate more of what she did for us and I already knew how to do everything when I moved away. I was shocked when I found out some of my roommates didn't know how to clean/cook! Hope that helps!
Clean, Schmean. Who needs a clean house! I walk through my house every day and think how nice and clean my house used to be before I had a baby. Now if I get my laundry down I give myself a pat on the back. The phrase "don't sweat the small stuff" keeps running through my head. As long as my family is dressed and fed I consider it a good day!
Just come over to my house un-announced and you will feel really good with how clean yours is! I cry once a week in frustration over feeling like I am always cleaning yet nothing is ever clean. Then I remind myself that at least I am maintaining the unclean state. It isn't getting any worse. Well, some days it may feel like it. Anyway, flylady.net has great tips. I made myself a control journal from her advice. She also recommends laundry being a part of your morning routine. One load a day is not overwhelming and the laundry baskets aren't overflowing. Except when I leave for the weekend and then I feel way behind. It really is just that negative voice in your head telling you that your house isn't clean enough. I assure you that every mom feels the same way you do.
well...I don't think it's possible to have a completely clean house all the time and happy creative kids...growing up is messy. Maybe if the boys have a place where they are allowed to be messy (basement rec room) and you have a tidy corner where you can go and close the door for a minute or two and enjoy the peace and order? (off limits to messy men, big and little?)
HUGS
Boring women have immaculate homes! I have discovered that if I have a really clean house it means I have neglected my kids, and that's not the way it should be. It's ok to have a messy house, just keep doing your best and that's all that matters!
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