The Children and The Clean House Dilema....What are your techniques?

Question

I have 3 very young children (3 and younger), a husband, and an indoor puppy. Things can get so hectic at times. The house can become such a mess. It can take hours to do a full house clean-up. This includes all the rooms, laundry, sweeping, mopping, loading and starting the dishwasher, and anything else that needs to be done. What are some good techniques you use to be organized and make clean up an efficient time?

I currently split the household duties between me and my husband. I take more of course, since I stay home with the children, but he does help out. It seems to work pretty well for us.

I was just wondering on you techniques.

Answer 1

I have 4 children. Mine are older now, but even when they were little, they helped out. For example- the three year old can pull clothes out of the dryer. Put a basket in front of it and open the door. He or she can also pick up toys. Me personally, I do not clean the kitchen until after supper. I keep the counters wiped off, but that is it. I try to mop once a week, because no matter what you do it always seems to be messy. One thing I have learned over the years, when you have a houseful of kids, your house will never stay clean. Keep having fun and a hectic life with your family. Because those babies will be grown up before you know it and then you'll have all the time in the world to clean.

Answer 2

Your kids are pretty young yet, but you can still get some help from them. Some things that I have my kids do: I keep a small hamper in their bedrooms for their dirty clothes- they are responsible for putting their dirty clothes in it so I don't have to search through toys and what not to find them. If the hamper is small enough that they could carry it , you could even have them place it in the laundry room when it gets full.
You could also let them dust for you. They probably wont get it all but my kids love to do this job, and it does cut down on some of your cleaning time.
I also find that sweeping is a waste of time. The vacuum is more effective. Use a vacuum with a hose to suck up all that puppy hair and then mop.
Don't try to get it all done at once-- your house will probably be messy here and there until your kids grow up and move out.

Answer 3

get some done while they are asleep and a bit more while they are awake (not things like moping) let the 3 year old and if its a 2 y/o help. They are great at putting things away with directions. A house can be messy but clean and remember ...on your deathbed you will not look back and say I wish I cleaned more, it will be that you spent more time with loved ones. Before too long they will be at school and you will long for the day they were home. I was on my own with twins a 3' fish tank 4 ducks a cat and a dog. In the end it came together. Just don't stress on it

Answer 4

I do some each day. For example, everyday things are making the beds, running the dishwasher, tidying up that day's kitchen mess. But I do one cleaning thing besides that per day. Like on Saturday morning the kids clean their rooms and I vacuum everywhere that's carpeted. Another day, usually MOnday, I mop all the hard floors. Another day I dust. Another day I will wipe down a bathroom. If I am SUPER EXTRA busy, I will still try to do something however small so I feel like I've done my cleaning for that day, even if it's just wiping down one toilet or the inside of the microwave. I also do and fold laundry daily so it never piles up. I do the older kids laundry on MOnday, my husband's and mine on Tuesday, the younger kids' laundry on Wednesday, a catchall load on Thursday, sheets on Friday, and towels on Saturday.

Answer 5

I only have one child but still find it difficult to do housework. I do the quiet housework while my son takes his naps. When I get up in the a.m. I put a load of laudry in the wash and usually can get it in the dryer before his first nap. Then while he is napping I sweep the kitchen floor, load the dishwasher, clean the bathroom floor and fold/hand the laudry. He wakes up and then I can vaccum the carpet and start another load of laudry. I don't do all the laundry and cleaning in one day I usually spread it out over 3 days. More important than a clean house is kids that know you love them. They are only little for so long...enjoy them while you can...you can always clean your house later.

Answer 6

Prioritize. Get what has to get done first then move on to the less important items.

Don't let the kids play with all their toys at once. They're young enough that you can pull out only a few and still entertain them. If there aren't a lot of toys out, it's easier to clean.

Organize - buy hooks, shelving, rubbermaid containers, shoe racks etc to put away items and keep them up off the floor (and out of little one's hands).

Place rugs by every door and insist on people not wearing shoes past entry ways to lessen dirt being tracked in.

As the kids get older, involve them more and more in the clean up process.

Answer 7

I also have been wondering the same thing!!! Mine are 4 and 7 but my 7 year old has a syndrom and does nothing. A part of the syndrom is (messing things) He will dump out any liquid! Dish soap,shampoo,cat food,toy boxes! Anything left out! So I have no choice but to put things out of site out of mind. But I too have a house dog and hard wood floors! black dog hair everyware like dust bunnies! I keep a large Wicker basket in the living area for toys that they play with daily,I do 2 loads of laundry a day,whites and darks(in your case do 3 or 4) I start in my Kitchen while my coffee is brewing,I wash dishes,sweep floors,wash floors or what ever needs done. Then I take a breck to play with kids or give then attention. Then I start laundry,I fold when they come out the dryer,I pile them up on dryer in sections. I clean the bathroom up (sence it's right next to the laundry room) Then I take a breck and 'play' After lunch I do more dishes,get the floors picked up and vacumme with a hardfloor vacume! I try to get all the laundry back up in there rooms before the night in over. It's really never ending! But My 4 yr old has rules..she needs to put away what she is playing with before going to the next. I know you can't really do that with 3 and under but it's a good idea to start that with the 3 year old. They know at that age. Most toys are up in there rooms.What comes downstairs on a daily basis is what I keep in the basket. Organization is the key. Have a place for everything. So you don't get over whelmed! And a messy house..(ex..kids toys) does not make a messy house! You have small children and it will be that way. Any visiters will understand that. I always tell my husband..The tolites are clean,laundry washed,dishes done..no mold or bad smells..It's clean! He is a perfectionist! He wants a show house like you look at on House lots when your wanna buy a house. NOT GONNA HAPPEN ANY TIME SOON HUNNY! Another thing I like to do is have meals planed out in advance. While makeing lunch..Cut potatos,season your meat,put in the fridge until later. It's alot easyer to get supper going that way later. Unlike you..My husband is gone out of town working most the times and I have to do it all! I am soo tired somedays that I do nothing but lay around.It all comes back on me the next day as I have double the dutys,but remember to just relax somedays.If your body is tell you your tired..lay on the couch and relax! You need your strengh in the long run. There's nothing wrong with being a bum every now and then! A stay at home MOM...IS THE HARDEST JOB THERE IS! Mentally and phisicaly! Don't forget to take time out for YOU! Not only do you have the house to clean but you have little kids to teach! They learn while watching you! They learn there maners,how to compermise,wait there turn,how to talk to each other when angry. Your teaching them when you don't even notice it. They see you shower and brush your hair,they won't fight you as bad when there older and need there hair brushed before school. It really is a job in itself and the most rewarding. Think about your own routein and try to think what would make it easyer. A larger washing machine maybe,or new organization inside closits. The way you do things everyday,think of ways to make it easyer.Good Luck!

Answer 8

Well, I work and have a kid, husband, and a cat. We try our best to split the chores but sometimes they just get out of hand. I have learned to let my 3 year old help, even if he isn't really helping. This instills cleanliness in him and keeps him busy while I really clean. Good luck!

Answer 9

You're going to laugh but I have 3 kids too ages 2-7 and a puppy. I litteraly keep a shop vac in my dining room. I use it to suck up all the scraps of paper they drop and the stuff the puppy chews up.

Answer 10

toddlers shouldn't assume to be paid for issues that are anticipated of them besides- choosing up their issues, putting their clothing away, making their mattress. those issues are anticipated and not issues they might desire to do for funds. Now, in the event that they elect to help sparkling the storage or do something greater beneficial around the homestead for some income the process the week, then sure, yet whilst it incredibly is something all waiting anticipated of them, no. My son is only 2 so he would not incredibly get an allowance yet even however we supply him all the unfastened replace we discover for the time of each week for his piggy economic enterprise. we've carried out that for the reason that he got here homestead from the medical institution. He facilitates out to the wonderful of his 2 3 hundred and sixty 5 days previous ability around the homestead yet until he's a sprint older he's not anticipated to do something chore sensible- yet- aside from feeding his puppy fish each morning. My husband or I strengthen him up and he places a shake of the food into the fish bowl for his fish each morning. He loves doing it, yet i'm not likely to pay him for it. whilst he's sufficiently old to comprehend that funds is mandatory to purchase issues he needs then we will set a reasonable allowance for him in accordance to his age and instruct him approximately spending/saving. For now the only funds he gets to spend is that if we supply him a greenback now and then for something on the greenback Tree (we don't circulate in many cases) or if somebody sends him funds for his birthday or Christmas and then we funds exams for him and take him to the keep to %. out what he needs. Does he consistently make alternatives we would elect? No. yet young toddlers discover out approximately funds, saving and spending with the aid of doing. in the event that they squander it on junk they learn that they sacrifice the flexibility to get issues they elect as nicely.