I feel like I spend so much time picking up, organizing, purging, and yet nothing gets better. Some of it is having too much stuff. I've purged A LOT, but there is still just too much and not a place for it all. DH needs to have his stuff out where he can see it, he doesn't know where it is (even when it is in its "home") if it isn't visible. He is also not at all supportive of purging and I have to do it when he is not around. Although he would like a more orderly home, he has no time or desire to help. I'd even say that he is a boarderline horder. He has a really really hard time letting things go.
Having a toddler has really made things worse. If I spent as much time pre-children on cleaning up as I do now, my house would have been amazing. I feel like I spend all day cleaning things up but there is nothing to show for the effort.
The thing that I am most sad and upset about is that I am not modeling responsible housekeeping for my daughter. I grew up in a cluttered home and didn't learn the skills needed. Growing up there was a lot of family meetings, chore chart making, etc but nothing ever got better.
I have 3 laundry baskets of clean clothes from laundry day (monday). It is Friday night and I haven't folded them yet. The steps up to my office have piles of papers on them waiting to join the huge piles in my office. And basically there is just stuff laying around everywhere, just waiting to be used or put away. No matter how much I put away, there is always more to be done and more mess being generated.
I do make a point of cleaning the kitchen every morning before we do anything else for the day.... Doing all of the dishes, leaving the drying rack, counters and sink completely clean. It is like a little oasis (that lasts until lunch time). But everything else is just a mess.
I've tried so many times to set up systems, hire organizers, get more disciplined. But it only works for a short time.
We are self employed (which brings its own level of clutter and chaos to our home) and I am very involved in volunteer work. So, maybe I'm too busy. But I know of others who are just as busy who seem to keep their home in order.
Why can't I do this? I want so badly to live differently than this. I want it for myself but I especially want it for my daughter. I could just cry when I think of how she sees our home from her eye level.
But I am not feeling that there is any hope for major change. Only just continued managed chaos.
Having a toddler has really made things worse. If I spent as much time pre-children on cleaning up as I do now, my house would have been amazing. I feel like I spend all day cleaning things up but there is nothing to show for the effort.
The thing that I am most sad and upset about is that I am not modeling responsible housekeeping for my daughter. I grew up in a cluttered home and didn't learn the skills needed. Growing up there was a lot of family meetings, chore chart making, etc but nothing ever got better.
I have 3 laundry baskets of clean clothes from laundry day (monday). It is Friday night and I haven't folded them yet. The steps up to my office have piles of papers on them waiting to join the huge piles in my office. And basically there is just stuff laying around everywhere, just waiting to be used or put away. No matter how much I put away, there is always more to be done and more mess being generated.
I do make a point of cleaning the kitchen every morning before we do anything else for the day.... Doing all of the dishes, leaving the drying rack, counters and sink completely clean. It is like a little oasis (that lasts until lunch time). But everything else is just a mess.
I've tried so many times to set up systems, hire organizers, get more disciplined. But it only works for a short time.
We are self employed (which brings its own level of clutter and chaos to our home) and I am very involved in volunteer work. So, maybe I'm too busy. But I know of others who are just as busy who seem to keep their home in order.
Why can't I do this? I want so badly to live differently than this. I want it for myself but I especially want it for my daughter. I could just cry when I think of how she sees our home from her eye level.
But I am not feeling that there is any hope for major change. Only just continued managed chaos.
Doing this has helped me a TON, it is amazing what you can get done in a few minutes, it starts to add up. Also... this might be bad but I don't fold all my clothes. I fold my shirts and pants and DHs shirts and pants. The kids clothes go in bins in their closets. We have those square storage systems from Target with cloth bins and we just throw shirts in one, pants in one, socks in one, etc. Makes putting away laundry so much faster!
Well the 9 and 5 years olds do. I figure the 2 year old has to wait a few years for that.
