Okay I totally feel like I'm drowning in house work. I have never been a very neat person and cleaning doesn't come naturally to me. I also have ADHD (currently unmedicated because I'm still nursing my 1 yo) which makes it difficult for me to plan my time well and I think makes me extra slow at doing housework. I really feel like I need a good schedule to help me get all the things I need to done in a day.
So here's the thing we are currently renting a house that is way too big for us (about 3100 sq ft) which creates a lot of extra housework. There are 5 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms, a family room, living room, playroom and a kitchen. We had a housekeeper, but we had to let her go to save money. So I'm left trying to do it all myself. My husband is pretty unwilling to help with much housework. He rarely helps in the evenings and he refuses to do any housework on the weekends unless I remove the kids (3.5yo and 1yo) for several hours. But I often take the kids out for 3-5 hours only to come home to find he's only cleaned spaces that would have only taken me an hour (with kids under foot). But he is also unwilling to take the kids out so I can clean, so really I need to find a way to do it all during the week. Because cleaning while kids are pulling on me constantly while he's parked in front of the tv or computer on the weekend is too much.
So our days are always a bit different, but here is what I would like to fit in to our days/weeks.
-kitchen to be cleaned daily w/counters clear/wiped down, and all dishes put away. Once a week stove should be cleaned, and floors mopped.
- the bathrooms need to be cleaned every other week maybe on a rotating schedule
- the carpets (in every room but kitchen and bathrooms) need to be vacuumed a couple times a week in main living areas, maybe once a week in the bedrooms and dh's office (bedroom#4) and once a month in guest room.
-every room needs to be picked up daily. It seems like dd's bedroom, the master bedroom, all 3 bathrooms, the living room, kitchen, playroom, and family room all get messy every day and need to be picked up.
-several loads of laundry need to be done a day. Usually one load of clothes and a second load of towels/diapers/linens. Currently the clean laundry is not getting put away and I currently have 5-6 loads of clean laundry waiting to be folded or folded but waiting to be put away.
Honestly I've been trying to declutter to help, but I still feel bogged down in stuff. I just can't get it out of the house fast enough. My dd is constantly rummaging through the giveaway or trash bags and "saving" things. Over the last couple of weeks I took over 18 bags/boxes of stuff to salvation army, the consignment store or to the dumpster at my husband's work to throw away. I have 2 big boxes of books in the garage waiting to go to the used book seller.
I just find it hard to find enough time to clean every day and on top of that I feel like I rarely get to do all the things I'd like with my kids. Or for myself
-My husband and I switch off on days to sleep in so every other day I'm getting up either at 5-6:30 am or 8am which does make it hard to have a consistent schedule from day to day. but I don't want to give up my days to sleep in.
-I'm trying to lose weight and need to exercise most days of the week. Currently I take the kids for a long walk in the morning. I would really like to fit in a 10-20 min workout video on top of that 3-4 days a week
-Dd goes to preschool TWTh from 12:30-5:30 I have to drop her off and pick her up. I also have to pack a lunch for her to take to school on those days
-I make dinner 4-6 nights of the week, with 1-2 of those nights being leftovers. We eat out or get takeout another 1-2 nights a week. I either make something that can be cooked slowly and then it's ready whenever we are, or I cook something quick after I pick dd up from school. We usually eat when dh gets home around 6:30
-ds is still taking two naps a day. Usually around 9 and 2. For his morning nap he either sleeps on the go (like this morning at weightwatchers meeting or monday at a park playdate) or I try to spend quality time with dd during that time. His nap is an hour and a half usually so I was thinking I could get my workout video in here and then play with dd.
-I feel like I want the kids to have more time for outside play or play in the playroom. I find I plop dd in front of the tv so I can get things done. I'd rather do art projects with her or sit in the playroom with the kids and help expand their play. I want the time and energy to do things like read stories with my kids (dd gets 3 books at bedtime, but other than that I rarely read to her). I want to bake with her and take her to the library and set up creative activities like water play. I'd like a regular time to sit down with the kids and sing and play rhythm instruments. I just have so many ideas and so little time.
-I'd like us to get out for playdates about 3 times a week or so. Especially Friday and Monday when dd has no school. And then maybe one morning on a school day
-I feel like I run errands like everyday. I usually go to safeway as part of our usual morning walk and then a trip to Costco and WholeFoods at other times. It seems like we always run out of fresh produce though so we end up having to go back out again later in the week, but if we buy too much up front it just goes bad.
-I do have a once a week weight watchers meeting.
-I'd really like to use ds's afternoon nap as my "lunch break" Eat my food uninterrupted. Catch up on email and a little MDC
Do you think that it's even possible to get a routine together that covers all this. Would love some advice or help in setting up a workable routine.
So here's the thing we are currently renting a house that is way too big for us (about 3100 sq ft) which creates a lot of extra housework. There are 5 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms, a family room, living room, playroom and a kitchen. We had a housekeeper, but we had to let her go to save money. So I'm left trying to do it all myself. My husband is pretty unwilling to help with much housework. He rarely helps in the evenings and he refuses to do any housework on the weekends unless I remove the kids (3.5yo and 1yo) for several hours. But I often take the kids out for 3-5 hours only to come home to find he's only cleaned spaces that would have only taken me an hour (with kids under foot). But he is also unwilling to take the kids out so I can clean, so really I need to find a way to do it all during the week. Because cleaning while kids are pulling on me constantly while he's parked in front of the tv or computer on the weekend is too much.
So our days are always a bit different, but here is what I would like to fit in to our days/weeks.
-kitchen to be cleaned daily w/counters clear/wiped down, and all dishes put away. Once a week stove should be cleaned, and floors mopped.
- the bathrooms need to be cleaned every other week maybe on a rotating schedule
- the carpets (in every room but kitchen and bathrooms) need to be vacuumed a couple times a week in main living areas, maybe once a week in the bedrooms and dh's office (bedroom#4) and once a month in guest room.
-every room needs to be picked up daily. It seems like dd's bedroom, the master bedroom, all 3 bathrooms, the living room, kitchen, playroom, and family room all get messy every day and need to be picked up.
-several loads of laundry need to be done a day. Usually one load of clothes and a second load of towels/diapers/linens. Currently the clean laundry is not getting put away and I currently have 5-6 loads of clean laundry waiting to be folded or folded but waiting to be put away.
Honestly I've been trying to declutter to help, but I still feel bogged down in stuff. I just can't get it out of the house fast enough. My dd is constantly rummaging through the giveaway or trash bags and "saving" things. Over the last couple of weeks I took over 18 bags/boxes of stuff to salvation army, the consignment store or to the dumpster at my husband's work to throw away. I have 2 big boxes of books in the garage waiting to go to the used book seller.
I just find it hard to find enough time to clean every day and on top of that I feel like I rarely get to do all the things I'd like with my kids. Or for myself
-My husband and I switch off on days to sleep in so every other day I'm getting up either at 5-6:30 am or 8am which does make it hard to have a consistent schedule from day to day. but I don't want to give up my days to sleep in.
-I'm trying to lose weight and need to exercise most days of the week. Currently I take the kids for a long walk in the morning. I would really like to fit in a 10-20 min workout video on top of that 3-4 days a week
-Dd goes to preschool TWTh from 12:30-5:30 I have to drop her off and pick her up. I also have to pack a lunch for her to take to school on those days
-I make dinner 4-6 nights of the week, with 1-2 of those nights being leftovers. We eat out or get takeout another 1-2 nights a week. I either make something that can be cooked slowly and then it's ready whenever we are, or I cook something quick after I pick dd up from school. We usually eat when dh gets home around 6:30
-ds is still taking two naps a day. Usually around 9 and 2. For his morning nap he either sleeps on the go (like this morning at weightwatchers meeting or monday at a park playdate) or I try to spend quality time with dd during that time. His nap is an hour and a half usually so I was thinking I could get my workout video in here and then play with dd.
-I feel like I want the kids to have more time for outside play or play in the playroom. I find I plop dd in front of the tv so I can get things done. I'd rather do art projects with her or sit in the playroom with the kids and help expand their play. I want the time and energy to do things like read stories with my kids (dd gets 3 books at bedtime, but other than that I rarely read to her). I want to bake with her and take her to the library and set up creative activities like water play. I'd like a regular time to sit down with the kids and sing and play rhythm instruments. I just have so many ideas and so little time.
-I'd like us to get out for playdates about 3 times a week or so. Especially Friday and Monday when dd has no school. And then maybe one morning on a school day
-I feel like I run errands like everyday. I usually go to safeway as part of our usual morning walk and then a trip to Costco and WholeFoods at other times. It seems like we always run out of fresh produce though so we end up having to go back out again later in the week, but if we buy too much up front it just goes bad.
-I do have a once a week weight watchers meeting.
-I'd really like to use ds's afternoon nap as my "lunch break" Eat my food uninterrupted. Catch up on email and a little MDC
Do you think that it's even possible to get a routine together that covers all this. Would love some advice or help in setting up a workable routine.
