How to Keep Your House Clean and Still Spend Time with Your Kids

I try to deep clean (vacuum, mop, sweep, clean toilets, dust,...) one day a week. The rest of the days I just pick up. I used to have a spotless house, but I'd rather spend time with my son. We keep a tidy house...meaning that there is a layer of dust everywhere, but everything is picked up.

My son also helps me clean sometimes, so that helps. He is also responsible for putting all this toys away at bedtime, and he helps me make his bed in the morning.

Just remember...what do you want to be remembered for? A spectacularly clean house or the best mom in the world?

First, I lowered my standards. At least in practice. I still long for those spotless days of yore, but realize that I just can't have it now!
Recently, I've started getting "help" from my 2 and almost-4 yr old with regular family chores (rather than just their own toys). They can load the dishwasher (plastic dishes), put their plates in the sink after a meal, and help wipe down the table after a meal. I also have small baskets or containers everywhere (you may have seen the colored wooden bins at Target for about $10 each?). It makes picking up less daunting to them.
Also, the portable kitchen timer is wonderful (I have a Pampered Chef one and love it because it has a magnet that can stick somewhere in most rooms). Either during the kids' nap/rest time or some time in the evening, I set it for 15 minutes and tackle a room. It's amazing what can get done in such a short time. We have even started having "family clean-up" on Sunday nights (I take the weekend "off" from cleaning and picking up, so things look pretty bad by Sun night). All 4 of us go from room to room racing the timer. If you're in one room and find something that doesn't belong, you toss it in the laundry basket. Drag the basket with you as you go from room to room and put things away as you reach the room where it belongs. We can often get the entire house (3 BR, 2 living areas, kitchen and 2 bath) cleaned, dusted and vacuumed in 30 minutes.

I'm in the same situation. For the deep cleaning, what I have done is rotate rooms per day. One day, spend time cleaning the living room, the next day clean the kitchen, clean the bathroom, bedroom, etc. Or, spend one day dusting, the next vaccuming, etc. That way, you're only spending an 30 min to an hour or so cleaning per day and you can do it while they're napping. Of course, at the end of the day, I pick up the toys and blankets in the living room and bedrooms so it at least has the illusion of cleaniness.

I would suggest trying to conquer one (maybe two) big chore a day. (ex. Mon. is my laundry day, Tues. I clean the floors, Wed. bathrooms...) I pick up basic clutter and clean the kitchen every day but with this system I know that everything is cleaned once a week and I have plenty of time with my kiddo. I also involve her in simple cleaning tasks and try to make it fun (at 2 1/2 she sorts socks and "helps" me sweep and dust while we listen to music). I got these ideas from 2 speakers that came to my MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) meetings. One was there to give advice on keeping your house clean and the other talked about how give your children a sense of security an belonging. Hope this helps.

I make cleaning a game with my girls. I have a 6 yr old and a 2 yr old. I'll go in their room and say clean under your bed. We'll sing songs and when they are done we ring a bell. We'll do that all through the house. It sounds so so silly but the house gets cleaned and we have fun memories.

Check out www.flylady.com Start with the baby steps. This helped me establish a cleaning routine and teaches you about clutter control. It is amazing how much just a clean sick will make you feel.

i understand your pain and strongly recommend the book Happy Housewives by Darla Shine. http://www.happyhousewivesclub.com/
it gives great advice on running your family and home and how to do it all and enjoy it. there is an entire chapter on the art of homemaking.

You can buy a child size mop and broom. Your little 3 year old will love doing this while you do. Expecially in the summer mopping can be alot of fun.

If you have the money, you could hire a cleaning service for the deep cleans, that way on a daily basis you only have to spend a little time cleaning up the messes from the day. The other thing I do it clean during naps and after bedtime.

Hi J.,

I am not going to admit to a spotless house, but I did find something wonderful and it puts the two together. You know how all your cleaning stuff you're supposed to keep out of reach and away from your kids, well I found this company online that makes all the same stuff but with natural alternatives. I thought it would be safer so I tried it. Oh my gosh! this stuff cleans like you would not believe and is totally safe for my daughter to help me clean - bathroom, doors, dishes etc. etc. None of those fumes or having to wear gloves either. A friend of mine's son actually drank a bottle of the all-purpose cleaner (that is my all time favorite by the way) and she freaked out and called poison control only to find that there was absolutely nothing in there that was harmful to him. What a relief! I just love this stuff. Let me know if you want more info. I'd love to share!

Have a great one!
A.
www.free2Bmom.com

I am the same way but now I know its never going to stay looking clean for too long. I clean some in the morning when I let her watch her shows for a bit. I also do a little more when she goes to sleep so I wont have so much to do in the morning. Also she loves to help so I got her a little broom and dust pan and she does it while I do it so we are spending time and getting some cleaning done too. Also when I go to dust or glass clean I give her baby wipes and she will wipe off my couch and the walls in the room Im in. She also gets her feelings hurt if she cant unload the dryer and dishwasher so its fun to have them help and they love it! Well Good Luck!

Hire someone. Pay someone $50 or $60 to mop, dust, all that stuff. ALl you have to do is pick up after yourself. It is worth it.

Check out www.flylady.net. She has an excellent cleaning routine, small steps, every day. Stick to it and once your house is clean top to bottom it will stay that way. I know it's not easy with little ones- mine are just a little older than yours. The flylady program helped me a ton, and it's totally free!

J.

You have gotten some great ideas!!
A truly wonderful friend turned me on to www.flylady.net
and it has changed my house. Baby steps!!
Now even as a working mother of three I am able to keep my house managable, not always perfect but suitable for suprise visits :).
I completely agree, involve your kids! It teaches them..
Much luck

Hi J. - for me it depends on how much your time is worth? Perhaps hire a cleaning person and then have one area that your kids can play in w/o your concern about it being messy.

Just my two cents.
C.

If you can find the correct answer to that thousand year old question...bottle it up and sell it!!! You will make a fortune!! Good luck, and remember you're a mom first. Don't put too much pressure on yourself. You're obviously doing a great job if you're even taking the time to ask how you can do something without excluding your children!! Kudos for you!

Make the most of nap time and that time right after you put the kids in bed for the night. If you do a little each day hopefully you will have the clean house you want and still have time for your kids during their awake hours.

All of the advice is wonderful, but Flylady.net is the absolute best thing out there to answer your question. She totally understands where you are, and is unbelievably encouraging and practical.

I think all of these suggestions are great. I'm in the same situation, but I'm a working mom, and I don't have all those nap times, etc. I'm also getting my masters, so I'm working on it as soon as I put my son down. By the time the weekend rolls around, I just want to spend family time with my husband and son, so our house always seems to be messy. If you (or anyone else) gets suggestions that would fit into that situation, message me and let me know. :o) I'm like you, J., and I used to be neat neat freak, and I've had to just give that up. Let me know if you find anything! :o)

Wow!! You sound just like me! I always have something to do or something that needs cleaning, but I do feel guilty since raising my boys is the reason I'm staying home and my primary responsibility. I can't figure out a balance. I could clean after bedtime, but I just want a break by then and want to do nothing. Anyway, no advice here (sorry), but anxious to see what advice you do get!! Good luck and really, surely we won't look back and wish we'd had a cleaner house, huh!
A.

I do the same thing the first mom said with rotating rooms/chores each day. I also let me 2 year old help out as well as much as possbible and she LOVES it. Time with mom AND she is learning valuable things. We try to make it a game as much as possible and we even have a little clean up song we sing that helps get her modivated. Other stuff I do either during her nap time or during her wind down time when she watches her fav TV show Dora or Blues Clues.