SAHM's, how do you keep it clean through the day?

Re: SAHM's, how do you keep it clean through the day?

• crystalclearly

  April 2011

  Good Luck!  I spend a few minutes making a clean sweep every few hours, trying to focus a little energy on areas that will make the biggest difference.  It's easier if you can enlist help, which for me usually means making it a game for kids with a sing-along, race against the clock, or turning the toybox into a basketball hoop for toys to pass through.  As for getting the man of the house to help, incessant praise works best for me.

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• FutureSoccerMom

  April 2011

  I nanny for a family and their house is the same way. The girls have toys in every single room of the house and there are no boundaries as to what is allowed and what isn't. That being said, I do a clean sweep in the morning and try to maintain the kitchen, dining room, and living room throughout the day. While they are napping, I try to do the big things - like sweep up, laundry, etc. I've also started making small rules for them - such as no toys on the kitchen table, ever. Little changes like that have made a HUGE difference!

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• daisyterp

  April 2011

  Right now I watch 2 boys in my home 2 days a week, so those 2 + my 2 = total chaos on those days.  I am only watching the boys until mid-May and I can't wait to re-claim our living room and dining room as toy free zones. 

  I just picked up 4 large plastic baskets at Sam's Club and we now use them as a place to put stuff that doesn't belong in that room, if that makes sense- we have on in our bedroom and I put all of the kid stuff in it and then re-distribute the stuff to the proper room/spot.

   

  

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• iteachk

  April 2011

  Ugh.  I only have one child, and it's a challenge.  I make it a point to have things put away and cleaned up before I go to bed at night.  That way I dn't wake up to a mess in addition to the every day chores.

  I also:

  - Have DD clean up some toys before we move onto something new.

  - Spend some time playing with her, and some time cleaning/etc.  Having her doing a project at the table while I'm empyting the dishwasher/cooking is helpful.

   

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• MewMew

  May 2011

  Impossible.

  Mine is clean at night when DS is asleep. But, we start all over again the next day. I sometimes wonder what the point is! 

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• CubbyMama

  May 2011

  MewMew:

  Impossible.

  Mine is clean at night when DS is asleep. But, we start all over again the next day. I sometimes wonder what the point is! 

  Ditto this, except sometimes I don't even bother cleaning up the play room or living room because I'm tired or have other stuff to do once they're in bed! I do laundry and clean the kitchen during the day because the household can't operate without clean clothes and dishes, but as far as toys on the floor...it's a losing battle. I try to remember that I don't want my kids' memories of childhood to include me nagging them constantly to play neatly and our family/friends won't like me any less if they come over and there are toys everywhere. (In fact, they may like me more because coming to my house makes them feel better about their own! Lol)

  
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