yep...my house is a mess too...both my husband and I are packrats and we both work full time, so we find it hard to find keep things organized (although we do keep it safe for the kids).  But we feel that it's more important to spend quality time with each other and the kids rather than stress about the housework...the housework will always be there....time with your children as they're growing only lasts a short while :)

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~~ Lexi ~~
CJ & Corbin

Are you kidding me? I thought mamas with little babies are required to have messy houses. Mine hasn't been cleaned since I let the cleaning service go so I could spend that money on carriers. I do think tho, I need to call them up again. Haven't vacuumed in a couple of weeks and haven't scrubbed the tubs, haven't dusted, etc.

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Jasmine, SAHM to Amelie

Yup, it's a requirement.   Small children, messy house.  I really have a hard time with this one, though.  I really hate the mess.  I am married to a genetically inheirant PackRat and it appears he has passed this trait on to our 4 yr old DD.  The 16yr old....well, she is 16, need I say more??  Thank goodness I still have control over Elliot's room.

 

Here is a funny...The kitchen is a mess, the table, can't even eat on it right now! Breakfast bar, covered with junk, the office...whatever.  However, DH walks into DS's room (the only semi-clean one in the house) and finds a kitchen scale I bought to weigh carriers before mailing on the dresser.  He brings it out to the kitchen where the rest of the mess is because he didn't think it belonged in Elliot's room!!!  WTH???  It wasnt' hurting anything there, wasn't taking up much room and that is where I needed it!  So, instead it joined the other junk on the breakfast bar, til I packed it up and put it under the counter!!  Geez, his mess is okay, but my mess was a problem!!!!

 

As soon as I can see thru my mess I'm gonna hire somebody to clean... I really am (now when am I gonna find time to clean up?)

Well, it isn't too bad right now, but that is because it is Monday, and DH was home all weekend and it snowed yesterday so we stayed home all day.  But normally, yes, especially by the end of the day, the house is a mess.  I used to really sweat it, but I am past that.  I am just trying to survive these days.  DH offered to hire someone to clean the house once a week, which would take care of the dusting, which I hate, but as much of an issue is the day to day stuff .  One thing that has made a difference in the last year, is that we moved to a house with a finished basement, so we have a playroom where most of the toys reside.  It used to really drive me nuts to have toys everywhere.  Now they are kind of out of sight, out of mind, for the most part.  I try really hard to keep at least one room in the house clutter free or I go crazy.  I don't know when clutter and noise started bothering me so much, but it really does now. 

The thing that really saves me these days is that my mother and stepfather come to visit about oncce a month.  When they come, they either play with the kids so I can clean, or clean, or both.  I used to hate it when my mother cleaned my house, but now I realize she does it to help because she loves me, and I embrace it.

Anyway, know you are not alone.

 

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Dorothy

Im sooo glad to hear that my house is not the only one unfit for visitors! I have laundry piled in every room in the house! And to top it all we're remodeling, so theres weird furniture in every room, like a sink top and drawers in the dining room., and a crib,(which gets no use anyways) in the kitchen!  I run an online biz, work outside the home part time, and with the kids and my adorable baby that I cant get enough of, I never get anything done.

Anyways, has anyone ever heard of flylady.com? She has a really good housecleaning system, that if you follow,(which is what I struggle with)  works wonders.

Oh well, babies arent babies forever, so I want to enjoy mine!

 

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Momma to my babyroo Brody(7/05) and Landon(6/00)

I just realized you guys already suggested flylady.

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Momma to my babyroo Brody(7/05) and Landon(6/00)

Didn't you always think that you would have soooo much time as a SAHM???  I though I would be right on top of everything, but I think some of my working friends have it easier with regards to the house because they aren't there all day making messes and dirtying dishes!

Our house is always a day behind in cleaning, if we are lucky!  Having people over helps, but not always.  My boys are big enough to have them chip in.  They love vacuuming, washing windows, scrubbing the toilet, sorting laundry, helping with the cooking, loading and unloading the dishwasher and a few other things.  The suggestion was made to me when Garrett was a year old that you have to start teaching your kids by making it fun when they are little so that they help you as they grow.  That was priceless advice.  They end up not doing a great job at their cleaning, but it buys me a few minutes to tidy up and I can "fix up" their jobs later.  A new tradition we started recently is cleaning the bathroom while the boys are in the tub; that way we are watching them and they are entertained.  And trust me. . .with three boys in the house, it needs it as often as bathtime!

Just keep in my that the time that you spend with your children can never be replaced or made up for.  I think a sign of a good parent/well attended children is a messy house!  (Unless you have insomnia!)  I pride myself in spending time with the boys and the house will still be there when they are grown.  Enjoy your kids while you can!

Stacy

 

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Stacy
Mom to Garrett-5yr and Chase-2.5yr. . .Baby due March 8th

I'd say it's so-so.  We moved from an apt. to a house, which has made a huge difference-- now we have a BASEMENT to store things in until I can sort thru stuff.  Love the basement!  We also now have a dishwasher and w/d . . .things that homeowners often take for granted!  I love to hear the sound of those machines . . .something is working and it isn't ME!

My goal is to have the living room, office, dining room, and bedrooms clean or at least neat-ish.  These rooms are easy to clean. The playroom and part of the kitchen (the breakfast bar, where DD does crafts) can be messy.  Bathrooms require constant cleaning.  I don't not always reach these goals!

Believe it or not, I like cleaning.  DD (4) wants me to play with her all day, so cleaning is my change of pace/non-creative time.  My younger DD (10 months) lets me clean while on my back.  It gets messy on weekends when DH is home . . .my routine is messed up!

I'm a clean freak so our home is pretty clean. It's cluttered since we live in an apartment though. I have to do dishes the second one is in the sink. I also keep up with laundry and I vacuum about five times a day!

YES!!!!!!!

My house is atrocious!  Stuff everywhere. It's embarrassing!  But, since we're both in the metro area (I'm in Anoka co) maybe you could come hang out one day and we can chat about our messes :)

I figure that my little guy's only little once (and quite possibly my only child) so I'm going to enjoy as much as possible with him, and clean later. :) :) :)

Yes my house is a mess.  But I do clean a lot, its just hard to keep up with.  Especially this week since my kids are home from school (they only go a few hours anyway ) and I have this cold that has me dragging. 

For me babywering helps so much because when DS is in a carrier I can't really sit down, so I put him in an MT and just clean....well not really clean but pick up. 

If you put on the timer for 15 min, you would be surprised how much you can get done.  I am not a napper, I haven't napped since DS was 3 weeks.  All that said, my house is just hardly ever clean for more than 5 minutes.  Its pretty much the most frustrating thing in my life.

 

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Meg

Shop At Home Mom to
Nicholas (10/12/00)
Lexi (5/3/02)
my sweet baby Luke (8/1/05)