fairfarmhand Posted May 12, 2010 Share Posted May 12, 2010 i have some pretty major cleaning projects I need to tackle, mainly things like a few closets that need a major overhaul, sorting the toyboxes, etc. How do you schedule these projects? I have smaller kids and it seems like there is never time to get from start to finish on these things. If I stop for more than 30 minutes, the piles get all jumbled and it feels like a waste of time. Suggestions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted May 12, 2010 Share Posted May 12, 2010 Take a day off or use a Saturday. Your 12 and 8 year old should be able to help or even do a lot of it. Your 4 year old can help with small stuff. Schedule the bulk of the task when your 2 year old is taking a nap or if he doesn't nap, then have the 8 year old babysit the 2 year old. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Rat Posted May 12, 2010 Share Posted May 12, 2010 For major toy overhauls, I've used my parents to watch the boys. After bedtime has also worked. I clean/purge/organize as needed and often so that it's not such a daunting task. However, some major jobs can't be avoided. I try to do a room a weekend until they are all done. Or sometimes, I tackle one type of project like all the closets (mostly clothes in our home) in an afternoon. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danestress Posted May 12, 2010 Share Posted May 12, 2010 Not easy, I know. But if you could have a day a month where Dad commits to taking them all where ever they have to go - soccer games, errands, the park and have a specific time when they can come home, then you have the day to yourself and also have a deadline. I can do major projects better if I have a deadline. If DH were coming home with seven kids at 3:00 and that would be the end of my cleaning time, I could lick that closet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purpledaizy Posted May 12, 2010 Share Posted May 12, 2010 No advice. Just a note to say I feel your pain. My daughter and her partner moved in with us a month ago. We used the opportunity to majorly reorganize the house and its still not put back together. *sigh* good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twigs Posted May 12, 2010 Share Posted May 12, 2010 How about using some tips from Flylady? http://www.flylady.net/index.asp This site is more about doing a little every day than than tackling a huge job, but you might find some help there anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeekingSimplicity Posted May 12, 2010 Share Posted May 12, 2010 I take it in small hunks. Pick a room that needs it the worst, start in one spot and work several minutes if I can't devote a lot of time to it. I'm always surprised what I can get done in 30 minutes if I put my mind to it. I start at one end and work to the other doing a different room each day. The girls room one day. The boys room, bath and hallway the next. Living room, then the kitchen and dining room the next day. My bed and bath last. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristusG Posted May 12, 2010 Share Posted May 12, 2010 If I have major work to do, I ask my mom to watch them. I have been known to start cleaning projects about 10 or 11 o'clock at night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seibert4kids Posted May 12, 2010 Share Posted May 12, 2010 I try to have some time on the first Friday of each month to tackle a house project. But that's easier said than done! Big projects require big chunks of time, so I'll try to delegate different parts of the job to different "helpers" and give them the "big picture"----a vision for the project. Sometimes offering a motivating reward helps them get into the swing of things....which in turn helps me get more into it and gets the ball rolling! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tree House Academy Posted May 12, 2010 Share Posted May 12, 2010 I schedule a yard sale for 2 weeks from now...then I have no choice but to go in the kids' rooms and overhaul. :) My kids actually get on board at the prospect of selling their old junk for MONEY. It really helps get me motivated and them too! We are doing this right now, actually. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Vixen Posted May 12, 2010 Share Posted May 12, 2010 How about using some tips from Flylady?http://www.flylady.net/index.asp This site is more about doing a little every day than than tackling a huge job, but you might find some help there anyway. :iagree:Great site! There is even info for people with small kids and many other family dynamics. I am still a "flybaby" but am making progress everyday :-) Marisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyof4ks Posted May 12, 2010 Share Posted May 12, 2010 I take one closet at a time and go through everything in there. This usually takes a whole day, and I have the kids join in. I try to stick to one project a week or maybe two weeks (depending on how hard it is). If I cycle through all of the closets, toys, pantry and so on, then everything gets cleaned out twice a year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted May 12, 2010 Author Share Posted May 12, 2010 This is such a huge job I am just really overwhelmed by it. I know I will feel so much better when it's done but getting started...ugh. This is the time when I don't like having huge closets in my house. I end up stuffing things that I should properly dispose of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayne J Posted May 12, 2010 Share Posted May 12, 2010 Although this may not be very helpful, I will share my method: Walk past affected area multiple times a day, each time making sure to feel more overwhelmed and disgusted with yourself for letting things get this bad. Tentatively pull a few piles out/move a few boxes to "assess" the problem. Walk away. Return the following morning. Repeat. Eventually you will have moved enough piles/boxes that you reach your personal event horizon and you now MUST take care of this mess or you will actually implode in anxiety. So, dig in. Say "I'll just do this one bit." Continue. Yell at your oldest to please feed the baby some cheerios and keep her in the living room/bedroom/other adjacent area. Four hours later, the screaming and bickering will finally pierce your concentration. Yell "Please just give Mommy a few more minutes!" An hour later you will finally finish. You will gaze in glory at your beautiful closet/pantry/etc. You will walk into the living room/bedroom/other adjacent area to find the kids looking guilty and realize that you now have four more hours of work to even begin to clean up the mess they made... Well, I never said it was perfect, I just said it was mine... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted May 12, 2010 Share Posted May 12, 2010 I schedule it for when my children go to bricks-and-mortar school: August 26th. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted May 12, 2010 Author Share Posted May 12, 2010 Although this may not be very helpful, I will share my method: Walk past affected area multiple times a day, each time making sure to feel more overwhelmed and disgusted with yourself for letting things get this bad. Tentatively pull a few piles out/move a few boxes to "assess" the problem. Walk away. Return the following morning. Repeat. Eventually you will have moved enough piles/boxes that you reach your personal event horizon and you now MUST take care of this mess or you will actually implode in anxiety. So, dig in. Say "I'll just do this one bit." Continue. Yell at your oldest to please feed the baby some cheerios and keep her in the living room/bedroom/other adjacent area. Four hours later, the screaming and bickering will finally pierce your concentration. Yell "Please just give Mommy a few more minutes!" An hour later you will finally finish. You will gaze in glory at your beautiful closet/pantry/etc. You will walk into the living room/bedroom/other adjacent area to find the kids looking guilty and realize that you now have four more hours of work to even begin to clean up the mess they made... Well, I never said it was perfect, I just said it was mine... Ok, this method, I am pretty sure I can do! Actually I just got in the closet and sorted all the shelves and clothing. (I found baby girl clothes hanging in there and my baby girl is FIVE!) After lunch I may go in there and sort the massive boxes of shoes that are a jumbled heap in the floor of the closet. Either that or Baby Boy will take a nap and then I won't be able to work in there since it is HIS room. In that case, I may lay on the couch and read a good book. I need to reward myself...I cleaned half a closet :p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caribbean Queen Posted May 12, 2010 Share Posted May 12, 2010 I schedule with the Sidetracked Home Executive method. It's great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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