Anyone use Fly Lady?

[Tracy]

I have been subscribed for years. But when I first subscribed, I didn't have kids, and I was working full time and going law school. Needless to say, it was too overwhelming to even read, and it got sent to the junk folder. Their new format has brought it back to my regular inbox, and I have been reading. It still seems overwhelming, but now that I am living in the chaos every day, there is a certain desperation that is forcing me to pay more attention.

 

Before I get my hopes up, please tell me if this has worked for you? Can you "fly" while homeschooling?

[melbotoast]

I tried it a few years ago and I did glean some good ideas from there. Try it out, and take whatever works for you. On a different message board, someone suggested rearranging FlyLady's zone system and I loved that idea. That is the system I use now. In FlyLady's system, you do one zone each week, but in the adapted system, you do one zone each day of the week. So Monday I focus on kitchen, Tuesday on living room, Wednesday - master bedroom, Thursday - bathrooms, Friday - kids' rooms, weekends - catch up on whatever needs doing. I do try to do a morning/evening routine ala FlyLady. I also love "you can do anything for 15 minutes" and her decluttering tips. HTH!

 

ETA: I do NOT shine my sink ;)

 

[dbmamaz]

it worked for me when i was home with a baby and the kids were at school, but i have not been able to get it working for me since then. i'm sure i could . ..maybe if i quit hanging out on the internet so much!!

[Staceyshoe]

I checked out her book from the library. The emails were overwhelming and burdensome. Reading the book, I "got" how *easy* her system is. It became crystal clear, and there was so much encouragement. I completely avoid the website and email list. I've customized it my own system since I got started. It's been slipping a little since we started homeschooling, but I wouldn't keep up with the house as well otherwise. I basically do some daily routines (a few strategic swipes as I go about my business, 5 min tidying of hot spots, and 15 minutes per day in my zone--either decluttering, organizing, or deep cleaning---and I'm very intentional about anything new that comes into the house). That's it---done! About 20 minutes per day that makes a huge impact.

[AmyontheFarm]

When the "child" email comes in I call the kids and tell them that FlyLady sent them a message. I then read it to them and they hop to it and get it done. WITHOUT COMPLAINING!! I am sorely tempted to copy her email template and create a bunch of emails of jobs that I want them to get done, without all the complaining! LOL

 

I modified the system also. I work on a different zone each day, with four kids it would be ugly around here if I didn't!

[AmyontheFarm]

Here are my zones at this time in our lives.

1. Monday -Back entrance/ stairwell/ laundry room.

2. Tuesday - Kitchen / pantry /basement storage room - this is where the extra pantry stuff is and I make my grocery list for Wed.

3. Wednesday - Bathrooms

4. Thursday - Bedrooms - everyone does their own rooms. I also rotate through their rooms to assist if they need help with decluttering or storing items that no longer fit. Then we head to the library when we are all done.

5. Friday - Living room areas

6. Saturday - Homeschool classroom.

 

yeah, we have 6 zones

[readinmom]

It's hard for anyone...I like this system better than any other one I've read about. I have my zone list, try to stick with it but it's hard. I don't always remember to do the sink thing every night. My house is considerably cleaner in the month of January than it has been in a long time. I'm not embarrassed to open the door!

[redsquirrel]

I've not been impressed. I tried it when my eldest was a baby and it was not too bad. I can't imagine being so on top of things now that the kids are older and we are so much busier.

 

I do still put a lot of stock in routines, I always have. I do try to get the house into a minimum level of cleanliness before I go to bed. DH and I have a couple of things we do in each room every evening. It is stuff like "put dirty dishes in the dishwasher" so it isn't advanced level stuff, lol. It just helps us remember to sweep the kitchen floor every day or wipe out the bathroom sink.

 

I do like getting up to an almost, but not really, picked up house. My pre-parenting self would NOT recognize it as tidy, but I am ok with it.

[chepyl]

I like the idea, I use some of them: 15 minute hot spot declutter, and I do zones, but I also do them on a daily rather than weekly rotation.

 

I found the emails distracting. I just want the daily zones, weekly plan reminders. You can't get just that. She says to just hit delete if you don't want to read, but it is still an overwhelming number of emails!

 

I unsubscribed, but they made some email switchup and now I get ALL the emails again. I tried to change my subscription, but it did not work. I am a little irritated with them.

[rgrin]

Try it out, and take whatever works for you. On a different message board, someone suggested rearranging FlyLady's zone system and I loved that idea. That is the system I use now. In FlyLady's system, you do one zone each week, but in the adapted system, you do one zone each day of the week. So Monday I focus on kitchen, Tuesday on living room, Wednesday - master bedroom, Thursday - bathrooms, Friday - kids' rooms, weekends - catch up on whatever needs doing. I do try to do a morning/evening routine ala FlyLady. I also love "you can do anything for 15 minutes."

I basically do some daily routines (a few strategic swipes as I go about my business, 5 min tidying of hot spots, and 15 minutes per day in my zone--either decluttering, organizing, or deep cleaning---and I'm very intentional about anything new that comes into the house). That's it---done! About 20 minutes per day that makes a huge impact.

 

Take the good stuff, leave the bad. Morning and evening routines, hot-spot fire drills, and the 15-minute room rescue are all things I've hung on to. I can't seem to clean without shoes on anymore, so I've got a pair of shoes dedicated to indoor use only! Finally, I modified the zones to fit my (weekly) needs.

Monday - Living areas (with DH home on the weekends, it seems to really show in the living areas the most, so that gets done first thing in the week)

Tuesday - Bathrooms

Wednesday - Office day, laundry room (since it's right beside the office)

Thursday - Kitchen & dining room (Friday morning is trash day, so cleaning the kitchen and the fridge makes sense for Thursday)

Friday - Bedrooms & hallway

Saturday - etc. (whatever needs done, garage, car, outdoor projects, bigger jobs that need DH's assistance, etc.)

 

Even cleaning imperfectly blesses the house and your family!

[Laura Corin]

I tried but I found it too prescriptive and irritating. No, I don't wear shoes in the house, not even indoor shoes, because I want to be able to slip off my slippers and put my feet up. No, I won't shine my sink every night because it's made of stained cream plastic and depresses me even to look at it.

 

So I tried it, didn't manage to make it work, but did get the idea that cleaning was possible. A month of two ago, I came back to the issue (after years of intermittent and dissatisfying cleaning) and worked out my own system. I suspect that Flylady helped me to come to this point, but I had to go my own way.

 

Laura