another cleaning house thread...how to stop getting it so messy?

[J-rap]

This sounds exactly like our house some years ago!

 

One thing that helped me was that our "main" room -- our living room, which is the first room you see when you come into the house, had very little junk except for a few big baskets and one small one hidden in the corner. The rest of the house might be chaos (and it usually was), but at least at the end of every day (or in the middle of the day if necessary), we threw everything cluttering the floor into the baskets. They were usually divided into one for toys and one for... whatever. (Shoes? Whatever else most cluttered our floors at the time!) The smaller one was for all the little dog chewies that were lying underfoot. The kids could do that pretty quickly!

 

I always vacuumed the living room and dining room every night. Not thoroughly. It took about three minutes. But I felt like we could end and start each day semi-organized.

 

We did our homeschooling in the dining room, and everyone had a basket in there too. Each child threw their homeschooling supplies into their basket, my forms and bills and other paperwork into another basket, and voila! Another sort of clean room!

 

I only dusted once/week, but I did want to vacuum every day because of the animal hair, etc. Perhaps that could be your 14 year-old's daily job?

 

One thing that really helped was we would start each day with a 5-10 minute job. With five kids, that added up to almost an hour of cleaning before we started our day. I would give them little tasks that I didn't have time for, like organize all our magazines and catalogs (throw out old ones, etc.), clean the refrigerator door, throw ingredients for bread into the bread machine, dust the intricate carvings on the piano with a Q-tip. I know most of your kids aren't old enough for that yet.

[fairfarmhand]

Thanks all! I should have mentioned, and really..hadn't realized myself, that part of the reason I feel SO overwhelmed is my 14 year old broke his back. He's been unable to bend over/pick things up, lift toddler, mow, do yard work, take out trash, etc for over 6 months. He JUST got off those restrictions this week, and promptly went to his grandmothers (at her request) to help her box up her house before it is remodeled. Then he went to his father's house. So he hasn't been much help. When he gets back that all changes, thankfully! I'd forgotten that he can start doing yard work, taking out trash, etc etc.

 

I will say that generally the reason he isn't vacuuming is I have him do the general pick up, then I vacuum. Or he entertains and plays with the baby if he is cranky, while i do it. But he needs the practice of doing it, and I'm not doing him favors by always giving him the "play with your siblings" job while I clean.

 

The 3 year old is actually really good at putting dirty clothes in her hamper, putting her shoes where they go, etc. I need to work with her to get her to do the other stuff. She isn't coordinated enough to fold, but does like to hand me clothes one by one for me to fold. I think if I give her direction as far as putting toys away she will pick it up quickly.

 

I really do think the food all over the house was the biggest thing.

 

Oh, and the 10 month is only making the messes by accident. My husband leaves his drink on an end table that the baby can now reach, but people forget he can reach. Same thing happens to my coffee mug on occaision, on my desk. And he drops food more than throws..I was exaggerating. He isn't real coordinated yet, and drops say gold fish or cheerios as he puts them in his mouth. They go into his lap, and then slide down onto the floor. My dogs are at the saturation point and won't eat them anymore, lol! He only throws food if he really isn't hungry, and I can catch that before it happens usually...I see the look in his eye!

 

I think moving all eating to one area will be the biggest help, lids on toy bins will help, and purging some.

One other thing to help.

 

Close off the unused parts of the house during thte day.  If the playing happens in the family room. close off the bedrooms. Gate off the kitchen. It was so nice for me to be able to enter my own bedroom at the ends of the day and have my own space that was tidy. Just knowing that there was ONE ROOM in the whole house not trashed was so soothing. So in the morning, make your bed, pick up your clothes, and vacuum the floors in your room. Then close the door and ban anyone from entering it.  There's no reason that the WHOLE house should be trashed at the end of the day. One or two rooms is plenty.

[ktgrok]

One other thing to help.

 

Close off the unused parts of the house during thte day.  If the playing happens in the family room. close off the bedrooms. Gate off the kitchen. It was so nice for me to be able to enter my own bedroom at the ends of the day and have my own space that was tidy. Just knowing that there was ONE ROOM in the whole house not trashed was so soothing. So in the morning, make your bed, pick up your clothes, and vacuum the floors in your room. Then close the door and ban anyone from entering it.  There's no reason that the WHOLE house should be trashed at the end of the day. One or two rooms is plenty.

Good point! WE have a pretty open floor plan, but no need for my room to be messy. Of course, often I neglect that room as it isn't seen, and it is the worst. But DH picked it up this weekend, because it was raining so he couldn't work outside. It still needs some work, but it is not bad, and I vacuumed the main traffic areas earlier today.

[Soror]

Katie, it sounds like you have a good plan for yourself and your kids. Your thread is a good reminder to me to be more strict w/ the kids and them taking off w/ food. I haven't enforced that enough here. They know not to take it in the living room section of the great room but I keep catching them trying to bring snacks to their room and I need to nip it in the bud as they say :)

 

I'm pretty no nonsense here as well and I think it gives kids a good boost of confidence to be responsible for jobs and know that their help is needed. I try to go over expectations clearly and repeatedly. For example when coming home on Saturdays I go over what needs to be done - everyone carries in groceries- except the baby. Dd-9 and ds-6 then put away groceries with me and then are usually the ones who cook supper. We've been doing homemade pizza, w/ homemade sauce. So, pretty basic but good meal that they enjoy and as we keep with doing the same thing they are learning it well. Ds has been making Friday breakfast as well- crustless pumpkin pie. He can read so he just follows the recipe on the side of the pumpkin can. Dd6 has been helping w/ cooking more and more, she cannot read yet so I try to find simple recipes for her and help supervise.

 

I think a lot of times moms just get in the habbit of doing everything for their kids, which of course is done out of love but I think it can rob children of great pride from their independence. My kids don't always do as good a job as I do but they do pretty darn good. I go over what needs to be done and I inspect closely at first. I've been having the kids inspect the bathrooms themselves lately. After they clean they tell me they are done and then I tell them to inspect it and go over again the list of what is to be done. I think it can be even more instructive for them to take on this role.

 

As far as chores, these are what is generally done, although we are tweaking it as I just changed our school schedule:

9yo-

clean master bath- 2x a week, includes washing counter, sink, toilet, inside and out, washing floor

vacuum greatroom- 1-2 x a week

set table for dinner

take out trash- daily

keep room clean daily, put away and fold clothes as needed

 

6yo-

main bath- 2x a week- same as ds

set table for breakfast

check mail

keep room clean daily, put away and fold clothes as needed

 

3yo-

start dishwasher

help feed cat

help pick up toys, put up and fold clothes- she can fold a lot of her clothes now but she is still developing her skills

empty bathroom trash

 

About once a week I have all 3 mop the great room, they seem to think this is great fun!

 

Whenever we go anywhere everyone helps pack and load the van- w/ the diaper bag and lunch bag, they load the bikes if we are going for a ride. When we get home everyone carries in bags. When we work outside everyone pitches in- they pick up rocks and sticks. When I'm doing really well and hanging clothes on the line they have their own lines to hang clothes as well, these days though I'm using the dryer. Dh says that ds is still too small for the riding mower and not strong enough for the push mower yet. I'm thinking next year at 10 he should be able to at least start helping with this. We don't have them now but a few years back we had rabbits and kept them with feed and water.

[AmyontheFarm]

We have a no toys in the kitchen rule. With an open concept home, this was difficult to implement at first but once the eldest became old enough to be my "toy policeman", it was easier. 

 

This is what happened.   When my eldest was a toddler and #2 an infant.  She brought some toys into the kitchen to play while I was making supper.  The baby was in the playpen in the living room.  I turned to look to see where dd was and lifted a frying pan with oil off the stove, stepped back to turn towards the sink and my foot hit a rolling toy.

I realized that I was going to fall,

with a hot pan of grease and my dd was going to be covered.  I tossed the pan as far from me as I could, half flipped in mid air, caught dd and shielded her with my body.  She was frightened but not burned.  I had some grease on me. 

 

My hubby saw it happening and said it was like watching slow motion, and as a fire fighter he was certain we were both going to be badly burned.  At that moment, a new family rule was born.  No toys in the kitchen. 

 

Amazingly, though once we as parent enforced that rule, the toys basically stayed either in their play room or in the living room.  The kids learned to not carry toys around the house and drop them willy nilly everywhere.

[ktgrok]

UPDATE!

 

HOuse is more picked up on a regular basis. Food stays at the table. Dishes are done right after a meal. Tables are cleared off. Biggest change that I didn't expect? Kids are better behaved! I don't know if it is that they feel more secure with less chaos, or I'm more patient with them with less chaos, but either way, things are much better!

[PrairieSong]

UPDATE!

 

HOuse is more picked up on a regular basis. Food stays at the table. Dishes are done right after a meal. Tables are cleared off. Biggest change that I didn't expect? Kids are better behaved! I don't know if it is that they feel more secure with less chaos, or I'm more patient with them with less chaos, but either way, things are much better!

I am so happy you shared this! Good for you. The improved behavior is likely a combination of how the peaceful, less chaotic atmosphere affects the kids AND you. That is the way it works at my house anyway.