Moms with Children Younger than School Age--when Do You Clean?

I say you just have to wing it. That is what I did. Do what you can when you can. As long as the bathrooms and kitchen were clean I felt I had a
handle on things. After everyone went to bed I would pick up, quick
vacuum etc. Really would not take long at all. I have posted this poem
when this issue comes up: Cooking and cleaning can wait till tomorrow
for babies grow up I have learned to my sorrow. So quiet down cobwebs
and dust go to sleep, I am rocking my babies and babies don't keep.
Just do the best you can. Congratulations.

I picked a room a day to do a decent cleaning. Then dishes and odds and ends were all done by the time supper was over. Laundry is done on Tues and Sat. That way I don't have to spend an entire day or several days a week cleaning and avoiding my kids. Whenever possible, I will incorporate them into helping me. Mine always thought it was neat when I gave them a dampened cloth and asked them to help me w/ dusting the bottom of the shelves and stands that I'd have to bend to get. We started that around the age of 2. They've also been very active in helping to match socks and fold washcloths since a very early age.

I kind of do a combo thing. Mine will be 2 next month. My biggest problem used to be sweeping and mopping (all hardwood floors). I found if I just stick her in her highchair with some snacks I can get it all done, and dried before she's finished. When she's taking a bath, I put the comet in the toilet and sink, wipe down the mirror and counters in the bathtub. When I cook I tend to do a few dishes, and wipe down the counters. When I vacuum our area rugs she thinks its a game and plays hide and seek with the vacuum, so thats never been hard for me, lol.
I am not an obsessive cleaner eaither. It gets done when it gets done. So that means if theres dishes in the sink when I go to bed, I can live with that, and it certainly wont both my sleep. If I want to just sit and veg after she's gone to sleep I think I deserve it. lol. =)

When I was married and working full-time I got overwhelmed with trying to take care of a 3 bedroom house. Husband and teenaged stepson didn't help much no matter what I tried. I began having a person come in once every two weeks to clean. Then once my daughter was born, I moved it to once every week. It really didn't cost that much (an individual, not a cleaning company) and it helped my sanity. That doesn't take care of the day-to-day picking up and cleaning up, but at least the floors and bathrooms got a good clean and vacuum regularly.

Now I am divorced and my daughter is 8, so I can clean when she's at her dad's house and she likes to help me clean when she's here. That said, our condo is a bit messy all the time. And I'm mostly OK with that. I fall back on the saying "A clean house is a sign of a wasted life..." if I get too hard on myself about it.

Clean...what's that? LOL

My son is 2 1/2 and we have been making him clean-up his own toys. That definitely helps out! He has a playroom and enjoys spending time playing there independently, especially when its been a week that he's been at that babysitter's and not home playing with his toys.

I do a load of laundry every other night and on Saturday morning strip the beds as soon as we get up so I can wash sheets and blankets.

I spray the bathroom down and let it "soak" while I clean the kitchen. When I am finished with the kitchen, I wipe down the bathroom sink, then tub, then toilet. And then I throw the sponge away.

My husband is on call 24/6 (and his day off rotates). When he's home he helps out by running the vacuum, mopping, moving laundry. Once it warms up he has outside "chores" to do (pool and yard).

When I was unemployed I cleaned my house top to bottom constantly. Now that I work 40+ hours a week...forget it!

I don't dust as often as I probably should and my house is not spottless. If you stop over unannounced you will more than likely find dirty dishes in the sink (we don't have a dishwasher). And the way I feel is that if you don't like it you should have a) called to give me a heads up that you were coming over or b) the cleaning supplies are under the sink.

I'm right there with you, and I stay home! I don't know how working moms do it either! I TRY to get stuff done when they're napping, but it's rare that they nap at the same time. My youngest is 4 mos and he usually naps like 15-20 minutes tops, not leaving much time!
I have had to totally lower my standards lol. I use to clean ALOT. But now time with them is more important, and some time for myself which is so rare. Sometimes I do some cleaning when they are both in bed, but lets face it at that point, I'm tired and want to relax!
I think moms of young ones just do the best we can. Ask for your help from your husband too! And just focus on the important parts; clean bathroom and kitchen. The rest, no big deal in my opinion!

I have two kids that are not in school (ok, my five year old is in school less than 3 hours a day, 4 days a week, and if you count driving time in between, even less). My three year old does not nap and I am also about 8.5 mos. pregnant. I don't work outside of the house but if I did, I swear there would be less cleaning to do. At least the kids would be out of the house and not messing it up as I clean it up. I clean non-stop, all day and into the night I am catching up on laundry which at least I can while I sit on my butt and watch TV. PHEW. :) It is HARD work, isn't it? I have the same issues with feeling like I need to "neglect" my kids so that I can get the cooking and cleaning stuff done but such is the life of a mother--it is so much harder than anyone will ever know-unless they have lived it. It is really hard for me to relax in a house that is not clean--but that is my issue. I need to take a chill pill. LOL.

OMG! We're supposed to clean? Why didn't anyone tell me this before! Nap time is my "me" time. You are prego so it should be your nap time as well if you can manage it! Cleaning usually happens in spurts throughout the day and once everyone is settled in bed it's a good time to make sure the kitchen is done so you don't have to face it first thing in the morning plus you won't have anyone trodding all over your freshly mopped floor. Weekends are the biggest cleanup time.

Hon,
You are about to add another life to your household. The house can WAIT! Stop bending over, and make a game of putting toys in containers, sweeping (vacuum and unborn/newborn is not going to help with baby being startled all the time!) Put your feet up and enjoy your tea - err- coffee - in the AMs before you get ready for this next little person who will be joining you! Be attentive now while they play, clean, everything, because in a couple of weeks, or less, you will be holding a newborn and looking blearily at them while they play with a little person who will be enjoying your warmth and nourishment and proximity.

When you have a moment, check into Waldorf education - family 'work' with the children to include them in daily tasks so that they are learning from the very beginning. My son was unlaoding the dishwasher at 18 months.

Good luck,
M.

when you can with kids around, or while they are watching their cartoons.
What's wrong with watching cartoons? One of the highlights of my childhood!

Unless you can afford a housekeeper on occasion to do a "deep" cleaning then I vote for letting it go..... especially on saturday mornings. Better to have your time and quality time with your family then a perfect house. As long as nothing is growing try not to see it. Every few months when you can't stand it, you will clean. Ask everyone to pitch in.

I'm not a working mom nor am I 8 months pregnant but even I need to get creative sometimes. One thing I often do is clean the bathroom while the kids play in the tub. I wash them first and then let them just play ( with the curtain closed!) while I wipe things down. I think since you are pregnant and working you may just need to give yourself a break and not worry so much. I am a super clean freak but when I was pregnant, I just couldn't do a lot and I did work up until my last was born so I do understand the exhaustion at the end of the day. Sometimes I also give my 3 year old his own vacuum ( I have a small battery powered one) and let him push that around while I vacuum. I have a working friend who gives all 3 of her kids (all under 5) their own spray bottles filled with water to spray while she is cleaning the kitchen or bathroom.
Good luck. Your baby will be here soon and it's amazing how much more energy you will have, even with the lack of sleep!

My hubby took one of the kids out for a fun day and I am cleaning (just took a short break to use my breast pump since the baby is sleaping LOL) with the two youngest. My 3 year old can and will help clean (since he make all the mess in out house anyway) and the baby is only 2m so she is sleeping. I also work fulltime durring the day and my hubby works full time overnights. It is hard and there are days when my house should be condemed, but then a few days of really working hard to tackle it and it looks presentable. I only vacume when I see dirt, only wipe things down when It really looks bad, etc. In other words I only do what absolutly needs to be done and not a bit more. One time a year in the spring we take a few days off and pay for daycare and we take everything out of each room, vacure and wash the carpets and put everyting back. So for about 1 day our house looks perfect LOL and that seems to be enough to really get the stuff we miss the rest of the year:)

Hi M., can you get a cleaning lady once a week to do about 3-4 hours of complete wipe down? I don't know what the going rate is, but for the time being it will do you a lot of good. I had a nice girl who used to do it and once my kids got older and moved away, I started doing it on my own. Once both kids start going to school and I get back to work, I might consider having a lady again for house cleaning and ironing. It really helps,so that you could be with the children and spend some real quality time with them.

My husband works (more than FT sometimes up to 100 hrs a week) and I run a day home... ALL my kids (dayhome kids included) help me clean up (they do the toys/games, coats, boots/shoes etc.). As for dishes, bathrooms, laundry etc... I clean the kitchen before I make meals, bathrooms (I have 3) get done on Saturdays or Sundays, Laundry is done any time there is a load. You can hang out with your kids while you fold, lets face it, the only thing about laundry that is time consuming is sorting it. My 4 year old likes to help sort laundry and pair socks. Vaccuming is done whenever the floor looks bad... we have 2 dogs... My kids LOVE to put things up so I can vaccum and when its all done, they LOVE to play in a clean area. I find that the kids can entertain themselves while I do the things they can't be around... and that is really only the dishes (because they are still too small for that) and bathrooms.

I agree with another poster, you should be napping when the kids nap. And really... my house is NEVER perfect... right now my craft table is covered in recycleables... :)

I'm a working mom. How I keep up with the laundry is that I start a load in the morning before I leave and put it in the dryer when I get home. Even doing 1 load a day helps keep on top of it.

I have a list and sticking by it makes things easier. Saturdays I clean the kitchen, Mondays I clean the bathrooms, Tuesdays are dusting, etc. My daughter just turned 4 and since she was about 1 1/2 she's been helping pick up her own toys. She also loves to follow daddy around with her little vacuum while he's vacuuming. (that's his main job, vacuuming and dishes).

In between times I just do light cleaning, like wiping down the counters after cooking, etc.

I'm a working M. and what you can do is

1. Take a day off and do the major cleaning when the kids are in daycare or with whomever who takes care of them

2. Organize/Schedule to do certain things on certain days. We do laundry, vacuuming, clean bathroom, grocery shopping, etc on weekends

3. Use the dishwasher if you have one while you prepare dinner

4. Have a home for everything so that during the week anything out of place you can quickly put back in its' home (toys, shoes, jackets, papers, etc)

5. Your 4yr old & 2.5yr old can help you with chores - putting away their toys, help you prep dinner, sort their own clothes (you have the basket and let them pick out of it their clothes and put it in their own basket or rooms, wherever)...don't underestimate them, they might surprise you.

I have a little one working on walking so he can't help with real cleaning at all:) I put him to bed at 8 p.m. and do light pick up until 9p.m. to make sure he is settled.Then I do 30 min to an hr of "serious" cleaning depending on how I'm feeling. Then I settle down with a cup of hot tea or coffee before bed.

Now, my son is an early riser like me (3, 4, 5 am). However, I have a school aged child also. When she was younger she slept in late on weekends. So instead of waking her up I used the time to do major organizing, cleaning and still got in the relaxing w/ coffee and light breakfast. When she was up we did do cleaning. She was given a spray bottle w/ vinegar + water and cleaned windows, mirrors until timer went off. Then she was given a duster.

Overall - when kids are asleep try for 30 min clean up. When kids are awake, distract w/ other cleaning tasks.

Your situation is just like mine. I have a 4yo a 1yo and one on the way and sometimes it's so hard just keeping the house presentable. Sometimes (ok, alot of times!)dishes do pile up along with laundry and everything else. But, when we have a get together at our house, my husband and I spend the three hours prior really scrubbing and running around like chickens with heads cut off! So, that's when our house gets clean! I'm working right now, and just talked to hubby and he's tackling the mound of dishes right now :) !

I had to go in for jury duty this week. I was gone most of the day. I came home exhausted with no motivation at all to even cook dinner. I have to say that I have no clue how full time working women do it! I know I couldn't. It sounds like you are doing a great job. You just can't do it all. That's the reality of life. Blessings to you!

I totally understand. We had a cleaning woman come once every 2 weeks. And we did not make a lot of money - we made it a priority. On the other hand, I didn't buy prepackaged goods nor did we go out to dinner or order out - those might be ways to switch around the budget. It was a real life saver.

Otherwise, yes, Saturday morning is a really good standard time to clean - after your nice quiet coffee. It's just that period of life for a few years. As you slowly train them over the years, you can look forward to a great workforce, working together. This Saturday morning it was really nice, all of us working on a project. Now that my kids are 10/8/6 they fold and put away laundry, vacuum, clean their rooms and the play room, common rooms, windex windows, take everything out of the bathroom so I can clean the shower/etc, unload/load the dishwasher, sweep, set/clear the table. They love being just in their underwear and sliding over the kitchen floor cleaning it! (I use a natural cleansers, "Thieves" on the floors and bathroom counters and then Trader Joe's "Next to godliness." for the table and counters).

Congratulations on your new baby!

I clean with my kids they are 9 and 4. I give them small tasks to do. They enjoy helping.

I am assuming that you have VERY young children as my kids start chores at 14 to 18 months old (not very well, but they try!)

I let my kids have a wet washcloth and ask them to wash walls, the bathtub and the like (no cleaning solutions, just water).

My kids are responsible for their toys and room starting at 2. Start cleaning with direction (meaning me with a yard stick pointing and saying "put that away" if they don't put the toys in a big trash bag and put them in your closet... they can earn one toy back every day buy cleaning.)

Alot of it comes from how you design and organize your home. More knick knacks out, the more knick knacks to clean... It is faster to dust a clear counter than to move stuff off, dust and then move it all back. I live rather minimalistically.

My kids are 10 months, 2.5 and just turned 5 years.

I clean morning noon & night regardless if they are napping or playing alongside me or in their rooms.There is no reason not to clean your home just because the kiddos are running around.As long as they stay out of the bathroom while I clean, they still can play anywhere else.When it is time to pick up what they have out we will do so I give a time limit so for they understand i'm serious if not & they complain or walk away from me they get a time out.I let them know one thing to pick up it is usally things like LEGOS that will take a while for them once that is complete then it is on to something else.This morning i'm still cleaning I let the toy's go since we had company the other day & my nephews were playing but now it is time to reorganzie, vacuum,laundry all for a new school week I hate to be unorganized,laundry not done,bed rooms a wreck hopping over everything just to get to the next room ERRRR.To me I can't live like that it bothers me my husband & my kids complain because they can't find what they are looking for & to add when company drops in & my house is a wreck they think something happened to me this isn't like me & they all know it...