Thursday, April 4, 2013

Cleaning...Schedule?~priddymomma



WOW has this been a busy couple of weeks!  I’m typing this much later than I usually would get to it, because MY KIDS ARE GROWING UP!!!  Princess Cheerio just turned one this week!  ONE!  And Cheerio Champ turned five last week!  We’re planning a big party this weekend, we had family pictures taken yesterday, we hosted an Easter brunch at our place last weekend, there was a lot of spring cleaning, and etcetera!  Thus, last minute post.  I’m doing good to have remembered to post at all…



Cleaning!  I’m not sure I know what that even is!  I feel like my house has been in desperate need of a cleaning since I was pregnant with my first.  I found out the hard way that my husband has way looser standards of what “clean” is than I.  (Rinsing out a bowl to use a second time a day later is NOT clean, man!  What is WRONG with you??!)  He works full time, so he doesn’t have the “time” to spend on chores that I “do”.  (“apparently”  I feel like “using”  “quotations” all the “”time””?)”  He cleans when he’s feeling charitable, so I try to keep him happy.  (Is that so wrong?!) 



My house is in a state of flux at all times.  Its clutter and cleanliness are directly reflective of my inner state of mind at any given time.  If the front of the house looks great, I’m putting on a face for the world, but you can bet the bedroom is full of things to sort through and organize.  Hey!  I just sorted through some inner demons!  Time to tackle that closet!



I try to keep up with the day to day things and at least not make a bigger mess of things, though I’m finding that harder and harder the more mobile Princess Cheerio gets.  She likes to pull all the books off the bookshelves and eat them.  Literally EAT them, like a literal adorable bookworm.  I’m not sure that is the healthiest thing on the planet, so I try to discourage that if at all possible.  But, I digress.  Cleaning up after the kids 1,048,209,034,403 times a day is not helping me catch-up on backlogged chores.  Also, homeschooling and exercise dips into that time drastically, and errands, not to mention actually spending time with my family!



I read a tip once that helps.  Let’s say you are in your living room, but you need to get your kiddo a cup of water.  On your way to the kitchen, you can grab a cup someone left on the coffee table and rinse it out as you get your kid his juice.  When you head back to the living room, you have the juice, but you can also take that magazine that came in the mail to the coffee table.  See where I’m going with this?  It works, but I have one issue:  I easily get sidetracked and find myself leaving jobs half-finished or starting a project that is just not very high on the priority list.  (Yeah!  What a great time to scrub the faucet!  My face sure looks funny like that!)  Two hours of cleaning = zero complete projects.  “Hi honey!  What did you do today?”  “…I don’t know…”



Don’t believe all the tips though.  I read a tip that suggested not procrastinating anything that takes less than 30 seconds to complete.  That sounds reasonable and is all good and fine if it’s a toilet paper roll on a holder, but 30 seconds is an eternity in tot time.  Tot time, by the way, is the term for the amount of time that passes when you are not actively watching your child.  (Yes.  Coined by me.  I’m allowed to do that.  I’m a blogger.  Please don’t try this at home….unless you’re a blogger.)  You know the feeling.  “Kids are playing nicely.  Awesome!  Time to pee!”  *sits down*  CRASH!  *gasp*  “WHAT WAS THAT??!”  THAT was a tot second.  30 seconds five times in a row lands you some dead kids.  That’s all I’m saying. 



In a perfect world, I have assigned each family member (who is old enough) chores per day, leaving chores on their chore towers when they haven’t been finished.  We flip them when they are completed.  Here’s the schedule:



Sunday:

  • Hubby-take out trash, wash dishes with wifey (no.  He doesn’t call me this, thankfully), dust mop floors (we have hardwoods), bathroom surfaces (main bathroom)
  • Myself-bathroom surfaces (master bath), wash laundry, wash dishes with hubby, sweep and mop bedrooms and hall, wash towels
  • Cheerio Champ-make bed, clean room, help sort laundry



Monday:

  • Hubby-clean toilet (main bathroom)
  • Myself-clean toilet (master bathroom), wash laundry, wash dishes, dust mop
  • Cheerio Champ-make bed, help sort laundry



Tuesday:

  • Hubby-take out trash, clean bathtub and shower (main bathroom), wash dishes, clean out van
  • Myself-clean shower (master bathroom), wash laundry, dust mop
  • Cheerio Champ-make bed, help sort laundry



Wednesday:

  • Hubby-day off
  • Myself-wash towels, wash laundry, wash dishes, dust mop
  • Cheerio Champ-make bed, help sort laundry



Thursday:

  • Hubby-take out trash, wash dishes, mow lawn (though not in the winter, obviously)
  • Myself-take out recyclables, wash laundry, dust mop, wash Princess Cheerios’ bedding
  • Cheerio Champ-dust, make bed, help sort laundry



Friday:

  • Hubby-take trash cans to curb, sweep and mop dining room
  • Myself-wash Cheerio Champ’s bedding, wash laundry, wash dishes, dust mop
  • Cheerio Champ-take sheets off bed, help sort laundry



Saturday:

·         Hubby-wash dishes, sweep and mop kitchen, laundry room, living room

·         Myself-wash laundry, wash my bedding, dust mop



We have monthly chores on a checklist that we try and usually fail to keep up with.  I remake the list each month.  Trees hate me like that.



Like I said:  that’s the run down in a perfect world.  Usually, I run out of time in my day or collapse in utter exhaustion before it gets completely finished.  Or throw a tantrum.  That happens occasionally.  Okay, frequently.  FINE!  Every afternoon.  Get off me!  If something disgusts me enough, or if I know company is coming, I clean.  This is why cleaning businesses do so well.  I would be putting people out of their jobs if I cleaned!  They have mouths to feed!  I guess that implies that I’d hire them.  I’m too embarrassed to invite them inside!  My house is a mess…



How do you do it all, moms?  What about you, dads?  Any advice?  Stories from the trenches?  Cleaning company recommendations?  Leslie will have her say on Saturday, and we will have a fine new topic in the week following.  Good night! Zzz

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