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Not enough hours
leiela
Posts: 443 Forumite
I'm worn out and fed up and my house is a compleate disaster.
I used to be a stay and home mum and i fought to get my husband to support me to go to university, while at university i managed to juggle, mum, housework and study's sometimes it was harder than others but i did it.
I graduated last year and immediatly became my family's main earner and though alot of hard work ive managed to get myself a good job.
The thing is since i've started working i've noticed the steady decline in the state of my house, i've never been a GOOD housekeeper but it was always clean and now it's a compleate disaster area, at the weekend i sat and cried, my kitchen is fithy, my livingroom isn't fit to have people visit and i have a stack of washing a mile high.
I work regular 9am - 5:30pm monday friday hours, but by the time i've commuted to and from work im out of the house from 7am till 7pm, when i get home it's a rush to cook tea before it's too late for the kids to eat it, My husband try's to help by feeding the kids a snack earlier in the afternoon and by making sure all the dishes from breakfast etc are done, but no sooner is dinner finished, im back in the kitchen again preparing lunches etc for the following day, bathing and bedding kids, sorting out uniforms etc and i often don't get so much as a sit down and a cup of tea till well after 9pm and by this point im too tired to even think about housework having been up and about since before 6am.
I get some freetime at weekends, which i use to do the shopping and do some housework, but tbh my job is pretty stressful and i also like to spend some time with my kids who i've barely seen all week, i just don't seem to fine the time to get all the housework done and have a life for myself.
I'm tired and my house is a mess.... how do other people cope?? it's getting out of control im ashamed to let people into my house at the moment. :mad:
I used to be a stay and home mum and i fought to get my husband to support me to go to university, while at university i managed to juggle, mum, housework and study's sometimes it was harder than others but i did it.
I graduated last year and immediatly became my family's main earner and though alot of hard work ive managed to get myself a good job.
The thing is since i've started working i've noticed the steady decline in the state of my house, i've never been a GOOD housekeeper but it was always clean and now it's a compleate disaster area, at the weekend i sat and cried, my kitchen is fithy, my livingroom isn't fit to have people visit and i have a stack of washing a mile high.
I work regular 9am - 5:30pm monday friday hours, but by the time i've commuted to and from work im out of the house from 7am till 7pm, when i get home it's a rush to cook tea before it's too late for the kids to eat it, My husband try's to help by feeding the kids a snack earlier in the afternoon and by making sure all the dishes from breakfast etc are done, but no sooner is dinner finished, im back in the kitchen again preparing lunches etc for the following day, bathing and bedding kids, sorting out uniforms etc and i often don't get so much as a sit down and a cup of tea till well after 9pm and by this point im too tired to even think about housework having been up and about since before 6am.
I get some freetime at weekends, which i use to do the shopping and do some housework, but tbh my job is pretty stressful and i also like to spend some time with my kids who i've barely seen all week, i just don't seem to fine the time to get all the housework done and have a life for myself.
I'm tired and my house is a mess.... how do other people cope?? it's getting out of control im ashamed to let people into my house at the moment. :mad:
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Comments
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How old are your kids? Are they old enough to start helping out - (may come in handy for them to earn pocket money!).0
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Maybe you and your husband could think about getting a cleaning lady if your finances allow it, most in my area charge £6 an hour but would go to £8 for a better one or with an agency, 2-3 hours a week may help you imensly.
You could think about having a drastic clearout over a weekend, less clutter less time spent cleaning.
You could give a child a job such as hoover the stairs once a week or incorporate cleaning in to their routine such as rinse the sink out after brushing their teeth if they are old enough.
A child above the age of 7/8 should be learning to sort out their own uniforms for school such as knowing where their clean socks and pants are kept....putting cardigans or jumpers on the pile ready for tomorow... getting clean shirts from the drawer...you may need to check that they have it all there and yesterdays are still clean enough for another use tho, i found this out through trial and error.
One thing i have found that speeds up lunch box making is clear out the salad drawer of the fridge, grab 5/10/15 sandwhich bags (depends on how many are at school) and in each put a youghurt, babybel, an apple or pear, fruit bake or cereal bar, small tub of raisins so you can grab a bag easily and quickly - i have also been known to cheat and use chocolate filled brioche (they come individually wrapped) and make up a weeks worth in one go.0 -
If you earn more than a cleaner then get a cleaner.
And a dishwasher by the sounds of it.0 -
I'm worn out and fed up and my house is a compleate disaster.
I used to be a stay and home mum and i fought to get my husband to support me to go to university, while at university i managed to juggle, mum, housework and study's sometimes it was harder than others but i did it.
I graduated last year and immediatly became my family's main earner and though alot of hard work ive managed to get myself a good job.
The thing is since i've started working i've noticed the steady decline in the state of my house, i've never been a GOOD housekeeper but it was always clean and now it's a compleate disaster area, at the weekend i sat and cried, my kitchen is fithy, my livingroom isn't fit to have people visit and i have a stack of washing a mile high.
I work regular 9am - 5:30pm monday friday hours, but by the time i've commuted to and from work im out of the house from 7am till 7pm, when i get home it's a rush to cook tea before it's too late for the kids to eat it, My husband try's to help by feeding the kids a snack earlier in the afternoon and by making sure all the dishes from breakfast etc are done, but no sooner is dinner finished, im back in the kitchen again preparing lunches etc for the following day, bathing and bedding kids, sorting out uniforms etc and i often don't get so much as a sit down and a cup of tea till well after 9pm and by this point im too tired to even think about housework having been up and about since before 6am.
I get some freetime at weekends, which i use to do the shopping and do some housework, but tbh my job is pretty stressful and i also like to spend some time with my kids who i've barely seen all week, i just don't seem to fine the time to get all the housework done and have a life for myself.
I'm tired and my house is a mess.... how do other people cope?? it's getting out of control im ashamed to let people into my house at the moment. :mad:
Im in a similar position to you - minus the husband and I tend to clean/tidy the place on a saturday morning - I get the kids involved as much as I can (certain things they can't do obviously as they are 4 and 6 years old)
I've only got a 2 bed flat so I guess it's not too bad to keep clean and tidy - we have storage boxes for the toys etc... and I make sure they tidy/put away after themselves.
I tend to do my food shopping on my lunchbreak once a week (usually quieter than at the weekend)
I can't think of anything else to suggest - sorry!0 -
They are 7 and 9 tbh they are good boy's and they do help out at weekends, but there is only so much they can do at thier age.
They help me sort out the washing and put it away, they just about manage to hoover, feed the cats and the odd bit of dusting that sort of thing, but they aren't really old enough to help with most things things like dishes, washing or ironing.0 -
I did think about getting in a cleaner for a few hours a week, but right now i'd be too ashamed to let a stranger into the house (yes it really is that bad) i need to work out a way of getting it "so far" before i'd even contemplate it.
And i'd LOVE a dishwasher but my house has a kitchen so small that if you put your arms out you can reach all the walls ... ugh (4ft by 6ft..TINY!!!) so i have no-where to put it, i only have 2 cuboards at floor level, one for food and one for dishs and i can't really afford space wise to tear either out.0 -
You need the FLYlady thread http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1492789
It helped me establish a routine, and the way I work it (though I haven't been on for weeks) is a quick tidy up for an hour a night, one room gets a proper clean once a week and I don't beat myself up if I go to bed without doing the dishes.
The first step is decluttering. All that stuff that is sitting around and you haven't used in months, is called dust collectors. It's using premium space (and my kitchen in tiny too). Plus you will spend more time moving it about than actually cleaning.0 -
Maybe you could post this on the OS forum too, there are loads of quick meal idea's - do you have a slow cooker? Maybe utilising it twice a week could save you some time.
Pop a brisket in the pot, add a stew pack of veg or what ever takes your fancy either in the morning or before you go to bed, switch it on just as you leave for work and by the time your husband get in from work theres a meal already waiting and ready to eat!0 -
You need the FLYlady thread http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1492789
It helped me establish a routine, and the way I work it (though I haven't been on for weeks) is a quick tidy up for an hour a night, one room gets a proper clean once a week and I don't beat myself up if I go to bed without doing the dishes.
The first step is decluttering. All that stuff that is sitting around and you haven't used in months, is called dust collectors. It's using premium space (and my kitchen in tiny too). Plus you will spend more time moving it about than actually cleaning.
I've looked at that thread before but it confused me
not that it takes much, it's such a big thread and im not sure what to do 
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I did think about getting in a cleaner for a few hours a week, but right now i'd be too ashamed to let a stranger into the house (yes it really is that bad) i need to work out a way of getting it "so far" before i'd even contemplate it.
They are used to this, honest. You could ask that the first cleaning session is longer than a regular weekly session, or ask the agency to send two cleaners the first time. You do sound very stressed, so I think it would be worth it.
What housework does your husband do? It seems he gets home before you, but his only 'job' is to give the kids a snack and tidy the kitchen a bit. What does he do in the evenings when you're bathing kids/making lunches?
Also, I do think your boys are old enough to do their own laundry too. Put a cheap laundry basket in their bedrooms for their dirty clothes, then have a set night for them to do their washing. You could print out a sheet of easy instructions: white school shirts - turn dial to number 3, put in one tablet....etc Dad can help them hang up the wet laundry afterwards. They should be able to strip their bedding and wash that too, but might struggle to put it back on the bed afterwards.
Online grocery shopping can be quicker if you tend to buy the same things every week (there are usually free delivery codes floating around the vouchers/discounts section).0
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