Why do my kids always insist on breaking everything!!!

McKneff

Just a suggestion, sit your oh down and make him read every post here,
then ask for his input

Spendless

Let your OH have the kids for a day whilst you go out, see how easy he finds keeping it tidy is.;)

On a practical level, think about what you can do to reduce the mess they make. Did you say they were emptying clothes drawers to get dressed, help them lay clothes out the night before, so no need to go in drawers.

aeuerby

I'm a stay at home mum not a martyr.
When my kids were little I let them play, get as many toys out as they wanted, cleaned and all the rest of it but we also didn't live in a small 2 bedroom house either.
I certainly didn't hoover 3 times a day or chase the kids round with a cloth.

My hubby didn't come home - having not been at work just for the hell of it - expecting a spotless house, he didn't come home expecting not to see any sign of the 2 children he helped to create.
He rolled his sleeves up and got stuck in with anything that needed doing.
Once the children were in bed we had "us time"
You don't need a "grown up" house for us/me time, just a break from children

The point here is the OP's partner is expecting a spotlessy clean house and from what I can gather offers no help with either the children or the housework.

Spendless

ok gone back and had another read, you also mention books out. On the organised home site it talks of how young children struggle with books and don't read the spines like an adult does, it suggests you get a washing up bowl or oblong basket and stack them in there, so the children flip them, more like the way they choose books at nursery/school. You can get bookcases like this but they are expensive, whereas a plastic baskedt or w-u bowl would be a few £s tops. I talso suggests getting down on your knees and looking at their room from their height perspective, in order to make things more organised for them.

lauren_1

The OH needs to realise that OP has been working all day too.

I work too.

Idiophreak

aeuerby wrote: »

You don't need a "grown up" house for us/me time, just a break from children

Maybe you don't, I guess it isn't the same for everyone...Personally, I can't relax at all with mess about and little things like the OP mentioned - glare or smudges on the TV, DVDs in the wrong cases, things in the wrong order, not where I left them - they're the little things that cause steam to spout from my ears in frustration, especially when I'm stressed (which the OP mentioned OH is at the moment). I guess this makes me a nightmare, an unrealistic weirdo, whatever else, but it's just the way I am...

That's why, no matter how much of a tip the rest of the house is, I always make sure there's *somewhere* that's nice and tidy I can just sit, have a drink, listen to some music, read a book etc...keeps me sane.

Zoetoes

lauren_1 wrote: »

The OH needs to realise that OP has been working all day too.

I work too.

So you're trying to do everything? No wonder you're fed up.

annie_d

I think "being outside" may well help a little. Tell the children you need to clean the house quickly TOGETHER because you are going out at 10am. Maintain the excitement. "Come on, come on, quick quick"
At 10 am. off you go. Go to the park, go to a shopping centre, go anywwhere. Take sandwiches and a drink and RUN THEM for the day. Sometimes, children are like puppies. They need running.
At the end of the day, they will be worn out and your house will still be tidy.

I remember when mine were little getting NOWHERE with the cleaning side of things. That's often just how it is with children

Zoetoes

Idiophreak wrote: »

Maybe you don't, I guess it isn't the same for everyone...Personally, I can't relax at all with mess about and little things like the OP mentioned - glare or smudges on the TV, DVDs in the wrong cases, things in the wrong order, not where I left them - they're the little things that cause steam to spout from my ears in frustration, especially when I'm stressed (which the OP mentioned OH is at the moment). I guess this makes me a nightmare, an unrealistic weirdo, whatever else, but it's just the way I am...

That's why, no matter how much of a tip the rest of the house is, I always make sure there's *somewhere* that's nice and tidy I can just sit, have a drink, listen to some music, read a book etc...keeps me sane.

Sounds good but the point is OH isn't helping with anything, just being critical, if he wants a tidy chill out space he should create it himself. As OP only has one room though there probably isn't really anywhere to create one, a second room would be great.

He may be under stress but he is putting a lot of stress on the OP too, she's trying to do everything and is being made to feel like it's not good enough.

Zoetoes

One thing I've tried with my 7 year old is challenging him to tidy his room before his bath has run, I just put the taps on trickling so he gets it all tidy!