Housework

Maureen43

I am a single mum of two looking for full time work. I currently work part time.

My kids are school age so everything "fits" to a certain extent and I can see how I will fit in cooking, shopping, laundry etc.

However I have no clue how I am going to fit in housework - cleaning and gardening.

My kids are at their dad's every other weekend. At the moment I can only envisage being able to do housework then, so the house will get one blitz per fortnight and nothing in between!

However that is a rather depressing idea as I will have no time for me at all.

How do other people do it?

McKneff

Why not do a bit each evening after the kids have gone to bed, its a case of getting into a routine.

ciderwithrosie_2

Multi-tasking. While the kettle's boiling, stick a load of washing on or wipe down the worktops. While you're getting ready in the bathroom, spray the sink/bath/tiles, stick some bleach down the loo and wipe over with antibac wipes.

While the kids are having breakfast, hang the washing out or empty the bins. I get up at 5.30-5.45 weekdays so I can get a few things done before work and don't go to bed much before midnight. I get showered/make-up on before anyone else gets up so the bathroom's free but don't get work clothes on until just before I leave in case I get mucky!

It's amazing what you can blitz in 10 min bursts - get the kids helping too though - 'if we quickly put everything away in the lounge and run the hoover round then we can snuggle up for a film/read a book'.

I didn't really have the problem of having to take them here and there for afterschool activities though. We don't have a car so if they were playing football/doing athletics then another parent usually offered to drop them off and beavers/cubs was just across the road.

liney

Children do not need constant entertaining, and adult imput. If they are of school age they will have regular homework, even handwriting practise to do at the kitchen table while you blitz the kitchen. You can make up packed lunches while you cook the tea.

Children can and enjoy, helping with gardening, and there are the evening hours once they have gone to bed for ironing etc.

January20

My philosophy is "if it doesn't get done so what?" The housework will still be there tomorrow, people may not.

Dunroamin

Maureen43 wrote: »

I am a single mum of two looking for full time work. I currently work part time.

My kids are school age so everything "fits" to a certain extent and I can see how I will fit in cooking, shopping, laundry etc.

However I have no clue how I am going to fit in housework - cleaning and gardening.

My kids are at their dad's every other weekend. At the moment I can only envisage being able to do housework then, so the house will get one blitz per fortnight and nothing in between!

However that is a rather depressing idea as I will have no time for me at all.

How do other people do it?

How could you possibly spend a whole weekend doing housework?

ETA

With children of 11 and 13, they should also be contributing to the household tasks.

Seanymph

I am in the same situation- but have just gone back to full time (partly from home) and my kids are teenagers (16, 17 and 18).

I can't seem to get ANYTHING done!

mrcow

Ho old are you children? Mine are all under 11 and help me with the cleaning. I couldn't do it without them.

mountainofdebt

January20 wrote: »

My philosophy is "if it doesn't get done so what?" The housework will still be there tomorrow, people may not.

Mine too...although I am getting a little more house proud as I get older.

I have to admit I've got into the habit of putting things away properly and not think lets build up a pile and then sometime in the future put them away which seems to help.

FBaby

What is your expected lstandard of cleanliness? When I was a single mum of two young children working full-time, I set my cleanliness level at tydying, doing the basics (washing clothes, bedding, vaccuming, cleaning worktops, floors etc..), with the rest done usually when it really caught my eye or I set myself to spend a whole day/weekend to do (garden). I've now moved with a partner whose levels of tidiness/cleanless is very high. Thankfully, he does help a lot (in addition to the fact that he doesn't make much of the mess to start with), and I have upped my contribution and do the non everyday tasks more reguarly. Sometimes I look back and feel that I was letting somethings go (cleaning the windows for exemple), but the reality is, I had to make the best used of my time, and spending time with the children to make sure that the discipline I was instaulling was carried out, and giving myself some time to take a break so I could recharge my energy was essential and certainly more important than having a perfectly spotted house although my friends would regularly mention how tidy my house was and I have friends who are married and not working full-time whose standards are certainly much lower, but it doesn't bother me, each to their own! I would never judge a full time single working mum if her house was a bit messy or the dishes needed doing.

Tupperware_Queen

speaking as someone who cleaned the windows this week for the first time since moving in almost 2 years ago, leave the 'extras' till you have time/feel inclined/can't stand it anymore. As long as the kitchen and bathroom are clean and tidy, and the washing/bedlinen/towels etc are done then thats enough.

Years ago, I was rather unwell, and was obsessed with cleaning, I made myself really bad by being so distressed over it. I had counselling, and to leave things was part of my 'therapy'