So much to do, how can I stop being overwhelmed?

yellowbear

Well, I started the filing, and when I finished that I thought it would be a good idea to clean under the computer desk...

I have found no end of Lego, old receipts, pens (that's where they were - 6 of us in this house and not a pen between us!) and £1.73 in change. That went into my purse.

The crud under there shames me

I need to hoover when himself wakes up - worked last night, so still in bed.

It's one of those jobs I wish I had never started but I do feel a sense of accomplishment.

C'mon Dandy, get those sheets away!

mummyroysof3

It helped me to make a list for each room what was most important and then at the bottom the things that can get done less often. I also prioritise the kitchen and doing washing regular and getting it put away. My 6 and 8 year olds can help so I don't understand why teenagers think they can't... Remind me off that in years to come if you want lol. IMO a house can only be organised clean and tidy if everyone pulls their weight and strategies are put in place to help them do that. My dh would dump coat and shoes everywhere until we had a chat and it was cos we didn't have enough hooks and shoe cubourd wasn't big enough.. We solved that and things are better. He also said he doesn't mind me giving him tasks to do but he admits he doesn't notice stuff himself.

Homecooker

Pitlanepiglet and YorrshireLass - I sympathise with you but from the other side

I am the untidy one and my partner boarders on OCD! At one pint it got so bad that I regressed to being a teenager and sulking whenever I was 'nagged' to tidy up :rotfl:

Eventually we worked it out and I get an 'allowance' of untidyness that we can both tolerate. So I am allowed 3 pairs of shoes in the hallway max, the dirty plates from the morning can stay at the side of the sink as long as they are washed up before he gets home (I negotiated not drying them though) etc

It's actually made me a wee bit tidier as I am starting to see through his eyes and he is more relaxed as he can see that I am making an effort

Also he is not allowed to critisize how I am doing something as I have my way and he has his but the outcomes are the same

Pitlanepiglet

Ha! If only I were aspiring to OCD like tidyness! :rotfl:

Nah....I'd just like a house where the work that was started 4 years ago was finished and to not live in squalor, a house where you can put things on the floor without having to dust off half a ton of dust afterwards. A house where you can open a cupboard without the entire contents falling on top and a house where there aren't piles of crud that won't even go in the cupboards. A house that I'm not embarrassed to invite even my best friend into.

I'm as untidy as they come, I'm also lazy, I would much rather have spent my entire Christmas break on the sofa eating chocolate but the reality is that one of perks of being an adult is that you have to get off your bum now and again and tidy up if you want to avoid the above.

I work 45 plus hours a week plus 10 hours of commuting, there is plenty of time for OH to do the work without me standing over him criticising and yes, I do nag I suppose but only because he'd prefer to sit on his bum playing games all day rather than actually putting the hoover around.

I'm sure in some situations it is the case that someone has exceptionally high standards....it's entirely not the case here though :rotfl:

YORKSHIRELASS

Homecooker wrote: »

Pitlanepiglet and YorrshireLass - I sympathise with you but from the other side

I am the untidy one and my partner boarders on OCD! At one pint it got so bad that I regressed to being a teenager and sulking whenever I was 'nagged' to tidy up :rotfl:

Eventually we worked it out and I get an 'allowance' of untidyness that we can both tolerate. So I am allowed 3 pairs of shoes in the hallway max, the dirty plates from the morning can stay at the side of the sink as long as they are washed up before he gets home (I negotiated not drying them though) etc

Oh I love this, it has cheered me up no end! Had a chat with OH today and he admitted that he just doesnt see things the way I do. He says I will stomp about saying the place is a mess and he will be silently thinking "no its not". He also admits that a lot of the things I do go unseen and he just doesnt appreciate how much work I do to keep the house running efficiently.

Not sure where we go with this but he does agree that he needs to do more - and we both need to get the kids on board.

It also seems that I need to ask for specific tasks to be done rather than assuming OH and the kids know what I need help with. I dont feel overly confident about all this but its a start!

moments_of_sanity

When my DH was made redundant from work it took a long time to find alternative employment so for about 18 months I was the only one working full time. I remember coming home from work one day and saying 'the floor is disgusting, have you not hoovered?' He replied.......'I hoovered it on Monday!', I asked him about it on Thursday and we have 2 dogs, 2 cats and 2 teenagers, quite how he thought it was going to not need doing again that week was anyone's guess!

DH and DD's certainly don't see the dirt mad mess like I do but I am OK with that as they will do things if asked.

dandy-candy

I feel I'm off to a good start, I've been doing odd items off the list and the kids have tidied their rooms!
I bought a folder and dividers and now have sections for expenses, meal ideas, cleaning lists and recipes to try. I feel very organised but as it is all being done in bite sized bits and ONLY when I feel like doing it, well it's feeling good
Thanks so much for the encouragement and advice so far - it really helps, and I can't wait to be super efficient like so many folks here are! X

Uniscots97

Dandy how are you getting on?

dandy-candy

Hi unixgirluk,
I'm off to a good start! I've left the mega jobs like garage and attic for better weather. I got a cheapy diary and am making a note of the tasks I complete each day, even little things like putting the bin out or doing the washing up get written down, so I can look at it at the end of the day and feel I've achieved something!
DH is thrilled with proper cooked meals each night, in fact one night I did ask him to grab a bung in the oven number and he really didn't enjoy it as much, which is quite complimentary. I am sticking to cooking stuff I know (roasts, stews, pasta) but I do sometimes forget to get the meat out of the freezer.
I haven't done a batch cook yet, but I have the tin foil trays in the larder waiting for me when I get a chance to do a big enough meal to split - at the moment DS1 is still off from uni so everything is getting gobbled up in sight.
The only new recipe I did was to make my own shortcrust pastry for a pie, and I can't believe how easy it was - no more buying justroll for me!
The exercise (other than housework) hasn't been great as it never stops raining but I'm managing an hour long walk once a week at the moment (terrible I know).
Thank you so much for asking about me! X

Uniscots97

Sounds as though you're really doing well Dandy, that's great to hear. My OH likes some home cooked stuff but sometimes just wants a takeaway.

As for your batch cooking why not do something simple like mince that can be savoury mince, chilli or beef biryani?