I am seeking any and all advice/tips etc. I feel like I spend way too much time cleaning. I feel like my kids constantly are watching me clean and I would rather be spending time w/ them. I refuse to live in a pig pen. However, I would not say I am OCD by any stretch of the imagination. How do you busy Moms/Dads keep your place presentable and sanitary w/o taking time away from the kids? They grow up too fast and I know I will look back and regret spending so much time cleaning. We both work full time, so this is a real issue for us. My husband is very helpful and likes a clean house. It just never seems like we get a break! We could pay for someone to come clean regularly. However, w/ the cost of private child care-that is pretty out of the question right now. I just wish I could get off of work and spend more time playing and less time scrubbing!

My husband and I have made it a habit of cleaning the house each night immediately after the kids go to bed (around 8:00pm). We are both usually exhausted, but we still have enough energy to push out an extra hour or so to clean. My husband usually does the kitchen, and I usually do the rest of the house (livingroom and bathrooms). If there's laundry leftover, we'll do that together after the rest is done-it goes quicker that way. Doing it every night has helped us keep a clean place, since I keep children here regulary, I have to keep it clean constantly. Hope this helps!

Same here. My husband and I do all house cleaning after our daughter goes to bed. Like prinsezz said above, it'a sometimes hard because you're so tired from a long day. But I find I am happier doing it all after my daughter goes to bed rather than taking away time I could be spending with her.

However, there are times you just have to get something done during the day, and my daughter actually enjoys helping. Maybe see if your kids want to pitch in and help do some fun cleaning with you. You'll all be doing something together, and they might actually like it!

Hmmm. I don't have this one figured out. I spent a half hour this morning cleaning the kitchen before getting ready for work. It seems so endless.

I'm happy to hear that so many husbands help out with the cleaning though. Mine isn't as eager. I usually have to ask him to help me out a couple times, either that, or things have to be really dirty.

Do you have the money in your budget to hire someone to come in for half a day once a week -- just to do basics like bathrooms, vacuuming, etc.? That's what I'll be doing as soon as we can afford it. I think it would be money well spent.

I hate housework, but since it's a necessary evil and my maid quit (LOL) I'm stuck!

Since you have a 4yo, have him help fold the laundry. I let my 5 and 3 help fold their laundry. Since it's going in a dresser, I don't really mind if it's not perfect and they like to help. I also let them fold washcloths, dishtowels since we use them all the time and they're not where people can see. I also clean the shower while I'm in it. That sounds funny (since I'm all birthday suited) but since I get soaked when I clean it anyway I feel like I'm killing 2 birds so to speak. And I make the kids pick up their own toys and the baby toys that we keep in the LR for the baby I watch. I make a race out of it, Let's see who can pick up the most toys. They are pretty competitive with each other so that works well. And I don't stress about their rooms. If there's toys all over, I shut the door. When I'm ready to vaccum, they have to pick everything up or it's going in the "trash". I've never thrown anything in the trash

I've tried to adopt a sage-like Zen approach to cleaning house. Zen teaches you to "bend with the breeze, but do not break" which means I try my best to keep up, but I know I can never keep up, so I content myself with doing what I can.

This kind of work never stops, never slows down until everyone (including my messy wife) is asleep. So I find it best to "Triage" the house chores. What is most urgent? What can wait until later? What chores can be done in front of the TV? What chores can be done while I'm cooking dinner? What chores will be immediately destroyed by the kids?

Triage is the word used to describe deciding who gets medical treatment on a battlefield. I find the analogy quite apt!

I do the same thing that many of you mentioned. I clean after everyone goes to bed. Because of the summer we (the kids and I) are running in a very late schedule, meaning we get up late and go to bed late. This will soon change when school starts. So after the kids go to bed around 9:30 I then have the time to clean and to clean without interruptions. I found myself cleaning the floors the other night around 11:30. Now, don't get me wrong. That was just a very special night in which I somehow had more energy. Usually I might be able to get in an hour to an hour and a half of work. My husband is very messy and I do have to ask him constantly to help. I am trying to teach my children things like laundry, keeping their rooms clean and picked up, etc. Hopefully as they get older they can help around the house. It is an everyday stuggle to keep up with housework and to have a clean house. All I can do is try, right?

If you have private in-home child care you could offer to pitch in a few extra bucks each week for some housework...

I always cleaned house when I babysat...just felt it was part of the job description.

I have my kids help. I have to, it is just me and them. So although they are not perfect at it, they know that they have to pick up after themselves, help clean up areas of the house, take out the trash, clean up the yard, etc.
I explain it to them as that they have a few choices.
1)Let mom do it all and then I have less time to spend with them.
2)They help me, we all get it done faster and then we have more time doing fun stuff
3)Let the house get really messy and dirty and live like pigs.

Although they would argue for #3 sometimes, usually #2 wins out.

I do constant reminding, but they do enjoy helping me out. We have a one of those blank reward printer papers (like the small packs you get to print certificates and such) on the fridge and stickers. Whenever they do something good (but not for every good thing), they get to put another sticker on their paper. When it is all filled up, they get a special reward. It works out well for us.

Thanks for the idea, Tammy. My kids arent old enough for it to work on them yet, but MAYBE it will work on my wife!

Thank you to everyone who shared their tips! We are trying them all! Getting the kids involved is really working nicely too!

I find that inviting people over regularly gives me a deadline and I clean better and faster under pressure!

But seriously, my house is by no means OCD sanitary, but I do like to keep it neat. I function as a happier mom and wife when it's clean. But I, too, stress out about trying to balance housework with spending quality time with the family (and I'm a SAHM). Here's a couple of ideas:

I keep a "secret box" where I put toys into when the kids leave them out. They get them back at the end of the month. It's helped them to learn to put their things back in their rooms so they don't get taken away.

When it is time for them to clean their rooms, we'll set a timer (so they don't get sidetracked and start playing)

Keep a container of those Clorox wipes in the bathroom and give a quick wipe down every day or so. (You could do the same for the kitchen)

Use paper plates every so often or eat out

Sweep/windex/clean fridge while on the phone

Let the kids help with dusting (use an old sock - they'll think it's fun)

I also have some friends who make charts of which tasks to do which days. It works well for them to break it into a schedule. (I tried it, but I prefer to clean as I see the need).

(By the way LEW, I think your house is VERY clean!)

Lew, I also thought your house looked great! So whatever it is you are doing, keep doing it.

3Monkeys -- I love your idea for the secret box. Only maybe i wont give it back every month. I'll give it back once a year, after wrapping them all up, and call it Christmas

:-)

Aint I a stinker?

Nate & 3 Monkeys, you are kind to comment on my "clean house" obviously you did not open any drawers, or closets while visiting . Also, like 3 monkeys, having company is great motivation!!! I too am going to pull the secret box trick. It is a great sounding idea. My son is VERY attached to a few of his action figures; I can see that working for us! Thanks for sharing!!!

Before I stayed home full-time (not that I am home, we would pick up every evening after our daughter was in bed; however, we would save the REAL DEEP CLEANING for Saturdays or Sundays. We'd do it together, starting in one room and then sweeping across the entire house.

However, in almost 19 years of marriage, my wonderful husband has SOMEHOW managed to avoid scrubbing a toilet