Stay at home moms- how do you do it all?

I am a stay at home mom/full time college student. My children are 15 mths and 4.5 yrs. I feel like my time is fully consumed with my children and have such a hard time with housework. I am always behind-my house never looks great. I just want to be able to do it.


So what do you do with the kids when you clean, how do you keep it?


Is your house clean right now?


etc... you can imagine what I need to know. It seems like people think I have all this time but I can't get anything done, what do you do?

Stay at home moms- how do you do it all?
my boys are now 10 and 12 i spent all of my time with them during the day (when they were younger)and when I put them to bed at nite that is when I did my cleaning and laundry it was much easier. Now that they are older I can do all my stuff while they're in school. It's hard hang in there ask for help maybe your mom or mother inlaw could take them for a few hours during the week or weekend.
Reply:I stay home mom. My house is a mess. The kids would keep messing up the living room and the dining room. Right now I don't have energy to clean the house since I am pregnant. Right now the my oldest goes to school all day but his last day is May 30. My youngest in preschool and goes half day. His last day is may 30. I don't know how I am going to handle them home all day wanting to outside when I need to clean the house go to the store.. It not going to be fun for me.
Reply:I have the same problem, and I have only a 2yr old. My house is always messy! It's no help that the people I live with don't clean up after themselves at all. I keep the places my daugher plays and eats clean but i can't run around after two grown men making sure that everything is **** n span. As long as you're doing what you can with the time you have I think you're doing a good job!
Reply:My house is clean... i just need to pick up a few things.. i could make it more cleaner by dusting... My daughter helps me clean.. or plays.. or watches a dvd.. i spend my mornings either cooking dinner/preparing it.. and cleaning the house/doing washing.... my afternoons are for sleeping/relaxing with my daughter (some days i'll also take her to parks/play centres etc) ... i'm 35weeks preg so i make sure everythings done in the mornings.. I vaccum.. mop... *i have a dishwasher thankgod!!!* do the washing... prepare dinner... clean the kitchen/bathrooms i try to make the beds when we get up... i notice if i spend 2-3 solid hours cleaning and doing this i dont have to worry about it for the rest of the day.. My daughters toys are in the garage *because i use to do daycare before i fell preg* she knows if she wants to play with toys play in the garage... *the garages a bit messy but i can't be bother with picking up a few toys that i'll have to pick up 20times in the day.. maybe set an area for your kids to play with their toys... if she plays with her toys in the lounce she needs to pick it up when i say or she;ll get disaplined.


I don't clean much on the weekends or on tuesdays because its playgroup... but because i keep the house to a standard having those days off doesn't make my house messy.. i try to be very organised.. and i have a program to fit things in once the baby arrives in 3 weeks i can adjust it accordingly


also when i was doing daycare the house was reasonably clean too.. i would make time after each activity for me and the kids to tidy it up


Hope this helped.
Reply:i am a SAHM,


My house is a mess til he sleeps, the laundry takes three days to do and then guess what its dirty AGAIN.


But you know what i dont care. I dont care as long as its nto super dirty and i have clothes to put on myself and my family. I spend my time watchin my son grow devolp and discover. WHen i stand before God he wont ask if i cleaned my house or if my laundry is done, so why should i worry about it and miss out on the special moments that i cant get back the laundry will be there tomorrow, but you cant get back that missed smile, laugh, or the time that you could have spent with your little ones. They are only young once, enjoy it and have fun!!
Reply:Well here at home, it seems like there is always something to do! I actually have a schedule for cleaning and I focus on one specific room per day to do a really good cleaning. Then, the usual daily things like dishes, laundry, etc... are done by me and my 3 children. They each have a set of daily chores. Their ages are 10, 6 and 3 so obviously the 3 year old has easier jobs than the oldest, etc... Keeping a schedule really does help me though. I don't know why anyone would think you have all this free time because just having the 2 children is a job all in itself! On top of that, you are a full time college student so that means going to classes, studying etc... I really commend you for that! Don't worry about what others think- just know you are doing the best that you can.
Reply:It is a never ending job. I stay home all day, but I also run a home daycare, so my house is always clean. I have people coming in and out all day...it has to be!


Clean as you go. As you're walking to the sink, pick up that toy laying there. As you are putting the vacuum away, straighten up the closet floor. When you put laundry away, straighten the drawers.


I also have my children do somethings. Of course, mine are older than yours, but I have five so that means more mess. My 4 and 5 year olds clean the toys up, take out the bathroom trash, wash windows, fluff couch cushions, wipe the walls with a dry erase...


Don't misunderstand me, they don't do all of these things each day. But these are some of the things they are able to do.


it might help you to sit down and make a schedule. Something like this:


Monday; Clean bathrooms (including toilet an tub)


Tuesday- Dust and vacuum


Wednesday- Mop floors


Thursday- Wash windows, clear clutter from mail/newspapers ect


Friday- Clean bedrooms


Saturday


dust, vacuum, mop


Sunday-nothing





Each day you would also have to do things like dishes, a load of laundry, take out the trash...





Let your older child help you with all these things. Send him/her on a mission-"Go get mommy a trashbag". Keep her busy and she will love it. The baby can just play in the room your cleaning.


Making a list always helps me to get things done. Hope it helps you.


Good luck!
Reply:I definitely can't do it all. But this is what I do to try and make it easier.


I have four children, aged 12,10,8 and 2. They each have a shoe box, laundry basket and waste paper bin in their rooms.


For my 2 year old, I also have a toy box in the lounge room and her bedroom. That way wherever you are in the house you should be able to tidy up quickly. Also dishwasher if you can afford one. I couldn't be without mine. Also your 4.5 year old should be able to do quite few little things to help you out, You probably only have to ask.
Reply:When I had my Daughter I was a single stay at home mom. I went through alot of depression too. My house was always a mess. Long story. I had her in 93 %26amp; in 97 I finally went to work. Now I worked and had to take care of my kid and house. It was hard but I got the house cleaned. I tried the list thing but it did not work for me. I finaly made my daughter help clean she was to pick al her toys up out of living room and hall and her room. If not I would pick up the toys and what I had to pick up got put up until she learned to help me. Toy boxes are good and so was her own laundry basket. When I had my son in 05 I was a stay at home mom again. We dont beleave in daycare. It was hard cause my guy loves a clean house one of our fights was the house was never good enough. Well in 07 I said I was going to work and he can be a stay at home dad so he could see how it felt. Before feb 07 he only did the bathroom and our room. Well i went to work he stayed home and has realized It is hard and it is work He is now ready to go back to work. I am ready for him to go back to work but where we live there are no jobs and each month a new place is laying off. So I am still working. SORRY this was your Question. Are you with someone? Maybe he could help you it is hard I did the cleaning when my kids where in bed. I would pick up our sons toy if I saw he wasnt playing with it. Dishwasher helps. Laundry once a week. I was lucky enough to have a playground Next to the laundryroom with big windows.The best time to do real cleaning is when the kids are in bed.
Reply:its called a house keeper or part time daycare....wonderful. I have 2 businesses plus i stay home. I do it all from my house, however one business is a cleaning business so they work for me.