Monday, August 14, 2006
Sick of the Mess!!!!!
Help! I am so sick of my house right now. I have raised 3 SLOBBY children who leave their junk everywhere and I have had it! I need help. Everywhere I turn there is a mess and piles of junk. I take time almost every night (not to mention the time during the day) to get the place in order and the next morning by 9 am the floor is covered again. We have most of our toys in the garage so I have no idea where all of the stuff comes from! As I look at my floor right now I see shoes, paper, rocks?!?, a toothbrush, light bright pegs, bowls (they're not even allowed to eat on the carpet!!!), books, baskets, books, more books, paper, project crafts from school, blankets, socks, a backpack, oh and there's a snotty tisuue! WOW! It is a nightmare and I want to throw it all away. I've threatened that but then can't follow through becasue I think someday we'll wish we had that item back. I feel like I can't get anything done until the house is clean and it is impossible to get it all the way clean all at the same time. Does anyone have any help they can give me? What works for you? What is the one organizational or house cleaning tip that has saved your life? Any punishment/get your kids to work tricks? Seriously, I can't stand this another day! Send me your advice.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
LinkWithin
8 comments:
I love what my friend Rebecca did: http://ignorethecrazy.blogspot.com/2006/05/welcome-to-last-resort-we-hope-you.html
Thanks Julie, I read it and it sounds like a good idea.... now I just have to get the guts to do it!
Denae - I totally know how you feel. I feel like keeping the house uncluttered is an impossible task! I also have a hard time doing anything in a messy house but some days I just blur my eyes to it. Then I wait for Chad to get home and we pick up together and talk and its a lot funner that way. We have Clayton pick up his toys most nights, but since it usually takes hime SO LONG to do this, some nights its just better that he goes to bed. Sorry I don't have better advice, just empathy. If you do come up with a solution, let me know!
My mom used to use a garden rake at the end of the day. She would rake the stuff into a bin and wait for it to come out the next day. I bribe my kids into cleaning up with television.
Hi Denae! Our family job chart hasn't worked at all this summer so I started something new. Most mornings I hand my kids a list. It has one or two real jobs on it and then other things like ride bike or rollerblade for 15 mins., read one chapter in a book, play piano 10 mins, etc. So far they really like the list thing and it's worked great. School is starting soon and our whole schedule will change so we'll see what happens. They can't play with friends or watch t.v. or do basically anything fun until their list is done. Their list is pathetic anyway- compared to all the work we had to do. I want my house clean, but I try to remember that the main point is to teach them to work- it's so important.
It's hard with babies too. I know my boys make the biggest mess of all and they are just too little to really help much, but I put them to work too sometimes! Then I have the Barney song..."clean up clean up..." in my head all day- which isn't very fun. Good luck!!!
Ang, thanks for those tips, they are good ones. My kids like lists too and they don't mind cleaning up that much it's just that they are naturally slobby and drop things everytwhere they go. I'm going to press forward with trying to make them help more. It's just such an effort sometimes to make them do it!!!
Hi Denae,
I love reading your blog, you are such a funny writer! I am a terrible housekeeper, but the thing that has helped me the most is a site called flylady.net. She also wrote a book called Sink Reflections. It is basically about doing a little bit at a time and being organized. I only do a little bit of her program, but even that little bit has helped a lot.
Thanks Lisa, it's good to hear from you! I will check out the website and I'm sure it will help me if it helped you!
Post a Comment