It eludes me. Ever since T and I have been together I have struggled with it. I want to be a good wife and keep up with the house and everything else. The thing is, I just can't. Call it a mental block or what you will but I just can't seem to get things done around the house! I have tried making lists and daily chore charts and everything I can think of to get stuff done but it just never seems to happen. Thank goodness Tommy helps me out or it would be a REAL mess. Now, don't get me wrong, it never crossed the gross boundary. Just cluttered and dusty. People tell me all the time that I should be easy on my self because I have two small kids but I also don't have a "job" outside the house either. I should be able to do this right?
Last weekend we did a thorough cleaning. I'm talking down to the nitty gritty house cleaning here. Hands and knees floor scrubbing, etc. I started off the week determined to keep it clean too. We were going to have a fifteen minute straighten and clean session every night before bed to keep things tidy. Clean as we go. Actually put the laundry away out of the dryer and not just get the clothes out as we wear them. Yeah, its not working that way though. So far we have done the 15 minutes thing once and the dryer is full of unstuffed cloth diapers. I am just so frustrated with myself.
So, this is where I need help. Anyone have any good suggestions on staying motivated to keep the house clean?? Or at least easing my guilt of not being Suzy Homemaker all the time?
no great advice, but I wanted to say as someone who grew up in a house of a single mother who worked full time... I wish she didn't care so much about the appearance of the house. Not that she was cleaning all the time - OMG! - but we only had the weekends to really spend together and EVERY Saturday was hosue-cleaning day... I would have much prefered a cluttered house and more time to watch movies with her and more time to bake cookies and go on trips to the park, etc. So, while you'll continue to be frustrated at your lack of motivation (I'm constantly in the same boat with no kids, so I'm sure I'll constantly be beating myself up about this stuff once Madeline is here), just know that while you may have a cluttered house your boys get the best of you instead of the you that would be buzzing around the house cleaning all the time. :) HUGS.
ReplyDeleteI will come clean your house if you get my kids to sleep thru the night...
ReplyDeleteI have no good advice on the modivation. I pick up every morning (ie start laundry, put Stephens crap away..) and every night. Also at nap time I put the toys away again. My washer and/or dryer are ALWAYS running. 1-2 loads a day. But I try to do them when the kids are sleeping.
I just need to come over and let my OCD rub off on ya...
Have you tried flylady? I found that if I got myself to do one thing each day it really helped and I felt like I at least gone one thing clean. I'm lacking in the domestication department too but like you I married a man who understands. Trust me, being a momma of two boys is more of a full time job than any out of the home job! HUGS
ReplyDeleteThanks for the support ladies! I decided that tomorrow I would keep a detailed list of what I DO do every day. Maybe that will at least make me feel a little better...
ReplyDeleteNicole~ I totally get you! My mom was always the same way. She wasn't a single mother but my father would be gone for weeks on end and was no help when he was home so its kind of close. She spent all of her time being domestic. She was Bree if you will. Maybe that is part of my problem. I really do want to spend every last minute with my boys. I just need to find a balance of being able to do that and keep the house on track as well.
Lisa~ DEAL! lol. Might be too late now though.. I think there is an expiration of the juju.
Ashley~ I have heard about it but never really looked into it. I like the idea of it from what I have heard but I really should do more investigation. I think I could handle doing one thing a day. I agree too that the boys definitely keep me busy. Only going to get worse as K gets more mobile too! Ack!