Best Housework Tips & Self-Care Secrets!

[grcafterburner]

Attention all mums

Let me hear your best cleaning/ housework tips, how do you get through the housework and keep things tidy?! How do you motivate yourselves?
The struggle is real. I have 3 children, 6,5 and 6 months, whenever I have a spare minute all I want is a coffee in peace

I feel like I have lost my identity as a person, there’s not much that I do for myself that brings me joy- and yes that’s what I signed up for being a parent and I love my children, but how do you all fit in self care around the chaos that is motherhood? How do you keep yourselves mentally stable whilst providing a clean and loving home? Any and all tips welcome

 

[ricklove]

I've 4 kids and have to live by routine as my 3rd eldest has autism. I wash clothes daily, dry then place away after so they dont build up. I wash bedding weekly. I clean 1 room in the house daily instead of the whole house. So by weekend all the house will be done. I hoover and polish daily and dishes are done as soon as we eat. Just set a routine and task to do daily x

 

[grcafterburner]

@ricklove my eldest is also autistic, challenging behaviour and change is really difficult, my mental load is just overwhelming, I’m sure you can relate xx

 

[ricklove]

@grcafterburner of course its very stressful x

 

[jenni117]

I’ve had to hire a cleaner as working full time, 16 month old and man child I have no time to myself anymore. Lost identity here too, slowly getting it back though. Can your fella not take the reins for a bit?

 

[grcafterburner]

@jenni117 he’s fantastic to be fair, he’s really helpful and will do anything for me and the kids, but I feel a responsibility as I’m the one at home, I just feel overwhelmed and like I’ve lost control of everything. It’s like I tidy one room and they have destroyed another

 

[jenni117]

@grcafterburner that’s good to hear, 3s a lot to handle too, but just cos you’re the stay at home dosent mean that parenting and the house isn’t more then a full time job. Have 2-3 hours a month when it’s your time to go and get some pamper or a couple of wines in a pub even alone lol

 

[bdzdz]

@grcafterburner i know it’s not easy to shift your perspective, but as you said you’re the one at home, your full time job is actually day time childcare (assuming hubby works during day time hours). You and hubby are both working, so cleaning chores have to be shared equally, in an ideal world. We put so much pressure on ourselves as the stay at home parent.

 

[punishedone]

@grcafterburner you're at home because you're caring for your baby and recuperating from pregnancy and labour. You haven't given up yourself to be a cleaner.

 

[grcafterburner]

@bdzdz yeah it’s so so difficult, before my newest addition I was running a home baking business, it was going really well. But with the housework on top of me I can’t see a way where I can feel tidy enough to go back to it anytime soon, it’s my passion and I don’t even have time to do it for fun at the moment xx

 

[bdzdz]

@grcafterburner wishing you all the best, toddler years are tough, maybe a bit of dust will accumulate until little one starts school and that’s fine!

 

[rosebud921]

Would love to know this too I have five 12,9,6,4,6 months and I feel like I don’t know who I am anymore x

 

[grcafterburner]

@rosebud921 i feel you

 

[cmoore1]

I make a to do list
Just go through it at my own pace hun.
Declutter regularly that helps.
If someone else can have kids at some point use that time to unwind.
Bless you and your family

 

[cjschaff]

Okay I only have one baby but I have a very very messy partner and a dog and cat and for ages felt like my house was just hideous all the time. I recently started doing one room per day when my baby goes to bed and it’s made my house stay reasonably clean compared to before. Obviously kitchen gets cleaned daily but I make sure I do a deep clean one day a week! I count the stairs and landing as a room too. It’s way more manageable!

 

[kristler]

I have 4 kids one being 6months and feel your pain. Although I wouldn't chnage it for the world, I'm knackered n feel like I'm constantly on catch up looking like a zombie xx

 

[grcafterburner]

@kristler looks like a lot of us are in the same boat

 

[livelovelaugh99]

This is going to sound lame but reclaim house work time by listening to a favourite podcast or audiobook while you do it. Take your mind off it and give a bit of escapism whilst also getting the chores done .
Also get a cleaner!

 

[christfollowermct]

@livelovelaugh99 my 5 year old loves a good Disney playlist on her radio when she's cleaning her bedroom if I pop my head in I catch her bopping away whilst she's organising her teddies bless her

 

[aaronchristopher]

We’ve recently got a cleaner and she comes two hours fortnightly and costs us just over £60 a month! I don’t drink much so I see that as my treat instead of a bottle of wine a week like many . It just helps with keeping on top of things. I have a 6,3&1 yo and I work too so I completely get it. There’s no time for me ever it seems !