Question for dual-income households with active kids: CHORES!!

[wilbret]

How do you tackle chores in your household, so that you don't fall behind on anything? I struggle to find the time, and when there is time... I'm exhausted.
I need a few more hours in the day.

 

[HulaHoopy]

I hired a cleaning lady

the kids are responsible for cleaning up after themselves, empty the dishwasher, bring down their laundry and put it away

One parent cooks and the other cleans up after dinner, one parent walks the dog and the other feeds/waters the dog

everything else gets done by whoever can and sometimes it doesn't get done

 

[disneychrista]

Was never a "dual income" household. But as a single parent working 50 hours per week it wasn't always easy. I took on the attitude to not sweat the small stuff. I also got the kids involved. Dishes, trash, sweeping, vacuuming, etc.

 

[wilbret]

I hired a cleaning lady

the kids are responsible for cleaning up after themselves, empty the dishwasher, bring down their laundry and put it away

One parent cooks and the other cleans up after dinner, one parent walks the dog and the other feeds/waters the dog

everything else gets done by whoever can and sometimes it doesn't get done

I wish we could hire someone. The best we do is maybe 1 or 2x per year. Of course, we clean like mad men before they come, lol.

 

[wilbret]

Was never a "dual income" household. But as a single parent working 50 hours per week it wasn't always easy. I took on the attitude to not sweat the small stuff. I also got the kids involved. Dishes, trash, sweeping, vacuuming, etc.

I guess the small stuff varies for all of us... the kids all have chores, but some things like putting away laundry, etc, they labor over it for HOURS and ultimately they make no progress.

 

[disneychrista]

I guess the small stuff varies for all of us... the kids all have chores, but some things like putting away laundry, etc, they labor over it for HOURS and ultimately they make no progress.

As long as the mess is in THEIR room that is some thing I never worried about. And yes the "small stuff" does vary depending on who your personal tolerance.

 

[mousefan73]

I found a time saver was getting a iRobot vacuum for upstairs. ( Reg. Vacuum downstairs gets too dirty and needs a quick job, often). I never have to think about vacuuming the bedrooms, under the beds , in the corners etc. The robot it does it for me Kids empty it.

I know that our home would be much easier to maintain if we didn’t have so much stuff. I’m talking clutter and just stuff, tons of stuff. Do we really need five backpacks flying around and only two people use them? So my tip would be to the de-clutter first and then it ‘lol be a lot easier to maintain and clean with limited time you have.

 

[barkley]

the kids are responsible for cleaning up after themselves, empty the dishwasher, bring down their laundry and put it away

One parent cooks and the other cleans up after dinner, one parent walks the dog and the other feeds/waters the dog

everything else gets done by whoever can and sometimes it doesn't get done

yup, having some systems in place and sharing the workload was has always worked best for us.

-as stuff is prepped/cooked for dinner it is being cleaned up/put away as we go along. dishes all go into the dishwasher as soon as done with them and generaly there's a load to run at the end of the night.

-laundry, when the kids were little they had a clothing hamper in each of their bedrooms (for clothes, towels went into a general hamper in the laundry room). i monitored and when there was enough from all clothing to do some loads it got run/enough towels it got run (i folded/put on hangers while sitting on the sofa-it was something i could do and relax/watch tv). now it's 2 hampers/1 big sink in the laundry room-towels/clothes/gentles (or stuff to spot clean). when one reaches a full load-one of us runs it.

-general cleaning. we did'nt try to vacuum/dust weekly, just when it realy needed it/when there was spare time. if stuff was spilled then it got wiped/mopped/vaccumed right away. i do regular bathroom cleanings but only huge heavy deep (grout/window frames...) a few times a year but it helps that dh/ds wipe down tub/shower periodically as they use them.

******best non clutter system we ever put in place when kids were young-

plastic laundry baskets/coat hooks-we put a plastic laundry basket by the front door (inside). all school/after school stuff went into it/backpacks...when we left in the morning it went into the car. kids got stuff when they were dropped off. when i picked them up all their stuff went in there. basket got brought into house/coats & shoes went onto hall tree. NO ONE except me/dh could go into the basket for the first hour. we would check backpacks for notes, grab lunch containers to clean out, grab gym clothes and such to put in laundry (or air out for next use). kids could then grab whatever they needed for homework, etc. after dinner/long before bed everything went back into the basket (except lunch bags which were on the counter at the ready for the prepacked foods). in the morning all we had to do was grab and fill lunch bags (and mom's commuter mug of coffee) to put in backpacks and put the basket into the car (no stressing over misplaced shoes, coats, schoolbooks....). saved us SO MUCH TIME (i still put those laundry baskets in my car to use for grocery shopping-easier to carry in one basket w/20 small bags then sheppling bags back and forth).


if i had kids doing remote or hybrid learning right now i would be integrating a 'life skills' component into their day. what better way to learn how to juggle working/keeping up on chores than to learn what goes on to keep up a household day to day-how to throw in a load of clothes, plan a meal/defrost what's needed/do a bit of prep work when you've got a spare few minutes so those minutes of work don't add up entailing hours at the end of a busy day.

 

[Karin1984]

My tips:
- Do at least one chore each day, don't let it pile up for the weekend.

- Clean up after yourself, when you've used something, put it back immediately.

- Don't leave laundry around several rooms, have 2 laundry baskets so you can sort laundry immediately.

- If it can be done within 5 minutes, do it immediately, don't postpone. Packing the dishwasher, watering plants, clean the mirrors.

- Multitask: Fold laundry or iron while watching tv

- Meal prep, doesn't have to be full meals, I have portioned bags/containers for rice, pasta etc. When I am tired and it's very easy to have something partially ready what I can throw into a pan of water without thinking.

- Do it together, turn up the music and do 1 of 2 hours of thorough cleaning. It makes it more fun and you will be surprised how much you can do.

And yes, declutter. The less you have to clean or tidy up, the less time you need.

 

[wilbret]

I found a time saver was getting a iRobot vacuum for upstairs. ( Reg. Vacuum downstairs gets too dirty and needs a quick job, often). I never have to think about vacuuming the bedrooms, under the beds , in the corners etc. The robot it does it for me Kids empty it.

I know that our home would be much easier to maintain if we didn’t have so much stuff. I’m talking clutter and just stuff, tons of stuff. Do we really need five backpacks flying around and only two people use them? So my tip would be to the de-clutter first and then it ‘lol be a lot easier to maintain and clean with limited time you have.

the floor has to be clear for the robot to work! The kids floors are never freaking clear. Today, it was pokemon card explosion. Yesterday, it was clothes! I like the premise, though. My wife has wanted one for a while.

 

[mrodgers]

2 parents, 2 jobs at alternating times, 2 kids, only 1 to do cleanup. I would get home from work when the kids got home from school and the place looked like a tornado went through.

5 years divorced. It's all my own mess now and I see the kids so little bit as one is gone every weekend and the other is massively into her school work all weekend that I'll clean up after them when they are over with me.

Nothing drove me more crazy than to clean up the kitchen (after everyone else, I put my stuff directly in the dishwasher) and turn around to find a pile of dishes because one of the kids "cleaned" their room.

Now I only have to clean up after myself 95% of the time. At work is a different story. It takes me 5 hours to clean the place up to my liking every single day, then I get an hour before I start on my own end of shift cleanup. As much of a mess the ex made every day being home by herself, it is nothing that 5 guys on a crew can make and leave without cleaning up.

 

[Southernmiss]

As long as the mess is in THEIR room that is some thing I never worried about.

This.

My kids were active, involved, kind compassionate, A students. I realized that if their room was the only thing I had to worry about, then I was good.

We did have the expectation that before hanging out with friends, they would clean their room.

We also had the expectation everyone would tackle a common area chore, especially before company came over.

Our last one started college last month. All of the house stays very clean. Her last 3 years of high school, I could have waded through the stuff on her floor.

Dh and I miss having some of the chaos because it meant our kids were home.

 

[gotomu212]

the floor has to be clear for the robot to work! The kids floors are never freaking clear. Today, it was pokemon card explosion. Yesterday, it was clothes! I like the premise, though. My wife has wanted one for a while.

Stuff on the floor is one of my pet peeves; picking up the floor instantly makes a space look significantly better. We have a rule that you can’t leave a room with stuff on the floor. It may seem draconian but if anything is left on the floor I sweep it into a trash bag (the first time the stuff may come back). If they don’t care about something enough to keep it from being stepped on, they don’t need it. We aren’t an overly strict house and are actually lax about a lot, but if it’s a rule I’m not spending time being constantly annoyed.

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

My two kids (now 23 and 21 - one living on his own now, the other away at college) helped with the big monthly cleaning when they were at home full time from the time they were preteens. My son was in charge of vacuuming the whole house, while my daughter was in charge of dusting the whole house. Over the past couple of years, I’ve tried to get them to take over cleaning their bathroom when they are home using it. They stink at it but are slowly getting better. When they leave, I give it a deep clean. I also am in charge of deep cleaning the kitchen, the other bathrooms, and vacuuming the staircase. We have a Roomba that runs every day in the family room and kitchen, which keeps those high traffic areas presentable between our big monthly cleanings. So the deep cleaning gets done once a month or so, and I wipe/fluff/sweep a bit as needed between cleanings.

When the kids were really little, I started using 2 small laundry baskets in my bedroom. They had to put their dirty clothes in the correct basket (colors or whites). When a basket was full, I washed the all ready sorted load. It helped me stay on top of the laundry. Now they do their own laundry when they’re home.

Everyone cleans up their own dishes, and DH usually empties the dishwasher.

 

[mombrontrent]

I love cleaning, or more like I love the satisfaction a clean house gives me. My dh has always worked nights and me days so I am used to being by myself in the evenings and doing everything alone for the most part.

The absolute easiest way to keep things clean is to not have a lot of stuff. Just get rid of it.The rest of my family hates that I throw things out but I hate clutter or keeping something for a “just in case”situation. I don’t have nic nacs because that just means more things to collect dust ect. it’s so much easy to clean an area that is clear of clutter.

My best trick is to never let anything really get dirty. I clean everyday whether I work or not. I start work at 7:00 and I’ll often get up at 4:30 or 5:00 and clean for an hour or two before going to work. I clean the kitchen and wash dishes every day if not several times a day, do laundry everyday clean the bathrooms every couple days,vacuum and wash the floors every couple days ect. I can clean my three bathrooms in 15 minutes because I never let them get dirty.

Now my kids rooms that’s a whole other story.

 

[HeatherC]

I used to make my kids clean their rooms once a week when they were old enough to do so. The rest of the week I just closed their doors.

‘As long as the main floor was relatively neat, I was ok with it. I did and still do keep the kitchen clean since that is my command center.

 

[TipsyTraveler]

the floor has to be clear for the robot to work! The kids floors are never freaking clear. Today, it was pokemon card explosion. Yesterday, it was clothes! I like the premise, though. My wife has wanted one for a while.

Knowing “Rosie” will eat his toys is all the motivation my 3 year old needs to get them picked up. Seriously, nothing gets him moving faster than seeing the robot vacuum heading towards his things. It’s also good for keeping my husband and I in the habit of taking a few minutes every night to make sure the baby’s things, shoes, etc. are up off the floor so the vacuum can run in the morning. We have two robot vacuums and I adore them. They really do a good job of keeping up with the floors and, in turn, cutting down the amount of dust in the house.

 

[barkley]

- Meal prep, doesn't have to be full meals, I have portioned bags/containers for rice, pasta etc. When I am tired and it's very easy to have something partially ready what I can throw into a pan of water without thinking.

yes, even super simple prep can make a world of difference. my kid loves tacos and nachos so i will do up a few pounds of ground beef w/taco seasoning. i take some cheap freezer/microwave safe containers from the dollar store and portion in enough for several tacos/an entree size serving of nachos. put them in the freezer b/c they can be pulled out/flash defrosted or thawed/cooked in less than 2 minutes. same with manwich and chili-if i'm making it anyway i make extra in freezer containers...takes the same amount of time and effort to make 2 meatloafs and freeze one...

 

[DLgal]

Simplify things like laundry and do a load almost every day. It is MUCH easier to manage: wash, dry, put away. Make everyone have their own laundry basket. Stop sorting clothes. It's completely unnecessary. Buy some color catcher sheets, a mesh delicates bag, and some oxiclean boosters. Wash everything together under Normal or Permanent Press, warm or cold water. Dry it all using Permanent Press. That is how we have been doing laundry for ages. Sorting isn't necessary at all.

Wash bathroom towels once a week, do it the same day you clean the bathroom. You can clean a bathroom in under 20 minutes. Strip the towels, throw in the wash, clean the bathroom, then dry the towels and replace. I clean my bathroom once a week. My 16 year old cleans the bathroom he shares with his brother every Sunday. I clean the half bath whenever it seems like it needs it. Usually once every 7-10 days. It doesn't get used too much.

My son loves to vacuum, so he vacuums every Sunday after cleaning the bathroom.

My boys are responsible for their own laundry. Since they share a room, they combine their dirty clothes into one hamper. They wash on Sundays and Wednesdays. They are responsible for putting everything away immediately after the dryer finishes. No waiting around. It takes them 5 minutes.

I wash my clothes every Friday morning.

I wash my husband's clothes on Sundays.

I wash bedsheets every Wednesday. I wake up, strip the bed and throw the sheets in. When they are done, I put them back on the bed. It is motivation to get it done so I can go to sleep later. I have an extra set of sheets, but just keep those on hand for situations where I need to do an unscheduled bed change (night sweats and such).

I clean the downstairs floors once a week. I vacuum with a cordless every other day just for crumbs and stuff. I mop once a week.

I clean the kitchen counters daily at night. I clean the stove when it gets to the point that it grosses me out. Maybe every 2 weeks. I do a lot of grilling and don't use the stove all that often for heavy duty cooking.

I am kind of a clean freak, but I honestly don't spend that much time every day cleaning. You have to do a little bit every day, though. My baseline is probably much cleaner than average, but it's much easier to maintain cleanliness than constantly try and clean up big messes.

Enlist the kids. Mine have been helping clean for many, many years. They are capable of doing more than you might think. My son started fully cleaning his bathroom at age 11. He does a great job! He is slow, but it doesn't bother me because he is thorough.

 

[mousefan73]

the floor has to be clear for the robot to work! The kids floors are never freaking clear. Today, it was pokemon card explosion. Yesterday, it was clothes! I like the premise, though. My wife has wanted one for a while.

True! Before I turn ours on there’s a good 15 minutes of me screaming throughout the house for the kids to get “their bums moving “ and clear things up.