Keeping up with the home

MoonDancer

I'm a single mother to two kids and I've just gone back to college. I am having an awful time trying to keep up with the housework while juggling kids, homework, college and assignments etc,
I am actually considering getting someone in to help me organise the home, mainly the kids rooms that they regularly trash Probably just as a once off just to help me get things under control to it's easier to maintain.

I think there is someone around my area that only charges 10 euro an hour, and with a couple of hours, I'm sure things could get under control.

Have any of ye parents got some outside help for the home?

Daffodil.d

It can be overwhelming I know. I am back at college too. It might actually be a good idea. Even just to get a couple of rooms tackled. I had someone before but In my situation she wasn't great. She could really only give the house a cats lick. I then asked her just to take the bulk from the ironing instead and she wasn't great at ironing either.The only thing is, they want a guaranteed every week or 2 week thing. Are you prepared to pay out ten or twenty quid every week. It all adds up.

solas111

MoonDancer wrote: »

I'm a single mother to two kids and I've just gone back to college. I am having an awful time trying to keep up with the housework while juggling kids, homework, college and assignments etc,
I am actually considering getting someone in to help me organise the home, mainly the kids rooms that they regularly trash Probably just as a once off just to help me get things under control to it's easier to maintain.

I think there is someone around my area that only charges 10 euro an hour, and with a couple of hours, I'm sure things could get under control.

Have any of ye parents got some outside help for the home?

Why not get the kids to tidy up their room? Never worked in our house but you would be educating them for the future as well as making your work lighter. Watch Supernanny.

MoonDancer

I have a pre pubescent child who thrashes he room every now and again. I do make him tidy it up after, but he's 9 and doesn't do a great job.

I suppose what I really want is a house de-clutter.

Tis hard trying to keep up with everything. I make sure the kids are well taken care of first and the house gets put to last.

MoonDancer

Daffodil.d wrote: »

It can be overwhelming I know. I am back at college too. It might actually be a good idea. Even just to get a couple of rooms tackled. I had someone before but In my situation she wasn't great. She could really only give the house a cats lick. I then asked her just to take the bulk from the ironing instead and she wasn't great at ironing either.The only thing is, they want a guaranteed every week or 2 week thing. Are you prepared to pay out ten or twenty quid every week. It all adds up.

Yeah I'm not prepared to offer someone a job every week or two. Don't have the money.
I wonder if they'll do it as a once off thing.
God I'm embarrassed having anyone come to my house when it's a mess.
Even having a cleaner come in, I'd almost feel that I'd have to tidy up before they do come in!

solas111

Prioritise your tasks. The house doesn’t have to be perfect and since the kids are well looked after, a bit of clutter or an odd cobweb here and there is no big deal.

Don’t strive to be a perfectionist – they tend to be very unhappy people.

Daffodil.d

solas111 wrote: »

Prioritise your tasks. The house doesn’t have to be perfect and since the kids are well looked after, a bit of clutter or an odd cobweb here and there is no big deal.

Don’t strive to be a perfectionist – they tend to be very unhappy people.

I agree .. we are our own worst critics. Your house probably isn't even that untidy. You might just need to do a car boot sale and get rid of unused stuff. I gave 5 sacks of toys/clothes and books to charity before Christmas. You should see the room they made.

CrazyRabbit

A 9 year old is well capable of helping with house cleaning, or at the very least do a good job of clearing up their own bedroom. A little responsibility and hard work won't harm him. You could even give him that €10 as a bonus for doing the little extra work to help out. Normal chores shouldn't be paid for though.

pwurple

I have someone that comes in every 2 weeks for 2 hours. They hoover the whole house, mop every floor, clean the bathroom, dust and do all my ironing pile while I am at work. I think I would marry this person if I could marry twice, but as I can't I have to pay them. they charge me 15 euro an hour, so 10 euro an hour is a bargain if they are good.

It actually makes us tidy a bit, so she can get to the floor to clean it! I find it brilliant. If you can afford it at all, i say absolutely go for it. It enforces a defined tidying routine, and your kids.

ash23

I'm a single mum who works full time and when I was doing my diploma I found the house work was getting on top of me so I got a skip and filled it with all the old toys, books, bits and bobs I never use etc that weren't good enough for the charity shop. Took a day to fill. Then I went to the local pound shop and bought loads of boxes for the childs room and labelled them all - arts and crafts, dolls, books etc. and sorted her stuff into those.

Just do a little bit every day. Give the 9 year old jobs. There's no reason they shouldn't be keeping on top of their room being clean especially if it's clutter free and there's boxes to store stuff in. My daughter is 9 and for a couple of years has done small jobs like unloading the dishwasher, polishing the sitting room and putting her clothes away.

Ok, so she wouldn't do it as well as I would but over time she's gotten a lot better at it.
I also cook up batches of dinners at the weekend and freeze them which gives me time in the evening to do a quick clean. Nothing major, just tidying.

Get someone in if you can afford to but to be honest, you'd save yourself the money just doing it yourself and getting the kids to pitch in.

fiona-f

MoonDancer wrote: »

I'm a single mother to two kids and I've just gone back to college. I am having an awful time trying to keep up with the housework while juggling kids, homework, college and assignments etc,
I am actually considering getting someone in to help me organise the home, mainly the kids rooms that they regularly trash Probably just as a once off just to help me get things under control to it's easier to maintain.

I think there is someone around my area that only charges 10 euro an hour, and with a couple of hours, I'm sure things could get under control.

Have any of ye parents got some outside help for the home?

Can I suggest the Flylady method? Google her website. I used to be overwhelmed by my home but since finding Flylady, honestly my life has changed. She's all about the decluttering and helping you change your approach. Some of it comes across as a bit schmaltzy and American but the essence of what she says is brilliant in helping you feel in control of your home, instead of the other way round.
While the idea of a cleaner is good, the problem is maintaining the newly clean house and Flylady will teach you (and your kids) how to do that.

Best of luck.

Edited - I should have also mentioned her whole site is completely free to use. I know I sound evangelical about her but honestly you wouldn't believe the difference to my home and my whole happiness since I started with her.

deelite

I have the time and tidied my kids bedroom last week - took me four hours and got rid of loads of stuff - this morning it's still as bad.

My mother gave me great advice - the only people who cross your threshold are people you invite in -if they can't accept you warts and all well dont invite them in.

I'm going to look at the flylady website to get some tips.