Photo: heschong / Flickr I didn't always feel this way, though. My childhood exposed me to several different cleaning styles. My mom didn't care about cleaning too much. My stepmother was pretty much obsessed with it. And then I spent years in a dorm where everybody had chores but it wasn't the end of the world if things got a little messy now and then. When I ventured out on my own, keeping a tidy abode was the last thing on my mind.
Until I had my son. Then I became worried about every little thing that was on the floor. I was scared to death he was going to choke on some tiny thing I'd neglected to vacuum. And, of course, being so close to the floor, he proved time and time again just how capable he was of finding tiny specks of leaves, paper and whatever else I'd missed.
Time was certainly a factor as well. Once he hit the 12-month mark, he hit the ground running - literally - and never seemed to stop. I followed, but most of the time I was too tired to bring the broom and dustpan along with me. I decided to find a compromise that factored in safety, cleanliness and sanity. Other mothers I know have done the same thing to varying degrees and the funny thing is, all of our kids seem to be doing just fine. Even the mom who sweeps and mops her kitchen floor every day. Even the mom who really does have a kitchen counter underneath there, somewhere. Even me.
What about you? How clean is your house and how much work are you willing to put forth to keep it that way? What kind of example did your parents set and has that influenced you one way or the other today? What's the one thing about your housekeeping that you're most proud or ashamed of? (Mine has to be that crusty stuff on top of the fish tank that I've seen but just haven't mustered the energy to clean yet. Eww!)
More Interesting Bits:
My house is cleanish. I Swiffer and vacuum once a week and whenever something gets dropped on the floor and I keep a sharp eye out for popcorn, nuts, and bits of anything that might have fallen on the floor.
Thankfully my son is not too interested in putting everything from the floor in his mouth. He’d rather go through Mommy’s purse and chew on her keys, which adds another cleaning chore: cleaning out my purse every week to make sure I don’t have coins or choking hazard items.
My mother was working FT and raising 3 kids on her own, so our house was not exactly pristine. We all had our weekly chores, and saved the “deep clean” for once or twice a year, when visitors were coming! I always envied my friends homes, with SAHMs who kept everything in its place, wiped down, picked up.
Now my husband and I both work FT and have baby things spread throughout the house. We keep up on the dishes and laundry during the week, then spend 30-60 minutes on Sat morning cleaning as much as we can. Then we live with it!
I clean a little all day long – clean the litter box and take out the trash while my coffee is brewing early in the morning, pick up toys and sweep the floor while my toddler is napping, wash dishes while my kids are coloring at the kitchen table, wipe down the bathroom sink, mirror, and toilet while I am supervising kid’s baths, fold laundry while we’re watching TV and vacuum during commercials, and help the kids pick up their rooms before they go to sleep. My house is never pristine but is always manageable.
Our house is as clean as it can be with a three and one year old
We dust, vacuum and mop, do laundry and clean bathrooms once a week with the occasional extra mop or dust thrown in if things get spilled or out of hand. Obsessing is just one more way of losing time with your kids. Tidy is always more healthy and sanity saving than spotless.
My mother was a stay-at-home mom and what I remember most about her was coming home from school and sitting down to talk to her about my day while she ironed. I loved it then and remember it fondly now. She didn’t expect or require me or my older sister to do ANYTHING to help out with the housecleaning chores except to wipe the dishes dry after dinner. And, when my children were growing up, although I worked full-time as a daycare provider, there was very little I expected them to do, as well. Looking back, however, I realize that I passed up a golden opportunity to help them develop responsibility and the skills (yes, there are quick tricks to cleaning a house) they would need later in life when they were on their own. Somehow, miraculously, all three are competent “housekeepers”…in fact, I am amazed that my sons are extremely willing and able when it comes to laundry, dishes, etc. in their own homes now. But here are 4 tips that I’ve learned from experience: encourage your toddler to help with the chores when he is still anxious to do it even if the job he does is not perfect…it will become a good habit; try to organize and declutter your home…it will be much easier to keep things clean and in order; use homemade cleaning solutions using things like vinegar and baking soda…so much less toxic for the entire family; and last of all, don’t stress out about keeping the house perfectly clean…enjoy your child…take time for yourself.
I am a single father of two boys, just turned 2 and 3. I have to say it’s a major challenge. I’m not working currrently, and I still can’t keep up being with them all day. To be honest I’d rather be spending the time with them. Soon enough I’ll be back to work full time, them in daycare. They are in daycare two days a week right now, half days, and I usually spend that whole time cleaning the house, only to have it trashed by the evening. But that’s the way it goes. I’ve learned to just clean one significant thing a day (bathroom, kitchen, dusting, etc) to at least keep things somewhat tidy, and clean the wood floors once a week.