This is probably a controversial topic. I consistently see posts, comments, and blogs about mom’s who don’t have time for this or that. There is no time to have a clean home and children they shout! But apparently me and a few other mom’s are the exception to the rule and I figure I would share my tips on how I keep a home healthy and happy. I can’t say this will work for all families or all living situations. Hopefully though, one or two of this tips will help you along the way!
I will tell you that if you decide to follow some or all these tips/ideas, that you will want to have a partner in crime to do a deep clean of your home. I’m talking mother-in-law inspection clean. Grab your partner, friend, family member, whoever – to help you do a thorough clean when your kid(s) are asleep. Go to town on dirty corners, under the sofa cushions, dirty refrigerator shelves, even the cabinets. It might take a day or two but I’m telling you – if you do it once, it will make the rest of these go smoother. Instead of getting bombarded by cleaning you are really “picking up” instead. Try doing this 2-4 times a year and it really will help. Put the kid(s) to bed a little early and just use those 2-3 hours to get it done! Feeling adventurous? Try once a month!
One year olds are notorious for being messy little humans. You must baby proof your home to basics for living to avoid these messes and of course for safety. Our daughter has a treasure trove of toys and stuffed animals. I could probably open a toy store with everything she has. A year ago our home was full of knick knacks and sentimental items and absolutely no toys. Flash forward to today and there are toys galore and not a knick knack to be found. How do you keep the messes day and keep safety number one?
1. Rotating toy boxes. There is absolutely nothing that Anna can’t play with within her reach. There are no plants, no electronic devices, absolutely nothing. This is for her safety but also because she can’t make a mess with something she can’t touch. There is 1 rotating toy box in the living room. It is a paper box with several toys. Every month I switch it out for another set of toys. This allows her to play with a set number of toys to make a mess with but also so she does not get bored with them. This box – even when completely emptied on the floor – can be cleaned up within 30 seconds – a minute.
2. Clean up, Clean up! When Anna is sleeping I clean. That is an hour and a half of my day that I can get absolutely everything cleaned. The rotating toy box takes 30 seconds or less depending on how many toys she has spread out across the place. I wipe down the counters from the most recent meal (3 minutes tops). I put dishes away in the dishwasher (or hand wash them – 3 minutes tops). Throw laundry in or switch loads & I put away any clothes that need put away (10-20 minutes). I spot dust or vacuum – hopefully your little one doesn’t mind the sound, Anna could sleep through a bus running through our home, (another 10-20 minutes). And finally pick up anything that needs to be put away that one of us adults have taken out. Each day I pick one room to “deep clean” meaning vacuuming, sweeping, dusting, disinfecting, etc. I try to stick with it as much as possible barring holidays and unforeseen illnesses. I max myself out at 10-20 minutes so that I can clean myself up to play with Anna when she wakes up.
3. Treasure the down time. If there is time left over during Anna’s nap I always spend a little time doing something for me. A shower, doing my make up, flat ironing my hair, watching a little TV, painting my nails, browsing the web… Something to regain the sanity of being Michelle and not mom. This downtime keeps you from going crazy.
4. Food & Food things – yup I’m going there. I do not cook elaborate meals. The meal looks elaborate but it is just a false illusion. I make grilled cheese for lunches. I make them on paper towels and only use a pan and a spatula. I cut my daughter’s sandwich with the same spatula I just cooked with. I rinse the pan and save it for tomorrow’s grilled cheese. I eat the same thing as her every day – If it is good enough for her it’s good enough for me. Many times I throw meals in a crock pot or look for meals I can just throw on a pan and into the oven. To keep an eye on my little one for making meals that might require me to be in the kitchen for a few minutes I cage her up in her high chair with some small toy or some cheerios. Sanity is the key here. You don’t want to be playing with a hot oven when your 1-year-old has free reign of the house. Little one won’t stay in a high chair? Section them off where you can see them, even if that means a pack ‘n play in the kitchen door way. They’ll get used to it, and you can share some insight on what you’re making for dinner. Turn this time into learning time for ABC’s, numbers, etc.
5. I have meetings with my hubby. You have meetings at work to talk about organization, money, finances, budgets, upcoming work functions… Why not for the home? Your home is your real work – you spend more time at home than you think. This will be your full time living arrangements when you retire. Don’t neglect your home like it is just somewhere to put “stuff”. It is also the most important work – why would you not both be on the same page? The number one thing couples fight about are finances – take the time to nourish a relationship with your partner around being financially aware of your situation. I was so scared to tell my husband what I had spent or that I pushed a bill to another paycheck – it was getting out of hand. So my hubby and I decided to meet every pay day to discuss bills, upcoming events and functions, doctors appointments etc. Whenever something comes up, it goes directly in my phone’s calendar with an “invite” for my hubby so it will go on his calendar. No surprises on bills, what day trash pick up is, and what event I just signed the family up for. This is an amazing communication tool and there is no whining or nagging that something needs to be done last minute.
6. When Mama is happy – everyone is happy. Do not be afraid to ask for help. Remember, I started my tips by saying “grab a friend”. It seriously takes help to raise a child. I don’t care if you are a single parent or a polygamous tribe – there wouldn’t be a baby without 2 people involved. There is a reason we don’t asexually produce. Children need multiple influences to learn good behaviors. They need interaction with other social creatures – small or large. Just make sure you get help. Chris takes out the trash, takes care of the yard and the outside of our home. He helps with diaper changes and fixing broken toys. Even if your partner isn’t in the picture there are lots of family and friends who have skills to help – you just have to ask for it. Speak up and be a communicator. No one doesn’t want to see a baby – especially a happy clean one.
7. Bathing isn’t an every day thing here. OMG she said she doesn’t bathe her child every day! She must be a dial soap heathen! You are absolutely right, I don’t bathe Anna every day. Firstly, she is 1 – most days I can clean her off with a wipe and she is good to go. Secondly, her skin would be outrageously dry and I’d just be covering her lotion anywhere. Thirdly, I just like enjoying giving her baths on a 2-3 times a week schedule. She gets one with mommy and one with daddy, then back again. Its a special time to play make believe with her and splash the water. It also frees up time for other projects and adventures. If I was honest I would share that even I might not get a shower everyday. Some days it is just not in the cards for me to get a shower, and I’ve learned that is absolutely okay. If we were stuck on a “give Anna a bath by 7PM” I would be rushing dinner, going nuts and I just would blow up. We have a mild schedule and it works. Speaking of which…
8. Schedule… yup! Our schedule is not a detailed list of militant times. We have an average schedule. I was an avid “I will not schedule my child! She will be an individual snowflake who learns on her own how to do things blah blah blah”. I learned very quickly that the schedule is the MOST amazing thing I’ve ever had in my life – especially as a mild OCD organizer/cleaner. Anna wakes up by 9:30AM – if she isn’t at her average 8:45 (most days) I wake her up by 9:30AM. We do breakfast, together. We send Daddy off to the tattoo shop by 9:45AM and then its playtime. Lunch is around noonish. Some snuggles and quiet time until she falls asleep – somewhere in the realm of 1-3 – but always a nap of 90 minutes and no more. “90 minutes??? am you crazy – thats not enough time! HA! But I’m telling you if my child sleeps more than 90 minutes she won’t be in bed until 1AM!!! Playtime until Daddy comes home and dinner at 6:30PM, followed by playtime with Daddy. Bedtime by 8:30-10PM. Its rigid enough but flexible enough for play dates out of the house and doing adventures on the weekend.
Those are just a few examples. I’m sure I will re-read this a few hundred times and come up with alternatives, additional insight and just creating havoc in my brain.
live.laugh.pin 