Moms of little kids, I need some help please!

Jachut · August 6, 2005

I don't think there is a darn thing you can do to change their core personality, or if there is, then I'm not so sure I would want to do it.

Have to agree with that. I have a 10 year old, an 8 year old and a 2 year old and being able to keep up with their mess is one reason why I really need to lose weight. No matter what I do, they're pigs plain and simple. We dont have any behavioural problems with them, but they're just SO messy and I think that's in their nature because its what I'm like. I have to work everyday to overcome that because of course, I dont have my Mum living here to clean up after me.

Really to keep a decent house with 3 that age, you just have to be prepared to not sit down ALL day. Just follow them round with vacuum and mop. At present I just cant manage that, I'm done by 3pm.

No real advice just commiserations, lol. They're blessings, really.

Road Queen · August 6, 2005

I don't have kids of my own - except a dalmation who is better behave than my foster daughter was or any boyfriend I had so I can't really make a educated recommendation but have you ever read or looked at the flylady.com site?

The site is to help women get organized in keeping up their house - realistically. In many of the testimonials, the kids and hubby start following through. As I was reading this thread, many parts of it were familiar from that site. She says to use a timeer and declutter for 15 minutes only. So maybe your son gets so much done in 15 minutes this time. She also recommends baby steps.

I love the 27 thing flings they recommend. You take a bag and put in 27 things for the 2nd hand store. Then do another bag of 27 for garbage.

Sorry to get off topic, but I have used a number of these when I get off track and I think they may help for kids too. Having a finite end to a job time wise puts the stress out of "when is this done?"

Good luck.

Jachut · August 6, 2005

Trouble with flylady is by the time you've shined your sink, your 2 year old has spread talcum powder round the bedroom. By the time you've vacuumed all that up, the 10 year old has fed the cat and left a trail of cat food from the plate all the way to the bin. Go and mop that up only to find your 2 year old needs a nappy change, deal with that to go and feed the whining 8 year old who is demanding food. You're shined sink is now covered in dishes, which you have to do and then put on the load of laundry, oh and then go and mop the floor AGAIN because the kids have been in and out the back door and its raining outside. Get sidetracked by the revolting smell coming from the boys room only to discover they've been hiding most of their school lunches in the bottom drawer, eeew, clean that up and wonder just when you will get to the ring around the bath, the toilet which they boys cant actually pee into for love nor money, do the banking, the grocery shopping, fit some study in, get to football training, cook something for dinner and do the ironing and put all the clean washing away. By this stage of course, the house needs vacuuming again, I think i dusted about 2 months ago though so that should be right for another 6.

Flylady? When? LOL!