My house is always messy

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Ilovepeppers
Ilovepeppers Posts: 396 Member
in Chit-Chat
It feels awful. Everything ends up in the hallway and the living room. I stay home and go to school part time, but I have three young children. I can't say it's due to a lack of motivation or laziness... Its just that even when I clean REALLY well, the next evening it's just horrible. Does anyone else have this problem? Is there anything I can do differently to prevent it? I like things to be clean and not cluttered. I'm considering just throwing away a bunch of stuff.
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  • Dave198lbs
    Dave198lbs Posts: 8,810 Member
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    google minimalism

    its a very freeing and wonderful way to live
  • WifeNMama
    WifeNMama Posts: 2,876 Member
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    I'm going through and trying to get rid of stuff. I feel unsettled and discouraged when there's always little piles of stuff that don't have a designated place. Their new place is recycling. Haha
  • sarahp86
    sarahp86 Posts: 692 Member
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    Just attach mops to your kids and they'll clean as they go!

    I don't have three kids but I have a dog who weighs 119lbs and sheds so much hair I could make a sweater!! My boyfriend doesn't see it and I Hoover constantly!!

    My parents gave us chores from a young age like making our beds and sweeping and stuff. I do t know what age your children are but maybe if they are old enough, as an incentive, put up a rewards chart on the wall and every time they do a chore give them a gold star. Then whoever has the most stars at the end of the week gets a prize like a choice of DVD to rent or an inexpensive day out.

    Then when they're helping you, you could get more done. I also did a massive clean out last month and it made a huge difference.
  • juliecat1
    juliecat1 Posts: 3,455 Member
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    downsize and put the kids to work. Im crazy busy too and have three kids. they are required to at least pick up after themselves. If they dont - I simply can not get what needs to be done, done. After that, they are asked to help me with extras. Also, schedule your chores out. Not just for the kids but for you too. if you do a little every day then it isnt so much to handle. then the rest of the time you can just pick stuff up and move on. One more tip... also accept that you have 3 kids and a lot going on. Sometimes it just is going to look like crap. :laugh:
  • Ely82010
    Ely82010 Posts: 1,998 Member
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    Google "cluttered home" or "how to organize the house," and you will get several websites with self help. Here is one of them. I am planning to use one of the websites to help me to-organize the pantry.

    http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/messy_room_cluttered_home_how_to_organize_your_home_spaces_to_prevent_clutter
  • AllanMisner
    AllanMisner Posts: 4,140 Member
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    Two things:
    1) Make a point to get rid of anything you don't use (I target 1-2 per week).
    2) Hire someone to do the cleaning part.
  • GouchisGirl
    GouchisGirl Posts: 321 Member
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    Down size what you can, and organize what is left. If they take something out, it needs to be put away before they take something else out. Even little kids can do it, it becomes a game. :)
  • Stefanie7125
    Stefanie7125 Posts: 462 Member
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    get rid of the kids! Just kidding. You said they were young, depending on their ages start having them help at least to pick up. You have to do it now, teach them while they are young. I did not do that and now I feel like the maid. No one sees anything that needs done and if I tell them to do something, its an arguement. Good luck!!!
  • kris472
    kris472 Posts: 61 Member
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    I go on purge binges where I throw away everything I don't want/need. It is very cathartic and I feel much better afterwards. And, the house is all picked up!
  • TruckerChick
    TruckerChick Posts: 263
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    Yes Ma'am! I do! I have three children and a husband who do not know how to clean up after themselves. As a result, my house is always messy. I am going to school full time, and only have the weekends to clean. I have a large house that requires a lot of time to maintain. I finally decided that I was the one who needed "cleaning."

    As long as there isn't an exorbitant about of dust, and the floors are fairly clean, I no longer worry about the little clutter areas or the kids' rooms. When I can get to it, I do. And approximately once a month, I deep clean... I mean everything gets cleaned. That's my workout for the day too! In between, it's one room at a time, one chore at a time. And I get the kids to help as much as possible. More importantly, I no longer clean their rooms... that's their jobs!

    Good luck to you! And remember, no one cares what your house looks like. Only you do!!
  • LilysMom28
    LilysMom28 Posts: 293 Member
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    I feel this way too. I work all day and then I feel like I spend the rest of my evening cleaning and picking up after my daughter only to do it again the next day. Ahh the joys of being a mommy :) I"ve gotten a lot better...i used to be really anal about it. But I still hate having a mess around. Good luck!!
  • Nic620
    Nic620 Posts: 553 Member
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    I only have only toddler. I clean and organize the same crap everyday! For the bigger jobs I've divided it along the week. I vacuum everyday because we have animals and light dust. Sometimes I feel like F-it because it's gonna be there tomarrow and I feel like it sacrifices time with her. I've tried to declutter the house so I don't have something covering every single space that's free. I'm starting to like things bare! It helps a bunch! Remember there's always gonna be something to clean ! Especially with kids!
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,554 Member
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    Check out flylady.net
    She is like MFP for your house :smile:
  • thekacks
    thekacks Posts: 146 Member
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    I have two boys with ADHD, two english mastiffs, and work from home in the basement (dog groomer) while my boys pretty much watch themselves after school until I'm done. They are 5 and 7 so you can imagine the mess! It doesn't matter how much you clean sometimes, the house is just never perfect. I've learned to just do the best I can at keeping it organized and not stress over it. It's your house and it is lived in! It doesn't have to look like something out of a magazine (although that would be sooo nice)!
  • 1Timothy4v8
    1Timothy4v8 Posts: 503 Member
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    I say throw out a bunch of stuff, you will prob feel so much less stress if you do, watch Hording burred alive it will help you to throw out a BUNCH of stuff =)
  • chocolatefreak
    chocolatefreak Posts: 4
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    i have the same problem! its doing my head in! also have 3 kids, and a husband, not sure which is worse. anyway, i feel like im constantly picking up after people, and then housework takes aaaaggggeeeeesssss....
  • blytheandbonnie
    blytheandbonnie Posts: 3,275 Member
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    I hate housework! You make the beds, you do the dishes and six months later you have to start all over again.
    -Joan Rivers
  • Uhmanduh
    Uhmanduh Posts: 85 Member
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    My apartment is the same way!!! But i don't have any kids so there's no excuse for it! I only have a husband!!!
  • deeharley
    deeharley Posts: 1,208 Member
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    Check out flylady.net
    She is like MFP for your house :smile:

    ^^ THIS!! Flylady rocks!
  • LilacDreamer
    LilacDreamer Posts: 1,365 Member
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    Our condo is the same way, and its just me and my husband. His mother did EVERYTHING for him (she regretts it now) and its all he knows. Its notan excuse but he just expects things to be done...and when I refuse to do it stuff piles up. He doesn't clean up after himself he just puts stuff on the table or the floor until I havve to hand him a bag and tell him to throw it out (like empty bottles). It gets annoying because I'm expected to be some domestic diva and that is so not me. I told him today tthat if he doesn't clean his stuff up then he is disrespecting our home and that's not cool. So I guess we"ll see :/

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