Fact: You’d rather hold a newborn then clean your floors.
Fact: Toddler = Messy House
Fact: It’s harder to clean your house with kids.
You either don’t have the time, the energy, or the arms to clean your house like you use to. What happens more often at our house, is I actually do clean the house but then 3.2 seconds later it looks the same as when I started. Cluttered. I definitely don’t have a dirty house; cluttered is a whole different story though.
Today Happy Mama Tales is going international! I have an awesome friend from London who has some great tips about how to keep your house clean when you’re in the “young kids” stage of life. Her name is Patricia. She is an expert when it comes to managing a clean home with young kids; she has two young ones herself! For more of her awesome house cleaning tips check out Domestic Cleaning Deptford.
This article contains affiliate links. Read my full disclosure here.
Managing household duties is never easy, especially when you have a busy working schedule. When carrying around young ones things get even more complicated. Moms feel the need to pay attention to them {as they should} during the whole day, but when you add on top of that the list of regular household tasks; that’s where the balancing act begins! Any mom is busy, but if you learn how to create the right schedule, you can learn the art of multitasking.
How to keep a clean house even with young ones!
Assign a cleaning task to a specific day
Sometimes it’s about creativity. A great way to manage your cleaning routine is by assigning a day specific to a cleaning task. This will help you feel like you are in control and that you can manage that one task for the day. Instead of the overwhelming feeling that your whole house needs to be cleaned! Start the week fresh by making Monday your laundry day. You will have clean clothes all week, and it makes it easier to assign one day to all washing, drying, and folding clothes.
A great way to achieve this with young kids is to “set up camp” right next to the laundry room. For some that may mean down stairs, others in the back of the house. Wherever that may be for you, move the toys, books and treats near your laundry room. This will help you manage the laundry but still feel like you aren’t neglecting your kiddos.
Then make Tuesday your putting clothes away day {if you can get it all done on Monday even more power to you}. But remember, cleaning your house isn’t always a sprint {although some days it feels like that}, you can make a schedule that doesn’t feel overwhelming.
Fridays are a great day to clean the bathrooms to get ready for the weekend. Quick window clean, toilet, counter, and floor and you’re all set!
Choose 1 day a week to focus on 1 deep cleaning task
It’s an overwhelming thought that you have to deep clean your entire house. Then add kids in the mix, and it’s no wonder why moms feel like their house is always dirty! Combat that feeling by assigning one day a week to one specific deep cleaning task.
For example in our home Thursdays are deep cleaning day. But I only deep clean one part of the house {all trim/baseboards, all walls, behind the fridge, window seals, blinds, doors, pantry, and the list goes on and on}. This will help moms feel like they are deep cleaning their house but still have time and energy to focus on their little ones. It’s a perfect balance.
Get your kids involved
The day I learned my son LOVES to help me clean, was one of the greatest days! We had so much fun cleaning together! I think if you get your kids involved in the cleaning schedule it teaches a few things. First, it helps them learn hard work. Second, it teaches them how to clean. Third, it teaches them to help {to help YOU}.
Don’t expect them to be all that good at first, but know that with time they will become much better. Always provide positive reassurance for what they did do. Don’t worry too much about correcting what they didn’t do correct. You’ll be surprised that as they watch how you do it they will try and imitate that behavior and they will get better.
Don’t clean during nap time
Just don’t. Nap time is mama’s time for self care. If you spend all your time cleaning during nap time, you won’t feel like you get time to yourself. Take a moment and do something for yourself during nap time. Blog, Sleep, Eat, budget, do a little online shopping, or just sit there in silence. But give yourself permission to not clean.
Allow for times of rest
I think when daddy comes home is a perfect time to not worry about cleaning. Now, that doesn’t work for everyone. Sometimes it’s actually more efficient to clean when dad is home so you can “tag-team” with the kids. But, find a time in your routine to allow rest. It’s fun when you can give yourself permission devote more time with your family and kids and not have to worry about other nonsense. Rest assured that your house will be maintained with the cleaning schedule you put into place, but that this is the time to be present with your family.
Figuring out your household cleaning routine is a perfect way to find balance in your home. A clean home truly is a happy home!
