Having trouble motivating to clean the house? Me too!
It seems like every time I manage to pick up all the plastic crap, some little person chucks it around again. And don’t get me started on the laundry situation.
One idea that I like when the messes are particularly out of control is to set the oven timer for 15 minutes and tackle as much as I can before it runs out. I usually chuck all the toys into bins, but you can clear the kitchen, make your bed, or do whatever makes you feel like the house is tidy.
Your baby should be ok for that long “self-entertaining” (AKA jumperoo, exersaucer, spacing out, or watching you run from room to room).
I will get tired of cleaning before Milo gets tired of jumping
When the bell sounds, take a deep breath, relax, get on the floor together and make a new mess.
That’s a great idea. If you’re a mom who works full time outside the home it looks pretty similar– only your 15 minutes occurs right before you have to leave the house in the morning (if, and only if, I’ve already made my BIG mug of green tea to take on the road…)
On another note, 15 minutes is the maximum amount of time Mason will spend in the Jumparoo, and even so it’s worth having the monstrous toy take up so much space in our teeny tiny living room! Funny how that works out.
turn on the River Dance soundtrack while Milo is jumping and you can have a good laugh while you’re cleaning…
Great idea! My biggest problem is deciding what to tackle first. Sometimes it can take me 15 minutes just to decide 🙂 I’ve been playing around with different ideas for figuring out what chores I’m doing in what order (chore schedule, chore jar, whichever room I’m in when I can’t bear the mess any more) but so far I don’t have a foolproof method that works for me!
Mary, I tend to do the area of the house that’s bugging me most. We have a chore chart that we use but that is more about dividing responsibilities between my husband and me and not so much a schedule.
You might also want to check out the flylady if you’re open to some
bossing aroundencouragement.What a great idea! I am going to do that right now! I always get started on something and get interrupted. Before I know it the one task I told myself to complete in a day is not completed and I am dragging myself to do it at 9 pm!
This idea has saved me so many times, too bad we can’t cook something for 15 minutes then leave it for an hour and half LOL
I’ve been doing this for years… but I now have my 6 yo and 11 yo run around and tidy for the 15 minutes 🙂 It’s amazing what they can get done in only 15 minutes and it’s funny to see them really hustle because they think it’s a game and are trying to beat the clock! lol
So smart! Housework can be overwhelming with a baby and a preschooler in the house, but 15 minutes is totally manageable (and can make a huge difference).
Thank you for the inspiration.