Keeping Your House Clean?

[Josiegirl]

Play Care, my house sounds similar. Woodwork, windows, cupboards, yikes! Some days it feels like it'd be easier to have somebody come in and replace all my doors and woodwork instead of cleaning it all.
Haha I know when my old range went kapoot and I bought a new one, my first thought was WOW, I won't have to clean this for awhile! ::
Think I'm what you'd call energy efficient and in this day and age that's a good thing right?

[Play Care]

Think I'm what you'd call energy efficient and in this day and age that's a good thing right?

Energy efficient! I love it!! ::::

[permanentvacation]

When I used to have myself more 'with it'.

Before Daycare Kids Arrived...
About an hour before my daycare kids arrived, I would empty the previous night's dishes from the dishwasher and fill the daycare kids' cups for the day, vacuum every morning, put one load of laundry in the washer and then in the dryer, cook breakfast, lunch, and dinner all at once, load up the dishwasher with the dishes from cooking the meals and run the dishwasher.

During Nap Time...
I'd do a couple of house chores each day including unloading the dishes from cooking that morning, loading the lunch dishes and run the dishwasher, taking the one load of clothes out of the dryer, folding them, and putting them away, and something like clean the bathroom, or dust the house, and by the weekend, my house had been cleaned for the week.

During Outdoor Play Time...
I would rake the leaves, water the outdoor garden, pull the trash cans in the day after trash collection, and once per week, I'd cut the grass by sitting the children on the porch while I mowed the lawn out front and then by making sure they stayed in the playground area while I cut the grass in the back yard. However, now I believe that could have created a dangerous situation if a rock or something had flown up from under the lawn mower, so I don't recommend cutting the grass while the kids are outside.

At the end of the day...
I would sweep the kitchen and hardwood of the living room and hallway and vacuum the living room. On Friday evenings, mop the kitchen floor and vacuum the house (living room, hallway, and 2 bedrooms at that time all on one floor at that time).

When I knew that I had paperwork or computer work that I needed to get done, that would be one of my 'chores' that I did during nap time.

Basically, I used my time wisely. When I wasn't working with the kids, I was tending to a chore. But, by working like that all day (like you would if you worked at a retail job - 'if you've got time to lean, you've got time to clean' - I never had to do any house chores in the evenings or weekends. So I had plenty of time for my personal family every evening and weekend.

[MunchkinWrangler]

Yeah, I get making schedules for cleaning and such, the overwhelming and annoying part is the fact that no matter what you are cleaning something ALL the time. I hate that feeling, that's when burn out strikes for me. There is always something to clean and then I'm multi tasking and I would sometimes just like to enjoy the time with the kids instead of going "here, play, I need to go wrangle dishes, laundry, the bathroom, sweep, mop, etc.

Lately, I've just accepted it and refuse to do any cleaning that has to do with daycare, unless I schedule it, after hours, which I record on my time sheet for taxes.

[Miss A]

Yeah, I get making schedules for cleaning and such, the overwhelming and annoying part is the fact that no matter what you are cleaning something ALL the time. I hate that feeling, that's when burn out strikes for me. There is always something to clean and then I'm multi tasking and I would sometimes just like to enjoy the time with the kids instead of going "here, play, I need to go wrangle dishes, laundry, the bathroom, sweep, mop, etc.

Lately, I've just accepted it and refuse to do any cleaning that has to do with daycare, unless I schedule it, after hours, which I record on my time sheet for taxes.

See, I am the opposite. I love spending time with the kids, but I also need to be " busy". I need the distraction of cleaning or some other busywork to keep myself engaged in my day.

[permanentvacation]

It wasn't "Here, play while I do house chores." I did most of the chores before daycare kids arrived and during nap time. At the end of the day, every day, while the kids picked up their toys in the living room (play room), I'd sweep the floors. After they picked up their toys, I'd vacuum. Once a week, while outside, I'd mow the lawn.

The majority of the time, I was working with the kids, teaching them, playing with them, and monitoring them while they had child led free play. I have always done more with my children than most daycare homes and centers. So, no, I didn't just tell my kids, "Here, play while I do chores." I scheduled my chores around the times that I needed to spend with the children so that I provided a high quality educational program from a very hands-on, involved infants, toddlers, and preschool teacher in a very well-maintained home. And by scheduling my cleaning chores the way I did, I was also able to be a very hands-on, highly involved mother to my own children after work and on the weekends.

[MunchkinWrangler]

It wasn't "Here, play while I do house chores." I did most of the chores before daycare kids arrived and during nap time. At the end of the day, every day, while the kids picked up their toys in the living room (play room), I'd sweep the floors. After they picked up their toys, I'd vacuum. Once a week, while outside, I'd mow the lawn.

The majority of the time, I was working with the kids, teaching them, playing with them, and monitoring them while they had child led free play. I have always done more with my children than most daycare homes and centers. So, no, I didn't just tell my kids, "Here, play while I do chores." I scheduled my chores around the times that I needed to spend with the children so that I provided a high quality educational program from a very hands-on, involved infants, toddlers, and preschool teacher in a very well-maintained home. And by scheduling my cleaning chores the way I did, I was also able to be a very hands-on, highly involved mother to my own children after work and on the weekends.

I apologize, I never meant to offend anyone....I think sometimes I write too matter of fact or black and white and I don't get my point across. I struggle with this particular area and I am new to daycare. I, at the moment, do not have a dishwasher, and my laundry room is in the basement where I cannot do care because I don't have an egress window, so because of requirements like no dirty dishes in the sink and whatnot, I'm finding it hard to juggle in my particular situation because I don't have some 'luxuries' at the moment to make my chores easier on me. Per my licensing, we are not allowed to mow the lawn during childcare at all unless someone else is doing it and the children are not in the same vicinity. My struggle is exactly what I said, I'm 'interrupted' or have to make the kids wait, while I clean up from meals and sweep, Swiffer, and it really ****s to feel like all I do is clean, no matter how I plan, some chore is always getting in the way.

[NoMoreJuice!]

With 8 "potty trained" boys in the house (I use that phrase oh-so-loosely...do boys ever really finish training how to correctly pee in a toilet? I'm still training my husband) I am FOREVER cleaning the toilet and a 6-12" radius around it. Sometimes the wall behind it. Once the mirror above it.

I do just add it in my daily chores though. I normally just use naptime to do things like that, load dishwasher from lunch, do laundry, etc. After snack every day, my preschool kids help me scrub tables and chairs and put them away, then I sweep and they'll help me mop the dining area. It only takes about 10 minutes with everyone helping, and I think it's good for the kids to learn to help around the house. They love to put socks on their hands and dust the baseboards. My school age kids vacuum, windex windows and mirrors, and refill soap dispensers. Cleaning house is a life skill, and we are in the business of teaching skills the kids will use for the rest of their lives.

[MunchkinWrangler]

With 8 "potty trained" boys in the house (I use that phrase oh-so-loosely...do boys ever really finish training how to correctly pee in a toilet? I'm still training my husband) I am FOREVER cleaning the toilet and a 6-12" radius around it. Sometimes the wall behind it. Once the mirror above it.

I do just add it in my daily chores though. I normally just use naptime to do things like that, load dishwasher from lunch, do laundry, etc. After snack every day, my preschool kids help me scrub tables and chairs and put them away, then I sweep and they'll help me mop the dining area. It only takes about 10 minutes with everyone helping, and I think it's good for the kids to learn to help around the house. They love to put socks on their hands and dust the baseboards. My school age kids vacuum, windex windows and mirrors, and refill soap dispensers. Cleaning house is a life skill, and we are in the business of teaching skills the kids will use for the rest of their lives.

I uace 2 1 year olds, 2 2.5 year olds, and 2 SA's that come after school. My 2 year olds are just getting the gist of putting away toys and such so I'm not sure that they're old enough to do more. I could be wrong though!

[Scout]

I clean toikets and sinks each morning, empty litter box, vacuum cat room, family room, and living room, empty dishwasher, and get kids cups ready before kids arrive. This takes only about 30 min to do all. Then I also clean as we go. I wash dishes after each meal, wipe down counters. I throw a load of laundry in when we go down to the playroom and dry it later. I vacuum kitchen immediately after lunch and pick up all day long. It is a system that realty works well for me. I can deep clean the house with a lot of the kids here because I have learned I dont need to pick up every book and knick knack and dust them all. I dust where kids play and wash kitchen floor at nap. I can clean tubs during nap too.

[lovemydaycare0912]

Well even though this isn't my post just wanted to thank you guys. I was exhausting myself by spending time cooking and cleaning after working an 11 hour or 10 hour shift. Today I tried something new. While the kids napped, I cooked dinner, cleaned the kitchen, and everything else was already done and today for the first time in forever, my dinner was done by closing time of 6pm. I was so excited. I think I will do this more often instead of being lazy and doing nothing.

[Thriftylady]

Well even though this isn't my post just wanted to thank you guys. I was exhausting myself by spending time cooking and cleaning after working an 11 hour or 10 hour shift. Today I tried something new. While the kids napped, I cooked dinner, cleaned the kitchen, and everything else was already done and today for the first time in forever, my dinner was done by closing time of 6pm. I was so excited. I think I will do this more often instead of being lazy and doing nothing.

Employ your crock pot! Throw dinner in at breakfast, turn on when needed. Dinner is done!

[lovemydaycare0912]

Employ your crock pot! Throw dinner in at breakfast, turn on when needed. Dinner is done!

Omg I know. I NEED to buy one asap. Maybe this weekend.

[Meeko]

We are a family. We do family daycare. We all use the house. We all make messes. Therefore....we ALL clean up.

Myself, my husband, my son(31) and my daughter(19) all have chores. I seriously couldn't do it all by myself without going crazy. My husband actually wouldn't let me do it all alone, bless him.

My daughter does all the laundry and I put it away. Hubby is in charge of vacuuming. Son does dusting, bathrooms etc. I take care of the kitchen duties.....Sometimes we rotate the chores. We've all had a turn at laundry etc.

We do our regular chores all week and on Fridays, I don't participate much in the daycare. The rest of the family take care of business and I have the day to DEEP clean and unwind upstairs (our daycare is in the walk-out basement) I only go down to have a quick chat with a few parents.

It works for us!

But I have friends who husband's act like they'll explode if they're asked to help around the house......

I was like a "single" mom and daycare provider when my husband was in the Air Force and gone a lot. I then had my own chore chart and stuck to it. ie...a quick clean up as I go each day and then a deep clean of one room a day. No chores on weekends other than what was absolutely necessary.

However it's done...I feel that chores need to be written down..Otherwise, it's easy to spend all day cleaning and yet not really feel like anything was completed.

[Serpentine]

I clean as I go, all day long. If I am helping a child in the bathroom, I am also wiping the counter down with a Clorox wipe. If kids are eating lunch, I am cleaning the kitchen, washing dishes, sweeping the floor, etc. I do as much as I can during the day while the kids are going about their normal routine.

This. I vacuum daily and make sure the dishwasher is running when I go to bed. I load or handwash dishes during nap. I wipe things down with soapy water and/or lysol wipes as I go.

Sunday I mop, scrub toilets, baseboards and do all the hard/annoying crap.