How do you organize your housework?

[Ladybug]

We've had a house cleaner since we moved here to get us through the the last two babies. However, the kids are getting old enough to help so I'm thinking about letting her go. They need to take some ownership in the house, and learn how to clean. I told them if they pitched in and we let S. go we would take the money we save each year and do a beach vacation.

We cleaned the whole house yesterday, but it was too much for one day IMO. I'm thinking it needs to be broken up into a weekly cleaning schedule so we don't spend every Saturday cleaning.

Does anyone have a rotating cleaning schedule? What do your kids do?

Currently our nanny does all our laundry, but next year the two youngest are moving up to preschool and daycare. I was going to have her continue PT to do our laundry and grocery shopping, but again I talked with the two oldest girls yesterday and told them that if we all pitched in and folded a load each day then we could redirect that money to a beach vacation.

I'm leaning towards running a load each morning before work/school, drying it after work, and everyone helping to fold and put away before bed. I think if I rotate a three day schedule: kids, adult, towels or sheets then that should keep everyone decently clothed.

How to do you work laundry in your house? What age did your kids started doing their own laundry. Ours needs to be carried down 2 flights of stairs so I'm not comfortable with the girls doing that yet. Plus I wouldn't trust them to pull the sweaters out, etc.

[diggitydot]

All of our kids (ages 16, 12, and 9) have chores.

DD1 everyday:
Loads/unloads dishwasher
Wipes down counters
Takes out garbage and recycling
Throws a load of dirty clothes in the washer before bed

DD2 everyday:
Sweeps and mops as necessary the hardwoods and kitchen floor
Puts away some dishes
Washes the kitchen island where the kids eat breakfast

DS everyday:
Cleans his bedroom
Picks up downstairs (mainly his own toys)

All kids weekly:
Empty cat litter boxes
Pick up dog poop in yard
Miscellaneous yard work
Scrub their bathroom

I do everything else. It probably seems like a lot for the kids to do, but my philosophy is that I'm not their damn maid and that they're ALL old enough to be picking up after themselves. I refuse to raise kids who are unable to care for themselves. DH never did chores as a kid and I had to teach him how do to everything.

Oh, and with 5 people in this house including 3 who change their clothes multiple times, we do probably 1-3 loads of laundry per day.

[MrsK]

I handle laundry the way you do. K1 is 2yo and he already "helps" with some chores. He puts his dishes in the sink after meals, helps pick up food that dropped on the floor, helps me load the dishwasher (stands at the open door and puts forks and spoons I've pre-washed in), he picks up his own toys and books, puts his clothes in the hamper, he's learning to make his bed (pulls the sheet up to tuck in a teddy bear, helps gather trash from the bathrooms, "helps" dusting. Sometimes, he'll even empty his hamper into his toy dump trunk and bring it to the laundry room. He also helps put his folded clothes into drawers. I know it sounds like a lot but we make a game of it and he likes to do things himself. It builds his confidence and he gets lots of praise when he helps. It also keeps him near me and out of trouble.

We did not have a house cleaner when I grew up. Month mom maintained a 6bdrm/4bath house with our (3 kids) help. Everyone was responsible for helping to sort and fold laundry, put away our own stuff, clean our rooms and bathrooms. The house was spotless. I'd start with breaking down chores to small pieces. For instance, putting folded clothes in the drawer and work up to doing more.

Also, I know some of the ladies here hate flylady but you mak want to check it out. She sends a ridiculous amount of e-mail but among that she provides cleaning schedules and routines. She suggests spending about 15min at a time on a task and meaintaining the house once it is already clean so you don't hjave to dread spending a full day cleaning.

[Michele]

I posted this before but I follow the SHE system. It's a 3x5 card system. Basically every chore gets a card, different color card for daily, weekly and monthly chores. They go in a box with the numbers 1-31 and you pull out the chores that need to be done each day. It'd be really easy to assign the kids a chore as you pull it, or have recurring ones for them.

I do clothes twice a week, sheets once a week, towels once a week, dog blankets once a week and cleaning rags once a week. So I run a load every day. Plus I was kitchen towels/napkins/bibs every other day or so. I had to cut cloth diapers from our mix bc I couldn't keep up.

My big cleaning day is Wednesday bc the kids are gone. But what I like about the card system is that if I have a few minutes I can just pull out a card do it quickly and refile it for when it needs to get done next.

Flylady was kind of based off the SHE system. So they have a lot of similarities.

[Pollyanna]

I think it is a great idea to get the children involved BUT if you have someone you trust who does a great job on your home I would caution you on letting her go. You are working full time and ass the children get older their school work will demand more time as well as their extracurriculars. We have weeks where we are not home until 9pm or later every night. It's just a reality of a large family combined with growing children. The chores that diggity's kids do are completely reasonable and stuff that children have time for. What will be difficult is for you to get to the deep cleaning that needs to be done.
Our children don't have a specific routine or chores so to speak but they are expected to help out when asked with a "happy heart". Meaning, if I need help with anything and someone is available they are expected to get up immediately and do the job. This has worked very well for us. We are still working on teaching them to notice stuff that needs to be done and then take care of it without being asked. This type of system works well for our family and hopefully teaches the the importance of helping others and the joy that is gained from it. Children still learn how to do cleaning etc this way just what they take care of on a daily basis is more varied.
I would keep your help around the house but still teach your children cleaning skills. I wouldn't tie it into money. What if they help all year and then an unexpected expense comes up and the trip has to be canceled? They should help because they are learning life skills and because your family is a team that works together for the benefit of everyone in that family. And yes, I even over-think the concept of chores...

[diggitydot]

We don't tie chores to money. It's just part of life and their reward is to not live in filth.

[Pollyanna]

Heehee, love that reward!!

I should note that we have been through a variety of systems. I think one of the most important things is to be willing to change as your family changes, and realize that no one system will work for every family.

[SoonerTexan]

How to do you work laundry in your house? What age did your kids started doing their own laundry.

I was talking to my mom about this not to long ago--I'm overwhelmed by the amount of laundry the three of us produce. She said, "That's why I started my system...the kids do their own laundry!" All of us were responsible for doing our own laundry by the age of 10. It wasn't a perfect system, but kids catch on quicker than you think.

We never had a house cleaner growing up...my husband was the opposite. During his high school years, they had a full time person that helped my MIL with the two babies and did the cleaning. I had to teach him how to clean a bathroom and it took him awhile to take responsibility for his own messes. Personally, that bothered me and I said I never wanted a cleaner, but I'm changing my mind. I think someone to come once a month to do the heavy stuff (cleaning windows, giving the floor a good mopping, dusting blinds--hated that chore) is a good idea and will not take away from teaching your kids basic household tasks. I'd like to find a happy medium between what did growing up and what my husband did.

[Ladybug]

Hmmmmm...thanks for all the feedback.

I've been thinking of our afterschool commitments and I'll probably only have one wide open afternoon a week, and I don't want to spend the entire weekend cleaning. I'm think about keeping S to mop the floors twice a month. We have 2 entirely wood floors in this house. No carpet. I do think we can opt out of the laundry/grocery help with a routine and some help from the kids with laundry, etc.

I need to focus one day per week just on the crazy closets, drawers and crawl spaces that spawn junk everywhere.

I'm stressing about next year...can you tell from all my posts? We have a lot of changes happening, and I'm trying to figure it all out.

Housework is a constant battle in our house as well. All the advice is helpful for me, as well.

I feel like getting my kids to help with cleaning is often more work and more emotionally draining than just doing it myself. But I know that it is a value and a skill I want them to learn. My kids are only 7, 6, and 2 right now and I've already identified some things they can do (and some things they just can't yet!). Hoping things will get better as far as managing chores when they are a little older.

As for laundry, I'm a marathon laundry person. I don't have the space to have sorted laundry anywhere (my washer & dryer are in my tiny kitchen). On laundry day, I do 8-9 loads and then it's done for another 6-7 days.

[Deebs]

I have a cleaning crew. I actually just hired one here, after living here six months and was amazed at how much better it made me feel once they started coming again. I was raised by a mom who had a cleaning lady (in a fairly traditional sense, as in she came daily) when she was growing up, and would NEVER have a cleaning lady step foot in her house. In residency, DH was working his hours, and I was working 60+ hours per week, and I just couldn't manage more than just laundry on my time off. My DH is also a SLOB. I have had someone help me twice a month ever since. I call it my marriage counseling because I honestly get really angry at DH for being messy. He doesn't even see mess. My kids having plenty of chores is not a problem. Even having a cleaning service, I still:
do laundry
do dishes
dust once in between the cleanings
clean at least one flooring surface per day
clean the kitchen counters daily
clean our powder room daily
organize closets, drawers, garage, etc
My kids are 2, 4, and 6. They have to pick up their toys, help dust, clean their own rooms, get themselves dressed (even the 2 year old has to try), put away their dishes as I unload the dishwasher, clear their places at meals.
I really think that they will learn how to clean up after themselves. I love not having to do my own baseboards, and knowing that my entire house gets every surface cleaned at least twice a month. If you can afford it, I'd keep the cleaning person.

[Thirteen]

Triage...? *laugh*

Things that need to be done at least every other day:
Kitchen
Living Room
Laundry

What We Really Do:
Dishes about every day (him, mostly)
Pick up/declutter mess almost daily (except his office... I never go in there)
Trash 2x week/Recycling 1x week
Deep clean bathrooms/toilets - every other week
Bedding 1x a week/every 10 days (dust allergies are serious business)
Floors - every 3-4 days (including vacuuming)

[GrayMatterWife]

1. What is on fire.

2. What is smoking, about to burst into flames.

3. What presents a biohazard.

4. Everything else.

[Vishenka69]

We've had a cleaning woman on and off (off when I wasn't working and before DD) for the past 12 years. DH had no idea how to do anything when we moved in together. And I mean ANYTHING. I was working 60+ hours and it was either get cleaning help or split up. Now he does his own laundry, dishwasher, floors, etc.

I've had to help my mom clean since probably 9 or 10 but we always had rather small apartments, so it wasn't a big deal for all 3 of us to take care of things. With both parents working and a large house, even if the kids pitch in, I still think outsourcing some cleaning is essential. Right now my cleaner comes every other week and I'm struggling to keep up between her visits. DD loves to help but it takes twice if not three times as long to do it with her. She's 2 and so far she can put her clothes in the hamper and help me put away her clean stuff (she can't reach most of her closet though), clean up her toys and generally get stuff off the rugs before I vacuum; put her cups/plates/spoons in the sink; swifter a bit (she gets the one with no attachments and I shorten the handle). She also loves to help DH de-weed in the yard. I don't know if we'll pay her for chores in the future, we still have a couple of years to figure it out.

[DCJenn]

We do it as it needs to be done- I've had cleaning people off and on over the years (currently don't have one) and tbh, they don't do any better than I do in terms of big deep cleaning so I figured- why am I paying someone to stack up my magazines and wipe down counters.

We vacuum pretty regularly other wise with 2 50-pound extremely sheddy dogs and 3 cats, we wouldn't be able to breathe. Laundry is done regularly- but in San Antonio I can't leave loads in the morning because by the time I get home, they're moldy. I wash at night and throw the loads in the dryer in the morning. More wrinkly, less stinky.

I clean as I go in the kitchen and I do the bathrooms e/o week. I think they should be done more but I'm a realist. Nikolai is responsible for sorting his laundry and to put his clothes away.

Everything else- dusting, etc? I try to do it but in reality- it gets done before guests come over. (although we always have people over so that's pretty regularly, just not predictably.)

J