Mamas that are "Messies" Support Thread

[chelsea]

Just joining this thread so I don't forget to read it later! I'm ultra messy.

[momaich]

I think about this thread and you mamas quite a bit. I keep wondering what survival tools everyone uses. We started homeschooling this year and short of losing sleep which I am loathe to do I cannot keep on top of everything. I think it boils down to the fact that we have way too much stuff. I keep trying to purge but papers pile up on me and the toys! I hate getting rid of the kids stuff but they have way too much. I often get rid of their stuff on the sly but then feel guilty. I wind up stashing stuff in bins to sort later and now I am overwhelmed with bins waiting to be sorted. I need a back hoe!

[rstump]

Totally subbing here.

The recent challenges have really helped me. My DH keeps asking WHAT has gotten into me. (So he LIKES you gals already).

[KLin]

I'm a newbie and have been struggling with house work for ever. I was raised in a messy house, not filthy, but dusty and overly cluttered. I learned how to find the clean clothes in the big pile, to use various utensils if forks and spoons were all dirty, a cup instead of glass etc. I washed my own clothes and cooked and did dishes at an early age, to survive my mom's house. She did not teach me to cook, shop or keep house.

My hubby and I did pretty good before the darlings came along, we both worked and went to school and shared in cooking and cleaning. Somehow with children my house has gotten more cluttered. It is cleaned well twice a month. Other than that it is randomly picked up, re stacked and stick vacuumed when possible. The home education materials change from Kitchen table, to bedroom desk to Van to outside table as needed, but something always is misplaced.

Hubbs was in a bad car accident and the nightly routine of I clean up after dinner, dishes and tidy main living area while he plays bath time and put boys to bed has gone away. He can not do much bending and lifting. He is getting better, and did dishes for me the day before a business trip, and took the boys out for the day. I was so happy and tired that only one load of laundry was done when he returned. I am trying hard everyday. The boys know mommy is happy when things are put away and they are trying the best two munchies can. Thank you for letting me feel less alone in my housework struggles.

KLin

[momaich]

KLin, I know what you mean about when a routine goes away for whatever reason. I no sooner get into a routine than something shifts and the routine is gone and the mess returns and bills are paid late etc. Thankfully my dh has been understanding as we transition into homeschooling. I try REALLY hard to keep laundry done, dishes clean and food on hand, but even narrowing essentials down to these 3 tasks doesn't ensure me "success." I feel certain I have a mental hang up that keeps me from being motivated to do more or better, but I haven't had time to look for it or address it. I think it has to do with prioritizing though.

[KLin]

Okay, Now I have HADD Housework attention deficit disorder. I was trying so hard to learn to bake without wheat, as I was making a banana bread I was emptying the Dishwasher and reloading, my grandma came over for coffee and the kids were eating breakfast. I felt so good. I helped the little munchie, mixed the batter and started the bread. Grandma went home and I started laundry. Proud of me yet?? As I was putting away the recipe I noticed I did not add oil...

I forgot to switch the laundry, forgot to put the mail out. Started to run the dishwasher and got sidetracked with little one. Got the kids lunch and put little one for nap. Got big guy working of maps and math, checked e-mail, ruined one small banana bread. The muffins and big loaf turned out pretty good without oil. Does that make it low fat?? Took some soup out of the freezer, little one woke up.

Grandma came back for her laundry, oops....moved it to dryer. Ran out of bunny food. Cut salad for bunny, made fresh super juice, picked up toys with kids, time for dinner soon. Went to dishwasher to get pan, oh no...forgot to run it. Pulled out pan hand washed and started dinner. Phone ran, we talked to hubby on business trip. Went to make dinner and realized I did not take out chichen for boys when I took out the soup. Then here comes Grandma again...run get laundry....Oh yea I need to cook the chicken for the boys.... When all was done and boys ready for bath my kitchen is again a mess, toys everywhere. Didn't I pick these up earlier?? I did laundry, but not for me piles in the boys bathroom. More dishes then will fit in the dishwasher because I forgot to run it earlier. I am so tired. What did I do all day? I know I was busy, the house looks worse not better. The boys are in bed, I don't want to clean.

See, I have HADD.
KLin

[RealLifeMama]

That sounds like me, only add in a few excursions and my coming back to my messy house thinking "how did that happen? "

[Quiteria]

Originally Posted by Leah

That is a big step! I have recently been making that step in areas, too - I can pass by something on the floor and say to myself, "I need to clean that up," and I can do that for days. But if I just *do it* then it's so much easier. We're all learning this together! Thanks for posting!

Yes! I am trying to consciously pick up clutter whenever my hands aren't full, and throw things away NOW, and it is helping. At least I feel better....still so far to go that a stranger would have no idea that I'm making a dent....but *I* think it's getting cleaner, slowly.

What are my dear partners in messiness doing about holidays, decorating, and all that?

Or do we even want to go there??!?

[KLin]

My goal for the holidays is a blessing of time with Hubby. He is on his last day of "work" for the year. He is very burnt-out at work and took all his vacation plus to spend the rest of the year at home with the boys. His office and den are also a wreck, so our common goal is get through Thanksgiving at my mothers, so no worries about my house yet.

Then Christmas is a huge ordeal here. We have an entire Hundred acre wood to put outside with lights on the house and three outdoor Christmas trees. Inside my house gets a large green tree in main room by the fireplace and two purple trees in the entry. DH puts up a train for the boys and all my angles are put throughout the house. At least I have a partner to help de-clutter and clean before the massive decorations. This will be the first year ever that all the decorations are going up.

DH will be home and not traveling, the boys, Grandma and I are all healthy. BTW: Grandma lives in a guesthouse we build when Grampa died, so we are going to surprise her by decorating and hanging lights when she goes to visit my dad for Thanksgiving. I am hoping this massive cleaning, de-cluttering, the celebrating for the holidays can continue into positive habit for the New Year. Something positive to pray for

Sending happy holiday cleaning wishes to all.
KLin

We don't put up too many decorations...my house just isn't big enough for a lot of things. However, I REFUSE to do any decorating until the house is clean....it really gets me motivated to get the front of the house really clean and picked up.

[hey mommy]

HADD.. That's a good word for it... That's what happens to me... It's very frustrating!

[Quiteria]

One year we actually hosted Thanksgiving after a massive haul of junk into storage. This year, the goal is to actually get rid of stuff instead of storing it. I *might* have dh home like the pp, but he's going to be hunting as well, so not sure how much cleaning will get done. But he has promised me a trip to the dump, so I'm hoping to have some big items gone and more space for what's left. decorations...well, i'm not too good in that dept...

[CapeTownMommy]

I'm a messy too! Subbing.

[ayelet]

I'm not a "messy" mom, but I don't think I am clean enough. I keep things vacuumed, straightened up, etc... But then I hear neighbors talk about scrubbing down windows and the trim on the bottom of their wall... weekly. I had no idea people did that stuff weekly. Whoops!