Any ideas?

Beginner Joined: May 16 2012 Posts: 5

I'm looking for suggestions on how to get everything done. My husband is frustrated that I don't get to bed until 1-4 am many nights because I'm doing laundry/sorting laundry/organizing/cleaning up til then. I get my kids out in the mornings, do carpool, work from 1/4 to 9 until 2 then carpools again a little after 3. Then there's homework, supper, bedtimes, and THEN I start doing laundry, etc. I have a large household, KA"H, and tons of laundry every other night. On top of that, my daughter's in college and I'll have my grandson (plus IY"H another one on the way)during my off hours. NO money for cleaning help or buying ready made food. I don't know what to change to get everything done in by a normal hour. How do people do it?

Platinum Member Joined: Oct 14 2009 Posts: 5868

I know this is very minor in the scheme of all you have to do, but it's the only thing that comes to mind so I guess better than saying nothing - you mention sorting laundry as a time-consuming task, could you just designate separate hampers for each type of laundry and train everyone to put things in the right one in the first place? Also, it sounds like you have children of various ages, can any of these tasks be delegated? I could see even pretty young children being capable of tossing a load of laundry in and transferring it to the dryer. At the very least a young person could do towels, linens, underwear, socks, etc even if you don't trust them with more delicate things or stains that need treatment.

But even after all is said and done, I totally identify with the late night situation. I only have one kid and do far less in addition (no carpool, babysitter on our block!) and still never get to bed before midnight.

Senior Member Joined: Sep 01 2009 Posts: 143

If you have a child in college, then you must also have kids who are old enough to help. You should not be up until 4am, when you have a houseful of helpers there. Assign jobs.

Senior Member Joined: Oct 27 2010 Posts: 219

y dont u wash laundry every day? im just with one baby and find it much easier to wash every second day rather once a week

Platinum Member Joined: May 07 2008 Posts: 8960

What are you, the maid? Everyone from age 3 and up (I'm conservative--many people say age 2 and up) can contribute to the running of the household. A four-year-old can sort laundry. A six year old can fold laundry and wash dishes. An eight-year-old can do laundry and vacuum. a 12-year old can cook pasta though you might not want to let him drain it. a 14-year-old can make supper from scratch. They have to be taught, of course.

Also, check your standards. They may be unreasonably high for the kind of household you have. A house with 8 or 9 kids is not going to look like one with no kids. Goes with the territory. You get your pristine house back when the nest empties out.

If you're spending all your time "organizing" you may have too much stuff. Get rid of everything that's not being used up molecule by molecule or worn out thread by thread. Less stuff=less work.