How to stop feeling like a full-time maid for young kids
When young children are home, living spaces get trashed almost immediately, turning family time into an unending cycle of housework instead of enjoyable time together. Because parents feel like they are the only ones capable of cleaning up the constant messes, they spend most of their time working and cannot relax.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1trying to declutter regularly
- 2having older children pick up after themselves
- 3husband helping with cooking, childcare, and household chores
- 4Tossing own cookies
- 5Cleaning up the mess while others gag
- 6cleaning in short 10-minute increments
- 7decluttering to minimize items that need washing
- 8babywearing while doing chores
- 9using a box or basket to quickly toss random items into
- 10hiring professional cleaning or laundry help
- 11Making the child clean up the mess
- 12Taking away screen time or privileges
- 13Keeping tissues readily available in multiple rooms
- 14Providing alternative physical outlets like stress balls or silly putty
- 15Having the child handwash clothing or patch damaged paint
- 16Taking the food away immediately
- 17Putting an empty bowl on the table for unwanted pieces
- 18Hovering hands over the child's arms to block throwing
- 19Having the child help clean up every time they throw food
- 20Putting a mat down under the high chair
- 21Moving feeding time to a low coffee table or a small kid-sized table
- 22Using suction cup plates and bowls
In their words
Unedited, most upvoted first, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I have OCD and get extremely overwhelmed with disorder. I need a clean home for my mental health!”source ↗
“Tonight after dinner and before bedtime, my kinder-aged daughter took a private moment to do her business. Except her business tonight was pooping on the floor of her bathroom and smearing one of the piles across the floor and onto a wall before it caused her to throw up, also on the floor.”source ↗
“finished the clean up because apparently I’m the only one in the house capable.”source ↗
“I could use some camaraderie - what are your most memorable wtf were you actually thinking moments?”source ↗
“My 7yo son picks his nose (big surprise) then wipes it on everything *except* a tissue.”source ↗
“I find dried boogers on walls and furniture and clothes... it's just disgusting and it needs to stop.”source ↗
“I'm at my wit's end with this. Has anyone else had this problem and gotten them to stop?”source ↗
“The issue is that when all the kids are home the house gets trashed. Like, immediately. So. Many. Messes. So. Quickly.”source ↗
“I feel like when all the kids are home I spend 99% of my time being a maid and I can’t enjoy hanging out with my family because all I see when they play or ask to do things is yet another mess I’m going to have to clean..”source ↗
“Having everyone home doesn’t feel like nice family time at all, it feels like nonstop work.”source ↗
“I feel you. I go crazy if my house isn't clean enough, and especially with little ones.”source ↗
“My friend was suffering the same kind of stress and through a local group on FB or something, she found a local lady who ran a small laundry service that would come and collect.”source ↗
“my almost 14 month old is throwing every meal on the floor, of course, its age appropriate, they do that.”source ↗
“if i take it away the first time he does it, he will be having 1 bite of his meal 3 times a day??? and he cries and tries to climb the high chair when i take it away and it just feels wrong to take his food??”source ↗
“i’m so frustrated and i don’t know what to do?? do i just leave him and let him throw food everywhere???”source ↗
Where this came up
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