Housecleaning with 8 Kids at Home

So I know I'm always posting my cleaning methods, chore charts, newly revealed housework inspiration and so forth, but that's because things always have a way of changing.

Cleaning house now is different than it was when I was pregnant with Baby Hippo, or exclusively breastfeeding infant twins, or homeschooling 6 kids. Some days it's harder and some days it's easier. Currently, with Baby Hippo still not getting around on his own, he prefers that I hold him constantly throughout the day. Thus, the only time I can really get any serious cleaning done is during his two naps.

This really does not allow me to accomplish what I need to, so I've discovered a way to break up the work throughout the day, and it has been surprisingly effective. Here is what I do...

Laundry...
As you can imagine, laundry is NEVER done at our house, or shall I say, it WAS never done. Things are different now. Every time I walk by the laundry room, I make a commitment to fold, hang up, or put away 30 things. This only takes from 2 to 5 minutes, and I have a little rug with some toys on it on which I sit Baby Hippo to play while I get this done. It feels so good to have finally come up with a system that doesn't completely overwhelm me.

The 4 Four and Under's bedroom...
This was a constant source of frustration for me in the past. Even the 15-year-old girl would stand in the doorway with her arms on her hips and say, "How do they get this room so messy, Mom?" I would throw my hands up in despair and disgustedly shake my head. Now, though, every time I go into their room, I pick up and put away only 5 things. You can't imagine what a change this has made. Their room is almost always clean now and I don't have to feel embarrassed when John goes in to put them to bed at night.

My bedroom...
I don't know about you, but my bedroom has been traditionally known as the catch-all. It's been the place where I throw stuff I just bought from the store, where my suitcases sit unpacked for weeks, and where clutter from other parts of the house is stored until I can think of a place to stuff it. But no more! The new system I use for my bedroom is the same system I use for the 4 Four and Under's room. I simply pick up only 5 items to put away every time I enter into my bedroom. And, if it just so happens that there is absolutely nothing to pick up because I've kept it so clean, which happens like all the time now, then I sometimes even find time to make my bed. See, look...

Looking at this picture, I think the next time I go in my room I will dust the railings on the top of my bed and the fans.... because John bought me a fan duster one time.

Anyways, that's my new system, and I'm sticking to it. Thanks for listening!

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