?? for the SAHM...do you have a weekly schedule & can you share?

[Spoisal]

I am becoming a SAHM in 4 months for my DD5 & DD8....and my DH35. I currently work & have a cleaning lady, lawn service, etc. In 4 months, these things will be canceled & I am going to be supermom - yeah, right! My question to the SAHMs out there....do you have a weekly schedule that you stick to - or do you just wing it? How often do you REALLY clean the house (floors, bathrooms, etc)? I know I need to fit in a workout each day & my DH wants me to start cooking more (ok, I can't blame him for that one!)....I know I need to start clipping coupons and shopping at places like BJ's (Sams Club, Cosco, etc) instead of getting everything at Safeway. It seems like I do laundry every day right now - that can be very time consuming. I guess i'm looking for an efficient, production oriented, organized home & schedule. How do you ladies do it?

 

[hentob]

Is there any way you can keep the cleaning lady? Even if it is twice a month, it will help.

Also, check out FlyLady.net for a cleaning schedule and other household hints.

Do you get the Food Network? Can you TIVO/tape 30 Minute Meals? That will help with quick, weekday recipes.

Good luck and congratulations!

 

[antsss]

Try flylady.net. I have three kids (ages 6, 4 and 2) and since our family exists on only one income (I stay at home with the kids and DH works) we have a tight budget. As a result, I have a busy schedule since we don't have a cleaning service (we all clean) and we don't have extra money for takeout (we all cook). Give Flylady a try...

 

[always quiet]

I wouldn't say I have a "schedule" but some things are done in the same order much of the time. For instance, since I hang the laundry outside to dry, this gets done first....heaviest clothes first since they take longest to dry. With 6 of us in the house, clothes get washed every other day, the in between days are for towels or sheets. I usually let the vacuuming go til late in the afternoon....after the clothes have been brought in (leaves are known to sneak their way in on the bottom of the clothes basket ). Also, it's easier to dust before you vacuum. You have to clip the week's coupons before looking through your grocery store's weekly circular. Most stores have products on sale the same week that they have coupons for the items in the paper. Match up what's on sale with the manufacturer coupons (this past week, my grocery stop was about $60 - after coupons it was $31!!)

 

[Tigger&Belle]

I second checking out Flylady! I don't exactly do what Flylady suggests, but I have taken a lot of the ideas and use what works for me.

I would also not cancel all your help at once. Maybe cut back on the cleaning schedule or have them clean only part of your house, etc, but cold turkey would be hard until you get some routines in place.

I do have a cleaning schedule that I try to stick to. All the cleaning on my main level of my house gets done weekly. Our bedroom level gets cleaned every 2 weeks, unless it's something that gets too dirty in that period of time (kids sink, for example).

My house gets dirty quickly, though, since we have 3 kids at home (plus one in college), 2 dogs, 2 cats, and our new addition of 2 kittens.

My favorite purchase is a Roomba vac that keeps the floors looking nice between vacuuming and means that I don't have to sweep the kitchen.

 

[Southern4sure]

Try the free trial period at thegrocerygame.com. It matches sales with weekly coupons so you know in a glance which store to shop at and which coupons to use. It also shows you how to stock up on sale items over a 12 week cycle so you eventually spend less money on weekly trips.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Flylady or Organized Home is a good place to start.
http://organizedhome.com/forums.html
http://flylady.net/index.asp

My routine is constantly being tweaked.

Basically the secret is to do things immediately upon waking!!!
I make my bed, make coffee, dishes, load of laundry right away.
If you have to go out in public for school then I would shower. I don't so I shower after I get the kids to school.

So far this morning I have done 2 loads of laundry, dishes, made beds, mopped kitchen floor, fed dogs, clean their bowls, plus made breakfast and got dd's school stuff ready and I still have to take older dd to school.

So as a veteran SAHM the secret is to get a TON of work done before noon, 10am is better if you can swing it. Includes errands and dinner planning.

As afternoon approaches it is kids, school, and dinner.

I sometimes "premake" dinner and heat it up and the family doesn't know the wiser. Esp. when we have evening things and need to eat quick.

Dishes are done ALL THE TIME, just like laundry. You will find that out when you stay home. Try and keep your kitchen clean at all times. It will make you feel 100% better and makes things go smoother.

Good Luck and Congrats!

ETA....Here are people's schedules on OH
http://organizedhome.com/forum-6.html

 

[golfgal]

I have a loose schedule that I follow-Monday's is usually laundry day. I would rather do it all in a day then have to do it every day. Tuesdays is usually the day that I dust/vacuum, Wednesday is bathroom day and I clean all the bathrooms. Thursday is a whatever day. Friday I don't do much. In the summer the kids do most of the house cleaning but during the school year they don't do as much. They usually help on Saturday mornings giving the house a good cleaning including their rooms.

You will find you will fall into a schedule once you get the rest of the things organized, like any classes the kids will be taking, school schedules, etc. It takes a good 3 weeks to get into the swing of things and figure out what works.

 

[allie&mattsmom]

Flylady or Organized Home is a good place to start.
http://organizedhome.com/forums.html
http://flylady.net/index.asp

My routine is constantly being tweaked.

Basically the secret is to do things immediately upon waking!!!
I make my bed, make coffee, dishes, load of laundry right away.
If you have to go out in public for school then I would shower. I don't so I shower after I get the kids to school.

So far this morning I have done 2 loads of laundry, dishes, made beds, mopped kitchen floor, fed dogs, clean their bowls, plus made breakfast and got dd's school stuff ready and I still have to take older dd to school.

So as a veteran SAHM the secret is to get a TON of work done before noon, 10am is better if you can swing it. Includes errands and dinner planning.

As afternoon approaches it is kids, school, and dinner.

I sometimes "premake" dinner and heat it up and the family doesn't know the wiser. Esp. when we have evening things and need to eat quick.

Dishes are done ALL THE TIME, just like laundry. You will find that out when you stay home. Try and keep your kitchen clean at all times. It will make you feel 100% better and makes things go smoother.

Good Luck and Congrats!

ETA....Here are people's schedules on OH
http://organizedhome.com/forum-6.html

ITA with all of this! Good luck and congratulation on becoming a SAHM!

 

[Disneycrazymom]

I like to do my big cleaning on Monday and Friday. (I work part time on Tuesday/Thursday) I like the house clean on the weekend, and it always needs a tidy up after the weekend. I agree that a clean kitchen is a life saver. No matter how "lived in" the rest of the house gets (and you will be surprised how quickly that happens when your home all the time) my kitchen is MY space! Also be sure to have a planned time out for yourself. After working I felt so lonely at home! The Dis helps a lot! I enjoy a Bible Study with other women one morning a week. It is a time just for me! You will love being home with your kids, good luck in your new adventure!

 

[BuzznBelle'smom]

Well, no one schedule is "the perfect one", so don't beat yourself up if your transition is a little bumpy!

I find that mornings are the best time for me to get things done--I'm a morning person and an early riser. Plus, I'm pregnant, so it's nice to take it easy (maybe even nap?) while my toddler does. We do errands right after dropping the kids at school in the mornings, then housework during the "golden hour" (10 am--when Sesame Street is on).

I have a cleaning service once every two weeks. I really like having it--I can't ever let the house get too far gone, but I'm on the hook the other 13 days, so it's not like I'm watching soaps and eating candy!

I find it easier to run a load of laundry just about every day. With 5 (almost 6) of us, saving it up gets to be tiresome (again, remember I'm pregnant). This also helps with my DD10 and DS8, both of who are quite active and always needing a soccer shirt or having pants with grass stains and so forth.

We don't eat too fancy--I try to plan meals a day in advance so I can thaw the meat. It takes time to develop a repertoire of quick, simple meals, but I've been teaching them to DH, so he can handle things without me for a coupel days here or there. Tacos and spaghetti are both real popular in our house--cheap and reasonably nutritious, too. On other days, I might make a casserole or throw together a crock pot meal. And your family won't die if you have pancakes or grilled cheese once in a while, too.

Good luck--it can be tricky to change, but you'll find what works for you.

 

[reddixie]

I am a veteran SAHM also. I have done this about 12 years. I have a schedule but I also have days that I don't feel like doing something. Case in point Laundry days are Mon. and Tuesday. I didn't feel like cleaning the sheets this week on those days therefore I am doing those today. I did all the rest of the laundry though. I find if I make myself do certain chores I become resentful and hard to live with. If I do chores on a reg. basis and take a break once in awhile no one notices and I keep my sanity. The clean house is something I like more than my family. Wed. I do monthly chores. Windows, behind fridge, stove, things of that nature as they need cleaning. Thurs. I run errands. Fri. I sweep, vacuum, dust, and clean bathrooms. Sat. I work on the yardwork in the morning. My dh works until at least 2:00 every Sat. Sun. is my day off. I don't even make beds. If we have anything that we need to do we do it as a family. Mon. I straighten things up. Daily I clean the toilet, sinks, dishes, pool, and things that need picking up. I also find that if I treat the house and family as a job and get up and go to work then I do better. It works for me. I only have one child though and she is old enough to do her own laundry (Wed. and Thurs.) so your situation is different. Remember also that children will remember the fun, hugs, kisses, and laughter not the clean house once you pass. You can do this.

 

[WDWMom]

I also do certain things on certain days.

Monday is laundry. I like knowing all the clothes are clean and put away. I still need to do a few loads in between, but I never worry about being "out" of anything.

Friday is bathroom and dusting and vaccum day. I entertain (friends) on Fridays/Saturdays so I know the house looks clean for the weekend.

We have a large area with wood floors so I sweep often but only mop occassionally.

As far as cooking, I try to take meat out in the morning and throw in the crockpot. DH and I go out on Wed. when our children are at religious education at church. It is much cheaper for just the two of us to go out and no babysitter. Hope this helps.

 

[disykat]

Even as a SAHM, sometimes I get super busy and any kind of schedule gets tossed out the window. I try to keep one day a week totally free because sometimes I do all the laundry and the cleaning in one day. I figure if I have to be home all day to keep tossing in laundry, I might as well clean too.

I find that with the kids at school all day my schedule is either stuffed full or really empty - there doesn't seem to be an in between. For some reason, volunteer work all sees to end up coming at the same time - especially the weeks you add Holiday stuff to your normal routine. For that reason I have my regular schedule where I spread housefhold stuff out during the week and my compact it into one day routine I use as needed.

 

[mudnuri]

First I would sit down with your DH and discuss exactly what is expected of each of you. Are you going to be doing the lawn care or is he? Does he expect the house to look as though a housekeeper is still on staff?

Then I'd wing it- until you find your own schedule. Generally we all have different things on different days- which fits our own schedule, and yours will soon fall into place.
I'm not a stay at home mom, but I was for a couple of years, things really havent changed since I'm not home 24/7.

I might suggest dropping your housekeeping down now- not completely- but cut it back, see if you can figure out a schedule while your working? Dunno but it might help.

I never spend the day cleaning. My kitchen is picked up after use, dishes are loaded into the dishwasher as used, and its run nightly after the kids are in bed. My floors are swept, swiffer dry 2-3x a day due to the cat shedding. They are swiffer wet probably 2-3x a week, the kitchen more than any other room.

I do laundry on Sunday and Wednesday because i have to go to the laundry mat. Sunday's I strip the 3 beds and wash the linens. Usually- Tuesday night the bathroom is scrubbed, but the toilet and sink area is cleaned daily with a couple of those throw away antibacterial wipe things... Dusting is usually done on Sundays prior to heading to the laundry- but theres not much to dust, as I'm not a nick nack type person.

My biggest rule for myself is that I do not go to bed without the kitchen CLEAN...counters are cleaned off, everythings put where it goes, then I fill up the coffee pot for the next mornings coffee and hit the hay. Makes mornings easier in my house if everything is clean when we start the chaos!

Good luck to ya

Brandy

 

[sleepyone]

My schedule is something like this:

Sunday is grocery day. I clip coupons, do shopping, and take recycling
Monday is my big house cleaning day: change sheets, mop, clean mirrors, counters, toilets, etc...
Tuesday the kids have gymnastics
Wednesday is the day I pay bills and take care of paper work. (also clip coupons from the free newspaper)
Thursday, Friday and Saturday is pretty much clean as needed.

Those are the main things I get done on those days but everyday, I do the following:

• empty all trash as soon as I enter that room for the first time of the day
• empty dishwasher after breakfast
• fold laundry straight out of dryer after I drop of dd at school
• sweep under table
• wipe down chairs, table, and counters
• after lunch, I immediately put all dishes in dishwasher and wipe everything down again
• I put the youngest down for a nap
• free time for me!
• pick up dd at school & help with homework
• start dinner
• after dinner, clean up kitchen again
• bath time for kids (During their bath, I wipe down their counters & toilet. After their bath, I wipe down the tub).
• bed time for kids
• after my bath, I squeegee down the shower walls/glass...never had build up.
• after that, I start a load of laundry and put the one currently in the machine into the dryer for the next morning.

It may or may not sound like alot but, I clean up which ever room before I leave it and as the mess is made. I don't really notice that I'm cleaning anymore, it's just part of my routine now.

Since you may be interested in clipping coupons, I'd like to suggest trying out the thegrocerygame.com. Before I tried the Grocery Game, I couldn't get out of Wal-Mart without spending at least $165 every week. Last week, I spent $41 for our family of 5! If you like it, pm me, I'll give you my e-mail and we can both get a credit if you use me as a reference.

 

[Spoisal]

Since you may be interested in clipping coupons, I'd like to suggest trying out the thegrocerygame.com. Before I tried the Grocery Game, I couldn't get out of Wal-Mart without spending at least $165 every week. Last week, I spent $41 for our family of 5! If you like it, pm me, I'll give you my e-mail and we can both get a credit if you use me as a reference.

I looked at this site & it looks really interesting. I think I will sign up for the 4weeks for a $1 thing, BUT - we leave for an 8 day Disney trip on the 16th, so I think I will wait until after Thanksgiving......

 

[Gillian]

Good luck to you! I'm terrible with cleaning, but I can say that shopping at warehouse stores is often more expensive than the regular grocery stores. I don't know safeway, though.

I do clip coupons, and sometimes I buy multiple newspapers and/or buy from a clipping service using the store flyers online.

I don't use the grocery game, it was not posted at a convenient time for my shopping trips.

 

[EthansMom]

My schedule revolves mostly around the kids. DS4 goes to preschool from 9-1 on Mon., Weds. & Fri. so I try to do most of my errands and deep cleaning on those days.

Rather than having one big cleaning day, I try to do a little cleaning every day. I'd rather run a couple loads of laundry three days a week than do six loads of laundry in one day, for instance. Likewise, I don't clean the bathroom on the same day that I clean the oven in the kitchen.

As far as cooking more, I use the "Better Homes & Gardens" cookbooks and try to make up a weekly menu and I try to go to the grocery store only once per week and Costco only once every two weeks. Don't forget to schedule in some downtime in your menus; we make sure to have a leftover night and frozen pizza night every once in a while. Not every night needs to be filet mignon.

I do like some of the Flylady advice, particularly Zone Cleaning and morning/bedtime routines work well for me!

Enjoy being a SAHM!

 

[sleepyone]

I looked at this site & it looks really interesting. I think I will sign up for the 4weeks for a $1 thing, BUT - we leave for an 8 day Disney trip on the 16th, so I think I will wait until after Thanksgiving......

That's what I did. I found the link at the budget board and had planned to only do the $1 thing but, I like it so much, I'm hooked...LOL.