And just today, at breakfast with a lovely group of ladies, one of them mentioned that she has someone come regularly and that it really lets her focus on other things (aka. the kids) and makes her husband happy as well. She said it's the best money she spends in her month and hasn't bought clothes in a while just so she can keep the cleaning lady coming back.
Wow!
It's true, though, that just to keep the house picked up and tidy, not CLEAN is a daunting task and one I rarely accomplish. It seems I'm always juggling schedules. One is up. The other is sleeping. They're both sleeping and I don't want to wake them by doing loud things like putting away dishes or vacuuming. The one that just woke up wants a snack and then wants to play outside. It gets too crazy to stay in the house a second longer, so we go out. It never ends. I also feel like, even though I do play with them and feed them and hold them and bounce them etc. that I never quite give myself to it completely. It's not that I'm consciously thinking about the fact that there are other things to do, but I do think I could enjoy them more if I knew the floors, windows, tubs, toilets and sinks were clean and all I had to do was laundry and picking up after myself and them.
So now I'm seriously wishing for, seriously considering the possibility of... "the cleaning lady," whoever she may be, paying us a visit. Maybe even on a regular basis. It's been a rough month or two with the budget and we're considering buying a bigger car for me to cart the girls around in, so this may continue to be on the back burner and stay a wish for a while.
Any thoughts? do you have a cleaning lady? and if not, how do you make the cleaning happen with small kids?
8 comments:
just do it girl...you deserve it!!!!
Oh I'm torn with this answer.
When Simon was working out of town I had 2 small ones, was pregnant with Bennett and so very sick. I hired someone to clean because there was no way it was going to get done. So I'd definitely argue there are seasons for this.
HOWEVER, in the big picture I think it does a family a disservice to have someone clean on a consistent basis.
I am bound and determined to train my children in the way they should go in all areas of life and not teaching the responsibility of keeping a home is just not wise. Your girls are so very young so I know this doesn't apply yet, but it will in such a short time so don't rob them and yourself from working this into your daily routine with them. You'll be surprised at how much you can get done in 5-10 minute spurts.
However, don't get me wrong. Would I love to have someone do a twice/year big clean that is so very hard for me to do? You bet, sign me up!!! :)
first of all, in georgia as well as arkansas, we call them "cleaning ladies"... here in MS, they call them "Maids"... i was shocked at this at first, because it seems so un-pc!
anyway, i totally agree with the above commenter completely. however, i have to admit that i was the one who said it's the best money i spend every month! i caved when i had my second baby. my standards are high and i wasn't meeting them for myself. but, like i said, i got spoiled and kept her past the season i intended. my opinion for you is...cleaning lady over car! i cannot tell you how wonderful it is!!
however, i am not saying that it doesn't have consequences. like, for example, one day i was mopping and bradley said, "mom, what are you doing with mrs. diana's mop?" let me tell you how i hung my head in shame!!
try the fly lady. if you are trying to do that and still miserable, i would suggest getting some help....especially since you are in a situation like mine (kids at home and NO family in sight to take the kids for even 30 minutes a week so you can clean or organize or cook ahead or ANYTHING!). i would like to eventually go back to having no house help, but with another baby on the way, it won't be this year!!!
in addition to the priorities talk we had today, i have also been thinking about the whole idea of "enhancements" of any kind.
gray areas, where you draw the line, etc. for example, if plastic surgery is "wrong" or not a good idea, then does the same apply to makeup? they are both beauty enhancements. the same goes for hired help. is none the only way to go if one is trying to live a pure lifestyle? if it's okay to have some kid mow for you, why not a housekeeper once a month? a season? a week? full time?
no conclusions here. but i can compare having my cleaning lady to those times in life where you are doing something that in your head you know is wrong, but it FEELS so right, so you just keep right on doing it! ya know??? LOL!
Sara, you know I would never consider myself a very good housekeeper. My house is never very tidy (unless the inlaws are visiting) and I can attibute this to my consistent struggle with laziness :-P On the days that I work, our babysitter helps us out with dishes, laundry, and vacuuming, and it has been a godsend! I think having someone help you out (however often you decide) could be great.
Thanks so much everyone for your input... and I do mean every single last one of you. I never knew this post would get the award for most comments and longest comments! haha!
Hey! I know this blog is a little older, but I'm just now catching up. I don't have kids (as you know!), but my time gets tight sometimes - teaching dance one night a week and taking writing assignments for several publications... in addition to my 40+hour a week job. I have a cleaning lady come two or three times a year to do a "deep" clean of my condo. It's great - I find that I really look forward to it and it frees me up to do other (either fulfilling or money-making) things. Of course, it's not a justification for laziness of any kind, but sometimes just a nice little boost. I say, if you can afford to do it and have the help occasionally, go for it!
I think I AM leaning toward what seems to be a happy medium of 2-4 times a year and then figuring it out the rest of the time with the kids in order to train them. I don't want them to think our broom is not actually ours and I do want them to have the skills to keep their own place someday.
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