how do all the boro park mothers do it?

pink_nails

Tue, Sep 08 2009, 12:56 pm

I love that poem aishes chayil!!
I agree that not e/o has help 2x a week (maybe b4 pesach they'll have more cleaning help but not all year round). You make do w/ what you have and work around how much space limited too.
The main thing is not to have too many unneeded "things" in your house -especially odds and ends that you can never find a place for.

yummy2

Tue, Sep 08 2009, 12:56 pm

why don't you include your daughter in the helping?
from when my child was very little, he used to love wiping furniture with fresh wipes, ( it's safe, then I would clean it after when he was sleeping...)
they love the praise that comes along with it, like " yay! wow, look how clean!..."
it teaches them so much!
from every age, there is always something for kids to do.
now my son folds shmates, ( and however he folds it, is is always great and amasing!)
every friday, his job is to empty out the bathroom garbage pail, he loves it! he loves helping to vacuum, ( which he does for 1 sec)
they learn the concept of cleaning, chipping in, getting praised, and feeling accomplished.
after my son cleaned the table, he didnt allow my husband to put something on it, since it was so clean! lol, we taught him that this is a house, not a museum, and it's normal...
but seriously, everyone is happy then....

gryp

Tue, Sep 08 2009, 12:57 pm

Quote:

I beg to differ. it's a personality, if you are clean and orginised, you can live in a tiny appartment and always have an immaculate home, where as on the other hand, if you are not, sorry to break it to you, but you can have a live in help, and your house will always look untidy... in either case, we are all trying to be the best mothers we can be

It's only personality if all your kids have the same personality as you.
Cleaning help means another person cleaning, and the mess will definitely be reduced at least somewhat. Especially if the cleaning help is concentrated on heavy cleaning, and you can then concentrate on the organizing and tidying.

I don't have cleaning help and we definitely could use some more room around here. My kids are pretty good about putting their things away but they're small still and I can't/don't expect much from them. Every time I find myself being the kind of mother who shrieks about the mess all day, I hate myself. That's the last thing I want engraved in their childhood memories.

yummy2

Tue, Sep 08 2009, 12:59 pm

all this starts form when they are real little. from when my son was a baby crawling, I would give him his diaper after a change, and he would throw it out, when I would hold him, I would go to the garbage can, put it in his hands, and he would throw it in, he loved it!

now, an other example, he loves sorting out laundry, he matches the dark, whites, and a question pile, where we do it together...
he loves playing "set" with sox, yup, my 5 year old matches the sox....

gryp

Tue, Sep 08 2009, 1:05 pm

That's great, but if you think that works for every single child on a consistent basis throughout all his stages of life, you gotta be kidding me. Many kids are "too busy" to clean up after themselves, my 4 yr old's latest excuse. Or was it that his arms aren't working today. LOL

yummy2

Tue, Sep 08 2009, 1:10 pm

lol, he sounds adoreable!
I didn't mean on a day to day basis, but as much as they are willing to do...

once all is nice and tidy, we relax together, I ordered highlights for him, we sit and take turns looking for the hidden pidtures, we then circle them.....
we get to spend quality time together, and no mess Smile

gryp

Tue, Sep 08 2009, 1:30 pm

KAH, he's a great kid. But he's one of four (KAH) and each kid has his own ideas about what's best for him to do there and then, and cleaning up somehow doesn't always make it to the list.

I never had a torn or colored on book in this place until my 3rd came around and "destruction just because" seems to be his motto. Woe is to us they days we leave a pen within his reach. Rolling Eyes

yummy2

Tue, Sep 08 2009, 1:35 pm

lol ( my son knows as well no pens unless we are sitting next to him. #1, he would color unintentialy on the couch or table, and #2, if he is controling himself not to color the table, he would put the pen in his mouth. lol, go figure which is better)

amother

Tue, Sep 08 2009, 3:12 pm

I live in a 2 BR apt. I have 1 baby preg. with #2 . I dont think I have a small apt. on one side of daughters room I have a crib and on the other side I have all her toys. Books albums, and papers.. go under the bookcase closed I have a huge dining room,living room big couch. Loads of room for my DD to crawl. Sorry maybe you have to be more organized. and neater, cleaner.

manhattanmom

Tue, Sep 08 2009, 3:38 pm

I'm a big believer in throwing things out!
All new mail gets sorted and shredded as it comes. Toys are kept in containers and only one toy at a time.
I also do my best to remain firm about not having what I don't have space for. End of story.

I don't have any kids in school yet so I imagine this will get harder when we have projects....

louche

Tue, Sep 08 2009, 8:12 pm

manhattanmom wrote:

I don't have any kids in school yet so I imagine this will get harder when we have projects....

You are my soul sister. let's get together and throw stuff out in tandem!

Oh, the dreaded preschool art projects...at least one a day every day and several on Friday. We put a string up on the wall in our entry hall and used clothespins to hang up such projects as lent themselves to this treatment. They stayed till the next wave of projects came in, then they went in the "circular file" after dc were asleep.

each child got a file folder in which s/he could save (or I would) one or two of the best of the best each year. Report cards, Masmid of the Week certificates and so on also went in here. Upon elementary and then HS graduation, each child goes through the folder and removes whatever s/he no longer wants (subject to my approval.) When they marry, IY"H, the files will go with them--but I get to keep those delicious misspelled and so-sincere "I lov yoo Mami you mak choclit cak for me" notes!

gryp

Tue, Sep 08 2009, 8:15 pm

My kids each have a box to throw their projects into when they come home. Every few months or when it fills up we go through it and dump most of it and save the ones they really like. It works out very nicely.