Making pesach while have having kids home

shanarishona

Fri, Mar 13 2020, 1:22 pm

How are we going to prepare for Pesach when the kids are home?
I am a very uni-focused person. I can't concentrate on even simple tasks when I'm with the kids.
So there's no option of them "helping" me.
And if I try to set them up with a book or a story for half an hour and I try to work on Pesach then - I think that will be too stressful.
It seems to me that if I want to be emotionally and physically available for my kids during this time, I have to focus on THEM and not on making pesach. If I try to do both, I will be very stressed. But then when will I make pesach? After they're in bed when I'm wiped from mommy camp and just want to relax?

(Note: I'm not complaining here. Grateful for the kids, think having schools closed is smart etc... JUST trying to figure out a plan and find out if lots of people are in the same boat.)

Plonis

Fri, Mar 13 2020, 2:05 pm

Go back to the basics of Pesach cleaning. You should be able to do it in a half hour or an hour a night.

1) Go through all rooms, figure out what you can lock away so you don't have to go through it. (Boxes of outgrown clothing, memorabilia, etc.) Put those things in a closet and label it "To Sell."

2) Straighten up one room at a time. Take out clothing from drawer, replace it. Just checking to make sure there is no desirable chometz in there (wafers, bags of pretzels, etc.) Crumbs are not a problem. Try to leave room organized enough that you can do Bedikas Chometz in there. Anything that needs sorting, etc. stick into your "To Sell" closet.

3) Clean dining room table well using some kind of inedible cleanser. Here crumbs DO count. Cover it with a thick plastic tablecloth and tape it on. You will pull it off and replace it closer to Pesach.

4) Buy yourself cheap plastic shelving for Pesach so you don't have to clean or line cabinets. Even if you have to throw it away or donate it afterwards, if you don't have room to store it, it will be worth it.

5) Wipe down exteriors of cabinets well, using some sort of inedible cleanser (to render crumbs inedible).

6) Clean fridge well, line with Press 'N Seal (goes up easily, sticks fairly well to clean fridge walls, and easy to mold into fridge shelving and crevices.

7) Clean stovetop well, cover to keep it clean. Clean oven well. Do it in shifts if you need to.

8) Transition to kitnios only in kitchen, eat chometz only outside of kitchen.

9) Clean any other surfaces in kitchen well.

10) Kasher whatever you kasher, tape all cabinets closed, cover counters if you do that.

11) Your house is now kosher for Pesach.

sub

Fri, Mar 13 2020, 3:56 pm

I am going to print this and give it to friends, family and co workers. Yes

amother

Wine

Sat, Mar 14 2020, 8:20 pm

I have no idea & I'm very worried.
I'm not well enough to do the cleaning by myself. My teens were given a full workload ( online classes from 8-6 incl davening).
Even my just doing the schoolwork with the younger ones will negatively impact my health severely.
I just don't know
I want to cry.
Times like these I wish dh or I had family to help or to host.

jd1212

Sat, Mar 14 2020, 8:25 pm

I know, it’s so hard OP! Could you get 3 hours of cleaning help one morning and put a few shows on for the kids with popcorn and make it fun for them and then go to town cleaning with her?

Tzutzie

Sat, Mar 14 2020, 8:52 pm

Can you switch off mommy camp with your neigbors? 2 hours a day here 2 hours a day there. One feeds all kids breakfast the ither lunch.... or snack. Switch off different neighbors for different days. Everyone wins....

amother

Gold

Sat, Mar 14 2020, 9:42 pm

I think in some places they are already saying the kids shouldn't have playdates which will nix the idea of switching off who's watching the kids.

I'm waiting for them to say that you shouldn't use cleaning ladies because they go from one house to the next. Right now I'm still planning on using mine but seeing how things are going I don't think it's a far stretch...

amother

Jade

Sat, Mar 14 2020, 9:44 pm

I'm crazy: I clean with headphones on. But I have a few older kids who are capable of babysitting so it's not like I have to be constantly on call.

amother

Ecru

Sat, Mar 14 2020, 9:51 pm

I have no idea and I’m so so stressed.
I have 5 little kids including a newborn.
Cleaning with the kids home
Buying groceries for pesach cooking with 5 little kids with me
Cooking with kids home

Even just the bare basics, when I think about it I feel like crying.

shanarishona

Sat, Mar 14 2020, 10:19 pm

Also, keeping kids who are home all day from eating outside the kitchen.....

amother

Linen

Sat, Mar 14 2020, 10:22 pm

I'm in the same boat. Appreciate the advice

amother

Maroon

Sat, Mar 14 2020, 10:29 pm

Stressful is not even the right word. I'm planning to sell all closets and cabinets just vacuum the bottoms out. Actually only planning to vacuum through the entire house thoroughly and then wash everything down with bleach right before I turn over.
But my house is tiny and I only have 2 kids. I can't imagine how stressful it might be for someone with a bunch of little kids. Also my kids tend to go through 4 times the normal amount of food when they are on vacation. Really scared about what will happen if we are quarantined.

TheNeutralOne

Sat, Mar 14 2020, 11:25 pm

Step one: get all the chametz OUT of your house. Corn and rice based cereals and snacks. Fruit. Vegetables. Bamba is fine. Just no hardcore chametz.