How do you manage a job, kids, and keeping the house clean?  Any methods?
548042
My apologies. If you wanted a magic elixer to do it all, there isn't any.\n\nThe only tools available to you is discipline, get your 10 yr old to do some housework for pocket money and use your freezer to store some ready meals to pull out, nuke and put on the table.\n\nTidying up is about something that is always happening with kids. Look at what the kids play with and how and work out if a container can be used to improve tidying. For example my sons use two large containers for their Lego and soldiers and scenes. This then puts the responsibility on my boys to put there toys back in the boxes when ever it's needed. Tidying is something that should be done in a "bit here, bit there" as this is far more efficient and better appearance than leaving things and then have a large mess to clean.\n\nCleaning needs another method of "divide and conquer". Divide your house up into areas that then are completed at certain times during your week with areas like the kitchen bench completed at the begining of a cleaning session. Get yourself some labour saving devices as well to speed things up. We have 14 clothes backets, 2 or 3 spares in the laundry ready to go. One maybe for the top of the clothes hamper to stop clothes overflowing. One maybe two beside the washing machine for when washing day arrives. Clothes come off the clothes line then the folding, ironing, putting away might be a little while so their stacked and stored. Even when they are given to the kids to put away, if the kids forget or your not on top of it you limit the mess. Even putting big toys in them in the kids rooms.\n\nA dinner ready to go is about cooking your food at a time when things are easy. Examples are cooking the sauce of Spagetti Bolonaise then cool and freezing it. Buy angel hair spagetti which cooks the quickest and drag out the sauce, put it through the microwave ta-dah. There are lots of these and if you have a Croc-Pot you can load it with meat and vegies in the morning and serve with bread rolls at dinner. The very nice people in the recipe answer forum could roll out some for you as well.\n\nAs for you not having energy, would that mean your continually tired, go and see your doc about it and make sure about plenty of sleep, food and a multivitamin.\n\nHope this helps.
26648
First, let me congratulate you ond keeping clean for so long, that's a hard task after dependence when your life is so overwhelming to you. Good job! Second, let me commend you on keeping up to this point with the wreckage that is the past and getting your education going while living with teenagers! Not an easy or enviable task. \n\nYou should be very proud of yourself for coming this far and getting things on the right track. As hard as it may be your are doing great things for yourself and your children and both you and your kids should be very proud. Its tough for anyone to teach their children to be responsible, even tough to maintain responsibility ourselves, and we are the best lesson our kids have. It sounds like the kids are all old enough to helping out around the house. I think good hard work is one of the greatest things my father ever did for me growing up. They need to be chipping in and helping you get things moving with more ease than it is now. Set some goals/requirements, place some rewards for success to help motivate them (often rewards are every bit as good as punishment and will foster a better relationship without bitterness). \n\nFor yourself, stay on top of your legal responsibilities, get it done with and move on...what a weight to be lifted when you can trully leave it behind you. Keep clean by whatever means necessary and feel damn good for doing it! Its far too easy to fall back into a bad routine when stress is high. Know in your heart that there is a light at the end, and try to relax when you can in the hectic pace. Things will get better.\n\nGood Luck to you and the fam....
9568
Just DO IT!\n\nYou know it has to be done...taking out the trash, laundry, washing dishes, etc.  Just DO IT!\n\nStart a load of laundry, take out the trash, wash some dishes, put the load of laundry in the dryer and start another one in the wash.\n\nTake a shower and scrub the shower when you are in it.
19749
Wear gloves.\nUse a humidifier.\nGet rid of carpeting.\nCarry a wet towel.
403896
Grab a mop and clean the house
819929
Let him watch 3 kids byhimself all day and see how clean he can keep the house,,,,,,,,if he does not appreciate you after that kick his butt.  I'll tell you i was a nanny i took one day off and dad stayed home...you guessed it he called me three time and the third call was "my wife is going to kill me the youngest gave tha cat a hair cut."  they say being a mom is three jobs in one babysitter.housekeeper and cook. Make him try it.
1116474
Keep a little notepad & pen with you, & every time something pops into your head; write it down.\nBegin setting a fixed time, daily, when you do thiese lttle things. This will discipline you to manage your time better while developing some organizational skills, too.
121173
Clean.\nRe-arrange the crib.\nVideo Games.\nBooty Call.\nTry a new and dificult food to make.\n\nThe best advice I could give you is work out. It doesn't even have to be any thing great. If you find yourself vegging out watching TV on a rainy day, try doing excercises during the commercials. Exercises like crunches, leg raises, side leg lifts, squats, lunges, arm rotations, and push ups are good to do for this. \n\nOr you could go to the closest store pick up a 12 pack of Corona and sit down and answer easy questions for a couple hours.
358894
If you're living paycheck to paycheck you need to do one of two things (or both);\n\nA.  Get a better job (learn a  skill that pays more).\nB.  Budget wisely. It's not that hard.\n\nYou'll be giving your kids the best lesson in life; Taking personal responsibility for your circumstances & doing something to improve them.\n\nGood Luck!
554693
write a book, clean hard to reak areas in the bathroom. check out myspace.com and my yearbook.com. Offer to babysit a relative. keep a journal. teach yourself to cook. make an inspirational collage to remind you of your life goals. Make a video of yourself doing something crazy. Paint a masterpiece. learn to knit or sew. make sock puppets and put on a play. embellish some clothes with beads and glitter. count the raindrops on the window. Write a song about your best friend and sing it to them on the phone. answer Q's online with a humorous note. Cook a meal for your family with their help. make a paper mache piniata. search in the couch for money. the options are endless!
956751
first, pick up all the mess. put everything in its place. you have to see progress after every half an hour or so - so that laziness won't overcome you. after that, you start dusting, then sweeping the floors. do not take your focus off the job at hand, let's say you found a movie cd stack under your clothes, put it in the cd rack and don't watch it until your done cleaning.
206541
Tip 1:Disconnechand phone off the handphone and computer after 7pm every evening.We spend so much time on e-mail,SMS and talking on the telephone that we don't realise how disruptive they can be.Once the disconnect time strikes,all family members are to switch off their electronic gadgets so that there will be no interruptions during dinner and conversation.Tip 2 Little Helping Hands Invlove the children in chores.You can have wonderful chats about school,or how the day went while doing the dishes together,mopping the floor or folding and putting away laundry.Chores get done faster so that you have more time for other fun activities.Tip 3 Multi-task TV Prime Time Can't miss Desperate Housewives?Plan to do your ironing or your daily exerices while watching TV.Tip 4 Take Up As A Family Hobby There are a lot of things that adults can do  with children and learn a new skill at the same time.This will encourage children and parents to stay in the same class.Tip 5 CUt Phone Conversations Telemarketing is on the increase.If you are not interested  in buying more insurance,say so.Hope you enjoy!
477948
Everyone has to be part of the solution - kids included.\nPost your budget on the fridge to remind everyone they have a stake in this. Pain that it is, writing down EVERYTHING for a couple of months will cure the problem.\n\nFirst, add up all your income per pay period - month, week, biweekly, whatever.\n\nThen add up all your "fixed" expenses to match the pay period (multiply rent x 12 then divide by 52 to get weekly, etc.)(estimate using highest electricity bill, telephone bill, etc.) and ADD A NEW ITEM CALLED "BANK" THAT IS 10% OF YOUR INCOME.\n\nSubtract the expenses from your income. Now you know what you have to spend on groceries, gas, clothes, etc. etc.\n\nWhen your paycheck comes in, put it directly into your bank, and put 10% directly into your savings account - this matches your budget. Some banks will automatically do this for you if you ask them to.\n\nWhenever anyone spends anything, have them subtract it from the remaining money and WRITE DOWN WHAT IT IS FOR. Everyone can see where the $$ are going, and you'll see exactly what is happening and so will everyone else. Having the whole family seeing and supporting a reasonable budget is the best way to go - and a great lesson for your children.
849240
Clean your house up. Start being a better conscious for bacteria and health hazartds around your kitchen and barthrooms.\nIf you live dirty your children will not succumb to it, they will repell will anti sywish move and then get wrose down the road when they really get hit with the big.
106087
Oh Lordy..Lordy...Lordy. \n\nGirl children will do that to you.  \n\nWhat you need is a break away from your kids, if nothing more than for a day or two. \n\nDuring that day, pamper yourself. Spend time ALONE.  Do something you love. Indulge. Appreciate yourself. Go to the beach. Take a dance class. Whatever makes you feel good.  You need to reenergize yourself.  \n\nThen while you're alone spend time praying and reflecting on who you are, what you want, and the type of parent you want to be. \n\nFocus more on the behavior you want to exhibit, instead of focusing on the things you're doing wrong.  Be positive.  Stay positive.  \n\n         "I will be patient and kind to my children because they deserve it." \n\n         " I will establish clear rules and a schedule for all to follow to keep order in my home" \n\n         "I will praise my children often and be involved in their actities"\n\n         "I will take good care of myself, by eating right, getting plenty of rest, and taking care of my health.  When I feel good, I am at my best" \n\nThen when you get back with your family sit down and have a family meeting. \n\nApologize to your children for yelling at them.  Let them know that you know this does not make them feel good and you will do everything you can to avoid yelling.  \n\nGet them to agree to help you work on this.  Do not blame them for your behavior.  Set a good example and accept responsibilty, but let them know that you have to work at this as a family.  \n\nA good book to read on this is "The Seven Habits for the Family" by Steven Covey. \n\nBest wishes to you. \n\nBe blessed.  \n\n:o)
413946
The only thing you can really do it manage your time.  I work, go to school and care for 5 kids.  If I can do it, I'm sure you can to.  It's tiring and hard, but it is possible.\n\nMake a "to do" list.  Write down things you have to do, then decide what to do at the moment, what to schedule for later, what to get someone else to do, and what to put off for a later time period. \nDaily/weekly planner\nWrite down appointments, classes, and meetings on a chronological log book or chart. \nIf you are more visual, sketch out your schedule\nFirst thing in the morning, check what's ahead for the day\nalways go to sleep knowing you're prepared for tomorrow.\n\n Here's an online siminar about time management, IF you get the opportunity, try to visit this site.
1079761
This site has an ebook on just that subject. It's the one about starting your own service business. I have it and my cleaning business is doing great. Hope you have great success.