HELP!!!!

[Merlin]

I haven't contributed to the forum for a while as I have been a) incredibly busy at work and b) more importantly, been even busier at home.
I need some advice. My twins are now 6 and my now that my house cleaners have gone on their annual 5 week holiday I am spending an inordinate amount of time cleaning up after my kids. Having never had cleaners come to my house until I became virtually full time back at work, I figure that now  I would much rather pay cleaners to do all the menial jobs around the house eg cleaning toilets, bathrooms etc so that the spare time I have I can spend it with my kids. I would never have a cleaner if I wasn't working and the expense of the cleaners is trivial compared to the invaluable time I get to spend with my kids instead. Now that my cleaners are away I still turn a blind eye towards a lot of the mess but the areas I do clean regularly get 'trashed' by the kids 5 minutes later!!!
What does everyone else do to get their kids to help? ie obviously I don't expect 6 year olds to do a lot but I have at least one of them who loves using the DustBuster and the other doesn't mind using a duster etc. I also have a rewards chart for jobs done etc. Even before  my cleaners left  I always expect my kids  to do certain things around the house eg tidy their room. I have even tried the "cleaning olympics" recently to see who could tidy up the fastest!!
Anyway, I'd be grateful for any advice. Please note- I am not an obsessive- compulsive cleaning freak who has to have everything like 'home beautiful' but I do expect certain areas of the house to remain hygienic and clean beyond reproach!! Also, I apologise to everyone who thinks that I am whingeing and selfish for complaining about such a topic, especially as I can afford to have  house cleaners and I know others that can't. Thanks everyone!!!
PS Thank goodness for the miracle spray- I have gone through litres of the stuff since my cleaners have been gone!!!

[fundj&e]

put an add on gumtree for some help 

[cookie1]

Merlin I can imagine how you feel.  I would clean the house on the weekend or when ever you prefer to do it. Then each evening or whenever suits I would ask/bribe/threaten the kids to hel tidy te surface mess. That is their toys, books etc. even if they are just stacked neatly or put into crates or something. Just so that surface looks tidy. You know that the underneath is clean. For bathrooms, toilets I would just give them a quick runover of the evening as the big clean was done on the weekend.
Good luck.

[Merlin]

Thanks cookie. That's pretty much what I'm doing at the monent on weekends but even though the house is liveable and looks tidy enough I still feel I am working against a tsunami of mess that two hobbits can create in a very short space of time!

[MargC]

I used to clean up early in the day. Enlist their help or bribe them to keep out of your way with the promise of an outing.Then get the kids out for some physically challenging activities & don"t come home till they are too exhausted to make a mess... Then all you have to do is feed them & put them to bed after a terrific day spent with Mum!
Good Luck

[CreamPuff63]

Have you asked the  hobbits if they have any ideas? They may be prepared to stick at a chore if they have been the one to suggest it  
Could you get a big stack of $1 coins to pay the kids cash for quick jobs?

[Halex]

Ok, my ds does heaps for money. We used to have a chart of x money per job. That wore off after a week.

Now I find the best thing is lump  sums  at the end of the week.

He can have anything from $20 upwards, normally gets $25-30.  But the trick is, its for his school banking. He knows  this money  is for a car or house. He loves to stand in  line wrh the most money.

School banking is good & the interest rate is higher than our account. We use CBA.

What  does he do:-
Tidys all toys inside & out daily
Unloads dishwasher
Vacuums daily
lays dinner tabe, clears dinner table
Hangs out washing, brings in washing when asked.


It works really well

[cottchick]

Personally I would be finding cleaners who can come for the five weeks till your regulars get back. In the meantime, The Fly Lady might have some ideas. I also like the idea by CP63 of asking the kids what they would like to do.

Do you have a Star Chart? That might work better than money for six year olds. They get a star for every ACTUALLY HELPFUL thing they do (my youngest is six and its old enough for genuinely helpful tasks) and then at every tenth star they get a little prize like staying up an extra half hour or an extra story at bedtime or a coveted headband or whatever. An outing with grandma

What is miracle cleaner? I might need some of that with one six year old and two teens!!

[Merlin]

We have a reward chart for both of them as I don't believe in giving money to 6 year olds as they (mine) don't really know the value of money yet. The sticker chart works on and off however. Sometimes there is great momentum gained with the chart and other times it doesn't seem to make any difference. Thanks for all the ideas so far by the way!

[Halex]

The charts didnt  work well here.

School banking starts in pre-primary here, its fantastic as all kids want to bank the most money.

Works brilliantly here

[cottchick]

Here is a link to some other people's ideas on the fly lady's site:

http://www.flylady.net/d/gycw/flying-with-preschoolers/

http://www.flylady.net/d/gycw/flying-with-school-age-children/

I hope the link works, not familiar with this function on the forum.

[Merlin]

Thanks all-  the ideas are brilliant.  I think I have been doing too much and expecting less!
To complicate matters tonight- they had their last day of school term two days ago and now they are both complaining of tummy aches and one of them has just starting vomiting- and to top it off, my husband is away again for work.  Time to a) ignore the cleaning and b)put my  dressing gown and bunker down for the night ahead! Looks like mummy cuddles and the washing machine are going to be popular tonight!

[cookie1]

Merlin I hope you get some sleep tonight and that the sheets don't need changing too many times. Hope the twins feel better soon.

[Merlin]

Thanks- I have literally both arms full tonight with one sickie under each arm and my iPad on my lap- multitasking central!

[Halex]

Hopefully much better in the morning