Clean freak parents

[Anonymous]

DH and I are admittedly both clean-freaks. Our apartment is spotless with “a place for everything and everything in it’s place”. We’re expecting our first baby and have decided to go with a good nanny. One fantastic nanny we interviewed talked about doing art with the baby when he’s older and going to a nearby park with a huge sand pit. She talked about sensory bins and homemade play dough. DH and I both had the same neurotic thought about what a mess it all would be! I know it’s nuts but how much cleaning up after the child can we hope for in a nanny?

[Anonymous]

A good nanny will clean up entirely.

However, as a neat-freak myself, I can tell you that when the kid arrives, you will HAVE to de-prioritize cleanliness and organization. Seriously. Kids are constant mess makers, and babies require so much attention it can be hard to keep up with your usual good habits. Just hang in there; someone once told me, “the mess won’t be there forever; one day you’ll look up and realize it’s gone - and your child is grown.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A good nanny will clean up entirely.

However, as a neat-freak myself, I can tell you that when the kid arrives, you will HAVE to de-prioritize cleanliness and organization. Seriously. Kids are constant mess makers, and babies require so much attention it can be hard to keep up with your usual good habits. Just hang in there; someone once told me, “the mess won’t be there forever; one day you’ll look up and realize it’s gone - and your child is grown.”

I wouldn't say you have to deprioritize cleaning/organization -- I still prioritize it and for me it's essential to keeping my sanity. I'm raising a very tidy, organized kid too. In our house, cleaning up before dinner and making sure things have a place to go to helps us all stay sane.

But you do have to lower your standards. Especially around cleaning. With organization, I find it's not that hard to stay organized as long as you don't acquire too much stuff (and if you have a super organized home, you probably won't because it means you are used to getting rid of things you don't use). But no way will your house ever be as clean with a kid as it was without. I do things that I think a lot of people would consider mega-overkill (like vacuum daily, and clean bathrooms 3x a week) but our house is still dirtier than it used to be. Art projects, sand from the park, dirt getting tracked in on shoes/bikes/scooters (we live in an apartment so these things mostly come into the apartment with us). And the crumbs. So many crumbs. Even when you try to keep food localized to certain areas, there are still always crumbs everywhere. Thus the daily vacuuming. We also have a cat and between the kid and the cat... I just have to accept that my house will never be spotless. But I can fight the good fight.

[Anonymous]

Oh, hon. You’re gonna have to adapt.

[Anonymous]

If you want your house to look the same when you get home as it did when you leave for work you should do daycare and have the house be empty all day. Otherwise know that the nanny you interviewed sounds great and knows a lot about what babies/toddlers need.

[Anonymous]

You will need to adjust. If you want your house to be clean freak clean then your nanny will have to spend and devote more time to cleaning then they will to your child and when the time comes I think you’ll understand that you do not want that.

[Anonymous]

I wish I could be a clean freak and have a clean freak husband. Sadly, we're squarely in messy territory - although sand pits are not great. Notoriously full of bacteria and sand gets everywhere. Paint is easier to clean up. When your kid grows up, avoid glitter at all costs!

[Anonymous]

Your nanny will clean it all up.
This is all good stuff. I'm not sure what you want the nanny to do otherwise with your child - only read books? Only go to "clean" places?
I think your neat-freakness will be overridden by how cute you think your child's art projects etc. are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A good nanny will clean up entirely.

However, as a neat-freak myself, I can tell you that when the kid arrives, you will HAVE to de-prioritize cleanliness and organization. Seriously. Kids are constant mess makers, and babies require so much attention it can be hard to keep up with your usual good habits. Just hang in there; someone once told me, “the mess won’t be there forever; one day you’ll look up and realize it’s gone - and your child is grown.”

I wouldn't say you have to deprioritize cleaning/organization -- I still prioritize it and for me it's essential to keeping my sanity. I'm raising a very tidy, organized kid too. In our house, cleaning up before dinner and making sure things have a place to go to helps us all stay sane.

But you do have to lower your standards. Especially around cleaning. With organization, I find it's not that hard to stay organized as long as you don't acquire too much stuff (and if you have a super organized home, you probably won't because it means you are used to getting rid of things you don't use). But no way will your house ever be as clean with a kid as it was without. I do things that I think a lot of people would consider mega-overkill (like vacuum daily, and clean bathrooms 3x a week) but our house is still dirtier than it used to be. Art projects, sand from the park, dirt getting tracked in on shoes/bikes/scooters (we live in an apartment so these things mostly come into the apartment with us). And the crumbs. So many crumbs. Even when you try to keep food localized to certain areas, there are still always crumbs everywhere. Thus the daily vacuuming. We also have a cat and between the kid and the cat... I just have to accept that my house will never be spotless. But I can fight the good fight.

Whoa. Do you do this every day and work full time? I guess in an apartment its not as daunting, but still. I'm both impressed and amazed.

[Anonymous]

You're in for a rude awakening, OP.

[Anonymous]

OP, seriously don't worry about this. You will naturally adjust to a messier and more chaotic house just as you will naturally adjust to all the other parts about having kids. Any good nanny will clean up after herself and the kids.

But seriously, don't get hung up on this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DH and I are admittedly both clean-freaks. Our apartment is spotless with “a place for everything and everything in it’s place”. We’re expecting our first baby and have decided to go with a good nanny. One fantastic nanny we interviewed talked about doing art with the baby when he’s older and going to a nearby park with a huge sand pit. She talked about sensory bins and homemade play dough. DH and I both had the same neurotic thought about what a mess it all would be! I know it’s nuts but how much cleaning up after the child can we hope for in a nanny?

Have you any experience with children? Most of them are like "Pigpen" in Charlie Brown. The bigger the mess, the happier they are. You are going to drive this nanny crazy so be prepared to get a new nanny every few months. I suggest you learn to lighten up. As my children got older, my rule was they could keep their rooms anyway they liked but no food but all community rooms had to be picked up. Lighten up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DH and I are admittedly both clean-freaks. Our apartment is spotless with “a place for everything and everything in it’s place”. We’re expecting our first baby and have decided to go with a good nanny. One fantastic nanny we interviewed talked about doing art with the baby when he’s older and going to a nearby park with a huge sand pit. She talked about sensory bins and homemade play dough. DH and I both had the same neurotic thought about what a mess it all would be! I know it’s nuts but how much cleaning up after the child can we hope for in a nanny?

Oh.... you're going to have fun. What is most important to you - a spotless home or a well cared for child?

That being said, sensory bins don't have to be in the house. Most are kind of messy. The sand pit/box though.... will your child not be allowed to play in those?

[Anonymous]

As a former neatnik once I had children it was so tough for me dealing w/the constant chaos that kids bring.

My house was never clean enough to where I was 💯% happy.
Thankfully as a young Mother I had the energy to keep up w/the messes.

Now my kids are all grown up and I would do ANYthing to have my kids little again even though I would have constant messes to clean up.
I miss those precious years.

I work part-time as a Nanny now & any good Nanny will leave your house in much better condition than it was when she arrived.
So if you have a great caregiver > do not worry about the mess.

[Anonymous]

Sounds like a good nanny good find!