Drowning in Housework. What have you invested in?

[Anonymous]

Have your kids do their own laundry. Mine started in 1st grade. Let them put it away even if it means it’s shoved in drawers or they live out of the clean laundry basket.

Use delivery services so you can cut back on time spent running to the store.

Have kids pack their own lunches or buy. They are old enough to pack.

Set aside 15 minutes each evening to put things away so the piles don’t build.

Assign age appropriate chores for the kids to complete on weekends. They can definitely dust or vacuum and straighten up the family room.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:After going back to work five times a day, I am really drowning in the housework. Work a full day to drive kids to activities, to making dinner, laundry, dishes, lunches for the next day…. And start it all over again the next day.

Kids are 9 and 12, they help. DH is involved, he helps.

But I feel like there is still more to do than all four of us can get done and not go insane.

There are definitely days that I can get it all done but then I am not exercising, I am stressed, I am tired and overall unhappy.

So to my question, what have other dual income, two working parents outside the home invested in to help with housework?

We have a maid that comes twice a week but that’s not enough lately.

Is anyone else getting help with laundry with like a wash and fold service, or have someone come into the home and do more than the biweekly deep cleaning? I don’t know, I just need some ideas because right now I feel like I am constantly doing housework and still not keeping up.

If your maid comes twice a week you are doing no cleaning. Find someone who can cook and do laundry. Ask the maid to do the laundry. Buy ready made meals.

[Anonymous]

Know you’re not alone .. Do the best you can.
Once your kids get a bit older - they def should be able to assist slightly more

[Anonymous]

My DCs are older now, but having a housekeeper here twice a week has always been more than sufficient for us to keep on top of things. Mine does laundry for us, which makes a big difference. Maybe ask yours to do the same? We also clean up after ourselves so that she doesn't have to face a huge mess when she's here. It's not a lot of effort to tidy up after using the bathroom, clean up in the kitchen after eating, and put things away where they belong.

[Anonymous]

Laundry is easy. Put a load in when you wake up. Stick it in the dryer as you leave. Fold it and have everyone take what’s theirs to put away in the evening. 7 loads a week is plenty for a family of four.

[Anonymous]

Lowering standards worked for us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Laundry is easy. Put a load in when you wake up. Stick it in the dryer as you leave. Fold it and have everyone take what’s theirs to put away in the evening. 7 loads a week is plenty for a family of four.

These posts baffle me. Do you just wash everyone's sheets and duvets in one giant load? Do you not separate colors and whites? Don't your kids have uniforms that need to be worn? Pets?

[Anonymous]

I often get things done while my kids are in activities. Usually the activities are short enough it's not worth driving back home, so I either get some exercise, run an errand nearby, or catch up on my to do list (pay bills, answer emails, online shopping or whatever else can be done with my phone.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You have a maid come twice a week and that isn't enough? That seems crazy to me.

But you mention laundry; that is easy to outsource. And if you can pay for a maid twice a week surely you can pay for some home-chef meal prepping or something like that.

Can’t the maid fold the laundry for an extra fee? We had a once a week cleaner at one point and paid her extra to do the laundry folding. It was a big help.

[Anonymous]

Have your maid stay an extra hour and do laundry

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Laundry is easy. Put a load in when you wake up. Stick it in the dryer as you leave. Fold it and have everyone take what’s theirs to put away in the evening. 7 loads a week is plenty for a family of four.

These posts baffle me. Do you just wash everyone's sheets and duvets in one giant load? Do you not separate colors and whites? Don't your kids have uniforms that need to be worn? Pets?

NP here but I'm going to be honest, yes. I've been washing everything on cold water for years, no need to separate, costs less money, less wear on clothes. Modern detergents and machines are more efficient and don't require hot water.

[Anonymous]

How long the maid is at your house?

Pp has great suggestion.

Id like tia add.

Have the maid stay a whole day like 8 hours so they can do laundry for bedsheets and blankets and changed out these for you.


Kids and DH do their own laundry. DH can help kids with folding and organizing laundry


I cook and cleaning up by washing the cookware and loading dishwasher. But my DH will wipe counter tops, c dining table. My 12 years old help with vacuum the kitchen and dining area daily. After that DH will mop kitchen daily.

This way we have a clean kitchen each night.

[Anonymous]

Robot vacuum and mop on each floor of the house
Air fryer
Meal planning
Kids do chores too

[Anonymous]

I was with you until I got to the maid twice a week part...

[Anonymous]

The kids are old enough to do laundry. What chores are each child performing now?