Families with both parents working FT: what do you outsource and what falls through the cracks?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:16yo
12yo

This is the worst so far for us in terms of life craziness.

We outsource cleaning every 2 weeks and the yard spring-fall. We go in cycles doing Hello Fresh a few times a year, 2 meals a week, to supplement other dinners at home.

Laundry is kicking our asses. It's clean, but our guestroom has been the place where "clean laundry goes to die" LOL. We're outside the DC area now so I have not found a laundry service that would get us back to zero every once in a while, but I'm still looking.

Oh and yes I totally call in a handyman, painter, etc. when needed. DH and I handled much of that until the kids hit MS, now, nope.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:16yo
12yo

This is the worst so far for us in terms of life craziness.

We outsource cleaning every 2 weeks and the yard spring-fall. We go in cycles doing Hello Fresh a few times a year, 2 meals a week, to supplement other dinners at home.

Laundry is kicking our asses. It's clean, but our guestroom has been the place where "clean laundry goes to die" LOL. We're outside the DC area now so I have not found a laundry service that would get us back to zero every once in a while, but I'm still looking.

Lol our guest room is the same. DH (who won’t do laundry) was in there this morning rummaging for clean underwear.

[Anonymous]

Nothing at the moment. Our house isn’t the cleanest but it’s not bad at all. Kids are 10 and 7 and more helpful, especially in cooking believe it or not. I occasionally go crazy with decluttering and on a daily basis make the beds, pick up, take out recycling, straighten things; and weekly vacuum. Dust less often. Mop and clean bathrooms throughly less often. Laundry gets done anytime the bins fill up. We both don’t mind grocery shopping so we do that ourselves. If I could hire a cook who could cook like my late mom (south Asian). We also don’t cook amazing meals, it’s more slapdash. On a positive note I’d say our home is always visitor ready, provided visitors aren’t too picky.

[Anonymous]

Only one 2 year old and we don’t outsource yet but I’m sure will in the future when we have two like many of you. Cleaning is what really falls by the wayside. We generally pull off laundry (only because my husband diligently does it) and cooking (quick meals and some prep the night before) and we pick up clutter mostly on good weeks but deep cleaning... I just can’t get myself to spend much of my precious weekends doing that.

[Anonymous]

We outsource yard work, repairs, cleaning. Also meal prep and some laundry. We prioritize having family dinner with a home cooked meal most nights. Kids are 3 & 6.

What falls through the cracks: big house organization projects, like decluttering the basement, and stuff like having a spotless car. Some weeks the house is a little less picked up than I’d like but we don’t have a ton of stuff so that helps.

[Anonymous]

We outsource yard work, repairs, cleaning. Also meal prep and some laundry. We prioritize having family dinner with a home cooked meal most nights. Kids are 3 & 6.

What falls through the cracks: big house organization projects, like decluttering the basement, and stuff like having a spotless car. Some weeks the house is a little less picked up than I’d like but we don’t have a ton of stuff so that helps.

[Anonymous]

We have a 5 year old and a baby. If you could call serving frozen meals outsourcing, we do that about once a week. We also are renters so we're not responsible for major repairs.

Deep cleaning falls by the wayside. I pick up a lot but actual cleansing is harder to find time for. When we have more money i would love to outsource that on occasion. Keeping up with paperwork and medical stuff (529s, insurance changes, non-routine bills, optical and dental appointments) is also a weak point.

[Anonymous]

House Cleaning
Lawn and shrub care
Plantings
Leaf removal
Gutter cleaning
Spring mulching
Snow shoveling
Painting
We go to the car wash for wash and vacuum

As pp notes, dishes and laundry pile up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why do you assume that more, if anything, falls through the cracks with both parents working FT?

Is this even a question?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:16yo
12yo

This is the worst so far for us in terms of life craziness.

We outsource cleaning every 2 weeks and the yard spring-fall. We go in cycles doing Hello Fresh a few times a year, 2 meals a week, to supplement other dinners at home.

Laundry is kicking our asses. It's clean, but our guestroom has been the place where "clean laundry goes to die" LOL. We're outside the DC area now so I have not found a laundry service that would get us back to zero every once in a while, but I'm still looking.

Oh and yes I totally call in a handyman, painter, etc. when needed. DH and I handled much of that until the kids hit MS, now, nope.

Wow. My kids are 3 years apart, and I thought things would get easier once the youngest reaches middle school! Now we outsource, cleaning, laundry folding, & yard work. I wish I could find someone who would also cook, but it’s tougher to get someone to cook exactly to our taste, so I am cooking.

[Anonymous]

4 and 6 year olds.

Cleaning
Landscaping
Handyman work
Auto repairs
Financial planning

What falls through the cracks is being hosts. We love to entertain, but it's a lot of work to get it all together so it happens rarely.

[Anonymous]

Outsource cleaning, yard work, and often groceries (do delivery to the house).

I stay on top of laundry by folding it while I watch TV (which is generally the only time I watch TV...) and by starting it in the morning before leaving for work. I try to do a load a day so it doesn't get too bad. I rotate through everyone's bedroom and bathroom so everyone's sheets and towels get washed every week but each is only done once a day. We actually have two washers and two dryers (one on each floor) so I do bedding and towels generally downstairs and clothes upstairs.

I'm really anal so our house is generally very neat, but I do have some "Monica closets" where things that need to be organized end up, so those fall through the cracks. Also cooking. I love doing it but I don't often have enough time and my kids do after-school sports so they will eat dinner in the car on the way home some nights. I would like to be better at that. Also, working out has fallen by the wayside. My husband has been traveling so our schedule has been all over the place but I'm looking forward to getting back into that routine soon.

[Anonymous]

Home maintenance and yard work falls through the cracks. Part of me would love a beautiful home and yard but we have neither the time or money to do it right (or rather, prioritize that time and money on other things) so all but the basics are deferred.

Adult health maintenance (drs appts and exercise) falls through the cracks. I know this is bad, but it’s our reality right now. I go through cycles where I’m better or worse with this but am in a bad place right now.

DH and I both like to cook, but we use convenience foods more than we did when I was part time.

Cleaner every two weeks is really the only thing we outsource. Wish it was every week.

We manage to stay on top of laundry (washing and folding, if not putting away).

Kids are 8 and 10

[Anonymous]

Okay...I need to know more about this laundry outsourcing you all speak of!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Okay...I need to know more about this laundry outsourcing you all speak of!

There are laundromats that will wash & fold your dirty laundry. You pick it up in the same basket you dropped off, but instead of smelly & wrinkled, it's clean & folded. I know - it's miraculous.