How to manage a family and home without going crazy?!!

[Holly75]

I’ve got a husband and two children and a part time job. My home is chaos. No matter how hard I try I cannot keep on top of everything. The house, life admin, school admin, laundry, clutter, food shopping, and the rest.

I just can’t do it and it’s now really getting me down.

I make lists and forget to look at them. I put laundry on and forget to take it out. I get distracted so easily that my mind is like a big jumble of all sorts of thoughts.

The disorganisation at home leads to stress and arguments.

My husband does his bit and helps out but he’s not the most organised person either.

I feel swamped with ‘stuff’. Everywhere I look at home there is ‘stuff’. Some of this goes with having young kids but it’s suffocating. Piles of clothes, homework, my admin that I never get round to looking at, etc etc.

I’m assuming I can’t be alone in feeing this way and would love it if anyone could give some tips as to what they do. I’m seriously starting to think that I just need to get rid of most things!!

[silentsiren]

I feel like you described my home. Piles of laundry, dishes, art projects scattered about, etc. I have one kid, work and go to school full time, and a husband away for extended periods of time (6+ months) for work. I'm always telling myself "Today, I'll put the laundry away" and dump it on my bed as though that will force me to do it when I get home. But by the end of the day, after I tuck my little one in, you'd think I took a sleeping pill with how tired I feel. So back in the basket the laundry goes. I've also had challenges with forgetting to put the trash out on trash day, and hauling recycling out. It really does feel very defeating everyday because I want a tidy house for my son and my disorganization upsets my husband too. I have thrown a great deal away just for sanity and I've been working on minimizing but that requires focus and organization too so...... 🙃

[abbeyainscal]

You’re not wrong. Getting rid of stuff is actually a good thing. Kondo what you can. Yes I always feel overwhelmed but that is also pressure you put on yourself. Little steps will make a big difference. I just set a stopwatch and do a job and I am always shocked at how little time it took vs what i magnified it to be. Give it a try.