A Neat and Clean House vs Children

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-17-2007
A Neat and Clean House vs Children
2597
Tue, 07-27-2010 - 8:35am

For those of you who like a neat and clean house, how do you keep it that way with children?

I find that if I am tied to goal of having a neat and clean house, I become a raging shrew against my children as they proceed to undo all the neatness I have worked so hard to attain. If I made a "neat and clean house" my goal, my children would not have their messy projects that take days/weeks to complete. My children would not pick up a book (casually left out)as they walk through the family room and browse through- discovering once again the mother actually knows about a few good books. I would let them watch more tv/computer time, as they don't make things as messy when they do. I would squash their ideas if I thought it would make too much of a mess. I wouldn't let them cook/experiment in the kitchen- as it is usually more work for me to clean up after they have "cleaned up". So, how do you inspire creativity and imagination in a neat and clean house? Are you on top of them to put things away as soon as they are done even if it is temporary? Where do you put the legos?....... Have you ever allowed them to take over the living room with all of their toys arranged in a city complex (thomas the train things were the Metro, legos and blocks were the buildings....)? How long would it stay up? Would let it be up for the summer so they could add to and change tings around as they got new ideas? Or allowed them to take over half of the family room for a month+ while they build and live in a beaver lodge (using all the empty shoe and other boxes and some that weren't empty)? Even if you have to walk around it everyday to get to the kitchen? Or do you require that all toys be put away everyday?

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iVillage Member
Registered: 05-10-2009
Fri, 07-30-2010 - 11:23am

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It is for me. I have better things to do with my time.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2000
Fri, 07-30-2010 - 11:23am
Ah, see I don't bother dirtying up another pot when I make chili. If I'm going to brown everything on the stove, no point in adding to a crockpot. I just simmer it on the stove. That's one thing I don't like about crockpots. If I have to cook part of it on the stove, then it seems silly to me to then add to the crockpot. I can understand for someone who wants to slow cook while they aren't home all day, like someone who WOHFT, but most things I prefer to just do on the stove or in the oven. Like a pot roast - I can brown it in my dutch oven on the stove, add the rest of the ingredients to the dutch oven, then put it in the oven to finish off. All the cooking is in the one pot!
iVillage Member
Registered: 05-10-2009
Fri, 07-30-2010 - 11:24am
I cook it slow, but I do it on the stovetop.
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-09-2010
Fri, 07-30-2010 - 11:29am

I prefer MY kids to be hanging out with their Daddy rather than preparing their dinner.


And we will just have to agree to disagree on it because I love doing it. I grew up watching a mom, two grandmothers and a great grandmother doing it and if I go to mom's saturday and my motherinlaws sunday I'll see two more examples this weekend.


Obviously as many times as I run the dishwasher and all the handwashing it takes several dishes, pots and pans to prepare 3 daily meals 7 days a week here ha


Polkadots&FlipFlops

Polkadotandflipflops

 

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-09-2010
Fri, 07-30-2010 - 11:32am

I'd still have 2 pans, the skillet & then the kettle. My chilli is too soupy.


The big reason I do this way is it makes the chilli taste better the way it slowly simmers and all of the flavors & seasonings marry together over a couple or three hours of time. Plus I can do it ahead and then do the hot dogs or bacon grilled cheese sandwiches, cut up the fruit, make the sweet tea, and prepare dessert and the main course is finished.


I don't cook many things that I just use one pan or one dish. Even lasagna then I have a dish for the fettucini alfredo as the side dish and of course whatever I put the bread in.


Polkadots&FlipFlops

Polkadotandflipflops

 

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-24-2008
Fri, 07-30-2010 - 11:33am
I have a window on one side of the door, but we have a small curtain over it. We have a peephole so I check it before I open the door. It's pretty simple to have privacy if you wish it.


Also we are getting a new front door and I like the ones with glassin the top half, but I don't want to buy one. I'm going to buy one I can put a peephole in.



For me getting more privacy would be simple, but would entail replacing doors that dh likes, that fit with the style of the house, and that work perfectly fine. So hard to justify the expense, even though it'd be easy to replace the doors.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 04-22-2009
Fri, 07-30-2010 - 11:37am

for chili, i use Rachel Ray's 30-minute recipe.

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-09-2010
Fri, 07-30-2010 - 11:42am
and then there is the fact that I don't typically have stuff in the kitchen to make any sandwiches (other than grilled cheese)

Polkadots&FlipFlops

Polkadotandflipflops

 

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-09-2010
Fri, 07-30-2010 - 11:43am
Love Rachael Ray! I watch both of her shows

Polkadots&FlipFlops

Polkadotandflipflops

 

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-22-2005
Fri, 07-30-2010 - 11:44am
That's fine. I just don't like the way it would heat up my kitchen to do it that way.











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