Housework and parenting-finding a good balance

I clean as I go, but I usually clean alot once the kids go to bed or take there naps

I am the same way .....always cleaning, I feel guilty sometimes as well :(

When you figure it out let me know! :( my oldest is 13 and I still have not got it down! Lol it is a daily balancing act and you have to see what each day brings and be flexible!

I clean throughout the day.  Sometimes I let things slide, but I try to get to it at night once they've gone to bed.

Thanks ladies. Right now I'm thinking about how I need to get around to dusting my blinds and organzing our closets. Ack. Maybe in 2015?

I clean, raise 3 kids at home, and I have to study anatomy and physiology. It's tough and I feel like a bad mom cuz I'm always to busy for my kids

I hardly clean!  I tidy up and do dishes, etc. as I go but, otherwise, my house definitely looks like a 5 and 3 year old live here.  It's not dirty, just messy.  It just doesn't bother me.  It's low on my priority list and I do use that time for the kids.  Then, their nap time is my rest time.  My hubby would like the house a little neater so a few years ago I bought him a cleaning service for Valentines Day.  Once a month they come in for an hour and do the nitty gritty.   Now that the kids are in school 3 mornings a week (well, my son is 5 days a week but 3 days, they are both gone) I can get more done during the day since they aren't here.  When they get home, my attention is on them.  We also make picking up the playroom a game.  We did this yesterday.  We are all together but still cleaning up and laughing at the same time :)

Ugh, me too. If I let too much slide, I'm screwed tomorrow, kwim?

Quoting mommy29x3:

I am the same way .....always cleaning, I feel guilty sometimes as well :(

I clean daily, but also make sure to spend time with the kids. They also like to help some with the cleaning which is nice

I think the ability to get to that balance depends in part on your child ... our son at 27 months still doesn´t enjoy many activities alone even for 5 or 10 minutes while in sight of us and our decision to family bed also has resulted that he is not too great to take a nap on his own (not that he really naps much anyway).

We prioritize fun time over housekeeping time, but that is a choice each family has to make for themselves.  And it is definitely true our house won´t pass the white glove test for a few more years.  But, we do incorporate DS in housekeeping activities ... he enjoys to play "sweep" with his own broom, he has a spray water bottle (filled only with water) and a sponge that he can use when he comes to the bathroom with Mom or Dad for cleaning ... we turn "put away" tasks into a sport (either a tossing game or a see-how-much-you-can-carry-strong-little-man, etc) and to the extent possible we do A LOT outdoors, which helps the indoor messes happen a little slower.

We absolutely focus on keeping laundry and dishes caught up every day and before going to bed at night.  Mopping, laundry folding, and re-organizing are on less of a schedule at this stage in our family´s life.

I don´t regret it. If I were to die in an accident on my way home from playing in the park with my son ... I´d rather him remember me/ envision me as the mom who tried to make his childhood fun, rather than picture me with a dustrag or a broom in my hand all the time.