Helpful little children

My kids are so sweet. That may sound really biased, but truly they are. There have been a number of occasions lately where they've been bending over backwards to help me around the home. Even my 19 month old son gets involved; hoovering, hanging out the clothes, tidying up the toys, folding away the laundry. Admittedly my eldest isn't so eager (need to work on her lol), but It's amazing to see all three of them in action. I've had to draw the line at washing up the dishes and cooking though lol. My girls are only 5 and 3 and a half, so there's a way to go before they can get stuck into any of that.

Looking back to my own childhood I remember being 10 when my mum first handed me the sponge and fairy liquid to do the washing up. I can't remember if I asked to do it or if she forced it on me *snort* but from 10 onwards I would help out often with the chores, and from 13 I was washing my own school uniform.

Although I did get fed up with it at times, I'm glad my mum started me off relatively young. It equipped me well for university life and subsequent adulthood, after all there's no getting away from it and you have to start sometime right?

Do your children help you with the chores? How old were you when you started doing them?

I don't 'heart' housework

Touché - Image from pulpshop.co.uk

I'm in the midst of a massive decluttering exercise and let me tell you it is painful. Very, very, extremely painful. We have sooo much stuff. I can't bear it. I don't even know where to start. I'm in a spin, but this absolutely HAS to be done.

I think I'll start with the children's clothes, shoes and toys. That should be a quick win. Everything they have outgrown will be sent to our local church and charities. Then I'll sort through my stuff and the better half's.

Then there is the paperwork. Please don't get me started on dreaded paperwork. I've accumulated so may bills, bank statements and boring papery toot over the months, it's built up like a dusty mountain in the corner of my bedroom or been shoved in a drawer somewhere. Every time I have a clear out I vow to get more organised, shred my documents every three months and file everything away neatly. Of course this never happens, shredding is way too boring and I've got three kids to tend to, never mind the daily grind of housework.

Why is it that housework is never ending? Just when you think you're on top of it - the laundry is done, carpet hoovered, dishwasher loaded, floors mopped, work surfaces gleaming and every toy in its rightful place. Poof! - everything is in chaos again.

Keeping up with housework is an unachievable and depressing task. Time to maybe employ a cleaner.

But I'd probably spend so much time making the house presentable for them to come and clean, they'd really be no point.

Oh life.....