Our Daily house cleaning rota

 Being a family of seven I’m often asked how I keep my house clean and tidy.

So I thought I’d share my daily cleaning tasks.

I go room by room once I’m back from the school run, and because I do it everyday I’m often finished by half ten.

I tend to start in the kitchen and then work my way through the rooms downstairs and the head up to the bedrooms.

Kitchen & dining room 

Clear away the breakfast things,

Empty the dishwasher,

Load dishwasher,

Do any dishes that can’t be put in the dishwasher, 

Wipe all the sides down,

Unload and fold the tumbler dryer washing and load up the washing machine.

I often do 2-3 loads a day.

Hoover and if needs be I’ll wipe the floors down.

(I usually do a big mop twice a week) 

Clean the fireplace 

Hallway

Hoovered

Dust

Downstairs shower room

Pick up any dropped clothing and put in the washing basket

Hang up the towels and floor mat,

Do a quick clean of the sink and shower.

Hoover 

Lounge 

Pick up any toys 

Fluff the cushions and straighten out the sofas 

Clean the fireplace out (if it’s been used the previous day) 

Hoover and dust.

Snug

As this room is barely used I just straighten things up and give it a quick hoover.

Stairs 

Hoover 

And take up anything that’s been left on them 

Noah’s room 

Pick up dirty clothes 

Put any rubbish in the bin 

Sort his bed out 

Put his towel back on the radiator 

Dust

Hoover

Ru’s room 

Make the bed

Pick up any clothes and sort out of dirty or clean

Tidy up the toys 

Pop his controller on charge 

Hoover 

Hallway

Dust and hoover 

Bea’s room 

Pick up any toys that have been played with in the morning 

Hoover and dust.

Bathroom 

Wipe clean the bath and sink 

Put away my make up

Tidy up Bea’s bath toys 

Fold the towels and hang them up.

Clean the loo 

Hoover 

Twin’s room 

Pick up dirty clothes 

Make the beds 

Tidy up the books 

Hoover

Our room 

Make the bed 

Tidy up my hair things 

Pick up any dirty clothes 

Hoover and dust.

On days that aren’t in the minus I’ll open up the windows and air the house out.

Once everything is back in order I’ll normally light up some wax melts, one for downstairs and one upstairs.

Once the three loads of washing are done I’ll put them the washing away.

Usually Bea runs around after me making more mess along the way, sometimes she’ll follow along with her hoover. 

Other daily tasks I do usually involve getting more firewood in, setting the fires up for the afternoon/evening.

Getting bread dough ready. 

On days when we’re are heading out, I’ll usually just make sure the kitchen is tidy, all the beds are made and a load of washing is on.

Tasks I do weekly

Bedsheet wash 

Towel wash 

Deep clean of both bathrooms 

Sofa cushion wash.

New Year Goals

I thought I’d share a couple of my New Year goals, I gave up on resolution a lot time ago as I never ever saw them through so instead I started setting myself goals to achieve throughout the year.

More often than not I usually end up ticking them all off at the end of the year and feeling like I actually reached my goals and ending the year feeling good.

I like to set goals for the home, family life, the garden and for myself.

• Decorate the boys rooms 
• Grow even more flowers 
• Get out and about more with Bea
• Adventure more as a family
• Bake more
• Make a bit more effort to lose the baby weight
• Finish my crochet blanket that I started back in September!

I’ll probably add to that list as the year goes on, but I see that all as doable.

Do you stick to your New Year’s resolutions or do you set yourself more achievable goals like myself? 

 

5 Important Life Skills You Should Explore with Your Child

 

Life skills are the things we all use to help us navigate everyday experiences. These are things your child is going to have to learn all about as well. Here are 5 important life skills you can teach your child as recommended by this independent school in Hertfordshire.

1. Honesty

Being honest about things makes life a lot easier. It helps you build a better relationship with your child if they’re able to say what they’re thinking, and also know about the consequences of lying. Talk to your child often about how they can be honest with you.

2. Problem-solving

There are going to be many situations where your child has to learn how to solve complicated issues. Your child will have to also learn how they can be overcome, which can teach them about resilience and confidence in their abilities.

3. Communication

There are lots of different forms of communication to help your child understand other people’s mannerisms, their intent, and more. There’s also body language and gestures to help your child pick up other ways to communicate.

4. Teamwork

Working well in a team means that you can help your friends achieve their goals. In children, this is also a great opportunity to identify strengths and weaknesses. This is a great skill to have that will give your child a lot more freedom and understanding of what they can do when faced with difficult decisions.

5. Leadership

Being a good leader means that your child knows how to pick up on things that can help a team grow. It also means they know what to do when offering input in group scenarios or when they have problems to solve within a group, as opposed to taking charge of everything. It’s a great skill to have that can build a team together, with many benefits to working better together instead of taking the reins.

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Why Is Reading So Important for Children?

 

In every child’s life, reading is going to become a strong staple in both the home and school. If a child struggles to read, or falls behind in their reading skills, they are going to have a tougher time with their studies overall. Starting early can help them pick up those skills, and reading is in fact a great hobby to get into and enjoy. Here are some reasons why reading is very important for children. 

Teaches children about different emotions and feelings

Reading helps your child learn to understand what it means to react in different ways and how they can help themselves decipher how others feel. It’s a good way for children to learn about many emotional reactions to things they come across. As many protagonists and characters will experience loss, trauma, relationships, and more, it’s a good way for children to understand these feelings from an early age.

Teaches children about writing and literacy

Writing and literacy skills are really important for a child’s general development, and it keeps children in the know with what they’re learning in school. It’s going to become standard practice for your child to pick up lots of different books while they’re in school, so getting a head start or reading outside of the classroom is going to really boost their skills. This prep school in London has a range of reading activities for children, including a library, for them to greatly develop their literacy skills.

Makes it much easier for children to pick up new vocabulary

The books are where your child is going to learn new words and phrases. In having new vocabulary to pick up they’re going to pick up lots of different ways to say the same things each week. It’s important to explore other contexts and how they will give your child a better grasp of their reading, writing and listening skills.

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Forest School Fun

 Happy New Year!

One of my new year's resolutions was to make sure I get Bea out and about more, I've gotten into a routine of staying in and just doing the housework and avoiding people which isn't fair on Bea and she needs to be out doing things rather than being stuck indoors.

Both Bea and I will benefit more from me putting on my big girl pants by just getting out there.

So as well as attending her beloved Hartbeeps group I am making an effort to find new groups and places for her to go.

Like the boys, Bea loves being outside and getting her hands dirty, so I knew she'd have fun at forest school.

The teacher who runs it is a friend and we used to attend her other group when we used to live at our other house, she was also the twin's beaver leader.

Bea was pleased to put her new puddle suit on and happily got stuck right in.

The other children were all very sweet, it was a mix of other toddlers and home-ed children.

We got there in time for story time around the fire and snack time which was toffee apples and popcorn.

We (by we I mean me) made a spider hat, which Bea liked from afar. Spiders are definitely not her favourite.

Even though it was super chilly, it was nice to be out in the woods, Bea loved trying out all the different swings and toys that were dotted around.

She didn't spot the mud kitchen but I know that's something she'll love playing with next time.

The benefits of Forest School in the early Years

• self-awareness.
• motivation.
• empathy.
• social skills.
• communication skills.
• independence.
• self-esteem and confidence.
• physical skills including the development of both gross and fine motor skills

Jon and I have been discussing Bea's future education and have both agreed we'd like her to be home-schooled, so starting groups like this now will benefit her further down the line.

Forest school is every other week, and I have a couple more groups that I have signed up too, so hopefully, this is the year for Bea and me to become more social.

Do you struggle to socialize since having a baby?

Are you stuck in the same old routine of just doing the school run and then staying at home?

What Are UK SAT Exams?

 

When your child is going to school in their early years they will get used to different tests and exams, which will help your child progress and enjoy their time studying. Here is a guide to those exams.

What’s a UK SAT Exam?

This is an exam that students in primary schools or prep schools will take to gauge how children are doing in their studies. At certain points in the school years, children will sit these exams and have ample time to prepare for them. If necessary they can explore SAT tutoring in London to help them progress.

Why do children take these exams?

They are merely for gauging how well each child is doing in their general studies, with the freedom for them to do as well as they can in them. These exams are not going to directly impact their future, as they can improve and falter at different times in their school years, but it acts as a guide for teachers. If children do well they’re much more likely to head into secondary school or senior school with more knowledge under their belt.

What can I do to help my child prepare?

A lot of the things children will be picking up in school revolve around literacy, numeracy and science skills. If they can follow the school curriculum well, they should have no issues with their progress into high school. These tests will challenge students, but it’s important to keep things in perspective. Help them in their general studies and enjoy their time in school as best they can.

 

SAT Exams are compulsory for students to sit through, so it’s important to have time for your child to prepare for these exams and enjoy these moments. But also to remind them that SATs are not the be-all and end-all - your child will have plenty of time to improve on their skills from here.

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5 Home Improvement Ideas You Should Consider This Year

 

Looking for some home improvement changes to do to your home this year, or in time for the new year? Here are some recommendations from this bespoke kitchen design company in Islington.

1. Change up your patio space

If you have the space, now could be the time to spruce up your decking or paving. The patio space is a great area for barbeques and garden parties in the summer, so having it look all nice and special will amplify your living space. Oftentimes the garden can be forgotten about in the wintertime, but it’s still a great time to change things around.

2. Switch things up in the living room

From taking up the rugs and swapping them out for warmer flooring to swapping out photos and using different frames to hang on your walls - there’s a lot you can change in your lounge. You can make it a lot more cosy, ready to be taken out when it starts to get warmer. Set the scene in your most used space.

3. Improve your storage

Having a range of storage solutions not only helps with the clutter, but it also makes your space a lot more open and easily accessible. These help your home become a better space to be used, which can help if you have a lot of things to organise! Perhaps you could consider installing some new kitchen cabinets to keep your kitchen clutter to a minimum.

4. Paint the floorboards

If you have exposed floorboards you could always paint them to match the aesthetic of your space. You could try a white colour to really bring out the colours in the room, or opt for a moodier colour to bring the cosy vibes back into your space.

 

5. Add a lick of paint

From your bedrooms to new gloss on your skirting boards and even your kitchen cabinets. 

Your home can always do with a nice new layer of paint. It’s a great addition to any home that can spruce things up in no time.

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