Home working v house work
Sometimes I meet people who don’t work from home who tell me that if they did, they’d have to make sure the house was clean and tidy before they started work. Mm, well, somehow I think that might change pretty quickly if they ever do work at home.
I tend towards the minimalist so naturally I like to be clutter-free, but I do no more than a quick tidy-up before I start work. My thinking is that I wouldn’t have the time if I was dashing off out to work, and I can do without the extra pressure.
I tend to do jobs around the house to give me a break from the computer and generate some ideas for my writing. I’ve always found that cleaning the bath is a guaranteed way of coming up with new thoughts, but unfortunately we only have a shower in this house and that makes me so cross I let A clean it!
I don’t know what home working chaps will make of this, but it’s my observation that women do seem to juggle more jobs – work, cleaning, shopping, children, keeping in touch with friends etc – in the course of a day. So in this house we now do a fortnightly cleaning blitz together so the jobs are shared.
Do you tend to get landed with the household jobs because you work at home? How do you apportion it out if you both work from home? Oh, excuse me, got to go, I need to make the most of this sunshine and put the washing out…
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Don’t get me started Judy!
Ah, familiar territory, eh, Sharon?
I have many skills, but housework is not one of them!
When I was at school, I remember someone saying girls should never learn to type if they wanted a decent career. So I didn’t. (But that old cleverclogs didn’t predict keyboards, did they?)
Maybe you should be telling your daughter not to get too acquainted with housework!
Well I’ve just spent a few hours mowing the lawn, sweeping up leaves and having a general garden tidy as who know’s how long the sunny weather will last! But it means I will work later tonight, which is one of the best things about working from home. However, I definitely do more around the house now I am based at home, my husband works in London so I feel a bit sorry for him spending 2.5 hours a day travelling, although I am not allowed to touch the washing machine or dishwasher, they are both firmly in his domain!
We’ve been putting that one off, Melanie, keep saying ‘Not just yet’! Not allowed to touch the washing machine or dishwasher? Lots of women are going to be quoting you to their partners! Watch out, men, the washing’s all yours!
Hubby seems not to have got the memo that I am working now and no longer the mother/housewife I had been. I do try and leave it in the hopes that he, the kids or the cleaning fairies may do it but there have been few successes 🙂
We need to get Melanie and husband to run some Happy Home Working Housework training.
Unfortunately, the cleaning fairies haven’t found my house yet either. As I work part time,I tend to work in the morning and then fit some housework in after lunch then I work in the evening if required. Hubby is quite handy when he puts his mind to it. Although, having said that, he’s a professional oven valeter who has a sense of blindness when it comes to our oven!
So the cobbler’s children go unshod and the oven cleaner’s wife has a crusty oven – twas ever thus!
I find homeworking means I can get little chores done, that would otherwise wait till after work. So clearing the kitchen table, emptying the dishwasher, putting the kids shoes back on the shoe rack. I’m also pretty handy at laundry, 5 mins unloading and loading every hour or so means I can get through a fair amount, and with 4 kids there’s always a fair amount to get through!
If we ever have a home working hero, you will be the first nominee, Paul!
Yes I am not allowed to touch the washing machine as I once left an item of red clothing mixed in with the whites! Whoops!
And as for the dishwasher I don’t stack it quite how it should be done so he does that too! I think the phrase is O.C.D these days : 0 ) I’ll send him round Judy!
So he wasn’t too happy with his new pink shirts, then? I’m the dishwasher obsessive in this house, I’m quite convinced I can get more in. I’m better at reading maps too, contrary to the book title, which is just as well since A is a far better cook, gardener, musician etc etc.
Housework – Oh the joys! I do the basics in the week and sadly at certain times in the day. After breakfast, after dinner and in the evenings but that is just mainly clearing and tidying. I rarely do any housework in the day due to work. I’m lucky that my husband often has 1 day off in the week so I give him a list of jobs. At the weekend I have a big cleaning blitz but if the sun is shining then the housework can wait. Life is too short!
I find that doing bits and pieces throughout the day keeps the place looking reasonable and maintains my sanity. Our fortnightly clean is due on Saturday and it’s beginning to show!