How do you all get your husband's to help keep the house organized? I feel like I am ALWAYS picking up after him and he doesn't really care about keeping stuff off the Kitchen table or putting his cups in the dishwasher at night. It also ALWAYS looks like his clothes hamper exploded - there is always more on the outside on the floor (that he can wear again) than their is in the actual hamper!

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Mom to Kaylee (10/2006)
Waiting on our second bundle of joy to arrive January 2009!

I am a little bit of a B so I would not pick up thoose things on the out side of the hamper and wash just what makes it in. so when he runs out of socks I would just simply say I washed everything you put in your hamper. Have you tried to talk to him about this and what does he say. MY dh use to leave water glasses around all the time but that was easy to break as soon as dd was pulling up and walking she would soak her self and everything else.... So that put a end to that. He would leave them in weird places. It did take a while and constant reminding but now he just picks them up. HTH

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I am a little bit of a B so I would not pick up thoose things on the out side of the hamper and wash just what makes it in. so when he runs out of socks I would just simply say I washed everything you put in your hamper. Have you tried to talk to him about this and what does he say. MY dh use to leave water glasses around all the time but that was easy to break as soon as dd was pulling up and walking she would soak her self and everything else.... So that put a end to that. He would leave them in weird places. It did take a while and constant reminding but now he just picks them up. HTH

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I tried the nag and b*tch approach and it didn't work for me. I really hated treating him like a child, and he resented it. On the advice of a good friend I changed my approach. I did things because I wanted them done, regardless of who the mess belonged to. My husband must have noticed because he fell in line and now keeps up with those things...most of the time.

Teach by example is really the best way. Well, at least that's what worked for me.

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Dottie

Mom to Michael 6, Matthew 4, Katherine 2, Ellen 1, and new baby EDD 10/29/08

Yes, I have tried the nagging approach. I did just pick up whatever it was this weekend. I asked him to put two things away (he didn't even have to get up) and they are still where I left them last night

I think it is bothering me more right now as I am expecting in 6 weeks and I think nesting is starting to kick in. I want to achieve this nice clean and always organized house so I can keep it that way once the baby is here...we will see how that goes.

Thanks for your advice ladies!

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Mom to Kaylee (10/2006)
Waiting on our second bundle of joy to arrive January 2009!

I really don't get any help with the organizing in the house...In fact, the more I try the more aggrevated I get, so I just do my best. I can spend 2 full days putting everything away...go out for 2 hours and come back to it looking like I never touched it...DH doesn't help at all and as long as the kids are quiet - he lets them get into anything! Then I have to put it all away and clean it up. It's a vicious cycle.

When I was pregnant with Aidan and the nesting instinct hit, I had hoped DH would fall in line too. NOT! Aidan will be a year October 21 and DH still hasn't fallen in line. Between picking up after him and Aidan, I sometimes feel like I have two children. One just happens to be 40 years old.

The man doesn't use the hamper, even though it's right next to where he undresses. If I leave clean clothes out for him to put away, they either end up piled on top of his dresser or on the floor again, so I just put them away. Two weeks ago, I spent an entire day cleaning and organizing in our bedroom, mainly on his side. Can you tell? No. So, I keep up with what I can and leave the rest.

And when that baby girl gets here, don't worry about it! Remember the old saying, "I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep." She's what's important, not if all the dust bunnies are gone and the dishes are all clean and the laundry is all done. Somehow we do it all, but they don't stay little long and spending time with them is what matters most. When I had Aidan, I had no idea just how fast they grow, but every time I have to take out clothes he's outgrown, I get a little teary-eyed.

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Alicia

Mommy to Aidan 10-21-05 and Rori 7-3-07

He can't see anything that needs to be done, or he just wants to stack and hide. Ugh. While I was pregnant, I asked him not to put clothes in the hamper, since I couldn't bend to get them out. Now she's here, and despite my requests, the only thing that goes in the hamper is our six year old who likes to hide there and jump out to scare me.:D