Those of you who work 4 days a week, how much of the housework and chores do you do on your day off ?

[rookiemater]

I'm just wondering because of a throwaway comment DH made apropos something else that made me think that he doesn't count looking after DS (23mths) as real work and I should be doing the housework as well.

Now I obviously tidy up, put a couple of loads of washing on, have dinner ready and do a wee bit of paperwork, and a little bit of mumsnetting whilst DS has his nap, but my view is that I only have one day on my own with DS so I want to spend the majority of it doing things with him i.e. going to Mothers and Toddlers, going to soft play. But I'm just getting this niggling feeling that DH thinks I have an easy life as he is always asking me to do odd bits of paperwork and chores on the Monday.

So how does it work in your household ?

[Lazycow]

I have a cleaner and I work 4 days a week .

On my day off with ds I am sometimes out almost all day with him as not only do we do something for him (eg one of swimming, group, softplay, meet up with friend etc.) I also usually have errands to run (eg library books to drop off and collect, dry cleaning etc)bank, post office, top-up food shopping (bulk is done online).

When you add all that to a basic tidy-up and quick vacuum, load/unload of appliancess, make lunch for ds and me and dinner for all of us, there is definitely not enough time in the day to do a proper clean.

[PotPourri]

I work 4 days, and usually do my housework on friday morning before going to toddlers group with my 2. They have a little trolley with their own cleaning things and so they 'help' me. Its a quick swish around, usually wash the floors etc (they have a little mop) and it takes about an hour. I tidy in the evenings and clean up the kitchen a bit more regularyly. Clean the toilet and and sink during the week if it looks yucky. Sometimes I don't get the housework done and end up doing it at the weekend. This is not good, it totally eats into my time off. Can cope with it on a Friday - plus I have the deadline of getting out to toddlers.

Would love a cleaning fairy to do it all for me though, or DH, but not a cleaner - just don't fancy having a cleaner. My sister who works 5 (sometimes 6!) days has a cleaner and raves about it though.

[rookiemater]

Oh I'm glad that I seem to be about the norm.

We do have a cleaner, but she is off at the minute so we both had to do some at the weekend, but house is never as clean or as tidy as we would like, but I think we may have unrealistic expectations about how much she can do in 3 hours per week. DH keeps muttering about it, and I think that I absolutely couldn't cope if some of it wasn't done.

[Lazycow]

The way I look at it, the cleaner cleans the bathrorom and toilet, changes all the beds, vacuumes and washes the kitcen and bathroom floor. She also does our ironing.

We live in a small 2 bed flat so not a massive amount of cleaning to do but if the cleaner does all this once a week, I can ignore the bathroom and just keep things tidy and maybe vacuum once or twice again in the week. Also it does wonders for my peace of mind, if I am mega busy at work for a few weeks, then at least I KNOW the flat will get at least ONE proper all over clean every week.

After she has been (on Thurs) the flat is spotless but by the weekend it is looking a bit grubby again

[rookiemater]

Lazycow, how much does your DH/DP do ?

[sakurarose39]

My DCs are both at school, so I like having my day off (Friday) for time for me - I sometimes meet friends for a coffee in the morning, and spend an hour or watching DVDs! But I always try and clean the loo and sink, and run the hoover around, in time for the weekend. Doesn't take more than 20 mins. Oh and looking after a 2 year old is deffo REAL work - let your DH spend one of his days off looking after him! And tell him he has to make time to clean the bath and do some paperwork too

[Lazycow]

rookiemaster

He does quite a lot.

Not much of the cleaning because his standards are lower thn mine but if I ask him to say vacuum or clean the kitchen he does do it.

He plans all our meals and does the food and househod shopping online and about 80% of the cooking and clearing away.

Basically he works a away a lot so when he ia away I cook but usually follow his food plan so I don't have think about it much, just check what is on the list and make it.

[SydneyB]

I went through all of this with DH when I went back to work 4 days a week. Now we have a cleaner. She comes on a Thursday before my Friday off which just works brilliantly. Honestly it is worth the cash not to have stupid domestic arguments about who is going to clean the bathroom etc which tended to ruin our weekends. Also, I work bloody hard 4 days a week, fitting a 5 day job into 4 days, and my days with DD are too precious to be spent cleaning.

[rookiemater]

Oh I see your DH does a lot more than mine, hmmmm. Although DH does do the garden as I hate gardening.

Actually DS not too much work atm as I have plonked him in front of Bob with his lunch.

I just feel a bit annoyed, I'd like to get a company in to do a proper spring clean, but DH says we can do it ourselves, which roughly translated means that I will end up doing it. Yet we seem to have money to buy yet more toys for DS.

[Kewcumber]

I have a cleaner, do very little when I'm home, enough so that I can get the doors open and I don;t stick to the floor when I walk.

Much easier to get paperwork done in your lunch-hour in work tbh.

[rookiemater]

Kew, I don't even get a lunch hour, I only get half an hour so I can do pick ups and drop offs to the CM. Do you think I should be giving the paperwork to DH to do in his lunch hour ?

[AnnieAreYouOkAreYouOkAnnie]

Dh is SAHD, and spends the four days playing, though he does put the washing on and out, and usually sorts dinner.
On my day off, he goes to 'work' (coffee with his mate to talk about property), and I take the DCs to Toddler Group or visit a friend with them. Then I get back and usually clean the bathroom, hoover, do washing, tidy away the toys (again) and make a decent family dinner (not pasta or pizza...).
It just seems to be a given that I do the 'proper' cleaning.
But he does a lot of playing...
Role reversal methinks.
Also lots of throwaway comments about how little I do.

But it works. For now.

I would love a cleaner though.

[Kewcumber]

"I only get half an hour so I can do pick ups and drop offs to the CM." - me too but one phone call a day or piece of paper a day can get quite a lot sorted.

" Do you think I should be giving the paperwork to DH to do in his lunch hour ?" - yes. Do you think he would do mine too?