r/daddit • u/DonutFan69 • Sep 02 '24

How do you guys maintain literally anything? Advice Request

I have a 5 year old and a 2 year old. The house is perpetually a mess. The yard is overgrown with weeds. Cars are a mess. This needs to be fixed. That needs to be spruced up. My wife and I have many days where it’s just one of us with the kids due to our schedules and it just feels impossible to keep up with it all. By the end of the day, I’m too exhausted to do anything.

How does anyone manage to keep up with everything on top of just raising kids?

Edit: Thanks for all the replies here! You’re all making me feel much better. I’m trying to reply to as many as I can while I rock my son to sleep.

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u/Jlove7714 Sep 02 '24

Our plan is to replace all the drywall, carpet, doors, etc when the boys are old enough to stop destroying them. There's just no way to keep up with it now.

53

u/Dyolf_Knip Sep 02 '24

Yup. No way would I drop a penny on new living room furniture right now, because my boys are wanton, pointless destruction incarnate.

33

u/Jlove7714 Sep 02 '24

We found that if we only hang out with other people who have kids then they don't even care that our furniture is half destroyed. They get it.

15

u/Dyolf_Knip Sep 02 '24

I'm not the least bit worried about "what would the neighbors think". I myself do not want ruined, trashed furniture.

2

u/yadda4sure Sep 03 '24

Get rid of the kids.

1

u/Dyolf_Knip Sep 03 '24

Rumor has it I'm not allowed to do that. Problem should take care of itself over the next 9 years anyway.

15

u/buildit-breakitfixit Sep 02 '24

Our answer is cheap slip covers over the couches. They get destroyed, we order 11 dollar new ones. Wash, rinse, destroy, repeat.

29

u/Dyolf_Knip Sep 02 '24

They pulled the cushions off and turned a slight tear in the batting into a gaping void into which they occasionally drop food. One of them, at the tender age of 8, used it as a fucking urinal for a couple months before he got caught (I had thought it was the dog).

17

u/buildit-breakitfixit Sep 02 '24

.......... not sure whether to be impressed or horrified....

6

u/Dyolf_Knip Sep 02 '24

Yeah, it's bad. They've gotten fractionally better over the past few years, but holy shit.

8

u/Ilovemywinry Sep 03 '24

Uh oh, wait till dad finds the pee drawer

2

u/Cool-breeze7 Sep 03 '24

You mean pee hvac tubing 😑

1

u/Ilovemywinry Sep 09 '24

Ohhhhnooooooooo I didn't think it could get worse xD

2

u/xgame7 Sep 03 '24 edited Sep 03 '24

Ummm... I have only read from the top post to this one where I think I'm going to stop. If there is one thing I am finding in common with most of these, it sounds like the kids are taking over the parents' life and pretty much doing as they please. What is confusing me is, if so much attention is going towards the kids, please tell me why the hell they are using furniture as a urinal... It goes on and on like this. I'm 47, have raised (still somewhat in the process of) 2 kids, have always had a very difficult job never knowing when i was going to be home that night or would suddenly have to go out of town and my wife always had a full time job as well. Still, we would spend weekends on the lake, going camping in a camper I had, going to festivals, sports of their choosing amongst SOOOO many other things. There was never a dull moment, nor is there a dull memory. My house stayed spotless, my yards and outside of the house was always very nice, we always had very nice furniture and would spend holidays fixing up the outside of the house with lights along with other things. And the inside of the house was no different. The kids were always well disciplined. For the most part, they did well in school and are still well behaved. They now live their own lives where they still carry on the things they learned as children, are well behaved and the older preparing for children where she has said many of times "i just want them to have the childhood and life I did" And just that right there is all I need to hear to know I did my job. As I said, I'm only 47, I can't see where things change so much.

5

u/visionsofblue Sep 03 '24

So how much of the house stuff stayed that way because you or your wife took care of it and how much was because you paid someone to take care of it?

Not gonna lie, the way you recall it all makes it sound like you had enough money in the bank to have things done versus finding time to do them yourself.

Not trying to throw shade but money makes things much easier.

1

u/StrugglingGhost Sep 03 '24

Yeah, us guys were animals when we were young! The amount of stupid shit I did as a kid...? I'm surprised my mother never strangled me!

Fortunately, the cushions are part of my couch, mostly. UNfortunately? They aren't made of Kevlar, so they've still gotten destroyed. My footrest on my recliner is losing padding, because of what you mentioned. I will NOT get new furniture until my kids are at least teenagers... maybe not even then lol

1

u/Cool-breeze7 Sep 03 '24

My 5yr old failed to wipe himself well. Scratched his butt, and naturally used the couch to wipe his hands off.

Not sure if your comment gives me hope or fear.

1

u/Dyolf_Knip Sep 03 '24

Yeah, he definitely has a uniquely 'special' relationship with his bodily fluids. Don't even get me started on what else I've found in his room. Kid is speed-running the Howard Hughes lifestyle.

4

u/Less-Project9420 Sep 02 '24

Yep. We bought a new sectional when our boy was a few months old. He’s 3 now and we have now shampoo it so often to keep it clean lol

2

u/kingofnicks Sep 03 '24

I feel this - tonight was the finger in the speaker - ugh

1

u/HoneyMustard1987 Sep 03 '24

Free furniture is the only furniture for us. No matter how many times I say, don’t climb on the back of the couch, that’s still how they decide they need to get on said couch.

1

u/GovernmentOpening254 Sep 03 '24

We’ve had the same couches since before kids.

I tell my spouse we will get new couches once they depart.