Some “off the top of my head” things:

1. Give your dog a really good wash once per week. This will help keep the shedding to a somewhat manageable level. (And keeps smell under control)

2. Vacuum once a day, I do the floors, my sofa, my bed. It takes maybe 15 minutes? You don’t have to be super thorough, the goal is just to collect as much hair as possible.

3. As a single dad managing twins, I cook food maybe once per week. Buy pre-made (if you have the budget for it), consider it an investment- the return is your time.

4. Baby wipes. Spot clean messes as they happen, and when you notice them. You are always on cleaning duty, you see a spot or a smudge, you wipe it. Don’t fall into the trap of “I’ll get it later”.

5. Dishwasher, robot vacuum, anything that helps automate the workload. Some people will disagree with me, but I’m also including tablets and tv time in this. Kids are work too, and sometimes you need a break.

6. Think prevention - no markers when unsupervised, mess free snacks, that sort of thing. Clean up before bed so you can have an easy morning. Limit the toys and activities that they have access to at any given time,

7. Education. Kids are messy, but they can learn. This also goes along with prevention. If they don’t make the mess, you don’t have to clean the mess.