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My Little Helpers

May 7, 2012 By Leave a Comment

One of my favorite stories to read as a kid was The Elves and the Shoemaker. I loved that the little elves came at night to help the shoemaker and his wife get all of their work done. I haven’t been able to track down any elves though, so I had kids. I don’t want you to think after reading my post yesterday that I’m trying to do everything by myself. I readily admit that I’m not SuperMom. That’s why I made each of my kids a list of their own to compliment my grown-up ones.

Since my children range in age from four to almost twelve, each of their lists is a little different. Here is one of them just to give you an idea:

Today I need to:

Wake up

Make my bed

Check the dogs’ food and water

Eat breakfast

Brush my teeth

Comb my hair

Get dressed

Finish my schoolwork in a timely manner

Find a way to be helpful for 20 minutes

Eat lunch

Spend 30 minutes reading

Clean up after myself for 20 minutes

Check the daily chart and be helpful

Check the dog’s food and water

Eat dinner

Help clean up the table

Put away my things from the basket upstairs

Take a shower or bath

Get pajamas on

Brush my teeth

Go to the bathroom

Put my retainers in

Go to bed when I’m told

Say my prayers

Each of the kids has their own list. They are laminated (easily done with clear, sticky contact paper) so that they can cross jobs off with a dry erase marker as they are completed. (Mine are laminated as well.) Plus, they earn an allowance each day they complete all of their tasks, and a bonus at the end of the week if they finish their lists every day.

So, you see, it all works out. I get help, and they earn money, learn about responsibility, and can take pride in a job well done..

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Because Dust Bunnies Aren’t Reminder Enough

May 6, 2012 By Leave a Comment

In yesterday’s post, I mentioned that I had made a couple of charts (More like lists, really.) to help me stay on track with my housework. I thought I’d share them today so you’d all have an idea of what I’m doing, and maybe a little inspiration if you could use some help getting started.

Let’s start with the Daily Details. These are things, organized by each room, that need to have some attention every day. My list looks like this:

Daily Details

Living Room- toys, clothes, books picked up and put away

Dining Room- table cleared after each meal/activity and wiped down as necessary, nothing left on floor under the table

Kitchen- dishes put away (in cupboards or dishwasher), counters/stove cleaned off and wiped down,

sink empty and clean

Entry/Stairs/Landing- everything picked up and put away that doesn’t belong, shoes organized

Family Room/Hall- toys/books/games picked up and put away, furniture clear and put together correctly

Downstairs Bathroom- personal items removed after use, towels hung up, messes cleaned up as soon as they are made

Kids Rooms- toys/clothes picked up and put away, clothes put neatly in closet or dresser, beds made neatly

Parents Room- clothes put away, dressers cleaned off, bed made

Parents Bathroom- towels hung up/dirty clothes picked up, counter cleared off and wiped down

Outside- toys/bikes/etc. picked up and put away, dog poop cleaned up

As you can see, it’s general tidying that, if done consistently, will make maintaining a neat living space so much easier.

I also have a list that breaks down bigger jobs to be done once a week on certain days. It looks like this:

Duties by the Day

Monday- dust bookshelves/blinds/desks/ceiling fans/etc.

Tuesday- Girls’ laundry, ½ bath cleaned, sweep and Swiffer entry

Wednesday- Boys’ laundry, Swiffer dining room and kitchen floors

Thursday-sweep and Swiffer family room/hall, clean downstairs bathroom

Friday- clean and vacuum master bedroom, clean master bathroom, vacuum living room

Saturday- Mom and Dad Laundry, wipe down walls as needed

Sunday- vacuum kids’ rooms/stairs/landing/family room rug

Again, it’s just a few things each day to help keep this place looking like a home we’d be happy to let unexpected visitors into. I am praying that by combining the two, I will have the formula to my success as a homemaker. (Or at least an uncluttered living space.)

Laundry and floors are my hardest chores to keep up on. What chores do you find most challenging? I’m relying on my lists as tangible reminders of what needs to be done. What would help you in your quest to make your home more inviting?

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I Finally Figured it Out!

May 2, 2011 By 2 Comments

I love to play hidden picture games, whether they be on the computer, in books (you know, Where’s Waldo?), or a big wall poster, I’m great at finding the hidden pictures. I might even go so far as to say I’m an expert. Yesterday while looking for a pair of socks, it dawned on me why I’m so good at them. (There may have been an actual light bulb over my head, it was that sort of realization.) I rock at hidden picture games because they are modeled after my life.

I’m not proud of the fact that my house is a mess. In fact, the reason it gets this way is directly connected with my perfectionistic mentality. If I can’t do something perfectly, all the way through, right now, then I don’t want to do it at all. I don’t want to put some time and effort into a project only to still feel like a failure when I’m done. If I’m going to feel like a failure, it will be because I never tried in the first place. 

I was a little startled yesterday when this idea popped into my head. No one wants to find that their life mirrors the chaos of a Where’s Waldo? picture. And yet, here I am. I may not have a red and white striped shirt, glasses, and a walking stick, but I’m lost in this mess all the same. The big question today is, How do I fix it??                                                                 

                                             31DaysHCButton2-150

This month, Sarah Mae at Like a Warm Cup of Coffee and Raising Homemakers (among many other things, like the Relevant Conference) is hosting a challenge to go along with her e-book, 31 Days to Clean: Having a Martha House the Mary Way. (I don’t get anything if you click the link and buy the book. I’m just providing it for your convenience.) I was given a free copy of the book for helping Sarah Mae promote its release, and I intend to utilize the suggestions every day to turn my Where’s Waldo? house into a cozy haven of peace.

Do you need a little help finding peace (or the floor) in your home? Head over to one of Sarah Mae’s sites, check out the challenge, and jump in headfirst. If nothing else, that pile of laundry will make for a soft landing.

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From Housework to Homemaking

March 25, 2011 By 4 Comments

The fact that I have been a “housewife” for over eight years now amazes me.  I never thought I’d get married and have kids, much less stay home or homeschool. Even more astonishing, though, is the fact that in those eight years, I have developed no domestic abilities.  I struggle with the everyday work of a wife and mother.  I get so overwhelmed on a daily basis by the sheer volume of things that need to be done that instead of getting frustrated and giving up, I just don’t ever start.  I let it all stack up around me (the laundry, housework, the yardwork), taunting me and my lack of housewifely skills.

Inevitably, my poor husband takes on my duties, and it reinforces in me my many failures. It’s not him that makes me feel that way, but the fact that he takes on my responsibilities. He doesn’t complain. He’s never called me lazy. He asks how he can help me. But the point is, he shouldn’t have to. This is a man who puts in 60 hours a week on his feet, working hard, and then spends his free hours picking up my slack.

In an effort to get this house (and myself) under control, I’ve been writing out lists and schedules and plans. I want so badly for my house to be a home, a sanctuary for my family, and a place our friends and our kids’ friends want to be. I want it to represent who we are, and not have that representation be a hot mess. I’ve always wanted our home to be a place that, when you’re in it, you can’t question our faith because it resonates throughout every room.

I’ve broken up the housework into tasks that need to be done daily and weekly, and then assigned a certain day to each weekly task. My hope is that with only a few things to accomplish each day, I can keep up with it, maybe even excel at it. My goal is that in planning, I will stop looking at things like doing dishes as “chores” and be comfortable in my role as a “homemaker”. I want my daughters to learn while they are young what a gift it is to have a family and a house to care for. I want my sons to learn to be as helpful as their dad is, and not take me for granted. I want to be able to open my door and welcome friends in without needing two day’s notice for the house to look nice. I want to make a home.

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