Before my parents came to visit, I had a long list of things to get done before they came. Wash walls, mop the floor, clean out the car, get rid of the stacks, clean closets, change sheets, vacuum, etc., etc. I got some of the things done, but not all them - far from all of the things on my list. Unfortunately.
Sometimes, I feel like my house is out of control.
Part of the problem is that I decided to rework who had what chore on the chore chart. And before I knew it, it had been more than a month has passed and I haven’t gotten a new chore chart up! Which makes the kids think they don’t have to help out. I don’t feel like I make my kids do a lot of chores, but now that they aren’t doing them, I realize that what they do makes a big difference to the things that I need to do each day. Kind of a “I didn’t realize what I had until it was gone” kind of thing.
When I feel like my house is out of control, I see the following:
There is more yelling. More fighting. Less desire to cook meals. Scripture reading has stopped. Family prayers are rushed so we can get down to eating. Homework is forgotten. The TV is on too much. The house isn’t welcoming and relaxing. The laundry is stacked up. There are dishes in the sink. Backpacks and jackets dropped in the entry. There are stacks in every room.
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When I go into my kid’s bedroom and help them clean, I notice that they want to be in the room when we’re done. When it’s a mess, they go in to sleep and that’s all. They don’t want to play in there. They don’t want to lie on the bed and read.
When I come home from church (or wherever) and there are shoes scattered across the hall, dishes on the counter, toys and newspaper spread over the family room, I’m tempted to turn around and not come back into the house. But the car is a mess too.
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I know the solution.
The solution is to close the laptop. Get the chore chart back up. Make family scripture reading and Family Home Evening a priority. Make a schedule and stick with it for house work. Fold and put away the clothes as soon as they are dry instead of waiting for all the clothes to be washed and dried. Throw stuff away – get rid of the things we don’t need, bring one shirt take one shirt out, etc. Make beds every day. Do dishes after every meal instead of once a day. Remind the kids to put stuff away when they are done; and don’t get annoyed when I have to say it over and over and over. Put stuff in its place instead of stacking it out of sight.
Why is it so hard to do that though?
I guess it’s time for me to sit down, and reprioritize. Make some goals. Set up a schedule. Menus. Chore charts. Routines. Adjust. Be flexible. Make my home welcoming. And warm. Inviting.
What are your best tips for me?
7 comments:
Reading this post made me think of how my home is most days too! :)
One thing that works for me is doing some sort of house work everyday so I don't feel overwhelmed with it. I also have baskets in our great room that are for my kids things that they are required to put away every other day.
I also make it a priority to make my bed daily. Makes me happy when I go to bed at night to a freshly made bed.
Thanks for your post!
Don't be too hard on yourself! Maybe come over to my house once a week and you won't feel so bad about yours!!
Amen, girl. Closing the laptop is, for me, almost always step 1. Then prayer and humble surrender to the Lord's will for me as a home maker and mother. Then pick a spot and jump in. I find getting the dishes and laundry under control first helps a lot. Hugs!
That house of order thing...so true. I know EXACTLY what you're talking about.
The two biggests beasts at my house are laundry and dishes. The only way they are tamed is with immediate action. That means starting the dishes while I'm finishing up dinner and then finishing them as close to immediately following as I can. And with laundry, as soon as I pull it out of the dryer, fold it, stack it in piles, and send the kids upstairs with their piles to put them away. Any time anything sits for any period of time, my whole house comes undone.
That said, I'm only occasionally successful at following through with this strategy, but those weeks (or days...or hours?) when I manage to do it are good ones!
so...I'm looking at your beautiful waterfall pictures and tulip pictures and ignore the basket of towels to fold/put away, and the dishes in the sink to wash/load. It's just way more fun to play than work, but I do enjoy the feeling of order. I use the just 15 minutes of...(I think originally from flylady) to get myself going, then I usually spend whatever time is needed. Also, the old saying "An ounce of morning is worth a pound of afternoon" works for me. I'm way better in the morning and get more done then. OK off of here to work and sleep. Thanks for the beautiful pictures!!
Oh, honey, I've been thinking about this too. I have a post half done about it. coming soon . . .
Sounds like my house, too! And my "chore chart modifications" are in cyberspace, too!
Two things I learned this week:
1) Make the time on the internet the reward -- ie. do dishes then reward yourself with a set amount of time on computer :-)
2) Spend 15 minutes doing something that will be appreciated by each family member -- many of them can be "catch-up" things you've put off for... ever?!
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