Homemaking! Where to Start
Here is the real nitty gritty on how to get more of YOUR TIME back without sacrificing tidyness and sanity. No one loves feeling overwhelmed.
If you don't want to read, skip to the very bottom for quick steps :)
I think having a WHY is the very first place to start. It's not the whole thing, but it sure makes the HOW a lot easier when you have a strong WHY.
Here are my thoughts on it. I want to serve and be a blessing to our family. As a wife I want to serve my husband and as a mom, our kids. When we have guests, my job as a hostess is to serve. It's one way I can show them love. Striving to be a good and CHEERFUL servant in that aspect. Keeping things tidy because it's more pleasing than a disaster. Keeping it tidy around here allows me to spend more time on what really matters, the people in our life! I don't ever want to be ashamed or embarrassed about what our home looks like if someone comes over, or decline the offer out of fear of what it looks like here. Worrying about the crumbs on the floor and the dishes in the sink can really be distracting and I don't want to be that type of friend. I want to be present in the conversation, 100%. I want to show my family and our friends how important they are when they are in our home. Cleaning, even though it sometimes feels like a thankless job is how I can show them, even if they wouldn't care, it helps me be less distracted.
Write down your WHY. Keep it, read it when you find a stash of clothes hidden in a toy box, or the vacuum is jammed with lego's. Believe me, you are going to need it!
You've got YOUR Why, now get your WHAT done.
What, as in WHAT has to be done.
Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Seasonally. Make a list of each one, for each room or area. I mean everything from baseboards, washing bedding, cleaning the microwave and sweeping the entryway. This is not a quick task and I will promise that as soon as you think you are done, you will go to do something and see something else that should have been added to the list. I've got my list below, if you need something to start with, just add and subtract as you need to, for your home!
We are going to jump around a bit, to WHEN, what kind of cleaner are you? Do you know? Maybe it's a combo of a few? I think the most common are:
Area Cleaning~working on 1 area until it's done, not worrying about the rest. Outside of things like dishes and laundry.
Speed Cleaning~Crazy cleaning all over, whatever is most needed for whatever time you have.
Time Block Cleaning~Smaller chunks of time working on your list.
All Day Cleaning~ 1 day, doing everything on that day.
My suggestion, and what I have used with great success is Area Cleaning. 1 or 2 areas every week day. Because weekends are for family time here, not mopping. At first it feels pointless, the kitchen is clean but the living room is a hot mess. After a couple weeks of sticking to the routine, you will find you can get it done faster and faster, leaving you more time in your day. I choose to add 2 tidying sessions to my day most days. These are more like speed cleaning, just 10-15 minutes of wiping down counters, putting toys away, picking up the common areas.
Once you decide WHEN you are going to do the work, it's the fun part of WHO. Chances are, that is going to mostly be YOU. Delegating is such a balance with kids. You want them to help and to learn and have responsibilities but goodness it's hard for it to be done their best and not be what we could do. I sway between "Oh well" and just doing it myself. I don't know what the answer is and I don't think it's the same for everyone.
I also think the HOW is SO important. I will give some more details on that, for now, just know that HOW is where I will explain HOW we clean, what products we use that are mindful of our families sensitivities, budget and needs. I don't think it's necessary to get started but will sure help once you have a chance to get to it.
JUST START! Start today, even if it's not Monday, or your cleaning day. Momentum is key. Remember your WHY when you get to feeling like it's too much. We all get there, it's normal and it stinks, and there are days when life happens and none of this will happen. Those days won't be the end of your journey to more time with your family, you can hop right back on track. As you can see on my plan, I expect there to be things EVERY SINGLE WEEK that get missed, Friday is there as my buffer.
Step 1. Write down EVERYTHING you need to do daily, weekly, monthly.
Step 2. Decide each week when they will get done
Step 3. START, just do them, be consistent for 2 weeks!
