Have you noticed an inverse proportion between the amount of time spent complaining about housekeeping and the overall cleanliness of any home? If one spends 15 or 20 minutes a day actually cleaning, instead of griping about cleaning or endlessly pondering the subject, what a difference it makes.
I wonder why we mothers try to bear the burden alone? Keeping house is a shared responsibility for all who live in a home-- it's a set of life skills and healthy habits. Just like brushing teeth, these skills be can taught to our children and practiced until they become automatic and (almost) effortless.
Over the years, I've tried numerous complicated systems for getting the job done, but this is
THE ONE that works for me. Why?
Two reasons:
1. Each day's tasks revolve around ONE skill and ONE set of tools that can be quickly used in multiple rooms.
2. Everyone helps and it only takes a few minutes. We "get in the zone" and go. Just do it.
*******************************
The week looks like this:
Monday = Toilets and bathtubs.
The children clean their bathroom and I do the Master bath.
Tuesday = Counters, sinks, and mirrors (as above).
Then I do the kitchen surfaces and the children check to see which windows need a little squirt and wipe.
Wednesday = Floors.
The kids each swiffer their own bedroom floor plus one other room.
I do the rest. (I actually love to vacuum for some odd reason, so I have dibs on the rugs.)
Thursday = Mop the kitchen and bathroom floors.
Haleigh likes to mop the kitchen. Since the bathrooms get a quick daily sweep, some weeks they don't require much mopping at all.
Friday = Dust + Put fresh towels in the bathrooms.
The children each dust their bedrooms plus one other room. I do the remainder. For a few focused minutes we do nothing but banish dust-- in less than 15 minutes and our entire house is dusted. Easy.
Saturday = Change all the sheets.
Now the house is ship-shape and we have the rest of Saturday for: a fun outing, seasonal projects, sporting events, etc.
*********************************
A plan like this works when:
1. The inevitable and continuous stream of clutter is kept at bay.
2. Everything has "a home" and everybody puts his or her own things away each day.
3. Each person who uses them helps keep the bathrooms and kitchen tidy.
4. Laundry keeps moving every day: Sort, wash, dry, fold, put away.
5. Everybody helps. Every. Body. | 