Housekeeping with Lots of
Children
By Dawn Salisbury
Has the clutter taken over your home? Sometimes it feels that
I spend most of my time cleaning up after sticky little hands and the chore
becomes redundant. Many times I’ve wondered where the designer, beautiful home
of mine has disappeared to as it appears toys, diapers, baby blankets, clothes
and dishes have eaten it. Here are some tips on keeping up with your
housekeeping after the children arrive.
Get rid of possessions
you don’t need. If it’s been in storage for 2 years and you’ve had no need
for the items in that time, find another home for them. Schedule clutter control
around Christmas and birthdays. Maybe encourage your children to get rid of one
toy before getting another. Donate those things to children in need. Don’t
forget about your clothes.
Organize your
housework. Come up with a schedule. There are several ideas out there to go
off of. I saw one theory based on how our Grandmothers kept house: Monday was
laundry, Tuesday was bread baking, Wednesday was for running errands, etc.
Others are based on a weekly cleaning schedule of focusing on one room a week.
It rotates through the month so once a month everything in your home is getting
deep cleaned.
Train your children to
clean up their messes. Teach children to put toys and clothes away, to clean
their own rooms and pick up their laundry. Be a good example to your children.
If they see you working or working with them, they are much more responsive to
tending to chores themselves.
Work the wickedness
out. Teach cheerful obedience. Whoever is whining, crying or complaining
about chores gets extra chores, like cleaning out the refrigerator or organizing
cabinets.
Laundry. Fold and
put away laundry as it finishes. Start laundry early in the morning, as if it is
as automatic as brushing your teeth. It may be helpful to designate days of the
week for certain loads. Monday is bedding, Tuesday is towels, etc.
Cooking. Slow
cookers can become any family’s best friend. Throw it in and serve it up with a
quick side dish, and there is less mess and stress. Other ideas are to make a
double or triple batch and freeze the extra portion. Or you can cook for a month
and freeze everything, thawing and reheating to save you time throughout the
month.
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