When I first started out as a homemaker, I tried the card file system Pam and Peggy used. I failed miserably. I tried lists, I tried planners, I tried many things, but what I finally realized is something that was mentioned in the book Pigpen to Paradise that I had somehow missed. It was also touched on in FlyLady's system but it took reading Fascinating Womanhood before I was able to articulate what I had never been taught in all my years growing up.
Just to be clear, I had to be taught this. It wasn't something I would ever learn by osmosis. I had to learn what was important in my role as a homemaker.
The only places I've seen this mentioned are books about business or How To Be A Better Employee In 30 Seconds Or Less. As far as I know, no one sits a young person down as part of a homemaking course and says "Yes, dear, you can freeze a month's worth of meals in one day but before you do you need to make sure these other chores are done first."
Maybe I just wasn't taught well. Considering the previous generation, I don't think I'm alone in that.
FlyLady worked for me because it set the priorities for me. I do my Morning Routine first (which includes decluttering/Zone work), then whatever needs to be done for the day (according to my Basic Weekly Plan) as well as homeschool for the kids, and then I do my Before Bed Routine. And inside each routine is a list of things that take priority. But, let me say it again, it took FlyLady to set those priorities for me.
By the time I read Fascinating Womanhood, I already had a good idea of where my priorities should be. I had learned which parts of the house and which chores took priority over others. So, when I saw how Andelin broke things down in FW, it made sense. In fact, it expanded my view of homemaking.
First, I'll give a list of what I've found to be the most important chores to be done in a house. This is not set in stone. This is what I've found to be true according to my experience. Afterward, I'll explain how I expanded the list.
- Take care of yourself first. I know that doesn't make much sense, but too many women look down on themselves as homemakers because they don't know their limits and end up tired, beaten, and wearing clothes for three days straight because they don't take the time for themselves. Get up a little earlier in the morning so you're not too rushed, put on something workable but nice, and really get ready for your day.
- Always spend a little time every day on the bathrooms. Clear off the counters, put away any out of place items, wipe surfaces down with some soap and scrub the toilet. It takes less than 3 minutes per bathroom and you will find yourself grinning all day. Don't just do the guest bathrooms either. You deserve a clean bathroom, too.
- Make sure the family is fed and fed well: breakfast, lunch and dinner. This is something that needs frequent attention if you cook at home. Not concentrated attention... frequent. A minute before bed to see what the next day's menu -- or, if you're in our house, the next couple of days since some things we make take a few days to prepare -- a minute in the morning to make sure you're on track and a minute at noon for the same reason. I say "fed well" because the better you feed your family, the less food they'll want to eat. Try it and you'll see. Also, believe it or not, it's cheaper to eat healthy.
- Do the dishes every day and make sure your sink is clean at night.
- Do at least one load of laundry every day (two or three if you have a big family like ours). I tried having a laundry day and it just overwhelmed me, even after culling the unnecessaries from my kids' clothes. Maybe Laundry Day will work for you and yours but I've always ended up with too much to do every day. Thank goodness for washers and dryers or I wouldn't have a choice in the matter.
- Spend two minutes cleaning surfaces and five minutes cleaning the chair and floor. I try to do this for every room in the house but on days when my energy is shot, I only do the living room and dining room.
- Floors are the most important part of a room. People expect stuff to gather on surfaces. Floors have less of an excuse, not to mention the dangers of having stuff on the floor where people walk. If nothing else gets clean in a room, pick up stuff off the floor and give it a sweep if it doesn't have carpet. This especially applies to the dining room.
- Clean the kitchen after every meal. This will naturally extend out of washing the dishes, but it isn't as high a priority. It makes the top chores list because having an after-meal routine keeps your kitchen cleared and ready for cooking. It does not surpass dishes because it is possible to cook on a messy counter. Not pleasant, but it is possible.
- Declutter every day for fifteen minutes. This has got to be the best advice I got from FlyLady. When I do this, the mess in my house becomes much more manageable because there's less stuff to take care of. If nothing else, spend a couple of days (fifteen minutes each day) cleaning out and organizing the pantry. You'll be so very glad you did. I also apply this to rooms that have gotten out of hand. I tell myself I'm only going to spend fifteen minutes putting stuff away. It may not be perfect by the end, but it always looks better.
In addition to this, I have a master priority list. It's organized by Most Important, Secondary, and Lower priorities and expands on the previous list.
Most Important
- My health
- My baby
- My appearance (it's a cruel fact that humans behave toward others based on appearance... this includes the glance you give yourself in the mirror)
- Kids fed/meals on time
- Clean house/walkable
- Laundry/Mr. Vinca's clothes (there's a story behind that... another time) :)
- Homeschooling/therapy
- Deeper housecleaning
- Sewing
- Garden/sprouting
- Decluttering
- Writing/blogging
- Seasonal sorting
- Home decorating
- Organizing paperwork
- Spring cleaning
- Charity work
- Me time
Next time, I'll discuss decluttering.
No comments:
Post a Comment