Whoot!! What a catchy title-no?
Boy-have we all been there-eh? This lady has it going on!!Shes hit the nail on the head as far as Im concerned-Learn it ladies!!LOLOLOLHeres a littel recap-but to get all the pearls visit the sight:)
http://www.executivehomemaker.com/2010/01/11-ways-to-do-less/
“Cleaning your house while your kids are still growing is like shoveling the walk before it stops snowing.” –Phyllis Diller
LOLOLOLOL-SOOOO VERY TRUE!!
You made the decision to become an at-home mother. Somewhere along the way, however, the duties of full-time housekeeper, errand boy, secretary, chef and hostess have all been added to your repertoire. You go to bed at night envisioning a sunny picnic in the park with your kids and by mid-morning you find yourself feeling overwhelmed by a never-ending list of chores. Sometimes it feels as if you are digging a hole in sand, with new chores constantly filling in the spaces of completed ones. Your children are spending more and more time in front of the television while you placate them with, “I’ll be there in a minute. I just have to….”
You can take comfort in knowing that you’re not the first to fall into this trap. Many of us who have chosen to stay at home to raise our children have at one time slipped into the same mindset that we have to do everything ourselves. The difference between feeling overwhelmed and finding satisfaction as an at-home mother comes from recognizing what is important and letting go of the rest.
If you hope to ever find the time to do the important things, like activities with your children or pursuing other interests, it is essential to find ways to do less while discovering more efficient ways to do what is absolutely necessary. Most of us feel better with a certain amount of structure in our lives. Once your household becomes organized, your days feel less like a never-ending list of chores. Getting household chores “under control” also gives you a feeling of accomplishment. But how can you accomplish this?
“The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook.” –William James
1. Identify your priorities
2. Set Goals
3. Schedule
4. Delegate
You aren’t showing love for your children by fostering dependence. Remember that your long-term goal is to mold independent adults. Assign, or have children choose, chores that are appropriate to their age level. Toddlers can help by putting their toys into their toy box each night. Preschoolers love to dust. Older children can become quite good at vacuuming, washing the car and even planning and fixing meals. Rotate chores periodically, perhaps on a biweekly or monthly basis. Allow and insist that all family members do as much as they can for themselves. Don’t forget to include your husband/partner. It sets a good example for your children to see Dad help and makes you feel less like the family maid.
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I really need help with this one-but Im getting there-just last week I put e-touch stickers on drawers in the kids rooms and each time I fold laundry their clothes go on their beds and hopefully in these stickered drawers...its going really well-Go Mommy! Sooo many times Its "ugh-I can do it quicker myself."LOLOL-but who is that really helping:ME!
5. Have a laundry basket available for each member of the family
Each person is responsible for putting dirty clothes in it and taking it to the laundry room on wash day. Clothes that don’t make it to the basket don’t get washed. Eventually, that favorite shirt behind the door will be missed and will find its way into the basket. When the laundry is done, fold the clothes, place them in their assigned laundry basket and return them to their proper owner. Don’t despair if the clothes never make it out of the basket and into the closet. At least they are clean, neatly folded and out of the family room.
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-Hmm..... I need to start this as well....
6. Plan Meals
List a month’s worth of meals and recycle the menus each month. Plan a weekly menu and shop for all of the ingredients at once.
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I do this every two weeks and have a menu that I go by of favoriet recipes-sure beats the "standing in front of the fridge figuring out what to cook blahs...:)
7. Hire a baby-sitter while you run errands to save time and frustration
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I think this would be more of a frustration...but to each his own...LOLOL
8. Plan the night before for the following day
9. Clean and pick up as you go
10. Do two things at once
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now who can actually get away with NOT doing this......LOLOL
11. Learn to say NO!
Remember, when you choose to be an at-home mother, the emphasis is on “mother” not “home.” Don’t lose sight of why you stayed at home in the first place. It may be a cliché, but it always catches us by surprise when we see how quickly our children grow up. The housework will be there long after the children are gone. You have the opportunity to make these years special. Enjoy them.
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