Part of my resolution also has to do with my "mindset" about my job as housekeeper. I am going to think of my work at home as my "job". I have a "job" and I am responsible for learning this "job" and getting better and better at it. I can't go to my "job" in yesterday's clothes and dirty hair (wouldn't do that on at a "real" job) ... I need to be ready every day to go to "work" and give 100%. (corny maybe ... but blogging is for your true feelings ... so here they are)!
Now, in most of my jobs, I have never been really motiviated too highly by money (well, maybe just a little bit!). Let's face it, in this country, how many of us really are in want of much? There is not much that a big paycheck could buy for me right now that I don't already have.
I mention a paycheck because I know that many ladies think less of their SAHM job because there is no paycheck. I've earned big paychecks before ....... something that I can make my kids feel guilty about some day - as in, look what I gave up for you! :) ...... but those paychecks never motiviated me like the little successes in the journey to raising a happy family ... like "thank you" from Zoe or a clean bathroom in midst of all our choas. So, don't let the lack of a "paycheck reward" keep you from seeing the work you do at home as just that ... work ... your job.
I am a FLY lady. Don't know what that is? Go to flylady.net for the complete tour. Part of the FLYlady philosophy is to "let go" of perfectionism and take baby steps to your goals. I've developed my own version of her house cleaning plan and I'm going to include it as part of this post (warning - very long!!). I'm also going to commit to really following it every day ... even on those days that I don't really feel like it ... like today ... yesterday ... the day before that ...
The plan has a daily set of routines (divided into morning, afternoon and night), a weekly set and a monthly set. All combined, I think I have most of the job covered. I will probably be tweaking it over the next couple of months, but it's been on "rough draft" for me for a few years ... just now, I'm actually writing it down and trying to be more committed to it. These daily routines look like a lot to do ... but they go very quickly if you keep your pace up and if you do them every day. Cleaning is easy if the cleaning is done "a little every day."
FlyLady is about getting your cleaning done so that you can enjoy other things in life. These routines do not take time once they are done regularly. I spend maybe 15-30 minutes on each weekly routine item and 15 on each monthly item. The daily items are just part of my routine ... so I do them on auto-pilot. A friend from church (with a house and life that is out of control) once told me that keeping her house clean in that small amount of time was totally impossible and she didn't even want to talk to me about it. Come on people ... Let's quit making excuses and give it a try! :)
Morning Routine - mostly complete by 8 AM
Make all beds, quickly straighten bedrooms. (I do this the second the kids are out of bed).
Dress Zoe and Jackson as they change out of overnight pull-ups (Zoe still in crib!).
Empty dishwasher & reload with any dirty dishes around house.
Run load of laundry (or two - we have two sets of washer/dryers).
Quickly wipe down washers/dryers.
Empty dryers - Quickly put away or sort, depending on time available.
Straighten den.
Straighten bathrooms - Leave all clean once we're done getting ready.
Floss teeth.
Ck emails.
Plan dinner (and other meals/snacks for day).
Plan/Do workout. Straighten up playroom while there doing workout.
For the kids - snack, lunch money, water bottles, tic tacs.
(I let the boys take a few breath mints to school. I'm sure their teachers are happy since they have to work right next to them.)
I am a FLY lady. Don't know what that is? Go to flylady.net for the complete tour. Part of the FLYlady philosophy is to "let go" of perfectionism and take baby steps to your goals. I've developed my own version of her house cleaning plan and I'm going to include it as part of this post (warning - very long!!). I'm also going to commit to really following it every day ... even on those days that I don't really feel like it ... like today ... yesterday ... the day before that ...
The plan has a daily set of routines (divided into morning, afternoon and night), a weekly set and a monthly set. All combined, I think I have most of the job covered. I will probably be tweaking it over the next couple of months, but it's been on "rough draft" for me for a few years ... just now, I'm actually writing it down and trying to be more committed to it. These daily routines look like a lot to do ... but they go very quickly if you keep your pace up and if you do them every day. Cleaning is easy if the cleaning is done "a little every day."
FlyLady is about getting your cleaning done so that you can enjoy other things in life. These routines do not take time once they are done regularly. I spend maybe 15-30 minutes on each weekly routine item and 15 on each monthly item. The daily items are just part of my routine ... so I do them on auto-pilot. A friend from church (with a house and life that is out of control) once told me that keeping her house clean in that small amount of time was totally impossible and she didn't even want to talk to me about it. Come on people ... Let's quit making excuses and give it a try! :)
Morning Routine - mostly complete by 8 AM
Make all beds, quickly straighten bedrooms. (I do this the second the kids are out of bed).
Dress Zoe and Jackson as they change out of overnight pull-ups (Zoe still in crib!).
Empty dishwasher & reload with any dirty dishes around house.
Run load of laundry (or two - we have two sets of washer/dryers).
Quickly wipe down washers/dryers.
Empty dryers - Quickly put away or sort, depending on time available.
Straighten den.
Straighten bathrooms - Leave all clean once we're done getting ready.
Floss teeth.
Ck emails.
Plan dinner (and other meals/snacks for day).
Plan/Do workout. Straighten up playroom while there doing workout.
For the kids - snack, lunch money, water bottles, tic tacs.
(I let the boys take a few breath mints to school. I'm sure their teachers are happy since they have to work right next to them.)
Sunday - Collect everyone's Bible and take to car.
Afternoon Routine - from 1 PM to 3 PM
Set Table - Review what's for dinner.
Read Bible/Devotion time. (Zoe's napping)
Take care of at least 1 paperwork or phone call item.
Finish laundry started this morning.
Straighten kids' rooms.
Plan after school snakcing for kids (plan something to take in car pool sometimes)
Plan devotional verse for kids during dinner time.
Vacuum main living area carpets. Mop main living areas, if needed.
Night Routine - whenever! :)
Lay out everyone's clothes - socks & underwear, too.
Story tiem with kids
Kids brush and floss teeth
Clean kitchen after dinner - Run dishwasher
Weekly Routine
Monday - Catch up on laundry from weekend. Wash car. Change kids' sheets. Grocery shop.
Tuesday - Clean hall and laundry room bath rooms.
Wednesday - Change sheets on Master Bed. Clean playroom.
Thursday - Dust all through house. Vacuum all carpets. Plan meals for next week.
Friday - Master bedroom and bath clean up.
Saturday - Day off! ... Or, if weather is nice ... Clean back porch and deck, front porch, walk yard and clean up. Clean outside of windows. Ck gutters.
Sunday - Day off!
Monthly Routine - Do item on day of month. If you miss one, you'll catch it next month ... don't sweat over it but make effort to get it done! These activities you only do for about 15 minutes ... set a time and hussle to finish them quickly. :)
1 - Dust/clean indoor shutters.
2 - Dust/clean ceiling fans & light fixtures.
3 - Clean silverware & other kitchen drawers.
4 - Dust/clean baseboards.
5 - Dust/clean pictures on walls.
6 - Wash cabinets.
7 - Wipe down couches and other furniture that kids spill on.
8 - Wash wood furniture & use scratch cover.
9 - Vaccuum or mop and clean out under beds.
10 - Declutter medicine cabinets, cabinets in toilet areas and bathroom drawers.
11 - Declutter and straighten kitchen cabinetx.
12 - Clean both frigs, coffee maker, appliances, microwave (in & out), stove, hood filter.
13 - Wash bedspreads that need it.
14 - Clean dining room (this only needs once a month because we don't use it!)
15 - Declutter Zoe's room & closet.
16 - Scrub tile grout in any baths that need it.
17 - Wash walls ... Need to order carpet cleaning? Clean carpet spots, if any. :)
18 - Declutter pantry & laundry room cabinets.
19 - Pillows - Launder or Dry Clean.
20 - Declutter Jackson & Hank's room & closets.
21 - Declutter kitchen cabinets.
22 - Clean oven.
23 - Wash inside of windows.
24 - Windex glass surfaces.
25 - Declutter BJ's room and closet.
26 - Dust/clean drapes including privacy ones for playroom and laundry room washer/dryer curtains.
27 - Clean kitchen counters, sink, knick-knacks ... on the island, too.
28 - Declutter hall closet.
29 - Declutter foyer and foyer closet.
30 - Declutter my room and my closet.
31 - Clean front porch.
Monthly Routine - Do item on day of month. If you miss one, you'll catch it next month ... don't sweat over it but make effort to get it done! These activities you only do for about 15 minutes ... set a time and hussle to finish them quickly. :)
1 - Dust/clean indoor shutters.
2 - Dust/clean ceiling fans & light fixtures.
3 - Clean silverware & other kitchen drawers.
4 - Dust/clean baseboards.
5 - Dust/clean pictures on walls.
6 - Wash cabinets.
7 - Wipe down couches and other furniture that kids spill on.
8 - Wash wood furniture & use scratch cover.
9 - Vaccuum or mop and clean out under beds.
10 - Declutter medicine cabinets, cabinets in toilet areas and bathroom drawers.
11 - Declutter and straighten kitchen cabinetx.
12 - Clean both frigs, coffee maker, appliances, microwave (in & out), stove, hood filter.
13 - Wash bedspreads that need it.
14 - Clean dining room (this only needs once a month because we don't use it!)
15 - Declutter Zoe's room & closet.
16 - Scrub tile grout in any baths that need it.
17 - Wash walls ... Need to order carpet cleaning? Clean carpet spots, if any. :)
18 - Declutter pantry & laundry room cabinets.
19 - Pillows - Launder or Dry Clean.
20 - Declutter Jackson & Hank's room & closets.
21 - Declutter kitchen cabinets.
22 - Clean oven.
23 - Wash inside of windows.
24 - Windex glass surfaces.
25 - Declutter BJ's room and closet.
26 - Dust/clean drapes including privacy ones for playroom and laundry room washer/dryer curtains.
27 - Clean kitchen counters, sink, knick-knacks ... on the island, too.
28 - Declutter hall closet.
29 - Declutter foyer and foyer closet.
30 - Declutter my room and my closet.
31 - Clean front porch.
1 comment:
shazam, you just wrote my diary!
Well, except for the fact we don't have two washing machines..... SO jealous.
A little each day is the only way to go....even though some days, it feels like "didn't I just clean this?" and yes you did.
Thanks for the GREAT post. Time management is everything, and running a family IS running a business. We are CEO of course.
p.s I chopped my hair off .... quite like Meg Ryan choppy bob.
Not brave enough to post yet.
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