Each day, I attempt to get these 7 chores done, plus one alternate weekly chore. I have them noted on my wonderful whiteboard, and tick them off as I go. Now 8 chores might seem overwhelming with small children, and let me assure you it's very rare that I have all 8 ticked off in a single day. But having it on the board in this way makes it much easier to see what I haven't done in a few days. I'm also trying to adapt them so that helpful toddlers can help with each.
#1. Make the Beds
Everything seems so much more pleasant with nicely made beds. Don't get me wrong - I don't have 15 pillows and a throw for each bed - it's what we slept with and an additional blanket. But a great way to start the day.
Frog tip: we have a song we sing while making the beds. I also get him to 'make' his bed, by putting his blanket at one end and his cuddly toy at the other.
#2. Sweep and Hoover
My least done (and most disliked) chore. I just aim to hoover the living room and sweep the kitchen, but I only seem to do it every few days. This is one of those chores I should absolutely do every day, as the frog plays on the floor and a lot of food ends up there. It's pretty gross, there's not doubt. So I'm trying to at least sweep under his highchair after each meal (this was implemented after a fly incident in my house, which involved a lot of obsessive bleach-filled cleaning on my part - so much for natural).
Frog tip: their own little broom!
#3 Pick-ups
I've previously done a post on pick-ups - they really have revolutionised how clean my house stays.
Frog tip: I ask him to pick up tissues, put clothes in the laundry etc; all things that get more and more helpful as my tummy expands!
#4. Laundry
A full load of laundry, or putting clothes away from the day before and putting a new load on. But a few days can go by and wet laundry remains in the washing machine, or dry in the tumble dryer. My tumble dryer has an iron cycle and as long as you take them out as soon as it's finished, even shirts often don't need ironing. Does that make me do it straight away? Nope. A note on the ironing - I don't do it. It fills me with guilt to watch my husband leave for work in a crinkled shirt, but I still don't do it. Any tips for ironing those woeful shirts I'll receive especially gratefully!
Frog tip: little hands are great for hauling clothes in/out the washing machine/tumble dryer. They especially love pushing the buttons - the challenge comes to get them to stop!
#5. Dishwasher
This is the one chore I'm quite good at, mostly because having dirty dishes everywhere is a source of huge discouragement to me. And I do understand this people - I have a DISHWASHER; there should not be any complaints in my house about dirty dishes. Especially as I put everything in there, even those things that I shouldn't (so basically I haven't filled my sink in a month). Along with the dishwasher should come wiping down the sides, but that's not always a daily occurrence. My best tip is to unload it first thing in the morning so you can put all the dishes of the day in as you go along, and then put it on at night.
Frog tip: this one is a challenge.,what with all the dangerous/breakable things that end up in the dishwasher. I try to let the frog help, but with a lot of supervision.
#6. Dinner
I only get a tick if it's something I've made, not something I've bunged in the oven (so pizza doesn't count).
Frog tip: I must say, this is the one area I don't let the frog help at all. If Mr. K doesn't work late he gets in and takes over so I can cook in peace. It's a time for myself I enjoy and would like to continue (although I do appreciate the importance of teaching kids to cook).
#7 Schedule
I try to do this just before bedtime to help me the following day. I look at my diary to remind myself of anything I'm doing and prepare accordingly. That usually means packing the frog's nappy bag and preparing his snacks (by that I mean putting store-bought breadsticks in a tupperware container, not baking them myself - what do you think I am?!). I also check the meal schedule so I know if I need to take anything out of the freezer - this one is a real life-saver.
#8. Weekly Chore
Some days I get 3 or 4 of these done, some days none (some weeks none!).
a) Weekly Schedule: I write the meal planner and shopping list, do the shopping and put it away, coordinate my schedule with my diary, calendar and whiteboard. Unless there's something important on, this is always done on the Monday to set my week up right.
b) Dusting: usually reserved for when we have visitors, I'm not going to lie.
c) Hoover on/upstairs: a job mostly reserved for Mr. K.
d) Clean hob/sink
e) Correspondents: just taking some time to catch up on emails, especially to family abroad
f) Act of Kindness: this is something I try to encourage to frog to help me with, be it making the neighbour cookies (okay, I've done that once and burnt them. Thought that counts?), sending a thoughtful card or offering my time (babysitting etc.). I want it to be a big focus of our week, and is something I need to work harder at achieving.
What chores do you find you have to do daily? Any you avoid like the plague?
This looks very similar to my routine. I have different tasks assigned to each day (Cooking Day, Cleaning Day, Bookwork Day) although there are a few days a week (like Shopping Day) when I only worry about pick-ups and laundry. I also abhor vaccuming but am getting better about trying to do it at least once a week. A book that I found really good about juggling housework and a house-full of kiddos is Large Family Logistics. I read it when I just had one child in the home and found it transformational. Written by a very wise Christian lady too! Thanks for writing, Rachel!
ReplyDeleteThank you Kelsey! I really like your idea about a different task assigned to each day - sounds like it would make the housework less overwhelming. That book is now on my 'to read' list, thanks!
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