Wow over 900 comments and still going strong! So many of you shared your feelings of desperately wanting to get organized and not knowing which end is up. Believe me, I can relate to that feeling! Let me explain.
I worked full time when my oldest two were little. I look back on that time now and wonder how I ever did it. I do remember it being stressful but with the exception of having housecleaning help (I was fortunate to be able to hire a house cleaner ever two weeks) I still managed to get everything else done. When I first came home two years ago I couldn’t figure out why I struggled with getting everything done considering I now had more time in the day to do it. I was really overwhelmed by it all. That’s when I realized it was because I was no longer following any sort of schedule. I fell into the trap that I had nothing but time now that I was home. I told myself that there was always tomorrow or the next day or the day after that. Problem is the longer I procrastinated on something, the longer it went without getting done and the more stressed out I became and the more dysfunctional my family became. This was specifically apparent when I no longer had a cleaner to rely on. I hate cleaning so of course I had trouble concentrating my efforts or even finding a huge chunk of time to do all my housework at one time. You see that is how I was raised, we always did all the housework Saturday mornings. It never occurred to me that it could be done any other way.
It wasn’t until I started reading some blogs and discovered another way, a way that has made life so much easier for me and completely taken the pressure off. It’s called the weekly work/cleaning schedule. I know many of you are already using this method but just as many are not following any sort of routine which is why I bring it up today.
We started by making a list of all the chores that needed to get done in a week. Then as a family we sat down with this list, wrote our names across the top and started writing in who was going to do what and when. It looks something like this:
Monday: Me ~ grocery shopping and laundry
Tuesday: Me ~ whole house clutter bust (just making sure things are put back in their homes, general tidy)
Wednesday: Me ~ dust
Thursday: Me ~ wash floors
Friday: Me ~ clean bathtub, Daughter ~ toilets/sinks/tidy room, Son ~ glass/tidy basement and room
I stay on top of the kitchen every day and hubbie does the vacuuming on Sundays. My kids also have daily jobs such as helping with dinner, putting dishes away out of the dishwasher and tidying up the living room each evening.
Yes there are still some days that I get off track but having my schedule written out and posted where I see it regularly helps to remind me of what I need to do and when. Since I am a visual person I find that using my week over week calendar on the fridge is what works best for me. Knowing that I don’t have to commit any more than an hour to house cleaning each day helps me to stay focused and get it done. Talk about freeing.
The other thing I’ve learned from the lovely Rachel-Anne (her Small Things series is fantastic!) is to have a Housekeeping Mission Statement. I’ll be honest and admit that at first I didn’t see the benefit but I decided to give it a try and I am amazed at what a difference it makes in my attitude.
My Housekeeping Mission Statement
To provide an inviting and peaceful household environment, for my family and all that enter, that is conducive to living simply, loving deeply and laughing abundantly. I will make strides everyday to achieve this by practicing and teaching good daily habits and routines along with effective organizational skills. I will graciously and cheerfully serve my family and genuinely enjoy my commitment to creating a home sanctuary that is above all else pleasing to God.
For years I longed to “come home” to take care of my family. I am so grateful to now have this opportunity and having a written mission statement is a daily reminder of how I want to accomplish that goal.
Whether you are a stay at home mom, work at home mom or work outside of the home, committing to a schedule and following through will help you achieve whatever goal you are seeking for yourself and your family. Try it!
See also:
Melanie says
I am so here with you Laura!
I wanted to let you know that I was inspired by the housekeeping mission statement and am currently praying through what that would look like for our family. Thanks so much for sharing!
Queen B says
Great post. Thank you for the reminder. I am so blessed to be able to stay at home, but I can so easily get the priorities out of line! Everything doesn’t have to be done at once!! I’ll be working on that mission statement!!
Devildogwife says
I love the idea of a mission statement. Great idea!!
Becky says
Laura,
Thank you for this post. It was a great reminder. I am living my dream of being a stay-at-home mom, and I want to do it well. I’m going to work on the mission statement and the weekly schedule.
I just read your comment on my blog about the puzzle storage. I guess my idea wasn’t so original after all. : ) I love the idea of labeling the backs of the puzzle pieces. I’ll have to do that next.
God bless!
Becky
ukrainiac says
Discovered your blog through the giveaway, but have now subscribed…can’t wait to get myself a bit more organized! Okay, a LOT more organized…
Monica says
Thanks for this reminder. I am in a cleaning rut right now. I just cleaned the bathroom because something HAD to be done! Things have run so much more efficiently when I have followed a cleaning schedule. I am going to get one together and start following it again–THANK YOU!
Debi says
You know I used to follow a schedule, but I got so overly anal about it all that I ended up driving everyone crazy (most of all myself). So I decided to loosen up and scrapped the schedule. Now everything is just chaos and of course, I’m more crazy than ever! I need to find some kind of happy medium…
By the way, how on earth do you get your grocery shopping and laundry done all in one day?!! You’re my idol, Laura! (I do laundry every day…12-14 loads a week…I think we must be awfully big slobs around here, huh?)
Katherine@RaisingFi says
My story is so much like yours, Laura. Having some structure makes me feel like I can actually accomplish something each day. I think the best thing is that I don’t have to try to get everything done on one day. I used to work and work, and still feel overwhelmed by all the things I *didn’t* get to. Now I can look at the laundry pile and not worry about it because I have days set aside to get it done. Not that it is ever totally done around here… =)
And I love your mission statement. I’m stealing it.
Rachel Anne says
Laura, what a great encouragement to free ourselves from the burden of housework by managing it better. I need the visual reminder of calanders and mission statements out where I can see them so I can stay focused on what’s really important: creating a special, gracious place for my family. It makes cleaning toilet bowls and doing endless laundry make SENSE and have purpose. (I need Pupose.)
I love your mission statement and I am actually still refining mine to reflect what I want my home to be.
Keep up the great work!!! You’re awesome!
DebiP says
this is a great post for me…it is me…I have come to the realization and am working fervently on getting in line with making this house a home…for all who dwell here and all who visit here…thank you
Annie says
You rock chickie…hopefully I’ll get to enjoy your home sometime soon (when the weather gets better)!!!
sandy says
Hi Laura. I love reading about your history and “story.” I have come to the conclusion that I am just not a “schedule” girl! I just go with the flow. Now, my house would probably drive you crazy! I do stay on top of it, because I can’t stand “out of orderness” – but it’s not always organized the way I’d like it to be. Part of my problem is I am a “SAHWM!”
Always love visiting you – and congrats on the over 900 comments! I’m having a giveaway next week. After that mad rush …
Sandy
Mrs. Wilson says
That sounds SO wonderful! I NEED to start that!!
Bonnie says
I just became a “company girl” and I’m loving it !! What a great site she has ! Anyway, I’ve never hear of a mission statement for housekeeping but I’m going to write one !
Karen (Pediascribe) says
My mission statement changes day to day. Somedays it sounds sorta like yours. Somedays, like today, when I’m really busy AND sick to boot, my mission statement goes something like
“to keep the kids alive and not have the house condemned.”
🙂
Lisa says
This comes at a good time for me! I was stuck at home today due to the weather and did hardly anything. I talked to my car-pool partner later in the day and she had accomplished so much that she gets to go away for the weekend instead of staying home to catch up on chores. I feel like I really wasted my day now. A schedule helps me at work, so why not use one at home? I am going to have to think about what it will look like for me.
Maggie says
When I realized that looking after my family (and that includes housecleaning) was a ministry to which I’d been called by God, my attitude toward my daily tasks improved considerably.
Katrina says
Love your housekeeping mission statement, Laura! And I agree that it is so easy for a day — or a week, or month! — to go by and for me to not get anything done, simply because I didn’t establish some kind of structure or routine.
AnneMarieZ says
I gotta go back and look!
we are expecting #4!!! yep, 4~
and my house is upside down this time.. my first trimester killed me and nothing got done unless I had enough energy to catch up….
I am just going into my second tri but still nauseaus and exhausted!
crumbsonmyfloor says
I love structure! We have 7 in our family. If I don’t have some sort of routine, it’s a madhouse. I am cleaning today!! I have let it go here for awhile, but I can’t take it anymore!
Is that really such a bad thing to want organization in your home or to have expectations of your kids and their rooms?
Visit me at http://www.crumbsonmyfloor.com
Take care,
Amy
Proverbs31 says
Oh, I love the idea of a mission statement, and I like the way yours is written. She’s right, if you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it every time. This goes along so well with all the things I have been trying to accomplish in my home, I’ll have to think on this and write one out for myself. 🙂 Thanks for directing me to Rachel Anne’s blog! I’m looking forward to reading some more of it!
lylah ledner says
Hey Laura…since I’m into “mission statements” and being “on-purpose”…i LOVE your HOME FRONT MISSION STATEMENT! It sparks an idea for you…why not challenge your readers to come up with their own HOME FRONT mission statement. It’s truly something that can guide, spurr on and encourage a woman to be on-purpose, relax a bit – rather than succumb to life’s crazies – your’s is wonderful! YOu Go Girl! 🙂 it’s so good to be home! lylah
lylah ledner says
OH…didn’t see that home sanctuary woman…has done this…Oops….:-) I guess i’m still in jet lag 🙂
blessings…lylah
Melody Stone says
What a great mission statement! I too have just come home but feel like I am faltering. I have created a schedule but I need to stick to it because like you said it definitely gets overwhelming if you don’t.
Laura says
I so hate to clean too. I’m doing laundry almost every day. It just never ends and I’m still behind!
TJ says
I SO want to be organized! I’m working on it though-LOL! One day, one task at a time…
Kelli says
When my life was MUCH busier, I followed a schedule and almost never deviated from it (you can find that old schedule on my website LOL). Now, I am a homeschooling mom and can not seem to get my schedule set to me and all that happens INSIDE my home.
I found your site through a friend’s blog and you have inspired me to take my Mom’s Manual with me on my vacation this week and see if I can spend some time getting it reorganized for my new life.
zaina says
i love love love the mission statement its very encouraging and gives the complete will to do what needs to be done for my husband and 2 loving boys to be healthy and happy at all times . thank you so much . but i just would like simple ideas of products that might help make things go smoothers interms of cleaning . any suggestions ?
again thank u sooo much . God bless
house cleaning Knoxville TN says
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Maid Service Austin says
Thank you for sharing this weekly cleaning schedule – just printed them out and will be referring to them often.