Simplify Your Day
These are things that I learned when my children were small. They helped me keep my sanity and feel like I was making progress with my tasks.
Make your bed when your feet hit the floor because you probably won't have time to crawl back in until night time. If your children are old enough to make their beds, have them do the same. I used to "help" my children until they could do it alone. The reward: my little ones, too small to make their own, would often help me because I helped them! Your bedroom will be inviting and restful.
Have a different color laundry basket for each child. Have the children put their dirty clothes in it when they get ready for bed. I used to do the kids laundry one day and Larry's and mine the next. After you dry the clothes, fold them as they come out of the dryer and place in the correct basket. Have your children put away their clothes. When they are old enough, let them do their own laundry, assiging each child a day to do their wast; they tend to be more careful with their clothes.
I liked starting a load of wash before I went to bed. When I got up in the morning it went in the dryer and the second load was started while I got ready for the day. It gave me a jump start on the day.
When you empty the dishwasher, set the table rather than put the dishes away.
After dinner, have everyone carry their own dishes in the dishwasher. If the children are old enough, have them help clean up the kitchen.
Give each child a different color of bath towel and wash cloth. Coordinate them with your bathroom colors. It saves confusion about which towel to use and lets you know who didn't hang their's up.
Wipe up the bathroom counters and mirrors each morning. It keeps them looking clean and neat.
If you use the phone a lot, have chores you can do while talking. Dust, mend, work on crafts, clean out a drawer or iron.
Clean one closet or a couple of drawers each week. Have a box for things you want to donate and a trash can for discards handy.
Plan crock pot meals. Put the ingredients in the pot at night and refrigerate so they are ready to start in the morning. The Internet has a lot of terrific crock pot meals. Insta Pots and air fryers can also save time.
Double recipes when you can. Freeze one in a disposable pan.
Keep a running grocery list so you don't forget something.
Rather than clean the whole house at once, do a few things each day. It will keep the house looking clean all the time. Vacuum and mop one day, clean bathrooms the next. Dust and clean the kitchen on another day. It will keep you from feeling you can't do it all.
As kids get older, let them take turns cleaning their bathroom. Have each vacuum and dust their own rooms.
Keep duplicate cleaning products in each bathroom for quick clean ups.
Make a "to do" list and prioritize it. Each day, tackle some things on the list.
These ideas can be customized to suit your family situation and, hopefully, it will give you a sense of accomplishment instead of feeling overwhelmed.
Make your bed when your feet hit the floor because you probably won't have time to crawl back in until night time. If your children are old enough to make their beds, have them do the same. I used to "help" my children until they could do it alone. The reward: my little ones, too small to make their own, would often help me because I helped them! Your bedroom will be inviting and restful.
Have a different color laundry basket for each child. Have the children put their dirty clothes in it when they get ready for bed. I used to do the kids laundry one day and Larry's and mine the next. After you dry the clothes, fold them as they come out of the dryer and place in the correct basket. Have your children put away their clothes. When they are old enough, let them do their own laundry, assiging each child a day to do their wast; they tend to be more careful with their clothes.
I liked starting a load of wash before I went to bed. When I got up in the morning it went in the dryer and the second load was started while I got ready for the day. It gave me a jump start on the day.
When you empty the dishwasher, set the table rather than put the dishes away.
After dinner, have everyone carry their own dishes in the dishwasher. If the children are old enough, have them help clean up the kitchen.
Give each child a different color of bath towel and wash cloth. Coordinate them with your bathroom colors. It saves confusion about which towel to use and lets you know who didn't hang their's up.
Wipe up the bathroom counters and mirrors each morning. It keeps them looking clean and neat.
If you use the phone a lot, have chores you can do while talking. Dust, mend, work on crafts, clean out a drawer or iron.
Clean one closet or a couple of drawers each week. Have a box for things you want to donate and a trash can for discards handy.
Plan crock pot meals. Put the ingredients in the pot at night and refrigerate so they are ready to start in the morning. The Internet has a lot of terrific crock pot meals. Insta Pots and air fryers can also save time.
Double recipes when you can. Freeze one in a disposable pan.
Keep a running grocery list so you don't forget something.
Rather than clean the whole house at once, do a few things each day. It will keep the house looking clean all the time. Vacuum and mop one day, clean bathrooms the next. Dust and clean the kitchen on another day. It will keep you from feeling you can't do it all.
As kids get older, let them take turns cleaning their bathroom. Have each vacuum and dust their own rooms.
Keep duplicate cleaning products in each bathroom for quick clean ups.
Make a "to do" list and prioritize it. Each day, tackle some things on the list.
These ideas can be customized to suit your family situation and, hopefully, it will give you a sense of accomplishment instead of feeling overwhelmed.
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