I hate household chores. I categorically despise them with a passion. I see those little quizzes on social media that have the image stating the following:
“You can only pick one of these four, which would it be?”
A. 8 Hours of Sleep Every Night
B. Self-Cleaning House
C. Gas Tank Always on Full
D. Never Having to Cook Again
B!!! My answer is always B, and always will be B. A self-cleaning house is this mama’s dream come true. Too bad this dream isn’t a reality!
One would think that being stuck at home more during the past year would motivate me to have a renewed determination to get my house orderly and clean, top to bottom. And while that is partially true, to the extent that I have done A LOT of decluttering and minimizing of junk, the top to bottom cleaning is still something to be desired.
And yes, I KNOW I should get my kids involved more in the household chores, and I don’t need your judgment on that right now. My OCD and Type-A personality have a VERY hard time letting go. I also have shared parenting of my children, so I only have them 50% of the time, and I hate the thought that time with them is taken away doing chores.
That being said, we do have some things around the house that my kids are normally responsible for, and we are working on more responsibilities that are relatively easy and don’t take much time but are still a huge help for me. Also, now that summer is around the corner and the snow is gone (knock on wood, this IS Ohio), lawn mowing season is upon us. I will be getting my 13-year-old involved in that and helping me in that area. So that’s another help.
BUT, my biggest issue is just maintaining a schedule or a routine of household cleaning and chores, even just for myself.
When my kids are with their dad, I find myself getting caught up in everything around the house. Laundry (which is never-ending with 2 boys), dusting, cleaning the bathroom (we only have one very small one, so one would think that would be easy), sweeping/mopping floors, etc. I have finally gotten a handle on getting the dishes done daily (or as close to it as possible). We don’t have a dishwasher, so it can be a hassle washing everything by hand at times. I know that doesn’t seem like much, but believe me, it is!
I find myself doing a quick clean once a week or so, but it’s usually just to appease and trick my OCD. On my days that I don’t have my children, sometimes I just want to rest a little. Being a single, full-time working mama definitely leaves me exhausted most days. Is it so bad I want to relax?
But, I recognize that I need assistance. I cannot afford house cleaning services. Believe me, I would if I could in a heartbeat! I definitely can’t afford a professional organizer (i.e. someone to slap my hand and tell me I don’t need to keep EVERYTHING). So, with that being said, give me your best advice! I’m a list-maker, spreadsheet-loving nerd.
This frazzled mama could use some ideas and strategies for starting and maintaining a house cleaning schedule, one that can easily get two boys (13 and 11) involved. One that doesn’t require a lot of time, but can be spread out throughout the week as well. I’ve gone the Pinterest route, of course, but would love to hear from some fellow moms your best ideas! Again, no judgment, please. I already know that I’m lacking in this area of my life!
So, let me know! What are your latest and greatest household chores/organizing ideas? I plan on incorporating some of the best ones in some of my upcoming articles with before and after outcomes!
