Life as a parent is busy. We juggle work, errands, school activities and time with friends and family. The last things we want to think about are household chores, but that doesn’t mean they don’t need our attention. Here are some tips to cut chores in half:
Make a cleaning schedule
A cleaning schedule helps assign time for chores to be completed without their imposing on our free time. Jennifer Klindworth, Olathe mom to twin girls, says, “I keep Mondays free of things we have to do outside the home. This is when I get all the laundry done. I usually clean the house toward the end of the week so I can enjoy the weekend.” Having a day set aside for certain chores helps organize the week so your to-do list doesn’t become overwhelming.
Get the kids involved
Children can pitch in on chores at an early age. Preschoolers can dust floorboards and furniture, school-age children can load the dishwasher and help with laundry, and teens, with practice and guidance, can lend a hand in almost any area. Robin Proskovec, Scranton, PA, says, “I have the older two do daily chores to earn their allowance. They cannot do any electronics until they are done, so they are usually pretty motivated.”
Teaching kids to help with family chores not only keeps the house in order, but also has lasting value. “Children over the age of 5 have daily chores. We start with learning something simple, like putting t-shirts on hangers, folding towels or putting away silverware,” Krystal Laws, mother of seven, says. “We rotate chores, but try to help them progress in skill too. The idea is that they are ready to take care of a household when they leave home.”
Keep up
Do dishes and pick up clutter daily so the stacks do not get out of control. Helen Ransom, Kansas City, MO, says, “My husband and I are both dedicated to taking the first 20 minutes after putting the kids to bed to clean up: dishes, floors, start a load of laundry and bathrooms on rotation.” Setting aside 15 to 20 minutes each day to maintain the house makes a huge difference.
Those few minutes spent tidying up allow you to enjoy your downtime even more. “If my kitchen is clean, I feel like I am ahead of the game,” Kim Barnette, Overland Park mom of two says. “Every night before going to bed I prep lunches for the next day, put away clean dishes and reload the dishwasher.” Maintaining a clean house is much easier when you keep up with the items that pile up quickly but take little time to do each day.
Do it now, not later
As you walk in the door, automatically hang up your coat and put your shoes away. As you prepare for bed, put dirty clothes in the hamper. After eating, immediately place dirty dishes in the dishwasher. By taking a few seconds to put things away as you finish with them, you save yourself the time it would take to do it later. A good rule of thumb is that if it takes less than three minutes to do, do it right away.
Let expectations go a little
Maintaining a clean house can be a challenge for a busy, active family on the go. There always will be toys to pick up, laundry and dishes to wash and school papers to sort. Figure out the level of cleanliness you comfortably can live with and maintain it. For some, everything must be clean and put away, and for others, a little clutter makes them feel at home. “Lower your expectations a little,” Laws says. “Don’t stress over trying to make things perfect, because they never will be.”
By following these simple and realistic tips, you can cut your chores in half and start doing the things you enjoy.
Tame the Laundry!
- Wait until the washer is full to run a load.
- Reuse towels.
- Call for a pajama day.
- Wear an apron while cooking and cleaning.
- Wear it again.
- Treat stains as soon as possible.
- Choose one to two days a week to do laundry.
- Or, for the larger family, do one to two loads a day to keep up.
Sarah Lyons lives in Olathe with her family.