Home Management

I feel the same as you.  I used to keep things neat and organized, but after having 5 children, and in a small house, I just don’t know where to put things anymore. 

Based on recommendations from this site on another post, I just got the book “It’s All Too Much” by Peter Walsh from the library.  I have only read the first two chapters so far, but it’s good. 

The sentence that has stuck out to me is:

“This book doesn’t waste time telling people how to stick pretty labels on color-coded boxes the way so many organizing expterts do.  For me, it’s not first and foremost about ‘the stuff’ – that’s way too superficial! It’s about changing your relationship to your stuff…When you solve the stuff problem, clarity follows.”

Also keeping a list on the refrigerator for me to glance at during the day helps.  The items are roughly in the order I would like to get them done.  Something like this:

• Have I had a shower and burshed my teeth?
• Have I read my Bible and had prayer time?
• Have we had a nutritious breakfast?
• It the kitchen clean?
• Are the kids dressed and brushed (hair and teeth) for the day?
• Have we done family worship?
• Are the beds made?
• Have I started the laundry?
• Have we done our schoolwork?
• Is the house neat?
• Have I read to the littles?
• Have we had rest?
• Have I done my daily cleaning chores?
• Have I planned our dinner?
• Am I prepared for the coming week?

I think I got this idea from Anne Elliot in her book “The Four Foundations of Lifelong Learning.”

I’m interested to hear what others have to say also!

Blessings,

Michaela

I LOVE Motivated Moms (www.motivatedmoms.com). I am seriously a new woman since I started using it, lol! I never knew WHERE to start with housework before, so … I just didn’t do much of it! Now I know exactly what needs to be done each day, and my house is SO much cleaner and more organized.

I can relate….I’m starting to loose what little grip I had on the housework.  I’m not sure what happened.

I know my problem is mostly because I don’t have any kind of schedule for stuff.  Before homeschooling, I would just do the cleaning here and there, and sometimes spend the better part of a day on it.  That’s not working so well now.  I’ve tried fly lady, which I may start again…I’m also interested in this motivated mom – I’ll check that out, too.

Michaela – I like your list idea a lot.  Everything you have on the list to have finished before you start school work, is exactly what I would have…those things are my goals, but it seems that on the days that I actually get all of those things checked off, we are starting school later than I’d like.  I guess that basically just means that I need to get up earlier!   Working on that, too….

Megan

For those of you who use Motivated Moms, is the printable chore list a format which you can type in your own chores? Also, has anyone used this for kids? Its looks very simple – everything for the week all on one sheet!

We’ve used Flylady in the past and its WONDERFUL… in theory – however practically carrying it out day after day is another matter entirely (at least for me )

I also LOVE Peter Walshes book – it revolutionized how I view “stuff” – clearing away clutter and dealing with organization matters.

Yes, like Christie, my main question (to restate my original) concerning Motivated Moms is, can you personalize? I’m assuming so..but if not, it would be terribly difficult to follow anothers routine. Thanks.

Oh – forgot to answer a question – no, you cannot edit the list, it is just a straight-forward pdf file.  

You could make your own list with a chore schedule you make up yourself and a program for todo’s that does recurrences.   This is just the kind of activity I would spend like two months on getting perfect, and in the meantime not do a single bit of house work LOL.  I think this is what flylady calls perfectionism LOL.  

The flylady has a similar list. I use when I feel a little “out of sorts”. 

It’s called (or I called it, not sure anymore as I wrote it out several years ago):

Control Journal/Steps to Keeping it Together:

Am I dressed (for me that means shoes as well)?

Have I checked my calendar?

Have I checked my Hot Spots (counters/shelves/tables/entertainment centers), any flat surface in your home that attracts clutter, and put out any fires?  Which means clear it off, put items in their rightful places.

What’s for supper/dinner?

Where is my laundry? 

Have I taken a break this morning? Had any water? Have any breakfast?

Have I decluttered for 15 minutes today?

Where are my shoes?

And, most importantly…Have I prayed/read a portion of God’s word? 

When my house/life feels a little out of whack then I’ve probably neglected one or more of these. 

I don’t believe any of these were in any particular order of importance, but I personally feel more stressed when I haven’t prayed or am not dressed (to my shoes) or haven’t eaten, but that’s just me.  Then, I feel added stress when I haven’t purposeful decluttered for 15 minutes or have not done a 27 Fling Boogie.  When I first started this program the Fling Boogies made the biggest difference in my home management.  The less to manage, the better.  And, she does really ask you to rid yourself of items that you no longer love or enjoy to make room for nothing (clean, flat surface is beautiful) or something that you love.  Things bog me down and I can really feel the weight of them and the wasted time in managing them…so for me, the flylady helped to get rid of the stuff and understand that things are not as important than people.  Plus, I have never regretted getting rid of stuff, but have always felt free once it’s all gone.  I’ve actually regretted NOT getting rid of stuff as it’s cluttering up my mind/life:(

Okay, I’m done rambling…

I’m kind of passionate about this because I have a family member who is a hoarder and it has controlled his life for a very long time, sad, very sad.  I can see how things have become more important than people and how managing it is a full-time job…