I love you! Your post helped me not feel overwhelmed, and it reminded me of St. Therese’s little way and the value in small actions done with great love!
how do you do anything else? homeschool? grade high school papers and math? teach the kinder to read? listen to the 2nd grader read? answer the questions of many? drive kids to sports? cook and clean up after 3 meals? complete start to put away 2 loads of laundry? The very idea of doing this multiple times a day and keeping up with homeschooling kids leaves me spinning. HOW do you do this?
It doesn't have to be done multiple times a day. We'll get to it... remember, we're talking about a *reasonably clean, neat, and tidy* house -- not a perfect one!
One thing I struggle with is how much I should do myself vs making my children do it. I'd love a post addressing this if you have thoughts! My oldest is 10 and she has four younger siblings (youngest is 8 mo). It gets overwhelming fast! I do like this laundry basket idea, which makes it more of a group effort.
My children are similar ages. It’s not always easy, but I have the older ones (11, 10, 8) doing specific tasks in each zone each day (it’s called their “chore of the day” here, which is distinct from their mealtime chores). So, one child will pull out all the stuff from under the couches and re-home it, another will dust the piano and side table, one gathers all the trash, etc . I do have to check in on their work regularly because otherwise they tend to “take shortcuts” and I also go in for a good de-clutter and vacuum session in our living space once a week. But it helps to spread out the work load, and I want them to get a sense of what is involved in getting a room cleaned without the overwhelm of having to do it all by themselves. It does take a lot of direct supervision and training in the beginning!
I frequently have to re-think through the tasks they’re given, depending on their age, ability, need to be more challenged, and of course, making sure I don’t set up an opportunity for frequent arguments (“I can’t do my part because so-and-so hasn’t done theirs!”). These things take time to tease out but I have found it really helpful to divide and conquer this way as I’ve had more children and less time to do it all myself!
This tip with the basket is genius actually, thank you. I always spend too long putting each thing away, and then I get disheartened because it does not look like much was achieved. This way the house actually shows cleaner quickly, and, the task you leave for the kids is more manageable for them also ❤️
I don't know if it was you that taught me this all those years ago on your other blog, but it must have been! Because no one else has ever taught me and now this is what I do and what I teach my kids to do. The best idea for me is at the end of the day, to have the kids fill a basket downstairs of things that go upstairs (comic books, a discarded dress up dress and headband, etc.), then take it up and put it away.
I just did this yesterday in my living room since we had company over the weekend and our small formal living room got a bit overwhelmed. It felt so nice afterwards! Fall books neatly arranged on the table, a stack for on-going read alouds, and then the other things put away (ideally immediately but not always).
I teach the kids to do the same for cleaning out the car, their room, and the bathroom. Have a basket for things that don't belong, then a bag for trash, and a damp dust rag. It makes things much easier.
I love you! Your post helped me not feel overwhelmed, and it reminded me of St. Therese’s little way and the value in small actions done with great love!
I do all of this multiple times a day! I don’t know how people function in a messy house.
how do you do anything else? homeschool? grade high school papers and math? teach the kinder to read? listen to the 2nd grader read? answer the questions of many? drive kids to sports? cook and clean up after 3 meals? complete start to put away 2 loads of laundry? The very idea of doing this multiple times a day and keeping up with homeschooling kids leaves me spinning. HOW do you do this?
Don't panic!
It doesn't have to be done multiple times a day. We'll get to it... remember, we're talking about a *reasonably clean, neat, and tidy* house -- not a perfect one!
I get my older kids to do it basically!
One thing I struggle with is how much I should do myself vs making my children do it. I'd love a post addressing this if you have thoughts! My oldest is 10 and she has four younger siblings (youngest is 8 mo). It gets overwhelming fast! I do like this laundry basket idea, which makes it more of a group effort.
My children are similar ages. It’s not always easy, but I have the older ones (11, 10, 8) doing specific tasks in each zone each day (it’s called their “chore of the day” here, which is distinct from their mealtime chores). So, one child will pull out all the stuff from under the couches and re-home it, another will dust the piano and side table, one gathers all the trash, etc . I do have to check in on their work regularly because otherwise they tend to “take shortcuts” and I also go in for a good de-clutter and vacuum session in our living space once a week. But it helps to spread out the work load, and I want them to get a sense of what is involved in getting a room cleaned without the overwhelm of having to do it all by themselves. It does take a lot of direct supervision and training in the beginning!
I frequently have to re-think through the tasks they’re given, depending on their age, ability, need to be more challenged, and of course, making sure I don’t set up an opportunity for frequent arguments (“I can’t do my part because so-and-so hasn’t done theirs!”). These things take time to tease out but I have found it really helpful to divide and conquer this way as I’ve had more children and less time to do it all myself!
This tip with the basket is genius actually, thank you. I always spend too long putting each thing away, and then I get disheartened because it does not look like much was achieved. This way the house actually shows cleaner quickly, and, the task you leave for the kids is more manageable for them also ❤️
The basket IS THE KEY I'm telling you
Also, the houseplants. Pick off dead leaves. Toss the finished cut flowers. Has the plant utterly died? Get rid of it.
"Should I keep this dead plant?"
No!
Do we need a flow chart LOL
Thank you for noting the relationship between overwhelm and relapse!
Even my husband found solace in this post - there is help out there for us decluttering! These simple posts have helped to declutter even my brain.
haha I endeavor to give satisfaction!
I don't know if it was you that taught me this all those years ago on your other blog, but it must have been! Because no one else has ever taught me and now this is what I do and what I teach my kids to do. The best idea for me is at the end of the day, to have the kids fill a basket downstairs of things that go upstairs (comic books, a discarded dress up dress and headband, etc.), then take it up and put it away.
I just did this yesterday in my living room since we had company over the weekend and our small formal living room got a bit overwhelmed. It felt so nice afterwards! Fall books neatly arranged on the table, a stack for on-going read alouds, and then the other things put away (ideally immediately but not always).
I teach the kids to do the same for cleaning out the car, their room, and the bathroom. Have a basket for things that don't belong, then a bag for trash, and a damp dust rag. It makes things much easier.