I haven't had time to write a real post in a few days, but this morning I'm going to try! I have a few posts rolling around in my head, but at the moment, the only one I can remember is this!
I read a lot of blogs devoted to homemaking (including the one that riled me with its Anti-Catholicism). Most of the writers are Christian women who firmly believe they are called to be "keepers at home." As such, they have many good ideas for running the house and making it a home. Unlike many of those ladies, I don't want to create a by the hour/half-hour/quarter-hour household schedule. I really can't anyway with my ecologically breastfed baby (more about that soon), but I did want to establish a routine for keeping the house in order and the refrigerator stocked. DH thinks I'm an excellent cook, and while I can't quite agree, I do enjoy it. Anyway, I'm posting this to help keep myself accountable:
Monday:
All vacuuming
Liiving room/dining room
Laundry: linens
Tuesday:
Scrub bathroom
Laundry: baby
Wednesday:
Scrub kitchen
Thursday:
Baking
Friday:
Laundry: DH & I
Saturday:
Laundry: DH work clothes
Sunday: REST!
Of course, I also launder the diapers on an as-needed basis, usually every 2-3 days. Sometimes out of necessity, that means Sunday, but we try to avoid that.
My daily routine includes general pick-up, bathroom and kitchen wipedowns, dishes, etc.
This doesn't include daily meal prep/cleanup. I try to make dinner five nights a week. Thursday is leftovers and Friday DH likes to get takeout, if the budget allows.
My goal is to get everything done in the morning, since that it when the baby is in the best mood, and will let me leave him to play in his crib/co-sleeper/pack-n-play. In the afternoons, forget it! I also walk with the baby or go to the gym every morning but Sunday.
When I was working, I struggled to get everything done on the weekends, and it made for a very miserable Saturday-Sunday. Sunday was laundry day. After church, all morning long, up and down the basement steps. Ugh. This will be much better and still leave me plenty of time to devote to the baby (who does not nap at all!).
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Managing the House
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You're so inspirational. :-) It's just me and I can never keep up with everything! I need to work out a plan that works for me, especially once the semester starts. I've tried a few "systems" (Flylady, etc.) but they never quite worked.
ReplyDeleteThere's a great book called "Good Families Don't Just Happen" by Katherine and Joseph Garcia-Prats. They are a couple who have ten sons. They also happen to be Catholic.
ReplyDeleteIt's full of practical advice on running your home smoothly, sharing your faith with your children, and just generally integrating everything to make your home and family life the priority it should be. I've read it several times and recommended it to friends as well...
If you google for Garcia-Prats, you can visit their family web page.
I know what you mean about juggling. It can seem overwhelming when you're running in 15 directions at once.
ReplyDeleteI have three school aged children. They are involved in two activities at present and Hubby and I are very involved in our Parish School, which the children attend. Any more than that and it would be too much.
My home management style is similar to yours in that I don't schedule things in time slots. I vacuum every day and do laundry every day Monday - Friday. I have one day a week devoted to errands. I know I'll be out of the house most of the day on errand day and can plan a crock-pot dinner.
My goal every day is to have all my chores and errands completed (including as much of dinner as possible) by the time school is out so that I am available to focus only on the children. We hang out and do homework, or sometimes just play. With them gone during the day, I can get things like cleaning done a lot faster. There are some chores that the children are responsible for - I don't do everything!
Saturdays and Sundays are very low-key. We go to the pool, go to Mass, and have dinner on Sunday evenings at Great Grandma's. Weekends are all about family time. It took me a few years to figure out what worked for me. It took lots of effort and my schedule has evolved based on the ages of my children, and will continue to do so.