With work, family responsibilities, and unexpected emergencies, keeping your home clean and working at peak efficiency can seem like an almost impossible task. However, you can achieve stress-free home management and keep your sanity with a schedule, helpful apps, and the assistance of your kids. Here are some tips for keeping your house in tip-top shape while still having time for yourself.
Set Reminders
For many, the desire to keep the house spotless can be overwhelming. In addition to the stress of trying to keep up, if you constantly busy yourself around the home, you may not be taking time for yourself, and that’s not good.
Self-care is essential for working parents because when you get the chance to relax and focus on your own body and mind, you’ll be less stressed and more productive. Everyone practices self-care differently, and you should know what's best for you. That may include reading a book or taking walks outside. Whatever helps you to recharge, be sure to take the time to do this.
The first step to a clean and tidy house is to set a cleaning schedule. A proper plan will enable you to keep the home clean without monopolizing your time. Your routine should include tasks for daily and weekly needs. Write out everything you plan to do, from dusting to washing dishes to cleaning the refrigerator. Put your schedule on the wall where you can’t miss it, and then follow along as necessary. You can use paper charts or try a home organization app, such as OurHome or S’MoresUp, which allows you to set up your schedule on your phone so you get reminders.
Writing out what you need to do is helpful, but it can be easy to go overboard. Before you know it, hours have gone by. So, a smart hack is to set time limits for each task. By allowing yourself only 10-15 minutes per task, you can perform more focused cleaning, and you’ll be amazed at what you’ll accomplish in that time.
Get The Kids Involved
Working as a team and getting the kids involved is a great way to spend less time cleaning and more time with family. Depending on their age, you may not be able to teach them to vacuum the house or cut the lawn, but there are other ways to help your children do chores. If they’re super young, you could have them pass out napkins at the table or bring their backpacks inside after class.
You can also encourage your kids to complete their chores by handing out rewards. That could be as simple as star stickers for every completed task or a monetary allowance. Keep an eye on their progress by creating a chore chart for your kids. Online templates allow you to use charts with checkboxes, pictures, and visuals that show younger kids what they’re meant to do. Charts are a great way to keep your kids accountable while you ensure that the house continues to be well-managed.
Completing chores together increases family bonding time. Go out each weekend and wash the car together or work in the garden. Your kids will love to know that they accomplished something, and they’ll want to continue to accomplish goals as they get older. Once the work is done, go out and have more fun celebrating a job well done.
Plan Your Tasks Throughout The Year
Another chore chart that can cut down on stress is one that organizes your entire year. By keeping up with annual maintenance, you can be confident that your house will withstand all seasons and inclement weather.
There are several steps you can take to prepare for the four seasons:
Have your HVAC systems checked and set up for both summer and winter temperature management.
Use the warmer months as an opportunity to power wash the driveway and exterior of the home.
Declutter your living room and perform often-forgotten spring cleaning routines, like spot-cleaning carpets and vacuuming your mattresses.
Clean the leaves out of the gutters so that they don’t freeze or overflow.
If you value a clean home, all-season pest prevention is essential. Set automated reminders to watch for and remove bee hives around your home in the spring. Limit mosquito populations in the summer by constantly looking for and draining standing water around the house. Walk around the exterior of your property in the fall and winter seasons and seal gaps that prevent roaches and other pests from getting inside.
Conclusion
By creating a plan, staying vigilant, and keeping your kids involved, you can ensure a clean and well-maintained property without causing overwhelming anxiety. Consider the steps here and make your home a happy place.
