I'll be the first to admit that I am not as consistent as I would like with my cleaning schedule. Something (anything) happen and throws me off for a couple of days and I feel like I'm playing catch-up for a month! My plan was in definite need of some tweaking, so I sat down last week and just got it done.
I tried following those "pre-made" plans we see online, but they just didn't work for us. Here are some guidelines I used when creating my own:
*Start with a list of all the tasks that need to be completed (and I mean all!) daily, weekly, monthly, seasonally, and yearly.
*Then, next to each task, write how often you think it needs to be done. This varies for everyone- perhaps you only want to scrub weekly, but Ms. Suzie homemaker up the street does it everyday.
*With your daily chores, what time of day is most fitting for each task? I load the dishwasher 3 times/day (after every meal), make beds in the morning, sweep and tidy after lunch, and usually wash at least one load of laundry- I throw it in the wash after breakfast, throw it in the dryer after school, and fold it during quiet time.
*Decide if there are particular days that are the most practical for certain tasks- I like to clean out the fridge on Sundays because Monday is garbage day, I plan next week's meals on Thursday because that's when the fliers arrive, I plan next week's school week on Friday because that week is still fresh in my mind. Fill in the rest of the weekly tasks.
*Calculate at how many monthly, seasonally, and yearly tasks will need to be completed per week to finish it, and then fill them in.
*If you are designating chores for your children, now is a great time to decide what goes to whom.
Mine ended up something like this:
Daily
-Dishes.
-Sweep and shake out mats.
-Tidy.
-Laundry.
-Make beds.
Monday
-Take out trash.
-Diaper Laundry.
-Vacuum carpets and furniture.
Tuesday
-Wash bedding.
-Deep clean bathrooms.
-Scrub.
Wednesday
-Diaper laundry.
-Clean bedroom.
-Monthly task.
-Budget.
Thursday
-Vacuum carpets.
-Bi-weekly task.
-Dust.
-Meal plan.
Friday
-Diaper laundry.
-Touch-up bathroom.
-Scrub.
-Homeschool planning.
Saturday
-Seasonal task (once/month).
-Yearly task.
Sunday
-Clean out fridge.
Bi-weekly
*Week 1 and 3- Drop off recyclables.
*Week 2 and 4- Wash windows and mirrors.
Monthly
*Week 1- Clean coffee pot.
*Week 2- Deep clean kid's rooms.
*Week 3- Clean craft area.
*Week 4- Spot wash walls.
Seasonal
*Month 1 (Jan, April, July, Oct):
-Wash curtains.
-Take bottles to redemption center.
-Wash cupboards.
*Month 2 (Feb, May, Aug, Nov):
-Wash walls, doors, and trim.
*Month 3 (Mar, June, Sept, and Dec):
-Sort kid's clothes and clean light fixtures.
Yearly
*Purge closets and storage areas.
(Note, there are a few things not on my list that may be on yours, such as yard work since hubby takes care of those for me.)
Without a schedule like this, I'm not sure my house would survive!
Showing posts with label Routine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Routine. Show all posts
Friday, April 27, 2012
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Routine
Another thing that helps me keep everything "managed" and in order it a routine. If I didn't have some sort of a routine to rely on, I wouldn't be able to survive. So far, our daily routine looks something like this:
Between 7 and 8- Wake up and have breakfast.
Between 8 and 9:30- Playtime for the kids, they're full of energy this early in the morning and it gives Mommy time to have a cup of coffee, unload the dishwasher, get things ready for school, etc.
9:30 to 10- Get dressed, brush teeth and hair, and make beds,
10- Snack time, then we start school. We do the most pressing subjects first- Phonics, Numbers/Math, and Bible. If they're still focused we will move on, otherwise we take a short break.
11:30 We're usually finishing up about this time and the kids run off to play while Mommy makes lunch.
Noon- Lunch time, chores.
1-2:30- Sophia (9 months) and Rylan (3) usually go for a nap about this time, and Alyssa has quiet time to look at books, colour/draw, or whatever quiet activity she chooses- sometimes she ends up falling asleep on the couch. I use this time to do any deep cleaning that needs to be done that day (and to check in online of course!).
2:30- Rylan usually wakes up about this time and they have a snack. Then it's playtime, if it's nice they normally play in the backyard. Mommy uses this time to start supper, unless it's a crock pot night.
4:30- Daddy i home from work (day shift) and we have supper. Then I clean up while the kids finish their chores.
6- The kids are usually asking for school by this point, so Daddy will do some practice work with them.
6:30-7:30- Family time- sometimes it's a game, crafts, a movie- just depends on the night. Movies are usually for nights when Daddy doesn't have to work the next day.
7:30- Bedtime routine starts. Showers (every second night), brush teeth, then snack.
8- Into bed for storytime and prayers.
8:15- Shower for me.
8:45- If I have any projects/orders on the go, I work on them now. Otherwise, this is my time alone with hubby.
10:30-11- Bedtime for us.
Of course, this is just a general outline of a typical day, and since hubby works shift work, some things are moved around when he is working nights.
In my opinion, a schedule needs to be strict enough that you don't just cast it aside because you feel like it, but it also needs enough flexibility that if something comes up to throw it off, you're not stressing out about it.
Between 7 and 8- Wake up and have breakfast.
Between 8 and 9:30- Playtime for the kids, they're full of energy this early in the morning and it gives Mommy time to have a cup of coffee, unload the dishwasher, get things ready for school, etc.
9:30 to 10- Get dressed, brush teeth and hair, and make beds,
10- Snack time, then we start school. We do the most pressing subjects first- Phonics, Numbers/Math, and Bible. If they're still focused we will move on, otherwise we take a short break.
11:30 We're usually finishing up about this time and the kids run off to play while Mommy makes lunch.
Noon- Lunch time, chores.
1-2:30- Sophia (9 months) and Rylan (3) usually go for a nap about this time, and Alyssa has quiet time to look at books, colour/draw, or whatever quiet activity she chooses- sometimes she ends up falling asleep on the couch. I use this time to do any deep cleaning that needs to be done that day (and to check in online of course!).
2:30- Rylan usually wakes up about this time and they have a snack. Then it's playtime, if it's nice they normally play in the backyard. Mommy uses this time to start supper, unless it's a crock pot night.
4:30- Daddy i home from work (day shift) and we have supper. Then I clean up while the kids finish their chores.
6- The kids are usually asking for school by this point, so Daddy will do some practice work with them.
6:30-7:30- Family time- sometimes it's a game, crafts, a movie- just depends on the night. Movies are usually for nights when Daddy doesn't have to work the next day.
7:30- Bedtime routine starts. Showers (every second night), brush teeth, then snack.
8- Into bed for storytime and prayers.
8:15- Shower for me.
8:45- If I have any projects/orders on the go, I work on them now. Otherwise, this is my time alone with hubby.
10:30-11- Bedtime for us.
Of course, this is just a general outline of a typical day, and since hubby works shift work, some things are moved around when he is working nights.
In my opinion, a schedule needs to be strict enough that you don't just cast it aside because you feel like it, but it also needs enough flexibility that if something comes up to throw it off, you're not stressing out about it.
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