I’m not sure if it’s a new wave in the mom space or if it’s always been this way….
….but there is a stigma that moms who keep a clean house aren’t making memories with their kids.
While in contrast, those who make memories with their kids have a house that is trashed.
Call me crazy but why can’t you have both??
Yes, I’ll take my cake and eat it too!!
But first, let’s take a hot minute and define “Clean Home”.
There is a huge difference between clean, messy, and straight up dirty!
- Clean = bathroom are wiped down, trash is taken out, closets and drawers are organized, & floors have been vacuumed/swept recently.
- Messy = Kids craft project on the dining table, laundry that needs to be folded, miscellaneous toys throughout the house
- Straight Up Dirty = Unkept stinky bathrooms, dirty floors, mountains of dirty laundry, days worth of dishes
That’s just gross.
It is one thing to be a day behind on housework, but it’s a completely different story to completely neglect it.
As a new mom, I found it very hard to find the balance of actually enjoying playing with my kids, and still keeping up with housework.
It seemed like I would either spend all day with the kids and have a house that looked like it got hit by a tornado.
or
I would spend all day obsessively cleaning and miss the whole point of staying home with my kids.
I remember putting my kids to bed one night and coming out of their room to a house that was a complete wreck!
Then I spent the entire evening and on into the night tidying up and cleaning and decided that something needed to change.
I did not want to spend motherhood playing with my kids by day and picking up after them by night.
Setting all excuses and blame aside, the real reason I was drowning in housework is that I was living in a constant state of reacting.
I never had a plan.
I woke up frazzled every morning and reacted to everything the day threw at me. Living that way was so overwhelming.
I don’t want to be too hard on myself because part of that was a season.
I had three kids under three, was up all night with the baby, and could barely get a second to myself to pee…
….let alone take time to create routines and schedules.
You can get your FREE copy of The Perfect Daily & Weekly Cleaning Routine here!
There will be seasons of parenting that you are barely surviving and that’s ok.
But it’s important to recognize when that season shifts and capitalize upon the opportunity to create a better life for you and your family.
Looking back I realize that much of my overwhelm was caused by two things. ..
- Poor Planning – I failed to take the time to create routines and systems that worked for my whole family. If I could do it over again I would have spent a solid month creating and organizing systems to help our family run more efficiently and create peace in our home.
- Overcomplicating Everything – I overcomplicated everything I did. If I meal planned it had to be an elaborate event that took up my whole day. If I worked out, it had to be an hour uninterrupted, If I cleaned, it was going to be white glove deep cleaning. And I wanted to DO ALL THE THINGS.
When I finally recognized how these things were creating a chaotic household, I started to be proactive in keeping my house clean.
…..and came up with a system that works.
How To Keep Your House Clean Without Selling Your Soul
Start The Night Before
Freedom is found in being proactive.
Each night take a few minutes to prepare for the next day. It doesn’t have to be complicated or take a lot of time.
Layout kid clothes for school, back lunch and school bags and quickly go over your schedule for the following day.
Lay A Good Foundation First Thing In The Morning
Make a habit of emptying the dishwasher, starting a load of laundry, making beds, and tidying up your main living area every single morning before you leave the house.
This routine takes less than 30 minutes and sets you up for success.
It will be much easier to load breakfast dishes, clean up after breakfast, and you will have a head start on your laundry.
Clean As You Go
Rather than wait until the house is trashed from breakfast and multiple projects, quickly clean up after each task before another one is started.
We clean up after each project or whatever toy the kids are playing with before we move on to the next activity.
This will take a bit of getting used to, but it is so much easier to clean as you go than it is to wait for an epic end of the day disaster.
Include The Whole Family
Teach your kids to clean up after themselves. Just a head up, this is going to take patience, training, and retraining over and over again because they are kids and they don’t know any better.
But including your kids will make your life so much easier. I promise.
Have them clear the table, fold and put away clothes, and even sweep/vacuum.
They are capable of so much more than we give them credit for. If you include them when they are young and make it fun, they will be eager to help as they get older.
It will make your life so much easier and teach them a good work ethic. #doublewin
Teach Your Kids To Follow A Process
Create a process for your kids like………
- When we get home, take off your shoes and put them in the shoe rack and hang up your coat
- After you get dressed in the morning, hang your pajamas up so they are ready for the evening
- Once you are done eating clear your place and wipe down the table
- When you come in from outside, take off your shoes and place them nicely on the shoe rack
I will warn you that this takes works, consistency, and oh so much patience, but even my 22-month-old will help around the house and is learning to follow these routines.
Also, give up the need to place a perfectionistic expectation on your kids.
They will not be able to do things exactly as you like and that’s ok. Take the time to show them how to do each task correctly and at some point accept they don’t have to do it your way.
Implement A Family Clean Up Before Bed
You are responsible for managing your home, not cleaning up after everyone’s crap.
If you fall into the trap of always cleaning up by yourself, you will end up feeling unappreciated and resentful.
Trust me, I’ve done it. And it’s not healthy for anyone.
Instead, include everyone by implementing a family clean up time before bed.
We swap out tv time a few nights per week, for family clean up time and it actually ends up being fun and helps the kids work some energy out before bed.
After dinner each night we all pick up the whole house together and finish the night with a family game or book.
If You Struggle To Find The Balance Between Enjoying Life, And Keeping up With Housework
Start by preparing the day before, lay a good foundation for the day, clean as you go, create routines that work for everyone, and bring your whole family in on the work.
I promise if you implement these tips for a solid month, you will find plenty of time for work and fun!
You can get your FREE copy of The Perfect Daily & Weekly Cleaning Routine here!
Now check out: House Cleaning Tips For When You Feel Overwhelmed
Xoxo
Colleen
May Your Coffee Be Stronger Than Your Toddler
