Finding a Daily Rhythm

I don't mind dishes when they are vintage Pyrex!

As you have seen before on this blog, I am not a great housekeeper. Don't get me wrong, I really like having a tidy home. But I have trouble juggling all of my responsibilities. I feel like I have to choose between the kids, cooking, and cleaning. I have mastered being able to get two of the three things done on a daily basis (normally the first two), but I know with a little discipline I could build the third piece into my daily routine. 

Perhaps I have caught the spring cleaning bug. Truly, I do not mind (and even sometimes enjoy), cleaning. My big problem is daily maintenance. I would much rather pick one day a week and do a top-to-bottom house cleaning. But with two little kids, this system has really backfired on me. I posted about the housework seesaw effect before - when it is me against them, I can't win. Their genius for mess-making never ceases to surprise me. Just a moment ago I had to retrieve little Andy, who decided to try planking in one of my houseplants.

It surprised me how much making the bed made the whole house seem tidier.

I enjoy routine, and I know how comforting a steady routine and rhythm can be to children. I am going to make an effort this spring and summer, to build a daily rhythm that will help structure our days. I want to begin a little more scheduled preschool with Jack this fall, and starting a daily rhythm now will make incorporating school easier and more natural.

To that end, there are three things I am going to start doing. One: Make the bed (and teach Jack to do the same). Two: Make and follow a laundry schedule. Three: Start using the Motivated Moms chore chart again. These chore charts are a great way to break housework into manageable pieces each day. They remind you to change the sheets and towels, dust, clean your fridge (one shelf at a time), change your furnace filter, and everything else you can think of. It is all organized and scheduled so that if you begin now, and do no more than what is on the list for each day, your house ought to have been deep-cleaned from top-to-bottom in 3 months. Plus you will be doing daily maintenance, so it will be staying clean.

A fellow blogger, Melissa at Dyno-mom gave me the laundry schedule idea

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