Working moms work too much ...
I'm a full-time teacher in a school and as you might know, when I get home I don't have much time to clean. Besides, being my little ones 4 and 2 years old, I feel they need me those three or four hours before putting them to sleep. However, there are several tricks that I find really useful:
Prepare in advance: I never go to bed without having prepared all the breakfast stuff and the next day's clothes, not just mine, but also my kids (especially my kids')(http://www.organisedandhappy.com/2015/11/5-night-habits-that-will-ease-your-mornings/). I know it may be a bit of a mess seeing all backpacks at the door, but really it helps a lot! and if I could, I would put them in the car the night before...
Keep a to-do list: I have an old planner, a plain notebook where I've added a calendar and other printables I find useful. Regular planners sometimes don't have enough space for each day and they don't include a page for monthly or weekly goals, so I prefer to customize my own notebook.
I write everything I have to do, but I don't do it all everyday; I prioritize the most important things because, to be true, I hardly ever accomplish all items in my list; indeed, sometimes it takes me two or three days to complete some tasks. Make sure you do the important and urgent things first.
Establish a daily routine based on morning chores, night chores and weekly chores. Don't burden yourself with too much to do; it's impossible to do everything everyday. For example, in the mornings http://www.organisedandhappy.com/2015/10/3-habits-that-will-make-your-day/, I make beds, put dishes away and tidy up fast.
If you can't afford a housekeeper, don't panic. Just do a little everyday, use a timer if it helps you (don't spend more than 30 - 45 min), get your hubby involved in some of the tasks, and plan in advance. I organise weekly chores in a ciclical way, so that the house is completely cleaned every two weeks, and I start again.
- Mon: dust
- Tu: laundry 1
- Wed: wash floors 1
- Th: wash floors 2
- Fr: laundry 2
- **************
- Mon: wash bathroom 1
- Tu: laundry 1
- Wed: doors, windows, corners, etc
- Th: Kitchen
- Fr: laundry 2
As you can see, I haven't included weekends because it's when I plan and organise the menu and house chores; I also budget and check bank accounts on Saturdays. For me, these are minor tasks that leave me plenty of time to spend with my family. On Sundays I do nothing!!!
There are some tasks that take me a lot of time and I've split them in two (washing floors and bathrooms); that's why I write 1 and 2 next to them.
I do the laundry twice a week, and my husband helps me,or I would never finish! I know most of people do one load of laundry everyday but I hate laundry and ironing, so as long as I can keep it this way, I will.
Although I haven't written it, I vacuum everyday to keep dust and floor dirt "in order", but I try to be superfast (no more than ten minutes). I'm lucky to have wooden floors so I can't wash them very often, even if I wanted!
Let go of perfection: it's impossible to have a perfect house unless you don't have kids or you've hired a housekeeper.
It's impossible not to do anything at home unless you don't have kids or you've hired a housekeeper: however, you won't live day-to-day if you keep a to-do list and plan in advance. Besides, knowing the immediate things have already been done will provide you with more quality time to spend with your family, relax, watch your favourite TV serie, or read a book.
To finish with, just say that if you want to know more about my daily routines, check http://www.organisedandhappy.com/2015/10/3-habits-that-will-make-your-day/ and http://www.organisedandhappy.com/2015/11/5-night-habits-that-will-ease-your-mornings/ . I hope I might help you!
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