In my brain, I feel like I have a monster to-do list all. the. time. And I often struggle with knowing where to begin when tackling a new job. I've began many "to-do lists" for the day (or weekend, or week, or month) and still find myself falling slightly short of accomplishment. At times, I am so overwhelmed!
How can I manage my time efficiently to get things finished?
If I start laundry now, I can dry the load when I get home from work... while dinner is cooking. And then I can fold and put them away after dinner... while Ady Mae is taking her bath. And then while she plays, I can quick clean and possibly one more chore before she is ready for story time and then bed.
This is how my mind works every single day. I am constantly planning ahead for my next move. I've read many blog posts on mothers who have set cleaning schedules for each day of the week. Honestly, I LOVE that idea! And I've tried their schedules too with still no luck. I struggle with getting my household chores done.
Perhaps my list is unrealistic for each day. Or maybe I'm super slow at one task which causes all my next tasks to fall behind. I often begin something and then never finish it. My basketball coach used to always tell us to "follow through with your shot." Why is it so hard to follow through with my to-do list?
Well, after thinking looooong and hard on the matter and attempts at several different online "schedules," I believe I have found my solution:
Only begin what you know you can complete
It's that simple, right? It's like setting realistic goals. My days and nights are super crazy. The only set schedule in my life is Monday through Friday working hours, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. Dinner does not have to be exquisite each night, and breakfast is only served on weekends. I tackle laundry 1-2 times per week, sometimes more depending on extracurricular activities with Ady Mae. I spot clean daily. And I vacuum every other day (because of this fury pet here and my allergies).
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| Scotty and Buttons |
Most at-home mothers can keep up with a daily cleaning schedule because they are, well, at home. That's also why I gave up on all the online cleaning schedules I found on Pinterest. They just didn't fall into my scope of work, or SOW for all you non-working mommies. To-do lists should not cause you to feel overwhelmed, stressed or raise your blood pressure. They are more aimed at keeping you focused on the task at hand and marking each off one by one by one.
Write down your chores
Writing your chores down will help you stay on track. They will also show you if your goals are realistic or not. I also keep track with how long I spend on each job so I can manage better for the next time I come to that same job. Assign each task a time frame, set your timer, and get to it! Only spend that much time on that job. NO MORE! It's like budgeting your time.
Remember your family needs are most important
Sometimes I am in the swing of things and I will be moving in full speed just knocking each chore out when my daughter walks up to me with her plastic Cinderella glass slippers on each foot and a tiara, and she's carrying her plastic kitchen foods served on a crayon-colored plastic plate, and she will tell me it is time for a tea party. "You know what, Ady Mae, you're right. I think I will stop and have a cup of tea with you," I tell her, "but after, Mommy's got to finish her chores."
There will be a day when she does not want to have "tea" with me, but until then, no matter how many chores or how behind I am on my list, I always say "yes" to tea time. Her spontaneous tea parties may not be a necessity, but my attention to her needs are most definitely important.
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| Ady Mae and her bunny family |
I'm curious to know how other working mommies handle the household chores? Do you have helping hands? Or a schedule? Do you hire help? I've thought about that... until I called around and was quoted for the size of my house.
Comment below how you keep up with the daily crazies of being a mommy!
On a side note, it's my goal to post at least 2 times per week. Stay tuned!
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