Everything I Know About Housekeeping I Learned From What I Tell my Kids

Like many of you, I've realized that everything I know about housekeeping comes from what I tell my kids to do. 

If I followed my advice, my house would be a shining example of cleanliness, and my life would be perfect. But, as we all know, it's easier said than done.

Evereything I Know About Housekeeping Comes From What I Tell The Kids

But here's the thing: I'm ready to take charge. This year, I resolved not to give advice but to follow it myself. Let's look at everything we tell our kids and imagine the benefits of applying these to our lives.

Get Organized! You've Got Stuff All Over The Place

How many times have we barked that command at our teenagers? Why can't they remember to put their socks in the sock drawer and their pajamas in the pajama drawer?

But have you looked under your bathroom sink lately? How about that back corner of the garage? More likely than not, you'll find a motley assortment of odds and ends. And not much organization. 

Now that you've downsized, it's time to regroup. Everything I know about housekeeping revolves around what we tell our kids. So, let's follow our advice and put like with like. Gather all your bill-paying paraphernalia near the computer.

Arrange all the cleaning supplies on one shelf. Put batteries with batteries and light bulbs with light bulbs, and before you know it, you know where stuff is and how much of it you have—instant inventory.

Don't Strew!

Every day when my siblings and I came home from school, my grandma greeted us at the door, shrieking, "Don't strew!"

"Don't strew" is Southern, for don't just drop your books in the hall; put everything where it belongs. Growing up, I was not too fond of the term, but I now find myself greeting my daughter and sons with the exact phrase. 

And if I'm to be completely honest, I must admit I'm as guilty as they are. It's just too tempting when you have an armful of groceries to drop your purse by the door, the mail on the kitchen counter, and the coat on the couch.  

And then it's tough to remember to go back later and pick that stuff up. And so it accumulates until it reaches critical mass, and you spend half a day picking it up again.

Clean Your Room

Everything I know about housekeeping can be summed up as:

1. Don't strew.
2. Put everything away within minutes of coming home. You can do it.
3. Just visualize Grandma watching.
   

It's a rare child who likes to clean her room. She hates it so much that she puts it off. And then it's such an overwhelming task that it takes threats of an armed invasion to get her started.

"Gosh, if you just did a little each day, it wouldn't be such a big deal," we fume. And yet, most of us put off cleaning until the weekend, when we have "time."

Then, we spend our precious Saturdays cleaning, laundering, raking, mopping, tidying, and... If we just took the time to clean a little each day, we would have playtime on the weekends with our families. Just a thought. 

Clean Up Behind Yourself

"Bobby, you left your socks on the bathroom floor again!" "Jessie put your glass in the dishwasher. Don't just leave it on the counter!" "And who spilled the milk and left a puddle?" 

Nag. Nag. Nag. You should listen. Who left the vacuum in the hallway? (Yeah, we know you were coming "right back.") And who didn't sweep up the patio again after gardening? (Oh yeah. You might do a little more later on. It would help if you cleaned up once, right?)

Next time you procrastinate, pretend your kid's doing the deed. And tell yourself: Everything I know about housekeeping can keep us all on track, so why not follow my own advice?

Hang Up Your Clothes!

My daughter is a perpetual fashion machine. Activity (including theater classes) can only be initiated with at least three clothing changes beforehand. 

If the shirt matches, the pants are too short. If the skirt is just right, the sweater is the wrong shade.

The next thing you know, she's running out the door to catch her ride, leaving a pile of clothes on her bed. (or worse, in her laundry basket if she's feeling a bit tidy that day.)

The evening culminates with a long lecture (from you) about taking care of her clothes and how tossing them in a pile renders them unwearable for next time.

Cut to your walk-in closet. What's that on your chair? A sweater? And under the chair? Your shoes? Yes, you were in a hurry this morning, weren't you?

Oh, what's that on top of your laundry hamper? Your new slacks! If you hang your clothes up promptly, many good things happen:

1.  The white cat doesn't nap on your new black cashmere sweater.

2.  Your pants don't wrinkle.

3.  You can take the high moral ground with your kids about housekeeping.

Don't Dilly Dally About Housekeeping

It's used in times like this: We are all in the car, pulling out of the driveway. Lyndsay screams, "I forgot my earrings!" and races back upstairs. 

Years pass—no Lyndsay. We sigh. I get out of the car and go looking for her. I find her in her room rearranging her jewelry box.

The problem with parenting a perfectionist is that she gets waylaid when she finds things out of place and needs to remember her original errand. 

And my point is? We all need to focus more; that's all. 

I will walk into the kitchen to get a glass of water, notice that the paper towel dispenser is empty, go to the garage for more, drag the garbage out to the sidewalk, bring in the mail, and open it. 

Then I noticed something wrong with my bank statement and got my purse to look at my checkbook. I cleaned out my purse and found a fingernail file.

The result is a string of unfinished tasks throughout the house. Everything I did (or started to do) needed to be done.

However, I needed to focus on one task at a time. 
Otherwise, I suffer what I call the Ricochet Effect. I bet you do it, too. It's the adult variation of the Dilly Dally.

Do Unto Others ...

Have you ever listened to yourself talk to your kids about housekeeping? Aren't you amazed by what you say? Aren't you embarrassed by the "mean" tone you use sometimes?

If our kids talked to us that way, they would be Hamburger Helper. Sometimes, being a mom means your kids are the only ones lower in the pecking order and your only safe target.

For just a day, pretend your child is your neighbor's child and treat him with the respect and kindness you would use on a non-family child.

You might be surprised by the response you get. Sometimes we're just too close.

And while you're at it, practice the Golden Rule on everyone in your life. And listen to yourself sometimes about housekeeping and beyond. You've got great advice, you know. And not only about housekeeping!