Life is so hectic, isn't it? Especially as a mom. It seems like our list of responsibilities never ends! On top of meeting your children's daily needs, you also must somehow find the time to cook, clean, spend time with each child, wash the laundry, keep up with the activities your children are involved in... and that's not including finding time for your husband and nurturing your marriage! Being a mother to young children means constantly juggling priorities and somehow finding the time to do it all. How in the world is one person supposed to do all that? Here are a few tips I have picked up along my motherhood journey. Please feel free to add any ideas you have, or things that work for you!
Know your limitations. On a few different occasions, I have been called a "Super Mom" for managing to raise four children under seven (three of them born in less than two and a half years!), homeschool, keep a clean house, and still have time for fun hobbies like crocheting and photography. I have been asked how I manage to "do it all." Well... the truth is... I don't! I do not "do it all," and I am okay with that (mostly). It has taken me years to reach a place where I am at peace with not accomplishing every single item on my daily to-do list. Honestly, I don't think I've ever had a day where I completed that list! But I learned that I gained nothing by beating myself up over it. When you have young children in the house, there is going to be chaos. You can either fight it and cause yourself endless stress, or you can embrace it and learn to enjoy your children for the phase of life that they're in. Remember... this too shall pass!
Clean a little at a time throughout the day. The days when I'm either too lazy to stay on top of cleaning, or just too busy with other things, are the days when things become overwhelming. I've learned that if I clean for 10-15 minutes at a time, several times throughout the day, the house seems to stay relatively neat, or at very least, can be made tidy in a short amount of time. (I also involve the kids in this! I try to make a game of it for them, encouraging them to see just how many toys they can put away in that amount of time. It's fun AND productive!) This doesn't just go for picking up things, though. I can also use those 10-15 minute cleaning spurts to get the dishes done, a load of laundry folded, the counters wiped down, the floors swept, etc.
Develop a plan. Having a schedule to follow can, for some people, be extremely helpful in staying organized. There are a ton of free resources out there to help you organize your cleaning schedule. My particular favorite is The FlyLady. Some of her ideas are just plain brilliant!
"A load a day keeps the chaos away." This is a quote from the aforementioned FlyLady. The idea behind it is that if you can commit yourself to doing at least one load of laundry every day, you'll find yourself much more on top of your CHAOS! (CHAOS = Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome... So true, eh?) If you have a larger than average family, like mine, you may find that "a load a day" becomes more like "two-to-three loads a day."
Downsize! Having less stuff means having less to clean! The minimalist movement is very trendy right now, but there's definitely something to be said for it! When we moved last year, we donated a ton of the kids' toys and clothes, and I haven't had any regrets about doing it! The kids didn't even notice, either! It's a prevalent notion in our society that we must provide our children with everything they want, but you'd be surprised at how little a child actually "needs" to be happy. We still have a number of toys for them to learn and exercise their little imaginations! Contrary to popular belief, however, I believe you actually do more harm than good by catering to your child's every whim and fancy. Having less and encouraging them to work hard to save up for the things they really want (or *gasp* wait patiently until their birthday or Christmas) teaches them to value their possessions more, and to appreciate what they have. Gratitude is a wonderful gift to give a child!
Ask for help when you need it. We all have times when we're sick or overwhelmed with a crazy schedule. It's OKAY to ask for help! This can mean having someone watch your kids for the day so you can focus on your to-do list without interruption, or it can mean having a family member or friend come over to pitch in. Sometimes pride can stand in the way of knowing when to ask for help; I know this because I have struggled with that pride, myself! My advice is this. Next time you're hesitant to refuse help, take a step back and look at the situation. Does the refusal to ask for help really accomplish anything positive? It hurts you by keeping you from being able to have the peace of mind of getting things done that need to be done, and it robs the other person of the opportunity to be a blessing to you. Remember, being able to help you gives the other person joy!
Daddy needs to help, too! Parenting is not a one-man show. He helped make those babies; he can help take care of them, too! He lives in your home; he can help clean it, too! He helped make the dishes; he can help wash them, too! I could go on... but I think you get the point. You would be amazed at the difference it makes to have a helpful husband around. As a former single mom, I know what it feels like to try to do it all myself (which, by the way, I completely failed at!) Having my husband around to hep our when needed has been such a wonderful blessing to me. He's amazing, and he loves knowing just how much I need him. (I don't know if it's the whole "Knight in Shining Armor" mentality or what, but men like to be needed!)
Remember to stop and enjoy the moment. It's so easy to get caught up in the daily grind and forget to simply take a step back and enjoy this season of life. Talk to your kids. Play with them. Make sure they know that they are more important than housework. I posted this on my Facebook wall the other day, but I think it's worth sharing again: If I work morning, noon and night to keep my house perfect, and then 20 years from now my girls are grown and gone and I have no relationship with them, then what was the point? I doubt my kids will look back and say, "Gosh, I sure do appreciate how clean our house was all the time!" But I guarantee you they'll look back and wish I had played with them more. Remember, family comes first!
Have a blessed day!
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