I don’t know about you, but as a stay at home mom I sometimes put unrealistic expectations on myself. My house is absolutely one of those things for me. I have allowed others to put this idea into my head that because I stay home, and work within the home rather than outside the home, that I should always have a spotless house and it should be organized and Southern Living Magazine should be able to show up at a moments notice and photograph my home. See what I mean–Unrealistic Expectations!
What I have learned though is that I need to have a schedule and know what I want to accomplish each day. If not, I tend to be like a chicken running around with my head cut off from one task to the other and end the day feeling like I didn’t actually accomplish anything which then turns to me becoming anxious, overwhelmed and feeling like a failure that day.
So I created this easy weekly cleaning calendar that I follow each week all throughout the year. Trust me, I am a nut about it and you can ask anyone (especially my best friend who I talk to every morning on her way to work-she will say.. well its Monday-you mopping today? Its Tuesday- washing towels, sheets, socks, and underwear?)
Its the same thing every day of every week except for I “spice it up” on Wednesday when I choose a room to spend 10 minutes in and Fridays when choosing my Friday task to tackle that week.
I will tell you, Monday tends to be my heaviest day. I find it easier for me to knock out the big stuff (like mopping and laundry) on Mondays. I think I’m still just on the “happy high” from spending the weekend with my husband and kids that I don’t mind doing more on Mondays.
Evening Reset*–Your Evening Reset should be no longer than 10 minutes. Don’t allow your evening reset to take time away from your husband. Your evening reset should just be putting any lonely dishes left in the sink into the dishwasher and wiping off counter tops and tidy up the main living space, and maybe putting clothes from the washer to the dryer if you have any. This is meant to be a quick process each night, its ok if a few things get left undone.
So here it is.
I hope it helps you as much as it helps me.
