Adding a second child to the mix this past year has brought many new aspects into our home but I didn’t think one of those things would be me becoming more ‘tidy’. But much to my surprise, I have felt so much less anxious around the house due to becoming more thoughtful with placing routines in our life to keep our home more peaceful. I used to have a hard time letting Lucy make a large mess in our main living area for fear of that mess staying in my line of vision for a few days before I get so frustrated that I pick it up. Creating a tidying routine has meant I let her play and make as big of a mess as she wants (Painting on the kitchen counters, anyone? Glitter on the dining table?) because I know at the end of the day, she’s going to (somewhat) help put things back to where they belong and I will go to sleep with my house back to square one. The picture above is the view I see each night of a kitchen that is clean before going to bed, and I promise you, it helps me sleep better! This may sound a bit neurotic to some, but for my anxious tendencies, these changes have been life giving to me. When I started working from home after maternity leave, I realized quickly that I needed to set some routines in life while juggling two kids and work at home, all while taking care of the house. By creating routines and stacking different habits together, I am amazed at all the tasks I can accomplish in the day.
Routines
Kids do better with routines. I do better with routines. It’s simply a win-win to get into habits to get things done!
- Wake up at least one hour before kids: make bed, shower, get dressed all the way to shoes (or house shoes!), read/meditate, enjoy my coffee in peace and quiet – THE MOST IMPORTANT ROUTINE!!! If you are letting your kids wake you up in the morning, try this for a week and see how much better you feel!
- Clean up for 15 minutes every night
- Put things back after each use (seems like something we learned as kids, right? I’m not sure why this seems so revolutionary but it helps immensely to keep my kitchen functioning throughout the day)
- Wash one load of laundry every day (or every other day depending on week)
- Make a big meal Sunday evening so lunches are covered for first half of the week
- Use a planner to keep track of ALL THE THINGS
- Run the dishwasher every night (and empty every morning)
- Spread housekeeping tasks throughout the week (see my cleaning routine below)
Habit Stacking
There’s evidence that stacking habits together can create lasting change. For me, it has made it easier to remember what I need to tackle!
- Start a load of laundry while making breakfast
- Empty clean dishwasher while kids are eating breakfast
- Brush teeth while water is heating up in the shower (may sound silly but this helps me!)
- Meal plan while I load the virtual grocery cart
- Start the iRobot vacuum and clean elsewhere (the easiest habit stack of all time!)
- Take vitamins when filling up my glass of water before bed (another silly one, but combining these has made me remember to take my vitamins religiously for months!)
Weekly Cleaning Schedule
I follow a mix between the Fly Lady zone cleaning and Clean Mama’s daily tasks schedules. You can download my cleaning schedule below!
Monday: Dust, one load of laundry
Tuesday: run vacuum, tasks in my zone for the week
Wednesday: Spot mop, clean one bathroom, one load of laundry
Thursday: Master and upstairs bathrooms, wash Lucy’s sheets & towels
Friday: Wash master sheets & towels, one load of clothes
Saturday: finish zone tasks
Sunday: Rest day
More Information
As mentioned above, I have done research on both the Fly Lady Zone Cleaning and Clean Mama’s Daily & Rotating Tasks. I’ve created a schedule that seems to work for me, but I love that it’s all customizable. Both of the ladies who created these systems have books that I highly recommend!