? MarkPeople use to always ask me when my kids were little how my house, life and even my car... stayed so organized. Why didn't I make "frazzled" trips to the grocery store and how did I get my kids to participate in picking up after themselves. I suppose the most puzzling thing to people and what I heard most was "How come you're never rattled and your house is so neat (not perfect, I said neat)?"
Simply:
1. It's because I had "systems" in place and I maximized my time when they were awake and asleep.
2. Because I had them "pick up" before naps. We made a game out of it (which is teaching along the way). Just like you they won't wake up one day and start doing something they've never done (IE: pick up or put away stuff).
3. Because I had a plan for meals. Typically 2 weeks out (it's what I still do), with an idea of what I was going to cook and what I needed on hand to do so. I usually asked everyone what they were hungry for so in the course of that 2 weeks everyone got something they wanted.
4. Because you don't spend an entire day cleaning when you have little ones, you might do a few rooms a day, wash another, bathrooms another and keep rotating. Then it "stays done" It's not a big deal to "dust a room" however it's time consuming to "dust a house" plus throw in all the other cleaning to do's and you'll spend hours versus minutes.
5. When you get gas, run your car through the wash. Personally I don't every time I gas up, but when needed that's most likely the easiest thing to do. When you have "trash" in the car make it a habit (or car rule) stopping means getting rid of trash. Take it in, toss it when you stop for the restroom, to gas up, to run in a store...the trash goes with you. So you have a handful vs. a garage bag full!
6. Stop getting yourself into "projects" vs. a task. *ugh* who has time for a "project?" Most of us don't and that's what we dread. Narrow everything down.
OMG...it's NOT because I made my bed every morning! I hate making my bed every morning. I may "throw" the covers up, but that's not what I call "making the bed" I have no idea why, yet when I say that I always think of getting grounded for not doing so growing up. I KNOW I did stuff worth getting grounded over (and didn't) but I always thought that was such a stupid thing to be in trouble for. My mother puts my "neat" house to shame. You wouldn't find a speck of dust in hers! Talk about growing up with "white gloves" - I used my white gloves to clean the car with! My mother realized VERY fast that I was the last one to get ready or "put on the white gloves" because I'd go find a project to do! I thought; Oh, cleaning the outside of the car off is easy with these gloves your hands!
I've heard some people say they think that's why they are "messy" because they grew up with a perfectionist.
Okay, so get over the perfectionist thing, that will drive you and everyone around you crazy. It doesn't have to be "all or nothing" - an extreme isn't good. The bible calls extreme's heresy. So the old saying "don't throw the baby out with the bath water" applies. You don't have to be what you hated growing up...but do you really want to be the opposite of "order?"
Think about it and get back to me,
Rebekah Phelps
703-980-1114
