Home Management and the Domestically Challenged

As we add children to our family, we are forced to deal with weaknesses that we were able to ignore or disguise before.

My name is Misty Smith, and I am domestically challenged. On so many levels, too, but I can only deal with them in baby step portions.

Home management is an area that I should have tackled with baby #3... NO, baby #1! But, I didn't so we have been suffering all of this time. Now baby #4 is a year old, and I am finally making some moves toward progress.

Recently, I have acquired the book Large Family Logistic which has helped me to improve.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK!!

The changes that have brought us a bit of success?

Giving each day of the week a theme: Monday is Town Day; Tuesday is Laundry Day; Wednesday is Kitchen Day; Thursday is Office Day; Friday is Bed, Bath and Beyond Day; Saturday is a day of fun/rest and Sunday is for the Lord.

If on one of these days "life happens" as it often does--like sickness, ministry opportunity, birthday, field trip, ect.-- I don't have to stress because the day will come again in its rotation soon enough; and I will have another opportunity to tackle that day's jobs in a more comprehensively manner.

For instance, on Laundry Day last week I was unable to get the shower curtains washed because I had a few sick children who kept me distracted. They weren't too bad and could wait a week and I DID get 4 huge loads washed and folded and culled unmatched socks while I sat on the couch snuggling my sick ones. Tomorrow is the next Laundry Day so I will wash the shower curtain, Lord willing along with a whole host of laundry goals I hope to accomplish. I am the type that thrives on 2nd chances... and 3rd chances and 4th chances... which is why this works well for me.

The other feature that I have added to my home management scheme is the use of a timer. On Office Day, for instance, I alternate 15 minutes of playing and teaching the littles with 15 minutes of bill paying, school planning, couponing or whatever seems office-like. This way kiddos are getting their fix of my attention and don't seem to notice when I turn away for 15 minutes to do my chore. I will come back to their world before they realize my attention had been elsewhere. Maybe, during my time segment with them I might have an office job that I can include them in, like opening junk mail envelops or throwing away a pile of expired coupons.

These Home Management improvements have worked beautifully. The question is, can I maintain these changes long enough for them to morph into ingrained habits? I think so... pray for me.