After a rough January, I decided something had to change. Two weeks ago we started a new system, and it has been so incredibly helpful. I have been amazed at what a difference it has made in our home and in my well-being.
When we are done with dinner, we immediately get each of our little zones done. Little was the key word. We just focus on the kitchen area because that is where the majority of our messes are.
- One child clears and wipes the table and chairs down, then nicely tucks the chairs in (seriously, what a difference tucked chairs make in how clean the house looks!)
- The next child clears and wipes the island, and only the island (makes it very doable, and again it is another area that makes a huge difference in how clean the house looks).
- The other zone is to pick up anything that got dragged into the kitchen and placed onto the floor...mostly by a one year old girl. :) then they sweep the floor.
While the three older boys are working away at that, I am able to load the dishwasher and quickly wipe down the counters right around the sink. By the time I have finished, I turn around and the kitchen and dining room are clean. (And daddy is there to help out where we need him most...like keeping Adeline from making more messes!) This simple change has removed so much stress and makes me a much happier mom in the evening. A messy house is completely linked to my mood :)
We have not missed a day for two weeks! (I take that back, Friday night we didn't finish our zones, but to make sure we didn't get out of the habit, first thing Saturday morning that is what they had to do.)
This is seriously so huge for us! :)
