The key ingredient to a well-run household is a sane mom. If Mom is frazzled all the time, chances are high that her home and family will also be a mess. Mom can take the following steps one at a time to begin taking control of the situation.
Keep Lists
An organized mom has multiple lists. She has lists of ideas for Christmas/birthday presents, lists of goals for her family to accomplish in the next year, grocery lists, wish lists, etc. Everyone loves to cross an item off a list. If something on the daily to-do list doesn't get done, simply move it to the next day's list!
Establish routines for the family as everyone functions better with routines. Keep children's naps and bedtimes consistent. Buy the groceries on the same day each week. Schedule reading time and time to play with the children each day. Equally important, though, is to schedule Mom-time every day. Find a way to make Mom a priority each day, even if it is just for a few minutes of yoga before bed or a few minutes to read a devotional in the morning.
Chores should not take over a mother's life. Do one particular chore each day of the week. For instance, dust on Mondays, clean the bathrooms on Thursdays, etc. Similarly, do certain loads of laundry each day (towels on Tuesdays, sheets on Fridays, etc.). Find a schedule that makes sense for the family. Try to take at least one weekend day off.
Plan a monthly menu by taking a little time at the beginning of each month to sit down and plan what the family will be eating each day. It's okay to incorporate leftovers or take-out. Having the month planned will make the task of writing a weekly or bi-weekly grocery list much easier.
Create a Family Calendar and Budget
Find a dry-erase calendar or a large paper calendar and place it in a common area of the house. Perhaps the calendar could hang on the kitchen wall or inside the pantry door. Assign a different colored marker for each family member and write everything that everyone will be doing on that calendar. Everyone will be able to see where every other family should be at any given time.
Once a week, balance the checkbook and pay any necessary bills (pay as many online as possible to save even more time and money). Find an online budget template or use a budget software program to keep track of purchases and expenses. Because financial issues are one of the major causes of marital stress, managing the budget will be beneficial to the entire family.
Organize the Household
Sort through mail immediately and recycle all junk mail that enters the house. Stash bills in an expandable file folder near the area in which the bill paying is done. Read magazines (when you get the chance), but do not keep them forever. Tear out any articles worth saving and recycle the remainders.
If there is not an "Old Mail" folder in your email program, create one. As soon as a message is read, place it in the "Old Mail" folder to keep the inbox empty. This will prevent any procrastination in returning emails and help another area of life well-managed.
Go through file cabinets and closets three or four times a year. File drawers will be less crammed if unnecessary papers are recycled or shredded (check with a tax accountant and insurance agents to be sure to keep all vitally important documents). Donate clothing, shoes, and household items that haven't been worn or used in the last year to Goodwill or another charity.
Take the time to organize each closet, drawer, cabinet, and storage space. This will be time-consuming initially, but it is so worthwhile in the long run. There will be no more wasted time searching for misplaced items once everything has been assigned a specific spot. Can't seem to get all the organizing accomplished? Hire a professional organizer.
Enjoy the Home
Mom has lists, routines, schedules and menus all laid out to help her now. The family has its central calendar and a budget to make life less frantic and haphazard. There are no stacks of mail on the counter, and the email inbox doesn't have hundreds of messages sitting there. The storage spaces are methodically arranged and everything is in its correct place.
Be flexible with these tips. If something on the list doesn't make sense for your family, tweak it until it works. Once the house is organized and Mom is more relaxed, the entire family can enjoy spending their time at home together.
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