Recently someone asked me, “how do you do it all?” I think frequently people think I do it all. I don’t. I have lots of systems in place in my house to actually get things done. And those systems all involve my kids.
Here’s a couple things that help a lot in our house:
Every kid at the age of nine starts to learn to do their own laundry. They wash, dry, fold (or not) and put away. I had to let go of my kids drawers being neat because some don’t care if their clothes are folded or just shoved in. It still makes me cringe when I see them shove but, hey, I didn’t have to do more laundry!
Adding to that, I’d never go without Speed Queen again. We got this set used and I’m telling you, nothing compares. I’ve gone through a lot of washers in my life and I’ll never go back to any other brand. These things are amazing. They wash fast, hard, and efficiently. We always know when our washer is spinning because everything in the kitchen shakes. And no, the washer isn’t in the kitchen!
My kids also have zones on the main floor. I have it divided into six areas and older kids are paired with younger. When I tell them to “do zones” they know their area for the month. They have to tidy everything in the room, regardless of if it was their mess or not. Then no one can say “I didn’t put it there”. And in 10 minutes, my main floor is picked up!
Last summer we purchased a Skylight Calendar. Let me tell you, this thing is amazing! Every kid has their own profile and I can set chores and tasks daily, weekly, every other day, or whatever I need. They earn stars for the completed tasks and can then redeem stars to stay up late, extra video games, or going out for a treat with mom. It has motivated my kids in many ways to get things done! And I never have to remember when which kid should shower or do laundry or take care of animals. They just check each morning and know what to do. I also have our meals on here so they can just look at the menu to know what’s for dinner and who has to help cook. It has taken such a huge burden off my brain!
Lastly, we added a gym in the basement over Christmas. Dad really wanted this for his Christmas gift but it has been a blessing to all of us. The kids run and play and practice Taekwondo down there and Andrew and I can workout everyday. The young adults in our house have all started working out too. It’s a great way to get some energy out when it’s below zero in Minnesota!
There are lots of other ways I try to keep our life moving smoothly, but these are a few big ones!
Desired Haven Farm 