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I have gradually been making several small improvements to our home over the past few months. I always dread these chores, but somehow I always end up enjoying them. A few days ago while I was sanding off ancient paint, removing rusty hardware, painting, and getting covered with nastiness, I silently exclaimed, "House, I love you!" Why this unexpected declaration of affection? After all, I was trying to get a big paint job done while Alice was napping, I was missing my favorite TV show, and I was in the middle of an incredible mess. But as the project progressed, I realized I was making myself useful in an important but unglamorous way. All I was doing was fending off decay from a doorframe. It wasn't even a doorframe anyone sees...it was all the way in the basement rec room. But when I thought about it, I knew that what I was really doing was making our home a little bit cleaner, sturdier, and more attractive.
You want to know something shocking? I really like keeping house. Some people have suggested that keeping house and raising children are not activities that are worthy of a woman's full time and attention. These people, though well-versed in their own sense of superiority, are ignorant on the importance of the work done in the domestic sector. Homemaking is not something that will make you famous, pepper you with wealth, or earn you the admiration of your peers. Nonetheless, it is a basic component of life.
I feel there is an art to keeping house, and I strive to become an artist. I didn't always feel this way. Before Alice was born, I hated cleaning. When Alice arrived, my life changed completely. I felt called to stay at home to raise her, but I didn't particularly feel called to run the household. But little by little, I started to embrace my new role. Now I relish it. I like cleaning it, tidying it up, decorating it, and making it a home. Painting, cleaning, beautifying, updating, all these little things we do make our homes better and make our lives better. In my experience, a clean and comfortable home does wonders for family morale.
Some of you have asked me about my housecleaning philosophy and practices. I have just a few
"hints from Heloise" that might make your life a little easier.
1. Come up with a weekly schedule. This has helped me enormously. It keeps my activities evenly spread over the week and keeps me from getting overwhelmed or bored. You will probably have to come up with your own version of this schedule, especially if you work outside of the home. But for an example, this is what my week looks like:
Monday: Grocery shopping, ironing
Tuesday: Watering indoor plants, yard work, sweep porch and deck
Wednesday: Clean kitchen and bathrooms, sort laundry, clean Ani's tank
Thursday: Laundry
Friday: Dusting, sweep/mop/vacuum
Saturday: Wrap up loose ends, do big projects with Clay
Sunday: It's the Christian Sabbath! Aren't you supposed to be resting?
2. The more you clean, the less you have to clean. An unlikely phenomenon, but it's true! If you clean often, dirt and grime won't get a chance to build up, and you won't have to work so hard to keep your house clean. Does your bathtub really need to be cleaned every week? Probably not, but you don't want to have to clean it when it needs to be cleaned. You could end up scraping at it for an hour with a putty knife if you let it go too long. I highly recommend following through with a regular weekly cleaning schedule if you at all are able. That way, if you have to skip a week due to illness, vacation or the like, your house won't become totally foul, and you won’t feel guilty about taking a break.
3. Keep your house in a mostly company-ready state. This goes along with points 1 and 2, but let me flesh this one out a little bit, especially for those of you with kids. Our family has a regular clean-up routine every evening. We help Alice put away her toys, put her books back on her shelf, and locate the scattered contents of Mom's purse. I think it’s really important for Alice to grow up with a sense of tidiness, order, and family cooperation. I think it will give her responsibility of her belongings, a feeling that she is contributing to the well-being of our house and family, and pride over a clean room. After Alice goes to bed, I tidy up her eating area and take care of the dinner dishes. I try to keep my sink empty as much as possible. I hate the sight of dishes lying in the sink, so I try to put up the clean dishes and load the dirty dishes in the dishwasher promptly. I feel like if I keep the mess at bay and want to invite someone over on the spur of the moment, I can feel proud of how the house looks.
4. Try to get the chores done while the kids are awake. It’s not always easy, but I really strive to get my work done while Alice is awake. I feel like she needs to get used to the idea that Mommy has things that need to happen to run the household and cannot always give Alice her undivided attention. Also, I really like for sleep time for Alice is "Me Time" for Mommy. True, I usually iron during her nap. Ever tried to iron with a baby tugging at the cord? Scary! And when needed, I will paint the house, weed the yard and do things that would be difficult or dangerous to do with a child in tow. But usually, I like to relax and watch my favorite design show on TV, make my creations, and use this time as refreshment. It's important to me! I always tell new mothers to make time for themselves and time for their husbands, because if you don’t have that, you will go crazy.
5. Take advantage of "dead time." When waiting for the pasta water to boil or the bread to bake, look around to see if there are any small tasks you can quickly knock out. Time management is a great skill for a homemaker. Having a mental list of what needs to be done is another. If you can marry these two skills, look out! There will be no stopping you!
I'm so pleased to have finally found my calling. It's nothing like what I imagined it would be, but I love it nonetheless. After all, your house is a part of your family. Make it feel at home!
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