Clean House Happy House

When it comes to being a single mom, there is no one thing more time consuming than cleaning. I for one hate washing dishes. If I ever win the lottery, I may hire a dishwasher. Yes, I said hire, because I don't trust mechanical dishwashers to get into the nooks and crannies. There is nothing more gross than putting a fork in your mouth and feeling something dried on that you ate the day before.

Keeping a clean home is not just for vanity sake. It is for both safety and health as well. A clean home means that your kids and you are less likely to fall and get hurt on something that is misplaced in the middle of the floor.

Keeping a clean home also means that the germs that enter the house through various ways don't stay for long.

Here are tttt steps to a clean home

1. Set laundry day for a specific day of the week and stick to it. Wash a load. Dry a load and repeat. Fold and hang your family's clothing IMMEDIATELY to avoid the clothing monster in the corner. I know you know what I'm talking about.
2. Make a calendar while you're at it and schedule a major cleaning for each area of your home. For example, livingroom and dining room on Tuesdays. Bathrooms and bedrooms on Saturdays. Schedule it according to the size and amount of cleaning you will need for your family.
3. Get the kids involved. Establish a no toys in the livingroom rule, unless you have no other choice. If that is the case then vanquish the toys to a specific area of the livingroom. Make the kids responsible for their mess.
4. Lead by example. If your bedroom floor is covered by clothes, dishes, and nastiness, don't expect the kids rooms to look like a catalog. Keep your area neat.
5. Train them up NOW. Teach your kids the rule so that they become second nature. How many of you saw the Karate Kid movie with Jaden Smith? His first lesson was hanging up his jacket. That was his lesson because his teacher recognized that at home he threw his jacket on the floor. Eventually Jaden's character came home and began to automatically hang his jacket rather than tossing it in the floor.

I've noticed that when my home is at it's cleanest, that my kids behavior is at its best. Maybe its in my head, but it is true. Think about it, kids need and thrive on routine and predictability. Cleaniless falls into line with that sentiment.

Happy Cleaning!