Are you busy? Of course, you are. What a silly question. You run around every day, driving your kids to school, tending to your professional life, taking care of your home, and spending time with your partner. There is no time left for everything else that needs to be done. And yet, things still need to be accomplished. If you find yourself running in every direction only to have a lengthy to-do list at the end of each day, try incorporating some or all of these helpful tips into your life right now.
Hire a Cleaning Service
Cleaning your home can take a very long time, regardless of the size. And then once it is clean, you need to do it all over again. There are a lot of ways you can keep everything in order and sanitized, but when you are too busy to get everything done, you need to call in the reinforcements.
Contact a reputable cleaning company, such as Fantastic Carpet Cleaning NYC, to take care of all your carpet cleaning needs. They can perform a deep clean, sanitize rugs after your extended family brings their pet along for a visit, or take care of more delicate cleaning for special rugs.
Another great idea is to hire a cleaning company. Many carpet cleaning companies offer other cleaning services, as well. Look for a company that can provide you with the best cleaning schedule to fit your needs, such as weekly, monthly, or special occasion cleanings. These services will provide the outcome you want, which is a clean and safe home for your family, while giving you back your time.
Have a Family Meeting
If you have heard of other families holding regular family meetings, you may have wondered what they are all about. Well, now you get to find out. Here are the details and intended outcomes you can expect.
- Schedule a meeting with your family once per week. The initial meeting will probably last longer than the others, as you will be explaining its purpose and ironing out the details and expectations.
- Hold the meeting over dinner or on a Sunday evening while eating dessert together.
- Assign someone as the note taker. If you have an older child, this will help get them involved.
- The content of the meeting can vary widely depending on your family’s needs and unique makeup. Use the time to go over weekly activities and determine who is driving which child to their activities. Discuss meal planning and menu requests, if you like.
Most importantly, talk about family responsibilities within the home together. Beyond school work, extracurricular activities, and athletics, your children should be able to help out at home. Even if they are very young, they can probably push a broom or wipe down a table after a meal. Look for age-appropriate chores and assign them on a rotating schedule or keep them the same every week. The important thing is to do what works best for your family and make changes when needed.
Map out clear expectations for the quality of care and work, and for when the chores need to be completed. If you give out allowance and wish to tie them to the assigned duties, talk about that, as well. This is also an ideal time to talk about adult responsibilities and divide tasks between you and your partner. Having everyone on the same page will help take the burden off your shoulders and make home life a family responsibility.
If you are unsure of how to approach the conversation of chores with your kids or experience resistance with your current plan, watch this informative video for tips on how to get your kids to do their chores without nagging. Spoiler: This involves a lot of extra time on your part at the beginning, but the payoff is well worth it.
Consider Asking for Help
Asking for help is a big thing for some people, especially when they are fiercely independent. If this defines your character, that is okay, but it is also okay to lean on others when you need more than you can provide. It is nearly impossible to take care of everything on your own without fail, and that is where help comes in.
Consider the people in your life. Are there some that you would help when they ask you for something? More than likely, they would be eager to do the same for you. Remember that when you feel like you are drowning in all of your responsibilities. Reach out to the people you love and who love you. Make a specific request of them, such as “Can you pick up my daughter from school next Tuesday at 3:20 pm?” Offer to return the favor, as well. And if you never ask, you will never know what they might say.
If you find that there are ongoing issues with reliable school pick up, look for ways you can pool resources among your friend group, especially if you have similarly-aged children, or they attend the same school. Create a plan for you to bring the kids to school and a friend to return them from school. You can set up whatever schedule works best or simply be prepared to help one another when the need arises. Sometimes, just knowing that help is available when you might need it can take an immense weight off your shoulders.
Your family might be a reliable resource, as well. Ask them to drive your kids to their activities a couple of times a month or provide childcare services when you need a break. You can return the favor when they need their dog walked if they go out of town. The point is to take care of one another and lessen each other’s burdens.
Now that you have some realistic and actionable ideas on how to take care of everything in your life, it is time to schedule a professional cleaning. Next up, set a time to have your first family meeting to discuss cleaning responsibilities and ask for help when you need it. Once you make these changes, you will wonder why you did not start sooner.
Meg is an author at Cinnamon Hollow. She writes on a variety of topics sharing tips and ideas for daily life.
