Realistic Resolutions: Start Small Chore Chart

January 1, 2016 by Amy Clark

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One of the things that I get asked about the most is how to establish good routines to keep up with your home. As a busy mom, it is a daily struggle to keep the house clutter-free and clean. That said, three big things happened in my house that have helped to make caring for our home more manageable.

I Got Serious About Mornings

The first change in our home was that I was forced to become a morning person, thanks to my kids’ bus schedules. The woman who would sleep in until the last possible moment each morning now has found she is rising before the sun is up to get everyone off to school.

Morning people used to annoy me with their efficiency and proclamations of productivity. I can now count myself among the annoying people because those extra morning hours are when I am able to make time for the chores that must be done each and every day. On particularly productive mornings, I can be done with the really important stuff by 9 a.m. I would say that is pretty impressive for someone who could barely get out of bed each day. Since discovering how much this switch helps me, I do my best to maintain the same sleep schedule on the weekends because I feel better and my home looks better, too, thanks to the extra hours I can devote to it.

I Got Serious About Minimizing

The second big change was my movement toward minimalism in our home. Clutter still exists — few homes I know are completely absent of this — but we are reducing our belongings to only things we really love and really have the time to maintain. The reduction of eighty percent of our belongings may sound extreme, but now I have a home that is easier to maintain than ever, AND I have only the things I really and truly love in it. It means less to keep up with, more space in our small home, and more time to devote toward fun activities together as a family.

I Got Serious About My Control Issues

I don’t know whether you are like me, but I like things done a certain way, and I often think that I am the only one who can do them. The thing is, I want my kids to be self-sufficient adults, and I am doing them NO FAVORS by doing everything for them. Although teaching my children things such as how to throw in a load of laundry or how to run the vacuum can be time-consuming, the time invested is invaluable when they can help me.

Yes, it is often not how I would do it, and I had to get over my own silliness with how towels are stacked or how the dishwasher is loaded or unloaded. If I have help, I shouldn’t turn it away, and I have three awesome people in my house who can help me execute those daily chores.

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Start a Realistic Chore Routine

Today I wanted to share with you my chore chart that I use to maintain my home. I’d also like to further break down for you what I do under each category to help explain it all a bit better.

Daily Routines — Daily routines are just easy maintenance that can typically be done in about an hour in the morning (minus the dry time of the laundry). Begin each day by making the beds, unloading the dishwasher, doing a quick tidy of the bathroom (wiping down the sink, wiping down the toilet, and doing a quick dry mop of the bathroom), doing a quick sweep of the hardwood floors, and tossing a load of laundry in for the day.

Monday — This day is focused on dusting and vacuuming only. Be sure to do your dusting first to knock any dust onto the floors so that you can then vacuum it up afterward.

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Tuesday  Mop your hard floors. May we recommend doing this with this recipe for DIY reusable floor pads? It will save you a bundle!

Wednesday  Deep clean those bathrooms today instead of doing your daily wipe-down. Wipe down mirrors, scrub the tub, clean the toilet, and wipe down fixtures in the bathroom. Restock any paper products and remove trash from the bathrooms.

Thursday  Deep clean your kitchen, wiping down countertops, chairs and appliances. This is a great time to clean out the fridge to ready it for grocery day. Finish this routine by giving the kitchen sink a good scrub after the fridge cleaning.

Friday  Take the time to declutter one space in your home that has been bothering you. It doesn’t need to be an entire room but can be as simple as a drawer that needs to be emptied or a toy closet that has gotten out of hand. Use this time to really make one space feel organized and clutter-free. I have found pairing this time with an audiobook makes it a lot more fun.

Weekends  Weekends are made for getting ready for the next week ahead, from planning the week of meals to grocery shopping to paying bills to yard work. I also love to use the weekend to wash bedding for my laundry routine. There is nothing like starting your week with fresh, clean sheets.

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I created a printable today that you can print each week and check off as you accomplish your tasks for the week. I also wanted to have a little spot where you can jot down a fresh to-do list weekly so you can keep track of all those good things you want to accomplish.

I hope these tips and our handy chore chart inspire you to make realistic goals each day for getting 2016 off on the right foot!

Print your free chore chart HERE.

Amy Clark

Amy Allen Clark has been the driving force behind MomAdvice since 2004. In addition to running a successful community for women and running after her two kids, she has appeared on The Early Show, and in Parents magazine, Redbook, Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food, MSN Money and The New York Times.