As most of you know I like a clean house. A lot of my friends probably think I spend hours cleaning and picking up after my kids. The trick is…I don’t! No my house isn’t the sparkly clean, but it is picked up after and I don’t have lots of piles. {which I do have right now on my desk that I need to go through.} But if I get something that could turn into a pile on my counter I either throw it away or put it where it goes.
I always think to myself when I see quotes that people post on Facebook that say stuff about how their house isn’t clean because they are spending time with their kids {and they are on Facebook :} I am not one to judge really, but come on, if you have time for Facebook you have time to pick up after yourself, put a dish in the dishwasher or clean the kitchen counter off. Is it really being a bad mom to clean up something in front of the kids. No it isn’t! In-fact you are being a good mom to show them that things need to be put away. Am I right?
I think one of THE biggest things I learned growing up was to clean up after myself. This is something I have taught to my kids from a young age. When they get something out they know they need to clean it up before they get something else out. If they get something out of the fridge to eat, clean it up and wipe off the counter!
Every morning we do our jobs and start our day with a clean house. It is fun to do as a family, I feel like I am spending good time with my kids and I am teaching them valuable lessons. I walk around helping them tuck in their sheets, or pointing to things that could look a little better, and I help them. Not boss them, and we do it together. They do their jobs fast and then it’s on with the day. No they don’t do it perfectly. My daughter struggles leaving stuff on her desk or books on her floor, but after a while she cleans them up. I try not to micromanage their bedrooms, but I will give suggestions that their room would look nice if their desks were cleaned off.
A lot of people like to save their cleaning for Saturdays. I like Saturdays to be family days where I don’t spend time cleaning. I deep clean my bathrooms once a week on Tuesdays in between helping my two older kids with their spelling and math.
So how do I spend time with my kids, and keep my house clean. Well…..I guess I will share my secret tips and tricks with you! Once a week I will share what I do to keep things clean and not spend all day doing it.
So let’s start with the dreaded BATHROOMS…
I think the KEY to keeping your bathroom clean {and everything in your house} is to PUT IT AWAY. If you leave it out you are going to spend more time cleaning it then if you just put it away right after you use it!
AMEN!!! I agree 100% with all of these tips and the attitude that it’s just as important to teach your kids how to pick-up after themselves and help keep a clean house as it is to do other things with them. I roll my eyes everytime I see that quote on pinterest. I think our days go much better and we are able to do so much MORE as a family BECAUSE we keep things organized and cleaned and don’t have to spend hours a day catching up on housework. Great post!
I loved your thoughts and the tutorial on keeping the bathroom clean. I think we are a like in our desire to have things picked up and put away where it belongs.
Blessings!
Great ideas! I too like to do our chores and some light cleaning in the morning before we start school. It helps the day run more organized and your not worrying about other messes while your trying to focus on school.
Wow, you are one great example to your kids, Kendra! Surely, they will grow up picking after themselves. You not only show them how, but you also do it together with them. I love your thoughts about spending quality time with the kids. You’re also organized with your cleaning scheme. Thank you for sharing all these with us! =)
Skylar Cox
“Pick up after yourself.”’ – To an extent, this can be the most convenient cleaning advice. Nothing would pile up if you constantly clear things up, right? Luckily, I can proudly say that I do clean up after I bathe. *applause*:D Wipe countertops, run my feet on the shower platform to gather solid dirt, and so on and so forth. My greatest motivation here is, not wanting to walk into a chaotic bathroom in the morning. I’m simply doing myself a favor, actually. XD