Over the years we have tried ALL SORTS of chore charts, housekeeping ideas, and organizing plans. We have assigned rooms, meals, and areas of the house to various members of the family. We have scheduled out the days with corresponding cleaning jobs. We have done 10 Minute Tidy Times (using the timer, Two Hour Clean Ups, Daily Life Skills and full days of cleaning (okay, those are mainly on those occasions when we’re hosting a big party).

Some of my favorite friends at our latest party.

Here’s one thing we did in 2007 – Chore Charts. Complete with Excel spread sheets.

As a homeschooling family with five children, we really LIVE in this house, all day long, for hours upon messy hours, 7 people eating three meals at home (including my sweet husband who works from home several days a week). We generate a lot of laundry, mess and clutter just by the fact that we’re a big family home and together most of the time.

Or at least we used to be. Things have shifted dramatically this year. Rachel and Joshua are both in college in Tennessee (too far away to come home and have me do their laundry). Daniel is attending the local technical school full time, so only David and Sarah are home with me during the day.

Somehow we still manage to create a decent mess.

Or maybe I’m just a messy housekeeper, more interested in ministry, fun and relaxation than keeping a clean and tidy house. No need to comment on that speculation, beloved family.

So, when I read this article the other day, I couldn’t resist sharing it with Tim.

I Haven’t Cleaned the Kitchen in 12 Years

Basically the author shared how her husband decided to hand over the dinner kitchen clean-up to the children so the grownups could enjoy a little relaxing time. Brilliant! I’ve been looking for some way to deal with dishes these days. Understand that my children are (for the most part) gracious, helpful and more than willing to tackle cleaning and tidying WHEN ASKED. It’s the “hey that wasn’t my responsibility” or “come on, I did the dishes yesterday/this morning/two days ago/fill in recent time they did dishes” attitude and responses that are discouraging. I begin to feel like I have to constantly assign tasks or ask them to help.

My Christmas present from Daniel

So, two days ago Tim told the kids, “Mom isn’t doing dinner dishes or the evening kitchen clean up anymore. You all get to chip in and do it for her.” Then he swooped me off into another room where we had cheerful, grown up conversations about nothing important. It was heavenly.

Of course, it just happened that Daniel had been given the job of doing the lunch time clean up (he was off school early that day), so he had already spent quite a bit of time in the kitchen. When he was less than speedy to help at dinner, used a bit of a surly tone with his father, and rather curtly suggested David and Sarah do the work, Tim gave the younger kids the night off and put Daniel in charge of the whole job himself.

An excellent reminder (to all of us) to be cheerful and NOT grumble about our work.

Daniel loves to do dishes. Heh heh heh.

This evening all the kids worked pleasantly and quickly together. Daniel even came back in after he and a friend had made smoothies and cleaned up their dessert mess. Yay! We’re a work in progress.

We’ll see how it goes in the weeks to come. And then next I need to figure out a good rotation for cleaning the rest of the house. No need to rush to solve all the world’s problems in one day.

Project 365 – Day 37

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