Getting Things Done

Moms are busy people. Moms have to take care of the kids, take care of the house, and then find time to go to work every day. Unfortunately for mom, there is only 24 hours in any given day. That means that even the most organized mom has to find help to get things done and keep the household running.

People who are not parents always assume that having kids provides an instant workforce to get things done around the house. Experienced moms know that getting the kids to help around the house is not always easy. But there are ways that mom can get things done and still find time to read that book she has been meaning to read for weeks.

Embrace Technology

Instead of spending hours each week cleaning the floors invest in a robotic floor cleaner. They are low maintenance, easy to charge, last a long time, work brilliantly and are so easy to use even 7 or 8 year olds can be put in charge of running them. Other amazing technological advances that aid in cutting down the number of hours we have to spend on cleaning are the humble washing machine and dishwasher, electronic dusters, and central vacuum cleaners.

Make Trades with the Kids

Kids need their moms and that is something that moms can use to their advantage. If the kids want to go to soccer practice every Sunday afternoon, then their rooms must be clean. If the kids want you to take the parental controls off the computer so they can play Internet games, then they need to clean the garage once a week.

Simply telling children what to do is not going to inspire them to get anything done. You need to learn to make trades with your kids by using activities that have value to them. Just remember to stand firm on your rules and refuse to take the kids to soccer practice if their rooms are not cleaned. Once they see that you are serious, then you will see the housework getting done.

Establish Some Ground Rules with Dad

Dad is a grown adult who should be fully capable of helping around the house. Although dad may take a few months to adjust to his new role, but he should also be expected to carry his own weight.

Discuss the housework needs with your husband and ask him what he would like to do to help. If you just hand him a list, then nothing may get done. But if you work together to divide the responsibilities between the two of you, it will make for a happier household all round in the long run.

Hire Outside Help

If you need repairs done on the house, or you don't have the time to sort out the yard or fix the leaky faucet, consider hiring a contractor to help with these types of jobs. You don't have to hire out everything. Depending on your budget, how much you really want to keep for yourself and how much help you are realistically going to receive from your family, you may only need to hire out the big annual jobs or you may need to get a daily/weekly cleaning service.

Housework is something that no one wants to do, but everyone loves the results when the job is done. If the prevailing attitude in your home is to let mom take care of the housework, then it is time to change that attitude. There are plenty of things mom can do to get everyone involved in helping out around the house, whether they want to or not.

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