How To Enjoy Week-ends Instead of Slaving Over Housework

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I want to enjoy summer with my family - but what about the housework?

Week-end house chores are organized by keeping up with simple tasks throughout the week, regardless of the size of your home.

Whether you live alone or with a family, it is possible to spend quality time with friends or family during week-ends, providing everyone is as organized as you.

However, even if they are not, it is still possible to relax more during week-ends but it will likely involve you, as a parent, implementing a rule whereby, when children mess things up, they are the ones to clean it up.

After all, the beaches, barbecues, amusement parks and nature parks await and no one wants to spend the summer inside all the time.

However, keep in mind that there is still lots of fun to be experienced during the cold winter months so, when you've developed a great summer routine, let it continue throughout the winter. Even if you don't want to go outside, you can curl up with a book, put a jigsaw puzzle together or relax for a hour or two in the bathtub.

It doesn't matter what you do; the point is that you'll have time to do more of the things you would like to do.

I bet you would feel refreshed if you could be here right now instead of doing housework.

"When you are doing housework, get your children involved."

Seeking help 

Even from your little ones

Teamwork is as essential at home as it is in the workplace; everyone pulling together, working towards a common goal, results in tasks being performed more efficiently, usually, at a faster pace.

In the end, everyone feels good about a job well done and the rewards which follow.

Procrastination is taboo!

In the workplace, one doesn't wait until the day of the deadline to begin working on a project/assignment. Instead, the work will merely need to be reviewed before submitting it to the employer.

The same is true for working at home. If you plan to go out Saturday evening, don't wait until Saturday afternoon to do housework. At that point, you need to be able to relax for a while before heading out. Otherwise, you won't enjoy your evening because you'll be too tired.

"So...what can I do during the week so I can enjoy my week-ends?"

Tidying 

If you don't have this habit, get into it.

When you move something, put it back where it belongs instead of setting it down wherever is convenient. This saves a lot of time and your house looks organized even when cleaning needs to be done.

Why? Because there is little to no tidying required.

It's an on-going daily process by everyone in the home.

Changing bed sheets 

Don't pick the week-end to change bed sheets. Select another day, or night, of the week to get this task done.

You may feel tired but it will save you between thirty minutes to an hour during the week-end and you'll feel glad that the task has already been completed when Saturday morning arrives.

In addition, the sheets would have already been washed instead of being gathered into an overwhelming pile.

Dusting furniture 


Depending upon the types of furniture in your house, some of it will get dusty sooner than others. Often, darker furniture will appear dusty the same day you've dusted it while lighter shades will rarely appear dusty.

Regardless, you can select Saturday mornings to dust your furniture unless you'd like to pick an evening during the week.

You need to make time to spend with family and friends outside; a hour or two makes a world of difference!

Washrooms 


Keeping washrooms clean on a daily basis only takes a few minutes and takes a load off your mind when wondering if unexpected company may arrive at your door.

In addition, if an emergency was to arise and you had to take one of your children to the hospital - and had to call a sitter to watch the other children - your mind could rest knowing you didn't need to fuss with the washroom.

After all, no one minds a few glasses on the kitchen counter but a dirty washroom makes people cringe.

Floors 

Sweeping your floor every day is a good practice. It keeps dirt from traveling throughout your house at the rate it would if you swept your floor once a week.

Wiping up spills immediately is a good safety practice which also prevents family members and guests from walking on sticky floors, but you should mop them at least once a week.

It shouldn't take long unless you have special types of flooring which needs to be cleaned in a special manner. Even then, you can work around it so you still have time to enjoy most of the week-end.

Vacuuming rugs and carpets can be done whenever it looks like it needs to be done, whether on a daily or weekly basis, and it takes a minimal amount of time to get the task completed.

Bedrooms 


Tidying is done on a regular basis. Check mark.
Dusting is done once a week. Check mark.
Bed sheets are changed during the week. Check mark.
Floors are already clean and vacuumed. Check mark.

So, what's left?
The obvious task of being sure your bed is made, your windows and mirrors are clean, and any stray items from the night before have been put in their proper place.

You can't get much better than that!

If you're always doing housework, you'll miss moments like these...

Meal preparation 


Freeze left over meals throughout the week and eat them during dinner time on week-ends.

Another alternative, if you plan to go out, is to place all your ingredients into a slow cooker so that when you arrive home, your meal is already prepared.

Conversely, if you plan to entertain guests during the week-end, since you have a lot of time on your hands - with most of your housework having been done throughout the week - read a book, watch a movie, play a board game, or whatever else you feel like doing while waiting for food to cook and your guests to arrive.

Laundry 


Don't wait for a certain day to do laundry. Keep up with it throughout the week.

You can be organized further by either sorting laundry into piles on a basement floor or sorting it in color coded laundry hampers. For example, in my house, light colors and whites go into the white hamper while darker colors go into the blue hamper.

It saves time sorting laundry and, when one hamper begins to get full, we wash that load of clothes.

Most times, only one load a day needs to be washed and we don't fall behind.

Grocery Shopping 


Best performed on a day off. However, a list can be made throughout the week with items being added as you run out of a product, or as you think of something you need. This saves much time at the grocery store when trying to decide, or remember, what to buy.

In addition, by strictly following your list - unless you remember something you had forgotten to write down - it will save you time at the store, save time bringing your groceries to the car, save time bringing your groceries into your house, and save time putting them away.

How much time do you think you would save? More than you realize!

Mail and bill payments 


Unless you have time to look through your mail and pay bills as they arrive, set Fridays aside to get this done. The general work week has, officially, ended (even if yours hasn't) so you may as well get all of your paperwork out of the way, leaving you free to enjoy your week-end and begin a new week with no paper cluttering your desk.




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You can't let yourself become too busy to embrace moments like these.

Glorious sunsets...

You may get more than you bargained for if you decide to visit The Sunsets of My Life.

Always make time for yourself! 

It's essential to living a healthy life.

Take a few moments to write a note to a friend; I'm sure they'll appreciate that you were thinking of them!

Of course you can always tell someone how much you love them...

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The best ways children can help parents! 


There are many ways children can help their parents get ahead around the house, regardless of their ages.

Raking grass, shoveling snow, and taking out the trash

Teens should have no trouble raking/mowing grass o more...1 point

Washing the car

Small children love to play with water so why not more...0 points

Watering the garden

Children love running through the sprinkler. It's more...0 points

BBQ season

Does your teen love to BBQ as opposed to cooking i more...0 points

Walking the dog

As long as your dog isn't too powerful for your ch more...0 points

Picnic Time

Does your children love to create the menu for pic more...0 points

Baking

Does your child/teen love to bake? As long as dire more...0 points

Wiping spills

Most children love dealing with the Swifter so, ma more...0 points

Cleaning walls

Remember your children who love to use the Swifter more...0 points

Vacuuming

Does your child or teen love to vacuum? Hooray for more...0 points

Dusting

Does your child/teen find the process of dusting f more...0 points

Looking after smaller children in the household.

Sometimes parents need another pair of helping han more...0 points

A few points worthy of parents' consideration:


* Housework and family commitments can't be ignored

* Housework will always be there; if you manage your time, actions, and words wisely, your family will, too

* Even when your family can survive the strongest tests of time, your children will still eventually move away, so enjoy them while you can!

Tell me about your week-ends! 

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Books to help you! 


Sometimes people require aids to help them achieve their goals; the area of housework is no exception. If it threatens to overwhelm you, it's time to take action and get control of your life - and time - again!

Martha Stewart's Homekeeping Handbook: The Essential Guide to Caring for Everything in Your Home

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Amazon Price: $29.70 (as of 12/21/2009) Buy Now

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Making Peace with the Things in Your Life: Why Your Papers, Books, Clothes, and Other Possessions Keep Overwhelming You and What to Do About It

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Amazon Price: $10.85 (as of 12/21/2009) Buy Now

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It's All Too Much: An Easy Plan for Living a Richer Life with Less Stuff

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Amazon Price: $10.20 (as of 12/21/2009) Buy Now

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The Organizing Sourcebook : Nine Strategies for Simplifying Your Life

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Amazon Price: $11.53 (as of 12/21/2009) Buy Now

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by Norma_Budden

I am the only parent living in the house with my children; in time, I will have an adult pair of helping hands but, for the moment, that day seems too... (more)

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