No More Dishes!

I get asked daily how I do it. (I also get asked daily if I run a daycare but that's a different topic.) How do I manage five children, four dogs, a husband, a house, and church callings (I teach Sunday School every other week for a class of 12-13 year olds). How do I manage to keep my house clean or to have a social life? How do I manage to take care of myself?

My response?  I don't know.

I don't know how I manage it all. I know for certain that I couldn't do it on my own though, and I think that's the secret. I grew up with a mom who worked (and still works) harder than any other person I know.  There were times when I woke up at 2AM to the sound of her vacuuming the hallway outside my bedroom. I have literally eaten off the floor in her house; it's THAT clean! Of course, my home will never be as immaculate as my mother's, but she did teach me how to manage a home and to delegate tasks. Hopefully, I can teach a little of that here today.

My life used to revolve around cleaning. I felt like I was doing nothing but cleaning from the moment I woke up until I went to bed, and my kids were stuck with more chores than they should have had. One day I'd had enough. I was sick of spending my day getting nowhere. I sat down, made a list of all the rooms in my house, and I assigned each room to a specific day of the week.

Monday-Laundry Day
Tuesday-Front Entry/Music Room/Toy Room
Wednesday-Bedrooms
Thursday-Living Room
Friday-Bathrooms
Saturday-Yards/Any extra tasks
Sunday-REST!!!

Notice there's no kitchen on my list? I sure do!

A couple of months ago I had a conversation with my husband about the difficulty I was having accomplishing all of my above tasks, and I asked if he would be willing to be responsible daily for one chore...the dishes. I DESPISE dishes. I loathe everything about them. I use plastic ware and paper plates whenever possible to avoid dishes.  To my surprise, Zach agreed and (almost) daily for the last few weeks, he has changed my life by being responsible for that one chore. I sweep, I mop, I deep-clean toilets, I do laundry weekly for seven people...I do just about all the house work around here. But I don't do the dishes, and I can't tell you how much more I actually enjoy my days now!

I know I'm a special case. I know there are single, working moms and dads out there who can't always delegate a task they hate to someone else. I realize how lucky I am to have the support I do. Regardless of our differences, I have a LOT on my plate, and being organized has really been a help to me, along with having some extra hands around the house.

How do I manage?  I don't know.  But WE manage by helping each other and by being consistent with our work.

I couldn't do all of this by myself.  I would be lost beyond belief if it weren't for the support system I have been blessed with in my life.  I'm a lucky girl to have such a wonderful husband, and I'm so happy that he and I have built a home where we are able to manage five crazy kids who need us!  Life is good!