So, those of you who know me also know that I fully and openly admit to being terrible at organization and cleanliness. I'm blessed with a husband who will do the dishes, run some laundry, fix food and only loses patience with me a couple of times a year.
I also like to talk about my OCD mother - donned in her yellow rubber gloves 24/7 - always freaking out about something and never able to sit down or relax. Ever. She's still like that. It's just shifted focus a little to other things. I must have been a really painful, annoying, thorn in her backside. I'm sure I drove her entirely insane. Across the hall from my bedroom was my always-clean and organized sister. Always clean. Always neat and tidy and cute.
Sigh.
I don't know. Maybe it's my ADD. Maybe it's my subconscious refusal to be OCD. Maybe I'm just lazy. I think it's all of those. There are annoying flaws in the way my brain functions. Or doesn't. My brain changes channels constantly. It's hard for me to focus on conversations and stay connected mentally the whole time. I sometimes realize that I've drifted off in the middle of something and probably seemed really rude to whoever I was talking to. The more I have on my list, the more confused and anxious I become. And then I can suddenly hyper-focus on something and entirely ignore everything else. That's annoying too.
This was only really detrimental when I was young where my grades were concerned. I struggled studying, taking notes, remember things. I didn't test well. I couldn't pay attention in class well. If I were in school the way things are today - here in a city - I would probably be on an IEP, and I'd have one-on-one focused help oustide of class. Well, if it were now and I were my mom. I mean that in the best possible way, you know. Really and truly.
It didn't hurt me too much after high school either. I didn't go to college. I am terrified of college. Literally terrified. It made jobs a little hard, but mostly when I was a secretary. Waiting tables, the grocery store - easy. When I did book-keeping at the bank, it was great cause every day, there was a deliberate and detailed list of things I had to do. In order. The same every day. Easy.
When I started having babies, wasn't so much a big deal. I kind of let the baby set the tone for what kind of schedule we were going to be on. But here's the deal...now these babies aren't babies anymore and this place is an unorganized mess.
I'm getting better about trying to keep a schedule. The kids have a chart they are supposed to be following - in order. The things they are expected to do every day. We need to switch it up a little from time to time to keep it interesting, but at least I can direct them to their list and it takes some of the pressure off of me.
Why am I typing all of this and making you read it? I'm curious. I would LOVEloveLOVE to know if you're on a daily schedule. Or a weekly schedule. Do you clean your bathrooms on the same day of the week every week? Do you grocery shop on the same day? Do you have your day broken down into increments of tasks that go in the same order? School, homework, activites, dinner, bath, bed? Really.....I would love to find out what some of my friends are doing. Then, I'd like to lay it all out in front of me and adapt and modify your example into something I can live with.
I know it's pitiful for me to imply that I'm ignorant of how to do these very basic, simple, seemingly common sense things. You know - the woman's natural nesting / home making / and nurturing thing? Yeah. I don't really have that.
Soooo....share share share, please? Bring it on. It's a new year and I need some NEW around here.
Love you all my dear friends!!
3 comments:
Tricky, tricky. Cuz I think it's very personal to everyone....how they do things. I have certain daily schedules:
gym, shower, kids to school, errands, kids home from school, clean/housestuff, dinner, homework.
But those can vary depending on what else might need to be done instead. I always do laundry on Mondays and fold and put away on Tuesdays. I've learned that I hate the constant flow of laundry so I just get it all out of the way and forget it the rest of the week. But other than that it just comes and goes. The one thing I've recently learned to do is to let go of the perfection of the cleaning so I can make my kids help out. They've always had chores but it wasn't until recently I've let them do REAL jobs like cleaning bathrooms and mopping floors, etc. Every day after school is a chore. And I LOVE IT.
There's my 7.5 cents
I have a daily schedule, but it's also flexible. Some days I just don't want to do that particular task on that particular day.
But on average, my schedule is something like this:
Monday: Laundry, light cleaning (cleaning up the mess from the weekend--straightening, vacuuming)
Tuesday: Ironing, Change/Wash Sheets
Wednesday: Projects (a "free" day to work on bigger things, not just everyday stuff)
Thursday: Clean house
Friday: Laundry again, finances
Saturday: grocery shopping
I have a schedule in Word that, when printed out and cut into quarters allows one sheet of paper for each day where I can write down appointments or other stuff, as well as cross off what I've done for that all-important sense of accomplishment. :) If you'd like, I can email you that file.
I also have a Projects List for things that don't fit into my daily routine, like "back up laptop," "make birthday party invitations, and "set up visiting teaching appointments."
So here's my two cents...
I have to live by a daily schedule, but you know that! I have just found that even when I'm not busy with school, etc. it helps if I get up and get ready (mostly) before the kids are up and going. I seem to accomplish so much more during the day. I usually sit down every Sunday night and plan out the week and then try REAL hard to stick to it. I'm not the greatest at keepin the house "deep" cleaned, but every night I spend 10-20 min picking up and getting ready for the next day. Anywho, hope this helps!!!
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