Time Management: The Final Installment

In Review:

So far you've learned that my tips for time management are as follows:
1. Spread housework out over several days.
2. Make your kids do the stuff you don't want to do.
3. Don't drink anything, thus saving time with consuming beverages, and potty breaks.
4. Hire a nanny.
5. Run around screaming at your family to work harder, faster, and stop dilly-dallying....

So, I guess not all of these tips are realistic, and some of them are certainly not helpful. My youngest has this familiar lament every single time we clean house: Don't you wish it was like Mary Poppins and all you had to do was snap and it cleaned itself up?

Well, since I don't want you to run around screaming at your family, and much as I might wish, I really don't foresee Mary Poppins dropping, how about we see what the real experts have to say?

We will begin today's tips with my sister, Dawn. She seemed to be disturbed that I was rude in my post in an effort to get more comments. To that, all I can say is: Whatever works!
"So, since you're going to be rude that I went ONE day without reading your blog......my other tip is to keep all the lights in the house dim so that you can't see the dust. And don't rearrange tables or shelves--the marks give your lack of dusting abilities away. AND inform everyone that it is the girls bathroom to clean--it absolves you of all responsibility for it!"

I love this advice. Especially since it combos one of my own current practices. All dusting is the girls responsibility. If it isn't done well, then I have no accountability for that. Now, I haven't made them start cleaning their bathroom. I can see me adding that to their list in the near future, however. Especially since Dawn does it. Hey, if it's good enough for my sister, it's good enough for me!

Next, we will visit Megan. Megan has this piece of advice to offer:
"Plan chores out and decide what can "take care of itself" while you are doing something else. Although, I usually just sit down and watch TV while the laundry is going…bad habit!"
I used to try and claim that I did 6 loads of laundry, so I got a lot accomplished. However, we see here that dear Megan has outed me. Laundry does not require babysitting and each load will take a maximum of 10 minutes to fold...Darn her logic. Thanks for debunking my delusions Megan. Thanks. A. Lot...

Next we will visit the vastly entertaining Taylor. Taylor obviously has my fondness for lists.
"I make a list of everything that is bothering me. Like if I see that the tub needs to be scrubbed and the kitchen floor mopped, as well as all the regular pickup, I get overwhelmed. But when I write down what is really bothering me, what really needs to get done, and I do it, things look much better! Also, the girls like to pick a thing or two to do on the list to help. And today, they scrubbed the tub. I have yet to check it. But for now, in my dreams, I shall imagine it clean."

Taylor obviously has my sister's sense of wisdom to delegate certain chores to children. Good for her. So many of you are smart to include the whole family in the housework responsibilities! I decided to take that advice and run with it Saturday morning...



I made a list. I even divvied up chores so there would be no complaining of one doing more work than the other...

The plan worked well, until their daddy needed help with this:

Gentle Reader, aren't you jealous of our 1969 Apache pop up tent trailer?

Then, I fear that all thoughts of the chore list inside vanished into the land of Ne'erDoChores...

Which leads me to this commentators bit of advice:
"Usually around here I assign chores and they do a horrible job. Then a month later I get really mad and yell at everyone. And they do a better job. This cycle has been repeating for 17 years."
Obviously, Freckled Hen & I are kindred souls.

So that's it! That's the extent of wisdom I have to share with you! Now, if any of you have a piece of advice that you feel I simply must share with the blogosphere, please don't hesitate to add your thoughts to the comments section!

Oh, and for some extra entertainment, please, click on the above links and go check out the contributors blogs! It's always fun to have glimpse into someone else's life!