Home Management Tools
Your days are busy and your nights even busier. Am I right? The chaos can become overwhelming. Don't stay in the overwhelm. Grab onto some of the tips below and get that momentum going! This is your life.....you get to choose how you want to live it!
Declutter
Declutter – sounds so simple right? Just get rid of the stuff you aren’t using – well if only it was that easy. What about the cutest ever outfit your daughter wore when she was 2? How can you possibly get rid of that? Or the vase that was your Grandma’s? Totally not your style….but it was Grandma’s. Reality is that it’s not always easy. However, fact is, the less stuff you have, the easier it is to keep your home clean. And it’s magical what it does to help clear your mind.
Below are some tips to get started with decluttering:
- Set aside time in your calendar each week to declutter. Mondays and Wednesdays for 30 min? Or maybe Monday – Friday for 15min. Whatever you choose, stick to it!
- During your chosen decluttering time, pick just one area to work on.
- Where to start? Bathrooms, junk drawers and paper clutter are easy places to start if you are feeling overwhelmed.
- Kitchen, closets, garage, playrooms – these areas tend to take longer depending on where you are at in the decluttering process. If just starting, get 4 boxes/bags and label them “Toss”, “Donate”, “Sell”, and “Keep”. Fill the boxes as needed.
- Congratulate yourself for a job well done. Remember, progress over perfection!
Routines
Routines are the key to simplifying your days. A routine is defined as “a regular, unvarying, habitual, unimaginative, or rote procedure”. We all have multiple routines everyday. Some may be working for us and some may not. Routines can be as simple as brushing your teeth before bed every night. Or more complex, like a morning routine that involves several steps. Routines have an action that is anchored by an event. Below are some examples of routines and their anchors:
Simple Routines
- Buckling your seatbelt after getting in the car
- Washing your hands after using the bathroom
- Running the dishwasher before bed each night.
- Emptying your hockey bag after each practice/game to air out.
- Putting your dirty clothes in the laundry hamper after wearing.
Complex Routines
- Wake up, get dressed, workout, shower, eat breakfast.
- Finish dinner, load dishwasher, wipe down counters, run dishwasher, pack school lunches.
Delegation
Whether you are single or married, have 1 child or 10, you do not have to be alone in managing your home. Typically developing kiddos as young as 3 or 4 can be taught to help make contributions in the home. Having your kids contribute even 15 min a day can take 1 or even 2 tasks off your plate. Have 2 kids? 3? A spouse or parent living with you? You've just lightened your load by a minimum of 30 minutes a day. The power of delegation is real. So is the power of control and perfection. Anyone out there the only one who loads the dishwasher correctly? Or folds laundry the right way? I'm raising my hand. But what I've learned is that done is better than perfect. Boom! That's right! You want some extra time in your days? Start teaching others in your home how to do different tasks and buy back your time. Below are some examples of daily tasks that are easy for kiddos to master...even if they do it just a bit differently than you.
Ages 2-3
- Put toys away
- Put dirty clothes in hamper
Ages 4-5
- Dust baseboards
- Put away clean clothes
Ages 6-7
- Empty dishwasher
- Feed pets
Ages 8-9
- Vacuum
- Wipe down counters
Ages 10-11
- Clean bathroom
- Wash their laundry
Ages 12 and up
- Mow the lawn
- Cook 1 or 2 meals a week
Power of 5
5 minutes. Not a lot of time. Unless you change your mindset. A lot of things can be accomplished in 5 minutes. Don’t underestimate the power of 5! Try a few ideas below and see what the power of 5 can do for you!
- Unload dishwasher
- Make a bed
- Take out garbage
- Go through mail
- Declutter a drawer
- Disinfect light switches
- Vacuum one room
- Dust ceiling fan
- Wipe down bathroom mirror
- Sweep garage
- Declutter your car
- Clean out your purse
- Fold a load of laundry
- Clear expired food from fridge
- Clean kitchen sink
- Clean a toilet
- Wipe down kitchen counters
- Clear clutter from a flat surface
- Put stuff on the stairs away
- Pick up doggy doo
Join The Hockey Mom Club!
The Hockey Mom Club is your ultimate go-to destination—a membership that empowers you to confidently navigate your child’s hockey journey while connecting with like-minded moms.
