1/19/08

To clean or not to clean-well, that's not an option

I don't like to think about cleaning my house. I would rather think about oh- just about anything else. It was so much easier to keep clean before I had my son. He can make a mess bigger than anyone else I have ever seen. It's my fault for giving him so many toys I guess- and my parents just shower him with gifts. I guess when he's the only child- and only grandchild ( on both sides )
it's something that I just have to learn how to accept and deal with it the best I can. We are trying to get him to pick up his own stuff, to put away big toys before bringing out more toys to play with, but he's 3, and he likes piles and piles of stuff. So, for now, I just have to learn to deal, and work on training him. I do want to have a little boy, not a little housekeeper after all......

I am trying to figure out a cleaning plan for me- that will take care of the 4H that SCB put together. Head, Heart, Hands, and Hop to it. I am the type of person who likes to have a plan, but may not stick to it 100% if the time- and that's ok.

I am a list maker so that helps with the Head part of it. I set aside a few minutes every morning to drink my coffee, catch up on the news (because I am a HUGE news junkie) and make my to do list. I don't prioritize so much as just get a working list to remind me later what I need to do.
As for the Heart part of this- I don't know. I think of housecleaning as part of my job. I stay at home now and taking care of the boy is job 1, and cleaning job 2. I think of cleaning as something that I have to do and I do small things to make it less horrible, but I don't think I can ever put my heart into it.
Hands- what do I need. Well, to start, I need another set of hands. I live in a house of men. Most men- mine for sure- are messy and don't think of clean in the same terms that I do. I have dirty and shed-y pets, a boy who is only partially housebroken himself, and a husband who tends to leave all sorts of items in his wake.
Hop to it. I think that isn't really my problem. I do housework every day. I just need a cohesive organized plan to be able to get a reasonable amount done every day- so it doesn't all back up to the weekend. Because, I don't want to have to do housework every Saturday.

1 comment:

scb said...

Having a plan is key, I think -- even if you don't follow it to the letter. Over the course of Housekeeping Therapy, I plan to develop my plan... your ability in list-making will be very valuable.