Guest Author - Paula Petrie

If husbands only knew how much of a “turn-on” it was when they helped out around the house, homes would never be disorganized. Until then, the key to remembering when or how to get things done is organizing a tight routine. In fact you could call “routine” the physical training for a “marathon of busy schedules.”

It seems with the youngest children routine is endless. Yet as children grow it remains important to maintain an organized home and a (flexible yet solid) routine. Children view routine as tradition, their lives are upset without bedtime stories and family meals, or whatever “routines” you’ve established to claim order over chaos.

Organization takes on many dimensions. Make sure to "routinely" draw yourself a road map of lists and reminders. This means there is toothpaste waiting for your children and there is a 95% chance they will find clean socks in the dresser.

To remain organized, you have to ruthlessly remove the little annoyances that pop up to throw you off track. Toys and clothes that are never worn, or used, should be given away, out of your way. Unused dishes, old spices, and gadgets that are more for a museum display than an effective kitchen should go. Treat your medicine cabinet the same way. Band-aids, ketchup, and other things that are in perpetual use should be reinforced with extras, so there is rarely a “ketchup” emergency.

When your life gets really busy, inevitably things well run-a-muck. The most used areas of your home, such as the bathroom and kitchen, need to maintain livable order. During busy times, cleaning the bathroom can become part of the morning bath routine. Tidy and wipe-down as you go, but don’t make it a job, cause you are already doing something else. This is when “a-place-for-everything” organizing, really pays off.

Of course, when you are busy children need to feel their studies and their hygiene are still important, but everything and everywhere else should drop to a lower priority. This is an excellent time for kids to pick up the slack. Explain to them that (at least for the short term) everyone has to tidy as they go. Assign helpful tasks. It could be putting away their own clothes, or doings loads of laundry, depending on the age, but don’t stand over them or you may as well do the job yourself. Later you can inspect, offer praise, appreciation, and tips for next time. Your child gets an esteem boost, you get some help, and you’ve managed some quality time together.

When you feel overwhelmed by what has become your life, slip off for fifteen to thirty minutes (kids within sight if you need to) and drift or read, what ever you choose remember “you time” is an important part of routine.