Getting Organized:
In your home and homeschool
Dear Friends,
Are you excited that it’s Friday? I love my Fridays. It’s a time to wrap up the week and get excited about weekend plans.
Yesterday I talked about routines with young children, and another important part of blessing your home with your children is picking up behind yourself.
When you are ready to do a zone mission or a Home Blessing, do you find yourself picking up and cleaning, so you can clean more?
Small children bring a certain amount of stuff into your life. They like to play. They like to pull things out. They like to move from one thing to another without putting things away. Sound familiar?
Are you frustrated with their stuff being all over the place?
Next week, I want you to model putting your things away, and I want to you observe how your house starts to look.
Our children are not the only ones who leave things out. We do it, too, but we get frustrated with our children. We turn a blind eye to our things that are stacked on flat surfaces and on the floor. Some of your things have sat in one place so long that you really don’t notice it anymore.
Get your phone out and take a few pictures of your rooms. (This is a good idea for insurance purposes.) Now, look at the pictures. Do you see clutter in places you did not notice before you took the picture?
When I declutter a room, I will often take a picture afterwards to see what I missed. It sounds a little silly, but it is true.
When you get something out, put it away. When you bring something into the house, put it away. You may need to establish pick up times in your house. This can be a time when books, toys, and other items are put away. I suggest a pick up time right before lunch and during the Before Bed Routine. I typically take care of a Hot Spot each night after the kitchen is cleaned up.
If you children see that you are picking up your things, they will be more cooperative when you ask them to pick up their things. You can lead by example, and your Home Blessings will go faster if you don’t have to pick up a lot of stuff first.
Today’s Zone Mission is to declutter the top of your dresser!
Your Home Blessing for today is to empty the trash, sweep, and mop.
My menu plan for Friday is pizza and a salad.
Have a wonderful weekend!
