We’re continuing our series on reducing our mental labor. Today we’ll finish our focus on lightening the load of housecleaning. We’ve been discussing how to share this labor with others in our household.
When you’ve got older teenagers, you already have built-in help. When our sons were in high school, they mowed the lawn and helped with various outdoor chores in warmer weather.
Jonathon oversaw taking out trash and recycling and he scooped the yard once a week for dog poo. Jacob cleaned the kitty box every day.
They unloaded the dishwasher whenever I was busy and didn’t have time. I also informed them that I was no longer going to remind them to do chores. They were old enough to see when things needed to get done, so I took those off my management list. Things went well most of the time.
Having children do chores starting at a young age is important not just for the relief of an adult’s mental labor, but to teach them valuable life skills. And I wasn’t worried about my boys because they took over even more chores whenever John and I went away for a weekend or on a quick vacation.
One summer they cooked, did dishes, took care of laundry, and were completely in charge of the pets while we were away for five days in Branson, Mo. I also showed them how to do some basic meals and Jonathon took an Intro to Culinary class in high school. I figured they wouldn’t starve in the future!
They’ve learned a lot with their first apartments and rental homes in college. That’s where I got a crash course in housecleaning decades ago, and let me tell you, my roommates let me know when I was slacking. Thank you, Ladies, you taught me a lot!
John still works 50 to 60 hours a week, but he has always overseen organizing and cleaning the garage and trimming the lawn. He also loves winter (a crazy concept to me) and doesn’t mind shoveling and snow blowing along with the boys sometimes.
When it comes to housework and cleaning, everyone must manage things differently according to their financial and life situation. I like our combination of hiring out the deep cleaning and dividing more of the everyday or every week chores among the four of us. I know we’ll still have some bumps along the way. By just being aware that I no longer bear every responsibility and by thinking about things differently, I already feel relief. My mental labor in this area has been cut in half.
We’re on our way to easier, more streamlined financial management. Our home repair and maintenance tasks are falling into place and becoming more automated. And we no longer dump cleaning and housework on just one person’s shoulders.
We now have hope for simpler home management. Now let’s look at how to shop smarter for various items within the home and cut down on meal planning and creation.
Amy Shankland is a writer and fundraising professional living in Noblesville with her husband John, two sons, two dogs and a cat. You can reach her via email at amys@greenavenue.info.