It can seem like the daily routine of keeping a clean house would be exhausting. But when you follow these tips and schedule pockets of rest, you will find that a clean home and a happy homemaker can coexist.
Keeping a house running can sometimes feel like juggling glass balls. If one falls, it could be tragic.
What if you looked at rest as a critical part of your homemaking routine? To continue with the analogy, if you juggle the glass balls all the time, you will become tired and you will drop one. Failure is a guarantee.
But if you rest and take an intentional break from juggling, you may find you have what it takes to juggle better in the future. That’s what our homes need – your best. Not your burnout.
Rest is one of the most important things you can master as a homemaker.
Rest seems like a simple thing, but in reality, it can be hard to find pockets of time for activities that grant you true rest!
Here is a list of methods and activities that can provide you with genuine rest.
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Photo by Isabella Fischer via Unsplash.
Rely on Family Members and Friends
If you are leaving the house or investing in a hobby that takes all of your attention, “hiring” family to help watch your kiddos can give you the extra set of hands you need.
If you consider the additional cost of childcare, the total price may cause undue stress. So, see if you can barter childcare with a family member or friend, or if they will watch your children for free!
Childcare isn’t the only way you can rely on family members. Family members can do different things to help you in your homemaking, like prepare meals or snacks during a busy season of life.
Family and friends can help mow the lawn for one summer, walk your dog, run errands, and so much more.
Make a Plan
I wrote down my cleaning routine so I could see if I’m missing anything.
When I write down other homemaking tasks, like meals and errands, I know I’m going to cover all of my responsibilities.
Writing things down also helps me see where I’ll be busy, thus telling me when I’ll need rest!
If rest doesn’t seem to be happening naturally within the lulls of life, I will schedule it in. For us, this looks like a day where we don’t leave the house and we do a fun art project. Other times, it’s scheduling a day of fun where we let the chores slide for the day.
Related blog post: Weekly Homemaking Routine
Schedule Homemaking Tasks by Day of the Week
When you write things down, you may notice certain tasks naturally congregate on a specific day. Or, you may feel like your time is best served by lumping similar tasks into one day.
Scheduling your homemaking tasks by day of the week is another way you can make a plan.
This may look like putting all your errands on a certain day, all your meal prep on another day, and your rest on another day.
Related blog post: Themed Homemaking Ideas
Put Your Tasks on an Index Card
Sometimes rest comes from reducing decision fatigue.
If you have repetitive tasks that stack up, consider writing down the tasks as a sort of checklist you can walk through when you need it.
If you laminate your card, you can have a checklist for things like how to clean your bathroom, what to make for dinner this week, and when to pay bills. All without having to go through the thought process over and over.
Are the daily tasks of homemaking draining? Don’t let them be!
When I became a homemaker, I was overwhelmed. I felt like I was in a circus, spinning plates and trying to keep my home afloat.
I wanted desperately to trade chaos and overwhelm for peace, organization, and order.
That’s why I started Homemaker and Happy. I knew I wasn’t alone! I want to share what I’m learning and doing with others so they can have the same peace.
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Create a Morning Routine
If you are like me, you function best when you wake up before your house does.
I enjoy the peace of the mornings. I gather my Bible, a good book, and a cup of coffee, and take 30 minutes to an hour to savor my coffee and spend time reading. For me, this sets a peaceful tone for my day.
Starting my day resting also helps me ease into the day. I’m not playing catch-up or rushing to the next activity on my to-do list.
Related blog post: How to Create a Homemaking Morning Routine
Create an Evening Routine
Ending my day in rest is just as beneficial as starting my day in rest.
Making myself stop housework signals to my body it’s time to prepare for sleep. I don’t have a 15-step evening routine, but I do have a few things I ritually do each evening that help me wind down.
For you, this may look like a bubble bath or snuggling up on the couch with a good book.
As homemakers, I think incorporating rest into our evening routines is critical because the work never ends. Unless you live alone, there may never be a time when some portion of your house doesn’t need attention.
Perfection isn’t the goal. But peace should be.
Related blog post: Evening Routine for Homemakers
Adjust to Your Homemaking Journey
Setting priorities based on the season of life you are in may help you manage your expectations.
If you are in a season of small children or a newborn, your priority may need to be rest.
That may mean relying on paper plates during lunchtime because fewer dishes help you keep your sanity. Or if you have a nursing baby, maybe you take breaks frequently throughout the day to sit and read to older children while you nurse the baby.
You may scale back on commitments outside the home if other personal things come up. An injury, death in the family, or other family emergency may be your focus for a season.
Or growth could be the name of the game for a season. You may rely on family members to watch your children while you grow a business, hobby, or passion of yours.
Break Down Your Responsibilities into Simple Tasks
Homemaking is sometimes overthought and overemphasized.
Your children don’t need an activity bin for every day of the week to feel loved. Let them play in the sink and make a little mess. Let them hold the hose while you water the garden. Let them help you put away laundry. Their world is rife with activity bins. But the experience is even better because you’re there!
You also don’t need a four-course meal and silverware that corresponds to each course to prove you’re a worthy home chef. A properly seasoned meal will prove that just fine!
My point with these examples is to show you that sometimes you just need to clean a room, make a meal, and love on your children to get enough done.
When we complicate tasks by adding three extra steps, compare ourselves to others, or add more responsibility than what we’re capable of, we are on a crash course with burnout.
Take a moment to see where you can step back. And consider simplifying tasks so you can get some rest.
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Photo by Sixteen Miles Out via Unsplash.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I manage my time as a homemaker?
Time management is an incredible skill! When I was working in the professional world, it was necessary. It was encouraged!
Why aren’t we taking skills we learned in the professional world and applying them to our homemaking?
Whether you create a time block schedule or follow the rhythm of the day, managing your time well is a great skill to develop.
For some inspiration and encouragement, be sure to read how to plan or schedule your week as a homemaker.
What is a homemaker?
When I tell others I’m a homemaker, I’m met with confusion. So I started telling others I stay at home with my children.
When did we lose the definition of a homemaker?
Read “What is a Homemaker?” to see what God’s job description says about the role.
Use a Crock Pot
Cooking with a crock pot is a great way to encourage rest in your homemaking journey.
Use modern conveniences to get your meal on the table! A crock pot is perfect to turn on before you head out for a day of running errands. Or if you’ll be tackling home projects all day, turn on the crockpot after you clean up breakfast.
Have Quiet Time
Quiet time is a daily routine in my house because I need a break. This is when I force myself to sit down, indulge in a hobby I enjoy, and not worry about what mess may or may not be present in my house.
Quiet time doesn’t have to be literal. Your children could play quietly at your feet while you read a book. Or, your children could invest in a hobby with you.
The idea behind quiet time is you sit, take a few minutes to do something you enjoy, and leave the homemaking tasks to fend for themselves.
Have Consistent Date Nights
Reconnecting with your spouse is a wonderful way to prioritize rest.
Date nights are also something you can look forward to. And if you are a planner like me, maybe you’ll plan to prep breakfast for the following day so you can ease right back into your home responsibilities.
Notice I didn’t say date nights need to be weekly or away from your home. Respect your budget and season of life! You can have a weekly date night at home for a reasonable price.
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Photo by Florian Siedl via Unsplash.
Prioritize a Positive Attitude
An attitude of gratitude can make a huge difference in your rest.
When you are in a busier season of life, remember that business passes, and you can handle what life throws at you. Maybe you’re moving or in the trenches of breastfeeding a newborn baby. Maybe your spouse is changing jobs or got a promotion that requires more time and focus on work.
Whatever your reason, remember to keep a positive attitude. Count your blessings. This small mindset shift can take you from scorning your responsibilities to looking forward to a new day.
Batch Monthly Tasks
Sometimes it’s hard for me to enjoy every aspect of homemaking. Especially the out-of-the-ordinary tasks that can sneak up on me. Think of things like deep cleaning appliances or dusting ceiling fans.
I like to batch monthly tasks and complete them all in one day. Cleaning makes the list, but so does paying my bills and organizing the pantry or linen closet.
Involve Young Children in Homemaking Tasks
Letting your toddler help you unload the dishwasher or prep dinner sounds like the opposite of rest. But hear me out!
When you invest the time and energy to teach children age-appropriate skills, the payoff is immense.
Keeping a tidy home is chief on my priority list. To make sure I would always have a tidy home, I taught my children to put their dirty clothes in an easily accessible hamper. I made toy storage simple, clear bins that they can access.
A tidy home is also a family morale for us. Not only is it an expectation to keep things clean, but I remind them that they are a necessary part of our family when they clean. This house wouldn’t be what it is without them!
I also set an example by doing my part to clean our home. And I encourage my children to get involved.
Since I have laid the foundation and taught my children these cleaning habits, they know exactly what to do when I say things like, “put away your dolls,” or “pick up your dirty clothes.” While they are doing those things, I can finish reading a book or simply take a moment to sit down.
When I put time and energy up front into teaching my children the necessary skills, I can look forward to rest in the long run.
Forgo the Little Things
If you have a newborn or you’re walking through a hard season of life, tackling an end of the day clean up may be the least of your worries. You can manage dinner, dishes, bedtime routine, and that’s it.
That can be enough for the season of life that you’re in.
When we determine what the “little things” are, we can enter into true peace and rest. We let obsession and comparison fall to the wayside to focus on our family’s needs.
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Photo by Isabella Fischer via Unsplash.
Find Balance
It may sound hypocritical to talk about teaching children how to clean and leaving the mess when you’ve had a hard day, all in the same breath.
But the point I’m trying to make is finding balance in whatever stage of life you’re in.
I’ve talked a bit about my introduction into motherhood. I would be so tired at the end of the day, I would fall asleep in a pile of laundry on my couch. I complained to my husband about not getting the laundry done, but he would never wake me up.
I didn’t realize it until years later that he saw what I couldn’t. bold – In that season of life, sleep was more important than the laundry.
When we’re knee deep in comparison and doubt, that’s a wonderful time to ask ourselves if what we are doing is working for our family. Maybe our goal should be to sort of check in with ourselves before doubt even takes a foothold.
At the beginning of each season, or maybe each year, ask yourself – italic – is this truly working for us?
Ditch Social Media
It is easy to think you’re not doing enough when you’re constantly looking at the highlight reel of others.
Rest doesn’t come when we’re worried about how we spend our time or how our home looks. Consider metering your time spent on social media to guard your heart and defend your times of rest.
It’s Always a Great Time to Start
When I’m struggling with an area of my home, I sometimes find myself saying, “When I have X, Y, or Z, that will be my time for a good start.” When in reality, now is the best time to start!
Every Full-Time Homemaker Deserves to Rest
From finding balance to getting help, sometimes it’s nice to remember that household tasks can wait.
If you struggle with that, why? Comment on this blog post and let me know! I would love to help you find peace in your homemaking.
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Wonderful post, Sierra!