Home Organization - Edited By Laura Wheeler

A critical element of making a business work around children, is good organization. Chore times, cleanup times, and a good schedule that allows time for significant business work, as well as cuddle or story times, will make the difference between chaos and workability.

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Chores

Enlist the help of the family in keeping the house clean. Children can be taught to clean up after themselves from a young age, and by the time they can read, they can usually do laundry as long as it is just a simple load (we don't buy them clothes that need special treatment). Older kids can take on additional tasks to spread the workload of the home out so that Mom is not overwhelmed. When you start them doing self-care tasks when they are able to do them, they learn later to do larger tasks that help in a general way in the home.

Kids sometimes have a hard time understanding, and so do husbands, that just because Mom is home does not mean she is not still working. Establishing this early on helps to avoid problems later. Because Mom IS working just as though she had a part time job.

Cleanup

Keeping things clean throughout the day really makes a difference if you have kids home messing things up. Establishing regular cleaning times helps to reduce the stress of having to do it all at night. Keep the times short and logical. Set the cleanup times when there is a built in reward...before afternoon snack, before they get to go out and play, before lunch, etc.

Scheduling Wisely

Schedule your time for what is possible, not for what you would LIKE to get done! Scheduling is a tool to help you accomplish what you need to do, not a blunt object with which to punish yourself! Keep your schedule flexible enough to adjust for unexpected or impromptu things.

A Routine for Love

Schedule in times for reading stories, playing games, or otherwise spending time with the kids and for spending time with your husband. You cannot schedule all attention that your kids need, but scheduling specific times for daily routines that encourage love will help you make sure that routine needs are met, and that your kids and husband do not feel neglected.

A Philosophy of Caring

Keep a mind set that your children should not interrupt you unless it is necessary, but be willing to realize that sometimes a kid just needs a hug. There are certain things in our home that Mom stops for, without question, and a hug is one of those things. Sometimes a kid just needs to stand beside me for a while and get a little comfort while I work. It is hard to know when to stop and when to go on, and you are the only person who can make the decision as to when your kids need you, and when you just need to finish the task you are on and let them learn patience or to not interrupt for things that are not critical.

A Flexible Attitude

Be willing to go with the needs of your family to balance them with the needs of your business. Create rules to help you balance, but be flexible enough about them that you don't let them make you unhappy. Unexpected things happen, and you need to be able to let things go and deal with it when they do.

A Willingness to Change

If it is not working, change it. Regular assessment and adaptation is a key element for a successful combining of business and home. Do more of what works, less of what does not. If your life, circumstances, location, family size, or health status changes, be willing to change to accomodate the differences. Changes can range from small changes such as business focus, advertising emphasis, or business hours, to large changes such as abandoning one business to start another, moving home or office, hiring an employee, or bringing Dad home too. Remember to try something that is new for a month before you decide it is not working. But after that, don't be afraid to change it if it isn't proving its worth. The rule is, "Whatever Works". You aren't doing this to prove anything to anyone, and changes to not mean failure. They mean a continued determination to succeed at the only goal that matters: Finding work that pays what you need, and that works with your family in a positive way. And life is full of change, so your business will be also.

A Time to Let Go

Organization can become compulsive if we are not careful. When being organized costs you more time than it saves, it is time to let it go a bit. Because the purpose of being organized is to gain control over your life, not to program your life to control you. It should save you time and effort in the long term. If an organizational tactic doesn't do that, then it is a waste of your time.

Quicklinks:

http://www.organizedhome.com/ - Another home organization site you can check out if we don't help you!