Do you wish your home came with an instructional manual? It may seem like a daunting task to get your entire home in order and running smoothly.
START SMALL
Start small with one task or activity that needs to be done your home and create a system. Discuss and determine which family member will take on what responsibilities. For instance, who opens the mail? Who pays the bills? How is paper managed and where does it go? Other topics to discuss are: home repairs and adding to the family calendar. Assign the roles as fairly as possible.
WRITE IT DOWN
Once you have agreed upon who is doing the task, when and how you’re doing it – write it down. I suggest creating a Home Management Manual. It may seem very structured but it can relieve stress and tension by not having to make the decisions each time. Everyone knows their role and works together to get it done. Think of it as a family manual. It’s a living document that can be updated and reviewed as needed and life changes. It can also help everyone in the family to buy into working together as a family to take care of the home. Together, you can start finding age appropriate chores for children. You can name the manual something fun with your family name on it. Don’t be afraid to add fun activities in there too. If Friday night is family pizza and movie night – then add that to the manual!
ILLNESS + EMERGENCIES
There is another benefit to creating a family Home Management Manual that most families don’t want to talk about – family member illness. In the event that someone in the family gets sick or injured, even temporarily, it can throw your family in to chaos. Often times extended family and friends want to step in and help and it can be difficult to tell them how or where to start. If there is a documented routine it can be easier to delegate to your “village” of helpers.
DON’T PRESSURE YOURSELF
Start with one task and type it up. It will grow as you talk as a family and figure out how you want to get things done so you can enjoy time together. That’s what it’s all about – making sure your home runs smoothly so you can have family time.
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Thanks. These tips are very timely as I plan to start getting my mom’s paperwork, house chores more together for her to manage. Good ideas for me to put together as well for moving full time to our Vermont house.