by Kimberly Bunch

Created on: July 26, 2008   Last Updated: February 06, 2009

Regroup for Energy after Work
After work usually we just want to kick off our shoes and put our feet up. But with a sink full of dirty dishes and the carpet needing vacuumed; it's hard to relax when there's housework to do. Eating a well balanced diet; exercising and getting an adequate amount of sleep can help reenergize you once you have taken a nice relaxing break.

Don't mad rush around after work to get a ton of things done. First, and foremost take time out to regroup. Make it a habit, a ritual that you do after work. Like maybe soaking in the tub, or lounging around, or taking a nap before you start doing the regular routine of house-hold labor and running errands'.

Cleaning Preparations
I always like to have the place cleaned before I go to sleep. That way I wake up to a nice clean house and I am not leaving anything dirty when I have to leave for work. If anything just the breakfast dishes, and towels from the shower that can quickly be put in a hamper or hung on the shower curtain to dry. With the morning dishes they can easily be put in the dishwasher. Which makes less work for when we get home, after a hard days work. Who wants to come home to a dirty house? I know I don't!

During the summer, with the kids at home there are much more messes to have to clean up. So chances are you will wake up to dirty dishes, and many other things strung about especially if the children are up past when you go to sleep which gives them plenty of time to dirty up the house. You will leave to work with their messes still there, and you will get off work to housework that needs to be done. That can cause added stress so the best thing to eliminate over-working yourself is to set up household chores for the kids to do. They will value having responsibilities. Let them choose from a list of things that they can do to help around the house. That way they feel like it was more their idea and not something that they were forced to do. At the end of the week consider giving them a special treat for their efforts. Money for the movies or buy them something that they want to have. Even if it is a sugar treat that is cheap but something that you are still giving them. Gifts and rewards for good work depend on the extra income you can lay a side for them.

Make sure children know when to let you have some private time. Arrange with them a do not disturb time set aside that they know is your Rest Time. A time you have set after work that you have just for your Me Time. That way you can

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