by Carol Smock

Created on: August 03, 2010   Last Updated: August 05, 2010

When you’re the one who does all the housework, shops, prepares the meals, does the laundry, supervises the kids and gets them to their appointments, repairs what gets broken, sews on buttons, matches the socks, feeds and walks the dog and mows the lawn, life can get overwhelming. You need to take time each day to unwind. You need to find time to pursue outside interests. You need to pamper yourself once in a while. You need a regular program of exercise. The problem is...when can you do it?

The first thing to do when life gets overwhelming is to check your schedule. Write down all of the things you do on a daily basis. Keep a little notebook with you and just jot it down so you don’t forget.

Then sit down with a calendar and get a schedule down on paper. Your job will take up a big chunk of time, and that really is not flexible. Divide the rest of the day into one-hour segments. Take a look at the weekend.

Decide what can slide. The house needs to be kept clean enough to be healthy and organized enough so you can find what you’re looking for. It doesn’t need to compete for a place on the house and garden tour.

Could you cut down on some chores? If you’re ironing a lot of clothes, try whirling them in the dryer for ten minutes after watching, then hanging them up to finish drying. Most wrinkles will come out, and they can be put in the closet on the same hangers. Do you have to mop every floor every week, or could you mop the kitchen and bathroom and just sweep the rest? Do you have to cook every night? Could you prepare two or three meals at a time and freeze for later?

Organize the house to avoid having to waste time looking for things. Put regularly used items near where you use them. Most small items can be stored in plastic bins, labeled with what is in them. They can be simply tossed in the box because the number of items there is limited.

Have a place where you hang your house and car keys when you come in the door. They should always be there when you need them. Designate a place for shoes and book bags near the door so everyone can be responsible for their own things.

Enlist the kids. Even young children can be taught to help with chores. The can carry their own dishes from the table, scrape off any scraps into the garbage, rinse and place them in the dishwasher. They can put their dirty clothes in the hamper and put away most of their clean clothes. They can certainly put away their own books and toys.

Insist that everything

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