One of our followers, True Aim Education, asked for a post about home organization. Well, here you go! Today I have guest author, Marilyn Rockett, sharing ideas on organization in the home. The 2nd part will be next week.
Okay, Ladies—let’s talk. It’s time to drag this idea of organization out of the shadows, dust it off, and take a good look. We know we need “it” but we aren’t sure where to get “it” or how to keep “it.” We see a friend or acquaintance with “it,” and we wonder how she does “it.”
We long for order out of our chaos, but the whole thing seems to elude us at times. If we could just grasp “it” long enough to show some positive progress, we would feel hope for long-term solutions to our dilemma.
Each of us fights a private battle with organization.
- Do you lack training?
- Do you have lazy habits?
- Do you have a rebellious spirit toward your role in the home?
- Are you just too busy juggling too many balls?
- Is school time or your use of a particular curriculum crowding out other important tasks because you fear that you won’t provide a good education for your children?
- Have you forgotten your priorities?
Maybe you’ve never sorted out your priorities; consequently, you jump from one task to another, leaving unfinished jobs strewn from one end of the house to the other. Whatever your particular nemesis, you may be tired of the fight and you yearn for peace and order in your home.
If you desire that order, you have come to a profitable place for change. As in anything you do, you have to want the results or it just won’t happen. My experience has shown me that there is no one “right” system for everyone, but there are certain principles that help all of us, no matter what battle we fight.
When all around you is falling apart, you must begin small, taking one baby-step at a time. Begin at the beginning with the ABCs of order.
Despite your feelings, you probably are doing some tasks well. Identify those things and examine why you are successful in those areas. Even if you see only one thing, look at it and ask yourself these questions:
- Do I like doing this particular thing?
- Am I good at it, and do I feel successful when I do it?
- Is this an easy task for me?
For example, you may love to cook. You love to create new dishes that are nutritious and tasty. You enjoy experimenting with recipes, and you seldom use one exactly as it is written. Possibly you serve several “famous” dishes that everyone raves about. Experiencing the joy of seeing your family savor a wonderful meal that you have prepared for them makes homemaking worthwhile to you.
However, your home is falling down around you—the laundry piles higher every day, green rings decorate your toilet bowls, and you would rather throw a shirt away than sew on a button.
You obviously have applied your creative spirit to your culinary skills and have experienced success with that area of your responsibilities. Congratulate yourself for that ability and keep up the good work! Remind yourself that you do some things well.
Now, look for ways to carry that same creative bent to the things that you enjoy less. Decorate your bathroom by hanging fresh curtains and some lovely pictures. Use a pretty tray to keep items neatly on the bath counter.
Add a picture of your husband or your children to smile at each morning as you get dressed. (One of my favorite pictures sits on my bath counter.) It is harder to leave that green toilet ring when your bath is pretty and inviting.
If the mending stares at you but you would rather put off doing it, try gathering all your supplies into a pretty basket large enough to hold them, plus a few mending items. Place the basket next to your chair in the family room (or on a shelf nearby, if you have young children who love to rummage through things like baskets).
When you sit down in the evening, pick up the mending while a family member reads aloud or the children relate their day to Dad. Tackling one or two items quickly is easier than facing a large stack of mending at one time.
Accept the fact that you can do some tasks better than others. Admit your weaknesses and look for ways to improve in those areas.
Look for the B and C of organizing next week!
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Marilyn Rockett graduated four grown sons and is Mimi to six homeschooled grandchildren. She is the author of Homeschooling at the Speed of Life, providing encouragement and organizational helps with a scriptural emphasis. She is currently the editor for Homeschooling Today® magazine and speaks at homeschool and Christian women’s events. Visit her website at www.MarilynRockett.com or contact her at Marilyn@MarilynRockett.com
This article is a reprint from the April 2007 Homeschooling Helper e-newsletter published by Homeschooling Today® magazine. It may not be copied or reprinted without written permission from Marilyn Rockett.
2 Comments
Thanks for stopping by my blog! This is a great post about organization. I just moved (still haven’t unpacked!) and plan on doing intense organization room by room as I unpack and decorate. This has some great tips to remember!
Glad you like the post. We’ll have a follow up post next week from Marilyn.