Pages

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Holy Crap! I Am My Mother.

Growing up my mother taught me how to clean through a series of index cards. These cards were the devil to me and my older sister. She listed house hold chores on them. Sure, you may think whoopedy ta, a list of chores. Let me explain these cards. One card was labeled "Daily Chores" and had the things you do everyday like make your bed, pick up clutter, and wash the dishes. She also had cards for every day of the week with additional chores to do along with the daily card. Saturday was the list from HELL Let me also add that there was also a card to do "Monthly" chores like scrub walls, shampoo carpets, etc. that were done on the first Saturday of the month, again also with the daily and original Saturday chores as well. It got to the point we knew what chores were on what day. I'd even do those chores at the homes of people I babysat for. (Yes, I got asked to tend  A LOT because they knew they'd come home to a clean house) I hated those freaking cards, but they did teach me how to properly clean.

Now that I am a mother myself, I've come to find my life seems to get away from me and my list of chores gets so backed up I don't know where to begin. With my children that have Fragile X Syndrome or Autism I've found schedules and lists are a life saver. Really, they are something we can not live without. We have to plan out our whole week in advance, then the night before we have to chart out the next day down to the hours some times. My life is full of lists! I don't think I'd function if I didn't have a list or chart to go off of.

Disorganization in MY home ( I don't give two hoots what yours is like. Really I don't because I don't want anyone judging me so I won't judge you.) drives me insane. Literally, up the flipping wall. Guess what my mom and I made tonight? CHORE CARDS! Yep, I am going to use the very thing I hated on myself to get my house in order.

As a child they seem mean and boarder line mental, but looking at them now it's genius. You only have to do certain things on certain days. Well, you still have the pesky daily things and it is not set in gold. You can miss, add, decide you don't feel like doing that one that day. But it only gives me five chores to do a day and not fifty. For me, it will work. Plus, maybe I can get my kids in on the chores too. Wait, who am I kidding?