As a work at home mom, it is really hard to find the time to keep up with all of the housework, give attention to my son and get all my assignments in under the deadline! I’m sure most of you have the same problem.

Everyone says that you should leave the housework and focus on your work and the kids, but I personally have found that this is not very good advice. You can only leave the dishes for so long before you have nothing left to eat off of! And with a toddler who still likes to crawl around on the floors, I still find myself sweeping and mopping three or four times a day!

There are a few things you can do to lessen the workload. First, enlist your husband if possible. He can be taught to fold and put away clothes and other similar tasks, if willing. And if you don’t have a husband, or he is completely and utterly immune to the honey-do list, you might want to consider hiring someone.

It sounds rather extravagant, hiring someone to come in and clean your house, but if you figure out what your time is worth and how much it costs to hire a maid for an hour or two every few days, you might be surprised. Of course, if it turns out that your hourly wage is around $3 and a maid costs $10, then by all means, do your own housework, but if not, then you should consider it a wise investment.

Apart from hiring help, you might find that a to do list is helpful. I usually do one up on my computer the night before for the next day, so I don’t forget anything in the rush of the morning. Dividing your list into three parts is a very useful technique. One section is for work-related things, one for necessary chores, and one for chores you would like to get done. Here is an example of my daily to do list:

Work:
-write reviews
-write articles
-update blogs
-look for work and writing guidelines
-forum posting

Necessary:
-wash clothes
-wash dishes
-sweep and mop house
-shopping

Hopeful:
-dust for cobwebs
-clean tub
-wash bedspread

This helps you not feel like such a loser if you don’t manage to get absolutely everything done, because each section is separated. If you manage to get everything in one area done, you are doing great!

If you have any other tips on keeping your housework manageable, please let me know. The best tips will be published on this blog so we can all benefit from them!