What are the benefits of dividing household chores?
We understand that finding the time to clean can be tough, especially when you’re trying to juggle work, family life, and not to mention setting aside some alone time. Feeling as though it’s your responsibility to keep your home in tip-top shape is incredibly daunting, and can lead to burnout if you’re not careful. This guide to dividing household chores is all about gaining mutual levels of understanding and respect, so that you can have some much needed time to relax without fear that the laundry hasn’t been done. A clean home leads to a clean mind after all, so we’re here to help you get there, minus the stress.
Communicate!
Communication really is key, especially when it comes to dividing household chores. If you’re feeling as though everything is piling up on you, communicate this with your partner, other members of your family, or flat mates. Whatever your situation, never be afraid to ask for help, and allow those around you to recognise that the stress is starting to take its toll. By talking things through calmly, the anger felt towards those that are not pulling their weight will begin to subside, allowing you to relax in your own home. Who knows, they might not even realise that they’re doing anything wrong without you communicating your concerns to them.
Cleaning schedule
The first step to getting your home looking shipshape is to devise a cleaning schedule that clearly indicates which chores need to be done on which days, and whose job it is to complete the task. This way, each member of your household will be able to see what their responsibilities are, and you’ll be able to stay on top of important dates (such as bin collection days) that may be forgotten. You should also make sure that household chores are split evenly, keeping track of who may have done more, or less, than everyone else.
Chore rotation
A cleaning schedule is a great way to make sure that house chore responsibilities are rotated regularly, so that someone isn’t constantly taking the bins out. By switching things up every now and then, chores are less likely to be seen as a tedious, repetitive task. Just devise a system that works well for you and your household, and remember to keep some chill time free amidst the cleaning!
Chores for kids
It is actually possible to make household chores fun – believe it or not – and cleaning could start to become a family bonding activity. By teaching the kids from a young age about the importance of taking responsibility, you’ll be much less likely to experience any future conflict. Get creative and craft your own chore chart to document progress (more on this shortly), making the connection between taking responsibility and receiving rewards. This will make it much easier to get into a regular routine.
You could even get the kids involved with some DIY, helping them to craft their own laundry basket. We were inspired by Spruce Crafts’ easy method, simply requiring a large plastic container, a length of rope (the larger the container, the thicker the rope), embroidery thread, scissors and a hot glue gun – make sure that this bit is done by an adult. Begin at the bottom of the container, swirling the rope and sticking it down accordingly until it reaches the outer brim, using the excess to create the handles. Sew the pieces of rope together using embroidery thread, experimenting with colours to make your basket as decorative as you like. Et voilà! Who said cleaning and craft can’t go hand-in-hand?
DIY chore chart
It’s time to get creative once more by making a chore chart, allowing you to easily keep track of what needs to be done around the house. Taking inspiration from Eclectic Recipes’ method, all you’ll need is card (in the colour of your choice), sticky letters (or you could nominate yourself as the scribe if you prefer), a length of rope, cord or twine to create the handle, and a few clothes pegs with each chore written on them. Divide your chore chart into two sections, so that you can clearly distinguish what has, or hasn’t been completed, moving the pegs accordingly.
For more advice with any DIY projects you’re keen to get your teeth stuck into, our team of friendly professionals are on hand to help. We have everything you’ll need to get the job done, regardless of the field. To find out more about the stock we have on offer, get in touch with us today!