As a mom of a toddler, the household chores can sometimes feel endless. Some days I really feel like all I am doing is picking up toys and crumbs and messes. I’ve learned when I try to do it all, all in one day, it really makes me feel like I am drowning. So I decided to remind myself, and maybe leave you with some tips, on how not to drown in all the household responsibilities.

Tips to Keep You From Downing in Household Responsibilities:

Wake up before the kids.

If you’re anything like me, this is probably the HARDEST one of all. I am not a morning person, and I like getting every ounce of sleep I can possibly get. My husband is the same way, so we decided from the beginning that later bed times and later mornings was the best direction for our family in sleep training. For awhile, my little man was getting up at 7am and that was a hard time for me to get up before him, I told you I love my sleep! So I didn’t get up before him at that time, but once he was sleeping through the night I resisted the urge to take a nap with him at 8am and give myself some alone time. He eventually stretched to sleeping until 8am, so I started to get up at 7am. This gave me the chance to wake up, do a little devotion, watch some of the Today show, anything to just give me a little chance to breathe before having to rush into the day. It really makes a difference throughout the day.

Split chores up and assign them different days.

Am I the only person that used to clean the house top to bottom in one day? I don’t know why I ever did that. But there is no way I can accomplish that now.

So each day has an assigned chore:

Monday: Kitchen (Deep Clean) & Laundry (as needed)
Tuesday: Dusting/Floors in Living Room & Playroom
Wednesday: Dusting/Floors Hall & Bedrooms
Thursday: Bathroom
Friday: Laundry
Saturday/Sunday: Off

Daily: Kitchen Surfaces, Dishes, and toys picked up at nap time and the end of the night. There are obviously things that I need to keep up with on a daily basis, like the dishes and the toys. I try to make sure to get the dishes in the dishwasher and the counters and table wiped after every meal and run the broom over the floor when needed on a daily basis. When I lay Jase down for a nap, I put all the toys away before sitting down to work, blog, or have some time to myself. It sometimes seems pointless when I know he is going to wake up and tornado through the playroom again, but it makes the job easier at the end of the day, and it helps me to relax during naptime. When I get Jase in bed at night the last thing I usually want to do is pick up the toys, but it is so much easier to relax once I have, and it’s beautiful to wake up to a clean house in the morning. I promise, it makes a difference. Also, can I just say, there is something about making your bed. Honestly, if you have a newborn and you can’t fathom doing anything else, make your bed and you will feel that much better. It just makes things feel neater, and it makes you feel like you at least did something that day. It’s almost therapeutic.

Share the Load.

I think the biggest lie we make ourselves believe is that we have to do it all. We in no way have to. If you’re married, you’re not alone. Talk to your husband and see what he can take off your hands. Chad is in charge of unloading the dishwasher and taking out the trash. He currently helps a lot with the laundry because he doesn’t like me carrying the baskets up and down our not so stable basement stairs. Since getting pregnant with Elyse, being further into the pregnancy, he has also taken over giving Jase a bath. I figured it would be good to hand that over to him, as I am sure I will be nursing a lot or tied up in other ways. Chad is incredible and helps out so much. He loves to cook, so he does a lot of the cooking, and I clean it up. I am home a lot more than he is, so I know the house is my responsibility and the kids are too, so I do everything I can to keep on top of it. But this isn’t a “you do this and I do this” type thing. We are a team – in everything, so we share the load.

Turn off the TV, and Turn up the Music!

I don’t know about you, but something about turning up the music really helps me be productive. Even Jase loves when the music is on. Turning off the TV helps the temptation to sit down in front of it all morning to disappear. Turning on the music motivates you and gives you something to dance to as you get things done. Before you know it, hours can pass when you get caught up watching something, use those valuable hours to stay on top of things before they get away from you.

Make time to Rest!

Some days the chores just really get to me. Wiping the counters…because they are dirty….for the third time today….why can’t they stay clean….I have to do this today….and tomorrow….and the next day….and a month from now….it never ends….why does it never end! Ever feel like that? I have had my days where just realizing this is what I do every day can really get to me. It’s exhausting sometimes. That my friends is why I give myself Saturday and Sunday. You need to give yourself a break. Give yourself time during the week to catch your breath, but even better, give yourself a day off from chores! It’s okay if the house gets a little messy that day, take a break. It gives you this fresh motivation to pick back up where you left off the next day.

Do you have any tips for keeping up with your household chores? How do you keep from feeling overwhelmed?