I think we all understand the struggle! My Mom may have not had internet, but she had a reading habit and loved to sew. I don't recall our home being chaotic or dirty but then again, I was a kid. Whether we vacuumed or not didn't really affect me. :P But I'm certain she had less than impressive house days!
I can also get sucked into the black hole that is the internet and it's the first thing I do in my morning, with coffee, while Joel has breakfast. That's part of my wake-up routine and I like it. :) But to keep on track I also have a daily to-do list that I write out as I go or typically the night before. I have a white board by my washer and dryer that has our house divided by room and by task "dust, wash sheets, vacuum, etc." and I see it every day. I try to take a few tasks for each day.... if I try to do just a massive cleaning day it never works and I get as far as washing the toilets and I'm done and overwhelmed. :P I do dishes and laundry every day (not that I always FOLD the laundry, but it is clean!) Having my tasks broken down make it feel more doable and I can say on Monday, "I'll clean the bathrooms and wipe out the microwave." and then another day I'll do floors and dust or whatever. It helps me to not feel so pressured when I tear it apart into manageable bites.
I have also made a devotional time a priority but vs. trying to get it in first thing before I do ANYTHING (which is a little unrealistic) I plan it for the first part of Joel's nap when I know for certain I will get some quiet and some space to focus. I always make an iced coffee and turn on peaceful music. I may only read a few pages and may not even jot anything down in my journal - but I have that daily commitment and it has begun to feel more like a treat and a necessity than anything else. I used to feel guilty if I rested and got online if the toilets weren't clean - now I feel guilty and convicted if I sit down to kill time vs. taking 5 minutes to quiet my heart.
And by the way, the more I have done the things I WANT to do (devotions, working out, having an order for how I care for our home) the more I want to do it. I've cut out other parts of my life that I felt were have-to's (like getting together with other Mom's just-because) and now focus my time on my closest friends and our home - because that is truly what makes me happiest. Right now I feel almost giddy because my sink is empty and shiny, the dishwasher is going and I have a candle burning. It's the little things.
What is taking me like fifty paragraphs to say is find what really makes you happy and feel peaceful about your home, your kids, yourself.... and DO THOSE THINGS. All the rest, let it go. Someone else's focus may not be yours and that's okay. Someone may be crazy meticulous about clean corners where you are focused on another area. That's fine! There are not rules to motherhood and housewifery! You choose what is important in your home, to your family; what's going to take precedence. Sometimes I have to remind myself that throwing in another load of laundry is not as important as taking five minutes to read a book about farm animals to the little person yammering for my attention.
ANYWAY, just saying I totally get where you're at and understand!!!!! *HUGS*
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2011-08-01 11:33 pm (UTC)I can also get sucked into the black hole that is the internet and it's the first thing I do in my morning, with coffee, while Joel has breakfast. That's part of my wake-up routine and I like it. :) But to keep on track I also have a daily to-do list that I write out as I go or typically the night before. I have a white board by my washer and dryer that has our house divided by room and by task "dust, wash sheets, vacuum, etc." and I see it every day. I try to take a few tasks for each day.... if I try to do just a massive cleaning day it never works and I get as far as washing the toilets and I'm done and overwhelmed. :P I do dishes and laundry every day (not that I always FOLD the laundry, but it is clean!) Having my tasks broken down make it feel more doable and I can say on Monday, "I'll clean the bathrooms and wipe out the microwave." and then another day I'll do floors and dust or whatever. It helps me to not feel so pressured when I tear it apart into manageable bites.
I have also made a devotional time a priority but vs. trying to get it in first thing before I do ANYTHING (which is a little unrealistic) I plan it for the first part of Joel's nap when I know for certain I will get some quiet and some space to focus. I always make an iced coffee and turn on peaceful music. I may only read a few pages and may not even jot anything down in my journal - but I have that daily commitment and it has begun to feel more like a treat and a necessity than anything else. I used to feel guilty if I rested and got online if the toilets weren't clean - now I feel guilty and convicted if I sit down to kill time vs. taking 5 minutes to quiet my heart.
And by the way, the more I have done the things I WANT to do (devotions, working out, having an order for how I care for our home) the more I want to do it. I've cut out other parts of my life that I felt were have-to's (like getting together with other Mom's just-because) and now focus my time on my closest friends and our home - because that is truly what makes me happiest. Right now I feel almost giddy because my sink is empty and shiny, the dishwasher is going and I have a candle burning. It's the little things.
What is taking me like fifty paragraphs to say is find what really makes you happy and feel peaceful about your home, your kids, yourself.... and DO THOSE THINGS. All the rest, let it go. Someone else's focus may not be yours and that's okay. Someone may be crazy meticulous about clean corners where you are focused on another area. That's fine! There are not rules to motherhood and housewifery! You choose what is important in your home, to your family; what's going to take precedence. Sometimes I have to remind myself that throwing in another load of laundry is not as important as taking five minutes to read a book about farm animals to the little person yammering for my attention.
ANYWAY, just saying I totally get where you're at and understand!!!!! *HUGS*
♥