Cleaning the Bathroom

From Chaos to Calm: Day Forty-Six

Cleaning the Bathroom

Scripture Memory: “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14

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Today’s Scripture memory calls us to humble ourselves. If any task in the home calls for us as wives and mothers to humble ourselves, it is cleaning the bathroom. The bathroom is one of the dirtiest rooms in the house and the tasks are not very pleasant.

Your bathroom should be one of the cleanest rooms in your house. It is typically a small space. And remember – the bathroom is the only room where guests go alone with time to sit and just look around… at the corners, around the bathtub, etc. Everyone will know your standard for clean by looking at your bathroom.

Make the bathroom part of your morning routine. Wipe down sinks after making the beds. Rinse the bathtubs after each bath has been taken, and so on. Then on a regular basis, make cleaning the bathroom part of your schedule with the following tasks…

Care for the Bathroom: Monthly:
1. Clean under the sink.
2. Clean out medicine cabinet.
3. Throw out old medications and old make up.
4. Take inventory of toilet paper, paper towels, soaps, shampoos, etc. Add those items that need replenishing to your shopping list. Purchase items when on sale and stock up.

Care for the Bathroom: Weekly:
1. Use a small hand held whisk broom or brush and sweep the floor, dusting the baseboards as you go.
2. Fill a bucket with warm or hot water and add a disinfectant to the water.
3. Add a disinfectant to the toilet bowl. Swish it around with the toilet bowl brush and allow to soak while you clean the rest of the bathroom.
4. Wear rubber gloves to protect your hands.
5. Use separate cloths or sponges for cleaning the toilet and sink and floor.
6. Begin by cleaning the sink and cabinets. Use a mild detergent or abrasive for cleaning inside the sink, around the fixtures, the cabinets, and the walls around the sink.
7. Rinse and clean soap dish. Wipe off the light switch.
8. Dust vanity light bulbs.
9. Clean mirrors.
10. Sprinkle a mild abrasive or spray your preferred bath tub cleaner into the bath/ shower. Use a sponge to scrub away soap scum build up and water marks. Doing this weekly instead of once the tub is gross will reduce the effort! Liquid bleach gets rid of mildew. Rinse tub well.
11. Saturate a sponge in the bucket of water. Squeeze excess moisture out and begin scrubbing the baseboards. Because of the moisture in the bathroom, dust tends to dry and stick to the baseboards causing them to look dingy and unattractive. Move around the room, rinsing your sponge as needed. Dust window sills, cobwebs, top of door molding, and top of shower.
12. Saturate a sponge in the bucket of water. Squeeze excess moisture out and clean around top of toilet, working your way down the sides of the toilet. Rinse sponge as needed.
13. Using a sponge and a product such as Mop and Glo, scrub floor until it sparkles. Begin mopping in the corner of bathroom and work your way out of the room. Leave the room and make sure no one goes in until the floor is dry – about 20 minutes. You can place a fan on the floor to speed this drying time.
14. Pour dirty water outside or down the toilet. Disinfect sponges or cloths in a bucket of fresh water and bleach. 1/2 cup of bleach per gallon of water. Soak them for at least five minutes. Rinse well and air dry.

Care for the Bathroom: Daily:
1. Rinse tub after bathing. ** Optional: Spray a Daily Shower Spray formula in the shower to help prevent soap scum build up. **
2. Wipe down sink, faucets, with a fresh cloth.
3. Wipe down toilet seat with another fresh cloth.
4. Clean mirror after everyone has brushed their teeth.
5. Hang fresh hand towels.
6. Spray air freshener and leave the room.

By cleaning the bathroom on a regular basis, you will find that the task only takes minutes each day and hardly more on your weekly cleaning day. If you have not already, add this task to your daily schedule and determine when is the best day to do the scrubbing.

Cleaning the bathroom shouldn’t be drudgery! Smile in your heart while doing these ordinary, seemingly mundane, tasks. Let peace wash over you and feel content knowing that your family is well taken care of.

 

A Schedule Check-Up

From Chaos to Calm: Day Forty-Four

A Schedule Check-up

Scripture Memory: “The LORD will give strength unto his people; the LORD will bless his people with peace.” Psalm 29:11

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By now you should have your kitchens clean. If you have not had time to finish the kitchen, which was a huge job (I know!) I want to encourage you to set a day this week and complete the project before continuing.

Today, I want you to get out your schedule again and let’s look at it. What is working? What isn’t working? What do you think is hindering you the most?

When I look back at my own struggles with working out a schedule and sticking to it… I realize that for me, it was often hard to keep a schedule for more than one reason.

Reason #1 – A Lack of Self-discipline. For those of you who are not naturally inclined to being organized or who are prone to laziness, this will be your greatest challenge. As you tweak your schedule, don’t overdo the details. You will only frustrate yourself if you try to be detailed in your planning. Begin by setting aside chunks of time for certain tasks, but do not plan in 15 minute intervals. As you make your loose schedule a habit, you can incorporate more details one at a time.

Reason #2 – Too Much to Do. This is a hard one. I recently found myself in this position. Actually, I often find myself in this position. As a homeschooling mom, a pastor’s wife, writer, and Director of A Virtuous Woman, it is easy to get overwhelmed by everything I need to accomplish on any given day. My solution is to schedule only the basics and do what I can to work the rest in. I keep my children on a schedule and work around them. When I follow my schedule, I often find myself with small bits of free time to sit and relax during the day!

Evaluate your schedule and make changes as needed. You can sit down and do this any time you feel that your schedule is not working well. It is not set in stone. As your life changes, so you will your schedule!

If you feel like you’ll never get it right, trust that God will pull you through. If you struggle, if you fall off track, if things go wrong one day or many – just keep picking up where you left off and start over. As we continue to clean the house, make it your priority each day to keep the areas we have covered clean before you go to bed. The kitchen should be your priority. If you are only able to keep the kitchen clean for now, don’t sweat it! Feel proud of yourself as you go to bed each night with that clean kitchen. Thank God for His power that is working in you to create the home of peace and calm you have always wanted.

 

Fall Cleaning

The holidays are fast approaching… which often means parties, over night guests, and lots of picture taking. Get your house clean now so that when the candles are lit and the tables are set, you can breathe easy. Download this detailed checklist and get your house in order for the holidays!

Download:  a homemade holiday- Fall Cleaning Checklist.

I am working this week to get my house in tip top shape. We have quite a few quests expected over the next few weeks. I want my home to feel welcoming to everyone who enters – including my own family. A clean home makes the holidays even more fun and inviting. This week at my house is devoted to cleaning.

Fall is my favorite time of the year. It makes me want to putter around the house, get cozy, and have everything “just so.” That way, instead of worrying over tasks that need to be accomplished, I can curl up by the fire, under a blanket and read a good book.

I’ve been baking up a storm the last few days. I’ve made four loaves of my wonderful, easy Sweet Sourdough Bread, three loaves of Spelt Bread and three mini loaves of Spelt Banana Bread for my daughter who doesn’t eat, an Orange Cake, Gluten Free & Vegan “Sausage Patties”  for the freezer – not to mention all the canning I’ve been doing. I still have 14 bushels of apples left to preserve!

I pulled out my autumn decorations a few weeks ago, so the house looks festive. I have also enjoyed lighting candles around the house everyday – just because. Despite of all my “busyness” (or should I say “inspite”?) my house needs an overhaul.

Are you ready for the holidays? What needs to be done at your home?

Mopping the Floor and More

From Chaos to Calm: Day Thirty-Six

Mopping the Floor and More

Scripture Memory: “Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it? And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbors together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost. Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.” Luke 15:8-10

 

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In the parable of the lost coin, Jesus reminds us that no matter how far we walk away from Him, He is always and will always seek us out. Like the woman who rejoiced when she found her lost coin, all of heaven rejoices when on of God’s children repents and finds his way home.

Sometimes, even believers have moments of weakness and regrets. I know how hurt I feel when I realize I was not in line with God’s will. It pains my heart to think of how little my faith can be at times! If it is God’s will for me and you to be keepers at home, caring for, and providing for our families, we are sinning if we are not doing those things we should be doing.

I am not talking about those days when nothing goes right or everything seems to work against you. I am talking about day in and day out. God knows what is in our hearts. If we are not keepers at home within our hearts, there is no use in pretending otherwise. We should be rejoicing at the opportunity to serve and minister to our sons and daughters and our husbands.

I am sure you have been working hard this week to get your kitchen clean and fresh smelling just as I have. There is nothing like waking up to a clean kitchen in the morning! I want to stress the importance of going to bed with a clean kitchen. It will start your day off right!

Today, we will be cleaning the walls, the cabinets, and the floors. If you have children, this is a good day to incorporate them in your tasks. So, get your buckets out, fill them with sudsy water. My favorite all purpose cleaner is Mr. Clean. I use this to mop the floors and scrub walls. If you have wood finishes in your kitchen you will want to use a product such as Murphy’s Oil Soap.

Begin with the cabinet doors and the walls. This is a perfect job even for the littlest helper! My favorite product ever for cleaning walls is the Magic Eraser. If you have not yet tried it, you need to! It is even perfect for the two year old who drew crayons on the wall. You can teach a lesson while having your child actually clean the mess!

Before mopping the floor you will need to clear the floor of shoes, chairs, baskets, etc. and sweep really well. You can pre-treat stuck on spills with a spray all purpose cleaner. Older children can help mop the floors. The best clean is done on hands and knees. However, you can use a mop. I prefer the Libman mop myself, although, my children often scrub floors for me and I do not let them use the mop. If you are looking for a creative form of discipline try scrubbing floors! The kids will be able to serve their “time” and help with the cleanliness of the house.

After each meal, remember to tidy the kitchen. Before you go to bed tonight, put away all clutter, food, and wash any leftover pots, pans, and dishes. Start the dishwasher if it is full.

Sanitize your sink and change your dirty kitchen linens for fresh ones. Soak your sponges in the sink with hot water and a little bit of bleach.

Make this a part of your nightly routine. If you are new to doing this on a regular basis, you may find you struggle some with making it a habit, but have faith! If you tidy up after each meal, this should only take a few minutes. I have never had to spend more than 15 minutes in the evening preparing the kitchen for the morning if I have kept up with it during the day. If you plan to bake muffins or pancakes or biscuits in the morning, you might want to prepare the batters before turning in for the night as well.

Spend a few minutes praising God for the simple pleasures of a job well done and His faithfulness for seeing you through.

 

Cleaning the Stove

From Chaos to Calm: Day Thirty-Five

Cleaning the Stove

Scripture Memory: “So let us celebrate the festival, not by eating the old bread of wickedness and evil, but by eating the new bread of purity and truth.” 1 Corinthians 5:8 (NLT)

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Cleaning the Stove Top: Daily:
1. Begin cooking with a clean stove.
2. While cooking, wipe up any spills immediately as is safe. Do not try to wipe up spills if you will risk a burn.
3. For baked on food and grease, use a mild abrasive such as Bar Keepers Friend.
4. Always Wipe down the stove top as part of your daily kitchen clean up.
* Cooking at high temperatures will cause food to spill and splatter more frequently.*

Cleaning the Stove Top: Weekly:
1. Remove electric burners or gas burner grates
and burner drip pans.
2. Place grates and drip pans in the sink. Spray with a fume free oven cleaner or other heavy duty cleaner and let soak.
3. Remove any excess food crumbs or spills.
4. Using a mild abrasive such as Bar Keepers Friend, sprinkle powder over baked on grease (often found around drip pan edges).
5. Wet a sponge or other cleaning cloth.
6. Squeeze out most of the moisture so it is not dripping, but leave very damp.
7. Begin scrubbing until the moisture is gone. Rinse and Repeat as needed until the stove top is clean.
8. Using a clean cloth or sponge, wipe down the entire outside of the stove, as well as under knobs.
9. Raise the stove top to clean underneath and proceed in a similar fashion until the underside is clean.
10. Line with aluminum foil, to prevent this step in the future. If you have already been lining your stove with the foil, simply replace with fresh foil.
11. Lower stove top.
12. Using hot sudsy water and your cleaning cloth or sponge, wipe the walls and cabinets around the stove to remove food and grease splatters.
13. Fill sink with hot water and scrub drip pans and/ or gas burner grates. Rinse.
14. After drip pans and/ or are dry, return them to the stove.
15. Wipe electric burners, while cool, with a damp cloth and return to stove.

Cleaning the Oven: Weekly:
*If you have a self cleaning oven, you should follow the manufacturer’s instructions for cleaning. Do not use commercial cleaning products in these ovens.*
1. For non-self-cleaning ovens, use a good commercial oven cleaner. The fume free ones are more pleasant to use. Be careful not to breathe the fumes, wear a dust mask if you need to.

2. Evenly coat the entire surface of the oven.
3. Allow to soak for the recommended amount of time.
4. Wearing rubber gloves, wipe out the oven using paper towels or an old rag.
5. Using a damp cloth, wipe out the stove to remove leftover residue.

Cleaning the Kitchen Appliances

From Chaos to Calm: Day Thirty-Four

Cleaning the Kitchen Appliances

Scripture Memory: “He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the LORD.” Psalms 113:9

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Cleaning the kitchen appliances. This has to be one of my least favorite jobs! However, it is something that must be done – and done frequently – in order to maintain a sanitary kitchen environment. As part of your weekly routine, schedule a day to scrub and clean the kitchen appliances. Since this involves cleaning out the refrigerator, a good day to schedule this task would be the day before you do your weekly grocery shopping.

Some appliances, such as a food processor, a blender, or a juicer should be cleaned and wiped down each time you use them. This prevents the build up of grime and grease. Other appliances are more easily cleaned on a weekly basis. These are the appliances we will be looking at today.

The Refrigerator
1. Unplug refrigerator. Manufacturers warn to unplug the refrigerator before washing. Be careful not to splash lights and wires while you are cleaning.
2. Remove food from refrigerator to the counter top.
3. Remove drawers and shelves.
4. Using hot sudsy water, wipe down the inside of the refrigerator. Be sure to clean the walls and inside the gaskets. Work from top to bottom.
5. For nasty stuck on spills, make a paste with water and baking soda.
6. Really hot water may crack glass shelves so be careful.
7. If you have mold or mildew in your refrigerator, use a bleach solution to disinfect. However, using too much bleach will cause the refrigerator to smell like bleach. 3/4 cup bleach to 1 gallon of water. Do not clean and disinfect in one step. Clean first, and then disinfect.
8. Wash the shelves and drawers with hot sudsy water and replace them when finished.
9. Wipe off any sticky food containers before replacing them in the refrigerator.
10. Plug the refrigerator back in when you are done.

Microwave
1. Place a mug filled 3/4 with water inside microwave.
2. Heat water for 1 – 2 minutes. Allow the water to stay in microwave for another minute before removing.
3. Carefully remove water from microwave. You may want to use a towel or pot holders to remove the water. Caution is needed.
4. Remove glass plate (turntable) from microwave and place in a sink of hot sudsy water.
5. Use a sponge or damp cloth to wipe out microwave. Rinse as needed.
6. Wash glass plate. Allow to dry and return to microwave.

Toaster Oven
1. Unplug toaster oven and remove crumb tray and empty into trash can.

2. Place tray in hot sudsy water and wash.
3. Brush remaining crumbs from bottom of toaster oven.
4. Use glass cleaner to clean outside of toaster over.
5. Return crumb tray.

Toaster
1. Unplug toaster.
2. Empty crumb tray over trash can.
3. Use a sponge and all purpose cleaner to wash the outside of the toaster.

Can Opener
1. Unplug can opener.
2. Remove can opener blade and wash in hot sudsy water or place in dishwasher. (You may want to clean this at the end of each day.)
3. Wash outside of can opener with a damp sponge and all purpose cleaner.

These tasks may seem mundane, tedious, or plain out right drudgery. However, remember that as a virtuous woman seeking God’s will for your life, that whatever task is at hand is a task to be done with a willing spirit, and a cheerful heart. How would you feel if you no longer had a refrigerator to clean and no way to purchase a new one. Your life would be so different! We can praise God for simple things like refrigerators.

Tomorrow we will look at how to clean the stove. For now, pour yourself a cup of herbal tea with lemon and sit back and praise God for a job well done!

 

Begin Cleaning the Kitchen

From Chaos to Calm: Day Thirty-Three

Begin Cleaning the Kitchen

Scripture Memory: “And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.” John 20:7

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Perhaps you have never given much thought to the verse above. Jesus, our King and Lord, had just been resurrected. What was the first thing that he did? He folded the burial cloth that He had been wrapped in. Here is the Messiah, the One who has just given His life for our sins, and He takes the time to perform an ordinary task. Why?

Our God is a God of order. It would have gone against His nature to leave a mess behind. I am suggesting that neatness begets peace. It demonstrates a deeper meaning. A house that is chaotic is not a house that represents the peace and sanctuary that is found in Him.

We have discussed creating a routine for your day and setting up a daily schedule. Today we are going to begin the journey of getting your house in order room by room.

We will begin in the kitchen. For this week, you should either set aside an entire day, or set aside a 1 – 2 hours a day depending on your needs.

It is important to keep the kitchen sanitized and in good working order. Every surface where food might be placed, should be clean and free of germs. Guests will feel better about eating food that you prepare if it is evident that the kitchen stays clean.

1. The best way to get really organized and clean in the kitchen is to pull everything out of your cupboards. From spices to dishes to pots and pans, take it all out. You can do this in sections if you are satified with the arrangement of your dishes, pantry items, and such. Otherwise, pull it all out at once and carefully arrange the items in another room.

- Go through all of your belongings and decide what you really need.

- Some things may be appropriate for giving away or for putting in a yard sale.

2. Fill a dishpan, or the sink with hot water. Add a cleaner, such as Lysol, for really grimey messes. However, if your cabinets are wood, painted or stained, you may want to use a product such as Murphy’s Oil.

3. Wash the inside as well as the outside of your cupboards. If you have not done so before, line the shelves with pretty shelf paper.

4. When deciding how to arrange your dishes, keep these things in mind:

- Place items used frequently within easy reach. Items used every now and again, place on higher shelves.

- Place items near the area where they are used. Or, place items near the dishwasher to make putting them away easier.

- Use storage containers, baskets, or drawers to store plastic containers and lids.

5. Store pantry items where you will be able to easily see what you have in stock.

6. Items such as flour, sugar, cereal, dried fruits, oatmeal, etc. store better in jars. In our house, we store our dry goods in canning jars, or other glass containers. We have a set of pretty plaid lids that dress up the canning jars and make them special. For my flour and other large dry goods, I purchased vintage glass canisters and painted the metal lids to match my kitchen. Make your kitchen pretty where ever you can!

7. Once you have cleaned and reorganized your cabinets, clear everything from your counter tops. Spray with disinfectant and scrub dust, grease, and grime from them. Also, wash the walls between the upper cabinets and the lower cabinets.

This assignment may take you several days. That is okay! Tomorrow we will continue in our task of cleaning our kitchens. It will feel invigorating when it is complete!

In your prayer journal this week, ask God to help you work with willing hands.

 

 

The Preparation Day: Part Two

From Chaos to Calm: Day Thirty-One

The Preparation Day: Part Two

Scripture Memory: “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.” Psalms 51:10-12

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Yesterday I talked about the Preparation Day. I focused mostly on preparing our homes so that we can rest and so that our family is blessed by the specialness of the Sabbath. Today, I want to focus on preparing our hearts for the Sabbath.

When God created this world, he saw a need, even in the perfection of the Garden of Eden, to give us the Sabbath. It was more than just a day of rest. It was to be a sign – a memorial, or in other words a weekly reminder of how great, a powerful, and majestic our God, our Creator is! (Exdodus 31:17)

Jesus said, “The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath.” (Mark 2:27). It was a gift for us. Has the day of worship come to be a regular day of the week, or is it truly a sacred day when the world is left behind and our hearts and our minds are solely focused on HIM? Too often families find themselves catching up on regular weekday activities after church. Lawns need to be mowed. Cars need to be washed. Laundry needs to be done. What happened to the Sabbath being sacred and holy? Is life so busy that we cannot take one day for our Savior?

On the Preparation Day, spend time reflecting on what God’s day means to you. Ask God to renew a right spirit within your heart. It is a time of renewal, it is a time to walk away from the cares and the burdens of this sinful world and bask in the light of His face.

By creating a mood of celebration in your home on the Sabbath, you will find an even greater blessing on your day of worship.

Instead of making the Sabbath a time of B-O-R-I-N-G, make it a joy! We have a basket of special toys, games, and activities that only come out on Sabbath. I keep a special Sabbath bag full of quiet activities my children can do while sitting in church. Things like lace-up boards with nature scenes or of farm animals, a box a special crayons and Bible coloring pages, Bible story books. I periodically change the items for a fresh experience!

Have the head of your household prepare a special prayer for the evening Sabbath meal. Light candles, and read a chapter from the Bible. Sing quiet songs of praise together with your children. Little ones especially enjoy this.

The Preparation Day is about making your time of worship, extra special, meaningful, and sacred. Let your week revolve around your worship. You will feel very blessed!

 

The Preparation Day

From Chaos to Calm: Day Thirty

The Preparation Day

Scripture Memory: “And he said unto them, This is that which the LORD hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the LORD: bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning.” Exodus 16:23

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Since the beginning of time, Friday was the Preparation Day. Women would spend Friday preparing for the Sabbath. The Sabbath was to be celebrated and “called a delight.” (Isaiah 58:13) The only way to truly be able to enjoy the Sabbath day is to have our hearts and our homes prepared for a Sabbath day’s blessing.

Each week, from Sabbath to Sabbath we should be preparing for God’s holy day. The Sabbath, or the day we set aside to worship our Father in heaven, should be the center of all of our activities – not because we are bound by the law, but because Jesus is the center of who we are.

I love how, Yara Cerna Young explains this in her book, Oh No It’s Sabbath Again: And I’m Not Ready! (1) She state, “As Sabbath has become less of a special day, we have grown up with less guidance for how to prepare for it. Role models in this area are few. Whom can we turn to for instruction? … I’m sure the Lord doesn’t want us to miss the blessing we can have from the Sabbath. He knows how desperately we need this important time – especially in such a complicated age! In love, He has given us a weekly reminder of His sovereign power in our lives. Each week we receive one more opportunity to draw closer to Him, one more opportunity to glorify Him. The Lord intended the Sabbath to be a time of celebration, but too many of us are not having fun anymore!”

So, how are we to make the best use of our time in preparation for the Day God has set aside just to be with us? The key is getting organized. That is what this challenge is all about! By taking steps to get our lives in order, we will in essence allow more time to prepare our hearts and homes for the Sabbath.

In my own home, Friday is the day I do a good portion of my Sabbath preparation. The children and I ensure that all the chores are completed by Friday afternoon. I prepare a meal for the  Sabbath to be eaten after church (or for potluck). This way, I do not have to slave over the stove and waste the beautiful hours of God’s holy day.

We enjoy having a special dinner on Friday evening to welcome the Sabbath. I put fresh linens on the table and use my best dishes. I even have special Sabbath plates that my little ones love.

I love looking at the Jewish traditions to find new ways to ensure my family finds the Sabbath a true delight. As keeper of my home, it is my responsibility to see that everything is prepared and ready for my family. The children do help. I oversee their activities so that they do have a part. The Proverbs 31 woman “looked well the ways of her household.” She was a good manager which means she knew how to delegate the jobs at hand!

 

Children and Chores

From Chaos to Calm: Day Twenty-Nine

Children and Chores

Scripture Memory: “Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.” Exodus 20:12

 

This is perhaps one of the hardest lessons a mother will have to learn: teaching your children to be respectful and helpful all at the same time is rarely easy!

If your children are still small, include them in your daily chores now so that they will learn early on that it is very important to be a good helper. Praise your children when they do help or offer willingly to help without being asked.

No matter how old your child is, he should be required to complete a number of chores daily to help keep the household running smoothly. Children today are given far too many privileges and much too much free time.

Make time today or over the next few days to make a family chore chart and assign every member or every child chores. You may want to have rotating chores or you may want to simply change the chores out/ add to them as your child ages.

Set Consequences.

Do not despair if your child immediately cries foul and seems bent on not doing as you have asked. For a child who is not used to doing chores, there will be an adjustment period. However, it is very important that you do not waiver in your determination to make them follow through.

For a child who rebels, you will need to have in place consequences for their disobedience. Do not yell. Do not beg. Do not bribe your children to obedience. The root of all disobedience is a rebellious heart. It is a heart issue! So, determine the punishment for not doing chores and make them clear ahead of time to your child so that he knows what to expect.

Follow Through.

Part of training your children is working along side of them. If you have assigned your twelve year old son the bathrooms, do not just say, “Go clean the bathroom.” Go with him. Show him step by step how to do it the first time. The second time, go with him and tell him what to do step by step and correct him if he is not doing it right. Continue to check his work every time until you are certain it will be done to your standards (not his) and that you can reasonably expect that he will do his chores in a timely fashion and to the standard you have set.

If your children are required to put away their clothes, don’t just send them up the stairs to put away their clothing. Explain how you want it done. Do not forget to check that they did it correctly! You will end up with clean clothes back in the hamper if you aren’t diligent! Or the clothes, once neatly folded, will end up crammed into drawers and wrinkled.

Even the youngest child can help put away his toys, help wash the windows, or scrub the

floors. My children used to fight over who got to mop the floor. I would hand them each a sponge and they would have so much fun. Now that they are older they don’t enjoy it so much, but it was nice while it lasted!

Make It Fun!

You can make a chore chart on the computer. You can write it out by hand or you can even make a super cool poster with neat stickers and lots of colors. The important thing is that you put the chart in a central location of the house – the kitchen or family rooms are good choices. You may also want to make individualized charts for each child to place in their bedrooms, in the bathrooms, or in their school binders.

 

Training your children today will reap rewards tomorrow! Ask God to show you how best to instruct your children to be hard workers with cheerful attitudes.

 

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