Why I do things the way I do things

We’ve had our little family in our own home for almost 6 years now. I’ve been trying the last little while to get a handle on the domestic part of my existence as a stay-at-home-mom. Some days I do better than others, but I know I’m growing in experience and learning better how to do things. One thing really sticks out in my mind, though: I do things the way I do things on purpose. Here are a few reasons why:

I want my kids to be safe despite my cleaning. I realized quite quickly that I didn’t really know how to clean. What am I supposed to use? How often do I need to clean? With little ones crawling around on the floor, I wanted to be sure my kids wouldn’t get sick from whatever I was using to clean. I have discovered that I can use homemade cleaners instead of buying expensive ones that are full of chemicals.

I like to do things in a certain order so I don’t have to remember every step. Busy moms have a lot on their minds. Having to remember small details can be frustrating and annoying. So instead, I try to do things in the same order every time. For example, when I put a load of laundry into the dryer, I put all the clothes in, then the dryer sheet, turn the dial, clean the lint trap, and hit the button.

I don’t want to feel like I’m cleaning all the time.  Okay, yes I’m home pretty much all day every day. That doesn’t mean I should have to clean all day or even feel like I am. So I’m trying to schedule things, doing a little every day or at least every day that I’m home.

It works for me (at least right now). Just as life doesn’t stay the same, how I do things doesn’t have to stay the same either. What’s working for me right now may not work later on.  And I’m always learning new things and hearing of new ways to do things. I at least try some of them out, keeping what works.