Creating A Weekly Homemaking Routine

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A friend recently asked me for advice on how to manage all the cares of home. How to homeschool, clean house, make dinner, and even work on her crafts in those few 24 hours. Already knowing in her head what her priorities were and in what order she still felt that there was a missing piece. The piece that would allow her to have time for her family but also keep up her home.

Mind you I’m no perfectionist but the words “Weekly Routine” came to my lips before I could even think!

Her eyes lit up and she asked me to go on.

Grocery Bags with Food

So back into the recess of my past I started to think. Back when my daughter was a baby I had a system for family, home, and my small business. My cares of home were on autopilot and I kept a beautiful Weekly Routine.

A routine, rather than a schedule, is a beautiful thing because it leaves room for the unexpected.

How I came up with my Weekly Homemaking Routine

It all started years ago. I had a nice weekly and daily to-do routine in the workplace and actually even had a shred of a routine for the home that was never put to paper but was committed to memory.

The most I can remember is that my husband and I would clean the bathrooms every Thursday night.  Something about a clean bathroom spoke to us and we kept them clean as a couple. We had two bathrooms and so we had a little contest as to who could finish cleaning their’s first. His military background came into play here and he was so thorough and detailed. I took notes. Very inspiring. I also grocery shopped on Saturday (due to the busy work week).

I also grocery shopped on Saturday (due to the busy work week).

But….

Then children came along. Lots of them because we became foster to adopt parents for the tiniest and most fragile of tots. And I became a stay at home mom.

I began to notice more things needing to be done in the home.  And they would sort of escape my notice until the whole house seemed to be a mess! This was very aggravating.

But at the same time I was very organized with the children. I kept notes and charts on their sleep habits, feeding times, parental visits and the like.

The case workers were impressed.  And it also led me to start revamping how I did things at home. Since I had to work in cleaning, cooking, and shopping around doctor visits (medically fragile babies remember), in home visits, parental visits, and more naturally I started checklists, forms, and such to keep track of things.

Red roses and peach colored notebook. Weekly Homemaking Routine

Using an outline of steps Emily Barnes lists in her one of her many wonderful and useful homemaking books I made up my Weekly Homemaking Routine and placed it in my Home Management Binder .

My home management binder was initially homemaking worksheets inside the planner I took to work. It also zipped up (my current one does not) and I could carry it to and from appointments. It was a work of art.

Now some may think a weekly homemaking routine is a bit of a silly idea. I mean goodness, all this focus on the basics of taking care of home? But why not?

I personally take my homemaking seriously. I feel better knowing my family can find what they need, has what they need,  and that the needs that I’m capable of meeting are met.

Clean clothing, yummy food, a nice smelling and clean bathroom, a well made bed (I’m into that), pleasant surroundings, and a wife/mommy who is not stressed out because she gets very irritated if the house is a hot mess.

A weekly homemaking routine to the rescue!

Weekly Home Cleaning Routine - Homemaking Organized

So what exactly is a Weekly Homemaking Routine?

My weekly homemaking routine reminds me of what I need to do on any given day so that things don’t go undone.

When you are manager of your home that means you’re in charge of making sure things in the home get done and run smoothly. What better way than to set up a weekly routine to guide you along?

Here is an example of my weekly homemaking routine…

  • Monday – Clean bathrooms and wash all kitchen and bathroom laundry.
  • Tuesday – Indoor plant care and iron anything needing ironing from the day before. Clean kitchen. Launder whites.
  • Wednesday – Errands (library, shopping with mom) Clean and declutter office area. Church music paperwork.
  • Thursday – Purge fridge. Make grocery list. Cut coupons. And start planning next week’s menu.
  • Friday – Wash all bedding.  Vacuum house.
  • Saturday – Baking day. Creative day.
  • Sunday – Lord’s Day, Day of Rest

This a very simple example of my weekly homemaking routine.  These are some of the things I do each week to keep the home life running smoothly.  As you can see I don’t do the same thing every day. I don’t need to. I don’t need to run errands every day, nor do I need to plan my menu’s on a daily basis. This routine does not show homeschool activities or my work. It is an outline to remind me of the perfect day of MY week to get a household chore done.

More Home Management Tips

A Homemaking Guide to Daily Success

Get help creating Routines for your home with Homemanagemnt How -To by Humorous Homemaking, an online ecourse for Homemakers.

Your Turn

How about putting together your own weekly homemaking routine and using a lovely piece of paper post or put it in a place you check often. You know, to inspire you. Next to the family calendar, in your day planner, or a decorative notebook you use to keep notes.

If you haven’t given thought to what you would like to accomplish in your home each week start doing that too.  Look at your patterns. Do you grocery shop on a certain day. Do you notice that certain times of the week you have more free time than others and maybe could tackle some of those pending home projects.  How about scheduling 15 minutes in each day to clean up an especially messy room? What about those family meals? Are you struggling each day to figure out what is for dinner?  Choose one day a week to figure out what would be for dinner the next week.  Now put this all to paper. Pretty paper.

As time goes on if your weekly homemaking routine is not working change it. Simple as that. Your routines and schedules are a forever changing thing.

View some other’s weekly homemaking routines on the web…

Happy Homemaking!

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4 Comments

  1. Excellent blog post , I Appreciate the analysis ! Does anyone know if my business might be able to acquire a blank a form example to fill in ?

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