About Ginny & her Blog
Ginny is a winner of Top 25 Home Management Moms - 2012
How do you encourage your children to help keep the house organized?
I make it a team effort. We get a lot accomplished when we work together. There are things that even very young children can do to help. Giving children age-appropriate chores helps to develop a real sense of accomplishment and responsibility. I set a time in our schedule each day where we all work on keeping things neat and clean. When your children see you set a positive example, they are much more likely to follow it in the long run.
What advice do you have for moms trying to manage their home more effectively?
My first piece of advice is to be flexible! Perfection is not the goal. Mothers have an incredibly difficult job with many responsibilities. Sometimes, the mundane taks of everyday life can become overwhelming. As a result, we occasionally find ourselves wishing away the days with our young children to arrive at a place where our homes are "perfect". Prioritize the important things in your life, and learn to let go of the stress of trying to have a perfect home. I find that working on a little bit each day really helps. Is my home perfect? No! Finding the balance is the trick. I would love it if I had more time to do things like cleaning the garage, gardening, and washing the second floor windows. But at this stage of my life, I just can't get to those things very often. I'm okay with that. I think schedules are fantastic for helping to keep on top of things, but the best thing you can do for yourself is to let go of what isn't important.
What's the biggest challenge when keeping a home organized?
Aside from what I mentioned above about flexibility, another challenge is working with change. Families are constantly growing and changing. Therefore, the organization of our living spaces is also ever-changing. I think the biggest challenge is recognizing what is no longer working and developing something that does. It can take a lot of thought and planning, but well organized spaces can make a world of difference in making your life a little easier. As your family's needs and situations change, be flexible to update your spaces to change with them.
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