You’ve race around all day running errands, cooking, picking up and dropping the kids off. At the end of the day, you plop down in your bed – exhausted and feeling as if you did so much yet accomplished so little. Sound familiar?

A disorganized schedule can lead to stress, frustration, anxiety, and quarreling with loved ones. Fortunately, hope exists for those families with extremely busy schedules that usually leave a burden on Mom.

One of the easiest and fastest ways to take tasks off Mom’s hands is to assign those tasks to the children. This not only helps Mom in clearing her schedule, it is an extremely important means of teaching your children responsibility and domestic skills.

From the time that I could remember, it was almost an unspoken rule in my house that if my sister swept the floor, I’d have to mop it.
Likewise, if I did the laundry, she’d have to fold the clothes.

Nowadays the dishwasher automatically washes the dishes. But I remember growing up my sister and I traded dish washing nights. One night it was her turn to wash the dishes and the next night it was mine.

Until this day, I can not stand to see dishes in the sink for too long.
So the habits have even stayed with me through my adulthood.

Start teaching your children about chores at an early age to help them form the habit. Show them what and how you would like them to clean a certain area. You can start out by teaching them to clean their room.
Then move to bigger areas as the child gets older.

Remember that children are like sponges absorbing everything you do rather than everything you say. So be sure to leave enough housework for you to do. This way, they can see you doing something as well.

If you have teenagers, appoint them to run errands to the store or to pick up/drop off younger siblings. Teenagers will jump at any chance they get to drive. This not only teaches them to be independent, it makes them feel like you trust them.

Set up a reward system. However, use rewards carefully. You do not want to give your children the idea that cleaning and helping around the house is only done to get something in return. You know your child better than anyone and you know what works for him/her.

Make helping out fun for them. Crank up the music to their favorite CD or radio station. My sister and I would turn on the music on a Saturday morning and dance around the house while we dusted, swept, wiped, and cleaned the house. Now, some of my most relaxing and enjoyable time is spent while cleaning and singing my heart out to the world because it brings me back in time to those days.

While your kids won’t necessarily enjoy doing chores, I guarantee that they will thank you in adulthood. It will be difficult at first, but will be all worth the while.

You’ll be able to free more time for yourself while teaching your children lifelong skills and responsibility.

Sheila Zayas is president of Harmony Perfect Organizers, a professional organizing company based out of West Palm Beach, FL that specializes in helping families organize their schedules so they can live happier and fuller lives. She succeeded in helping a family in which the parents were on the verge of a divorce as a result of a disorganized schedule and lack of goals. Sheila is a speaker that addresses the topics of time management and document control. She can be reached at info@harmonyperfect.com or (561) 512-8771 .

Start to Declutter and organize your home today with Clutter Diet

How do you keep your children’s schedules together ?
I don’t overload my children with activities. If there is an activity they want to join (dance, etc) then that is fine. However, my belief is that concentrating on doing well in school and creative play at home are the best way to raise a child. I’m probably not going to be popular in saying that, but I see too many children “overscheduled”.

I like to eat dinner together every night. If there are activities, parties and other events going on, I just keep everything up on the family calendar (right on the refrigerator) so everyone knows what’s going on.

Do you use a particular day planner ? I used to. Then I’d leave it in my car and fall asleep before I could go out and get it.

Do you own a blackberry? Yes! I’ve had a BB for three years now. I went two months without it to test my endurance. I won’t do that again.

What is you most used ‘time saving tip’ when it comes to running your house?
I believe in doing the same routine every day. My children actually help me save time. They all have to put their things away after school, set the table for dinner, clear the dishes, etc. So, the biggest time saving tip has been for me to teach my children to help out. I rarely have to tell anyone to put away shoes or throw their laundry in the hamper. It becomes routine when everything has a time and place.

Do you have a favourite quick meal for your family? Yes. It’s a really basic recipe and dinner is ready in 15 minutes. Home made macaroni and a wayyyyyy lot of cheese, salad and fruit.

Tell us the truth ? What would we find in your car right now ?
My car is always clean in the passenger area. I’m just a little uptight about that. I don’t allow food unless we’re on a road trip or it’s really early and we’re heading somewhere when breakfast at home is impossible. I don’t like a car that looks like a basement. However, check in my trunk and you’ll find a case of bottled water, 3 sand buckets, 4 shovels, a bottle of Febreze, baby wipes (I don’t have babies but these are great to have!), a box of trash bags (hey, you never know how handy they can be!), my last pair of crutches and four different knee braces. I’ve had three surgeries in the past 18 months. Life is unpredictable. I need to be prepared.

What advice would you give to other moms who feel the pressure of trying to be ‘super mom’?
It’s overrated. We are humans and we mess up. I didn’t get an instruction book and I have been a single Mom for the past eight years. I just wing it and when something works, I stick with it. I don’t pretend to be great at what I do. I just enjoy my children and have fun.

What is your number one goal for the year ? How do you plan to reach it ?

My initial thought was to tell you that I want to become a blogger on the Huffington Post. However, that’s a goal that is secondary to something far more important. I want to learn how to climb and descend stairs normally. I haven’t been able to do that since 2007. I am not positive how I am going to achieve the goal…more than likely a combination of more physical therapy and will power.

Cheryl Phillips is a single mother of five, freelance writer, blogger and social media addict who realized that Twitter was created so that she would stop being so long-winded. Her blog, The Daily Blonde, is a commentary of life without sugarcoating. Cheryl is passionate about combiningTwitter and other forms of social media to help grow small business.

How do you keep your children’s schedules together ?
I’m a big list maker. For my nine-year-old, I have a list of basic things for him to do when he comes home from school, including homework, putting away his laundry, putting his lunchbox on the counter (so I’m not searching for it frantically 10 minutes after we were supposed to leave) and setting the table if it’s his night.
For my daughter, who is 12, I’ve learned that rigidity with pre-teens just doesn’t work, so my requirements for her are a little more basic. (I have more important battles to fight!) Before she can be on the computer (her favorite thing), she has to finish homework, tidy her room and read a little bit from a devotional book.
I don’t give my kids a lot of time to unwind after they get home from school. It doesn’t work for us. They get off track and then it’s a homework battle at 9:30 at night when my patience and energy levels are on empty. Plus, they both have sports practices, so they really need to get homework and other responsibilities done right away.

Do you use a particular day planner ?
I use a planner called “Hot Chocolate.” I buy all their notebooks, too. They are so fun and funky that I’m more likely to make lists and keep on top of my schedule. I need all the incentive I can get!

Do you own a blackberry?
I don’t. Although my daughter told me today that I “need” to get one. She claims my current cell phone is “so lame.”

What is your most used ‘time saving tip’ when it comes to running your house?
I’d say, “Don’t procrastinate!” Leaving dishes in the sink, for example, makes them so much harder to clean the next day. The more you let things pile up, the longer it takes to dig out. I don’t always follow this, but when I do, it makes my life so much easier.

Do you have a favourite quick meal for your family?
I’m big into healthy. I buy Boboli Whole Wheat pizza crusts, use Organic Ragu, pile on the cheese (soy cheese is healthiest) and add our favorite toppings. Instead of regular Pepperoni, I use Turkey Pepperoni. It’s a crowd-pleaser every time. And my crowd isn’t so easy to please.

Tell us the truth ? What would we find in your car right now ?
Ooooo… You asked me this question at the right time! I just cleaned and vacuumed my van a few days ago. Right NOW, you’d only find a few Encyclopedia Brown books that my son likes to read when we’re on the road. LAST WEEK, you would have found a treasure trove of goodies, including a bag of rotten celery that somehow didn’t get brought in with the rest of the groceries. My house is always far more clean and organized than my van!

You seem like a mom who understands the importance of not expecting perfection. What advice would you give to other moms who feel the pressure of trying to be ‘super mom’?
I spent many years being crushed by that pressure. But, for the most part, I’m free now. Understanding God’s unconditional love for me helps me to remember to do the same with my children, which can be very difficult sometimes! When I was trying to be “supermom” I felt so isolated. But as I began to share my struggles and let my guard down, I found SO many moms who were having the same fears and struggles. I found community and support. That also made a huge difference.

What is your number one goal for the year ? How do you plan to reach it ?
From a professional standpoint, my number one goal is to write my first book. I’ve set aside 1-2 hours a day to work on this alone. I’m getting up earlier in the morning so I can be sure to keep up with all the other things that need to be done for the family. I’ve also shared my goal with others so that I can gain support and encouragement along the way. And, most importantly, I’m praying ALOT! ;0)

Melinda is a mother of two, ages 12 and 9, as well as a writer and speaker. She writes frequently on parenting topics, as her children and her experiences with them provide a great deal of meaty and humorous material. You can visit her blog “Coming Clean: Confessions of an Imperfect Parent” at http://www.parentingconfessions.com

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