You Need Skills for Housework?!

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Day 4 of #Write28Days Challenge

Every job we take on requires us to have some skills for it. And if we do not have the skills required, on the job training would be given. Right? And if it is a managerial role, one would be required to have some experience in managing a team.

You Need Skills for Housework?

And yet many of us set up our homes and family with very little skills to start out. We then learn on the job but with little supervision or guidance. So, we bumble along and try to learn fast. At least that’s how I learnt it.

Maybe you had a mother or aunt that guided you? You are blessed!

And so, some of us pick up these skills fast and easily while others struggle, like me.

What is Your Skill Set?

What skill sets do you have in managing your home? Are you able to handle most housework required in your house correctly and efficiently?

I did not.

It was the year 1998 when I became a mother. We had no help from the get-go, by choice.

Related Post: Confinement without the Confinement Nanny

I was home alone fulltime with my oldest child. I had a once a week helper who would dust, vacuum and mop the house and wash the toilets. She would also iron my husband’s work clothes.

This arrangement continued until the month before I was due to give birth to my fourth child. The helper left for home (Nepal) and I was left stranded. I did try hiring another helper but seriously, good help is hard to find. I gave up and decided to do it myself.

As mentioned in the last post, I found the Flylady’s website.

She gave me SYSTEMS! She taught me what I did not know, not so much the how-tos of housework (how to wash the toilet, mop the floor) but rather how-tos of managing the workflow of housework (what should I do first, and how do I manage many tasks in the house).

This way I could manage my limited time more efficiently without cutting corners. And she didn’t scold me when I fell off her programme.

Once I got the hang of her programme, I tweaked and tweaked it some more. After all, we live in a 2-bedroom apartment. We had no garden – thank God! – or porch.

As I slowly gained knowledge and confidence, I realised I did not have to spend money on a part-time helper.

Yes, I am more tired. But I also felt more accomplished. More empowered. I was no longer helpless. And the greatest compliment I got at that time was when a friend told me that my house was cleaner and more organised than another friend who had two children. At that point I had four only.

Free Resources on the Internet

Back in the day where we had s-l-o-w internet connection, I found that books were very helpful. Books such as:

Sidetracked Home Executives by Pam Young and Peggy Jones* and The Cleaning Encyclopaedia by Don Aslett*

But nowadays you have fast speed internet! And one can Google or Youtube anything. Here is my list of (non-exhaustive) online resources for you to check them out, besides the Flylady.

Clean Mama – she has a free calendar of stuff to do around the house which is very helpful.

Clean My Space – She was a professional cleaner and has lots of youtube videos that teach you the how-tos of cleaning plus home management tips.

Clutterbug is a self-confessed messy who has learnt to get on top of her chores and now make money teaching people how to do it.

*These are affiliate links which means I get a small percentage at no cost to you if you do decide to purchase the books through my links. This helps to keep the blog ad-free.

Practice Makes Perfect

Skills are needed to perform our housework duties correctly and efficiently. Housework may seem like a no-brainer job but trust me, you need to have brains to do it right.

Tomorrow I will share how our expectations can set us up for success. See you!

Related Posts

Never Be a Stay-At-Home-Mother
SAHM = Brain Dead Mom?

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