Homemaking 101: Twelve Daily Disciplines For The Beginning Homemaker

This is for all the women out there who are just starting out as a beginning homemaker and needing practical help with a cleaning routine.

 

Maybe you’re soon to be married or newly married, or maybe you’re single, and you’ve just paid your first mortgage payment.

Will you take some advice from someone who has taken a quarter of a century to figure out a solid daily routine?

I say “figure out” loosely, but I’m feeling just confident enough to turn around and say, “Hey girls, these habits are sticking and working well for me!”

The following habits are simple, class 101 kinds of routines. Get these down in some fashion, to some degree, and you’ll feel pretty together-ish. You can work out the fine details as you go along.

12 Core Daily Disciplines for the Beginning Homemaker

1. Spend time with Jesus.

If you haven’t noticed already, pretty soon you’re going to realize that managing your life is hard. You need to open your Bible and draw hope, strength, and wisdom from the Lord Jesus. Talk to him. He cares about all the details of your life, and He stands ready to help you get your act together.

2. Move.

Take a walk, lift some dumbbells, or clean house really hard for 30 minutes. Find some way to keep your body in shape, because that will give you the physical energy to keep moving all day.

3. Get dressed.

Does your life have meaning? Yes! So wash up, fix your hair, put on a touch of makeup, and get dressed in real clothes. Don’t be a slouch.

4. Do a load of laundry.

Even as an empty nester and with just the two of us to think about, I still give attention to our laundry situation every day. It’s nice to always have clean underwear in the drawer.

5. Make your bed.

Who’s going to see it? You. You’re going to see it, and my mom says when you make the bed it makes the whole room look cleaner.

6. Tidy up the place.

A timer is your best friend. Grab a timer and spend exactly two minutes (no more) tidying up every room in your house. (Consider your refrigerator one of the rooms!)

Next Steps for the Beginning Homemaker

7. Sweep the kitchen floor.

Kitchen floors somehow get gross every day, even when there are only a few people in the house.

8. Clean something.

If you clean one thing every day, you’ll have cleaned 30 places in your house this month. Wipe down a bathroom sink or vacuum a carpet. Dust the living room or scrub the kitchen floor.

9. Make dinner.

Slow down if you can. Enjoy yourself. Put love into it.

10. Do the dishes before you go to bed.

For decades I did not do this, and it snowballed into multiple problems. Just get it done –no excuses. You will be so, so happy in the morning.

11. Tackle the most pressing paperwork or errand.

Sometimes paperwork can be overwhelming. I’ve found it helps if I take one day to get the paperwork organized and set out. Then the next day I have an easier time plowing through it. Same for errands –plan your errand list on one day and do the running around the next day.

12. Spend time with Jesus before putting your head on the pillow.

Good news! Jesus forgives us if we ask him to, so if you dropped the ball somewhere during the day, He has grace for you. And He is heavily invested in your progress toward maturity, so let Him encourage before you sleep. He loves you. Read a short devotional thought or Bible verse before you go to bed, and rest in Jesus.

May the Lord bless you as you develop good daily habits, and go from beginning homemaker to pro in no time!

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Christy has been keeping house for over 30 years and has found ever-deepening value in this role, especially as a way to navigate the painful season in which we find our world. This book is a gentle invitation, to walk with Christy through vacation rentals and refresh your heart and mind on why housekeeping is so important.

Find Keeping House on Amazon →