Running a Tight Ship at Home

This is a great 'to do' list for a successful home and family. There is lots of flexibility in all this. Do what works best for you and your family. Start by picking one, then add to it as you feel inclined.

Meet each week to discuss the previous week, set new goals, make new assignments, and, don't forget a reward system.

1. Teach individual responsibility/expectations. Make clear and definitive assignments to each family member, i.e. putting dirty clothes in the laundry basket, and then putting clean clothes away.
2. Bedrooms are a mini-home. Make beds and tidy bedroom every morning.
3. Help out at meal time. Each person clear their place at the table, put one additional food item away, and push their chair in at the table.
4. Don't put it down, put it away. Everyone keeps their personal items picked up, especially in the public areas of the home.
5. Learn to finish, i.e. flush the toilet, refill the toilet paper, hang up your towel, leave a room as neat as you found it.
6. Seek to serve daily. Teach them to ask how they can help around the house.
7. Regularly return the whole home to order. Clean up the house 3 times per day, usually before breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Since food is a great motivator, choosing to clean up before meals will bring a higher rate of success.
8. Practice self-initiative. Each week have family members choose a daily chore they will do for the whole week without being reminded.

Be sure to remember to reward each accomplishment as you think appropriate.

Imagine sitting down in a clean home: the laundry is put away, the bedrooms are neater, and the dishes are done. Everyone has more time to enjoy themselves and you home is clean and orderly.

For more information about each of these recommendations, go to ldsliving.com then do a search on Running a Tight Ship.

My recommendation is to start when your children are young and then it will be second nature for them. But for the rest of us who are already grown, I guess it is better late than never. I look at this list and I realize I am not really very good at any one item, so there is lots of room for me to improve.