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Home › Articles › Back to School Headquarters › Back-to-school
Morning Mayhem

Back-to-school
Morning Mayhem

Help for Frazzled Moms-to-be

By Katherine Bontrager

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And how much help you receive will depend on the ages of your kids, Luhrs says. "When my kids were old enough to reach the washing machine and carry their clothes baskets to the basement, and especially when they were old enough to care how they looked, I taught them to do their own laundry," she says. "After that, they were in charge. If they waited until the last minute and had no clean clothes, they soon figured it out. I didn't jump in and save them except maybe the first few times. And the same can go with your husband. Everybody can have their own laundry basket and do their own laundry."

Otherwise, the best way to get everyone to pitch in is to make a list of all chores in the house and have everyone sign up for one or two, Luhrs says. "For instance, one person loads the dishwasher and another one unloads," she says. "Everyone clears their own dishes from the table. The best way is to make a big master list on a grease board, and each week or each month, everyone signs up for certain chores. Depending on the family style, you can also instigate a Saturday chore morning. Put on fun music, promise ice cream afterward, set the timer and everyone gets their jobs done during a set time, and then you go out to ice cream, movies, ice skating – whatever the family likes."

Helping hands can be especially beneficial during mealtime. For those nights with a bit more time, involve your children in the cooking. If it's taco night, have someone wash the tomatoes and lettuce while another pulls out the cheese and salsa. Make your oldest responsible for the salad fixings while your youngest attempts to put napkins on the table. Keeping kids involved in mealtime not only can be a help, but serves as great bonding time, too.


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