Why can't they ever help?

I noticed the moment I went back to work, the rest of the household forgot there are chores to be done. I'd been doing them on my own for so many years, it's as if they all thought some kind of dust fairy took care of everything.

When I first made the decision to go back to work, I made sure we had a family meeting. I wanted to make sure they were all on board with my decision. I also wanted to make sure I wouldn't continue carrying one hundred percent of the responsibilities on my shoulders. They all agreed. Now, there is only one child still remaining at home, and she's my child (adult child) with mental disabilities. Still, she's fully capable of wiping down counters and such. And there's also my husband. Yet, here I am, begging for help, asking the other family members to rinse their dishes and put them in the dishwasher, etc. OH! Forgot to mention we finally got a dishwasher. It has been a lifesaver since I went back to work.

Perhaps I spoiled them when I was home for ten years. At that point, I felt it was my job. I ran my home like a business, complete with a homemaker's binder. Maybe it's time to make a new one and include the other two family members in its creation, let them feel like they had a part in planning and scheduling the daily chores. Since there are only three of us and two dogs, I feel the house should remain clean. I understood when there were five of us and no dishwasher. Not any more. A place for everything and everything in its place.

One of the things I've been doing in hopes of helping the DD and DH get on board is purging unnecessary items from the home. I'm hoping if there are fewer things to clean and put away, there will be less stress when I ask for help.

What ways have you found to help get the other family members involved in the running of your household? Do you send the husband with a grocery list? Do you divvy out chores on the weekends? Let me hear any and all ideas!

Until next time, have a wonderful day!

I'm baaaack!

I've decided to give this old blog new life. Soon, the title of the blog will be changed to Traditional Housewife IN the World since I'm officially a working woman. I work part-time selling insurance, do hair on the side, and I'm still writing books. I even have a new pen name for my fiction: Lynn Howard

I'm not sure what exactly this blog will entail since I'm no longer a full-time housewife, but I still have quite a bit of old-timey stuff for you guys. I still make sure I look presentable, even on my days off work. I still go by somewhat of a cleaning schedule so my house never gets away from me. I still use homemade cleaning products to cut down on the number of chemicals used in our home.

For those of you who stuck around, let me know if there are any specific topics you'd like me to cover. Are there tips for a working mom/wife/woman you'd like me to address? Would you like to see my new cleaning schedule? Would you like to talk about family issues that could arise when mom goes back to work? Let's have a conversation. This blog is about us, not just me.

Anyway, it's good to be back! I missed you lovely people! Until next time, have a wonderful day!