Guide To Daily Household Routine

(For easy reference see table of contents at the end of this page).  

Some of us seem to manage quite well when it comes to organizing our home, but for others it seems quite a struggle to know where to start. I hope to bring some light to this matter. 

This article is only a guideline, for example, although, normally we would start with the bedrooms, people in one country where the children come home at 1-2 o’clock in the afternoon might need to start preparing lunch before starting the other chores. And although the word mother is usually used, this refers to any adult who may be caring for the children, mother/father/grandmother/care giver etc.

MORNING ROUTINE

1. MORNING RUSH HOUR

• Mornings should be as calm and pleasant as possible.   
• For those children (ages up to about 7-8 depending on the child) that have to be told more than once or twice to do something, the mother should take the child and do it for them. (An example of this is brushing the teeth, see below ‘Brushing Teeth‘). 
• Morning rush hours are not the time to teach children anything that will only end up in displeasure or unpleasantness. One will usually find that the more calm (but assertive when need be) parents are with their children in the morning, the more the children will usually do on their own in the very near future. 
• It doesn’t matter if one has one child, two, ten or fourteen    children. It is all a matter of how we organize our morning and what we believe in. In times of morning rush hour, this method is proven easier, more pleasant and more relaxing than any other method.   
• In the morning there should not be any other chores to do other than concentrating on the children who need to get out to school. 
• Avoid screaming and arguing with children, rather be focused and  assertive.  
• If a mother needs to get herself ready or do any other chores at the time her children need to go off to school, she will find it more  worthwhile to get up earlier to get her things done.   
• In order for an adult to be heard, children should not be spoken to as a unit but individually by name. This is helpful for all children at    any time of day and of every age.

2. BED WETTING

• Bed wetting is very common and the child should not be condemned.
• This particular child should bathe or shower every morning. 
• The child’s bed should be checked every morning. Linens and blankets should be changed and laundered after each bed wetting incident.  
• Usually bed wetting is caused by muscle weakness during sleep. This can be helped by working on the thighs, see my article on ‘Healing With Touch’ ‘Muscle Weakness’       
• Bed wetting can also be caused by a urine infection which can be ruled out by a simple test, or treated like I outlined in my article on  ‘Healing With Touch’ ‘Urinary Tract’.

3. DRESSING CHILDREN 

• Many little children need an adult’s assistance in the morning even though they may know how to dress themselves. For Children up to the age of 5-7 It is more important that an adult dresses the child than screaming and arguing with a child. This also can be done when the child is still sleeping, which is usually the best time especially if time is limited.
• If an older child takes his time in dressing himself, an adult should stay with him and coax him on telling him: “Now take off your pajama shirt… here is your top… put in your right hand first…  very good, now put your left hand in… great… now put on your socks… I’m so proud of you. Any child who is still taking their time or giving the parent a hard time, should be dressed by the adult without getting upset, screaming, arguing or using nasty hurtful words to the child.

4. TEETH BRUSHING – CHILDREN

• Children who need to be told more than once or twice to brush their teeth should be taken calmly by the adult to the sink to brush their teeth.
• Children who are obedient can simply be reminded if need be.

5. BREAKFAST     

• Healthy breakfasts are important for everyone, especially for children with learning disabilities. 
• An example of a healthy breakfast might consist of a porridge or sandwich with vegetables and a drink on the side. 
• It is important for the mother to sit down with the children while they are eating or at least be in the eating area with them and to calmly feed any child who takes their time eating.

HOUSEWORK ROUTINE 

One starts with all the bedrooms then continues in the main part of the house and leaves the kitchen for last.

6. BEDROOMS 

Once the beds are made the bedroom starts to look a lot better. Though the bedrooms might be clean, if the beds are not made, the bedroom looks disorderly. Order Of Organizing The Bedrooms.

• Make the beds first. (If the floor is covered with stuff one can first  sweep together all the things on the floor to a corner. See below ‘Disorganized Rooms/Houses‘).  
• Any clothes that are not in its place should be put away.   
• If there is anything else that is laying around, it should be put away.   
• Sweep the floor.  
• Clear the dresser. Note that Knick knacks may seem nice but emptiness is more spiritual and easier to clean.  
• Gather all the unclean laundry into the hall. 
• After one finishes all the bedrooms and bathrooms one can then take all the laundry to the laundry room.

7. BATHROOM

• Bathrooms that are in a bedroom can be done after organizing the bedroom or after the main bathroom is done..
• Bathroom off the hall. 
• Gather all the unclean laundry to be taken to the laundry room. 
• Check that everything is clean. 
• Check that everything is in its place.

8.  HALL

• Make sure it is clear.   
• Sweep.  
• Note that it is helpful to have a clothes hamper in the hall, master  bedroom and in the bathroom which is near the bedrooms. 
• Once the bedrooms are finished, one can put in a load of laundry. If there is a lot of laundry, start with an easy load that doesn’t need to be treated for stains.

9. LIVING ROOM

• Couch should be cleared.      
• Clear the bookcases.      
• The floor should be swept.

10. DINING ROOM

• The table should be completely cleared.      
• The floor should be swept.      
• The buffet and bookcases Should be completely cleared, Putting away anything that does not belong there.

11. KITCHEN 

Usually the only thing that belongs on the counters is the draining boards. Kitchen gadgets that are used quite often might be easier to leave out on the counter for the week putting it away for Shabbos.

• Sweep the floor.      
• Clear the table and the Counters. 
• All dishes go into the sink or washing bucket.      
• Food gets put away where they belong.      
• Anything else on the counter/table gets put in its place.      
• the counter/table gets washed down.      
• The dishes can now get washed. 
• When washing a lot of silverware, one can scrub them with soap, put them into a washing cup or tall container and then rinse them by filling up the container with water two times or as many times as needed.      
• Pots can be left on the stove until they are ready to be washed. Then they can be put on the stove to dry.

12. KITCHEN TIPS

Having the right tools in the house is important. For instance:      

• The right kind of rags – It is very helpful to have a drawer of assortment of rags in the kitchen and bathroom.      
• The right kind of sponges/scouring pads – Scouring pads cleans dishes, pots and silverware better than sponges.      
• The right kind of brooms/mops on each floor if needed.      
• Good knives, peelers and can openers.      
• When peeling anything, it is a good idea to peel straight into a bag on the counter or the table instead of peeling into a garbage bin, sink or straight onto the counter.      
• Folding plastic bags into loose knots can save space.           
  • Straighten out the bag.           
  • Fold bag lengthwise into a strip.  
  • Twist.           
  • Fold in half.           
  • Twist again.           
  • Make a loose knot.           
  • Put away.      

13. PANTRY – CLEANING AND ORGANIZING  

• When organizing closets, there is no need to undo the whole closet. 
• organizing one shelf at a time is much easier, neater and less overwhelming.      
• If one is only organizing without washing the shelf, undoing the shelf is unnecessary.      
• One can easily organize through visualizing, for example, cans go on one side of the shelf. Pick out all the cans in the pantry and put them  in the designated place.      
• Continue putting all similar items together, food items on one shelf and on another shelf one can put paper goods and so on. 
• Food bags such as grains, legumes, nuts and seeds are best if kept in the refrigerator or freezer. 
• For those who use disposable plastic spoons/forks/knives frequently, can separate them either into appropriate size foil pans or opened plastic containers. It will keep them neater and more organized.

14. MEAL PREPARATION 

Having some kind of weekly menu might be helpful for some in preparing meals with ease. For example, every Monday there might be potatoes. One week it can be mashed potatoes, another week it can be potato salad or then another week it can be chips. Every Tuesday for example could be rice made in different ways. 

In general a balanced meal consist of a vegetable, protein and a starch.

15. SHABBOS PREPARATION

• Sunday or the latest Monday        
  • Shabbos clothing gets laundered.      
• Wednesday               
  • Shabbos shopping – list should be made some time before.  
  • All cleaning that would not have to be done again before Shabbos.           
  • Visualize all the cleaning that needs to be done and what should be done first, second and third.    
• Thursday             
  • All cooking should be done except cholent and other foods that do not last for more than a day can be left for Friday.      
  • If one has a kitchen table and a dining room table, the dining room table can be prepared for Shabbos.           
  • Any other cleaning that needs to be done before Shabbos. 
  • Shabbos candles can be prepared. Some people like to prepare them in the beginning of the week.    
• Friday

This can be done any time especially when there is a lot to do.

• Sit comfortably either in an arm chair, couch or lye in bed for 3 to 10 minutes in order to visualize all that needs to be done and what should be done first, second and third.           
• A tip for cooking soup that will need to be stored in the freezer or the refrigerator is to put only a small amount of water into the pot so that the soup will not burn. Then one can add the amount of water that is needed when warming up the soup to eat.      

16. LAUNDRY – WASHING       

  It is advisable to separate the dark and white clothes.

• Dark colored clothes      
• White colored clothes      
• Light colored clothes      
• Linen      
• Towels  

• One can separate the clothes on the floor in the laundry room.  
• Using a clothes dryer can be very helpful, especially for women who have a lot of laundry or for others whom, for whatever reason are not managing as well.

17. LAUNDRY – WHEN TO DO

• Before doing the bedrooms

Although the bedrooms go first, it is worthwhile to put up a quick load like linens or towels or a load that does not need to be treated for stains.

• After finishing the bedrooms

It is commendable and wise to do one load after the other, taking a few minutes from our busy schedule to put up another load of laundry in order to get as much done as possible. 

TIPS

• Fabric softener prevents static in clothes.   
• For non-stained clothes a fast cycle is best, (that includes linens and towels).

18. LAUNDRY – FOLDING 

Folding laundry is best done once the whole house is in order, the meal preparation for the day is done and school lunches/snacks are done for the next day.

• Fold the bigger items first like sheets, tablecloth and then the big towels. 
• Larger size clothing/clothes that need to be hung up.     
• Any clothes that need to be ironed should be put on the side.   
• Small undergarments get folded towards the end.  
• Socks get paired last. Pairing socks can be very relaxing once one knows how to pair them. If there are a lot of socks, separate all the different colors – black, blue, white, colorful.   
  • Now take all the black socks for example and separate the different styles and designs of black socks. Plain, stripes, long, short etc.          
  • One can do the same with all the other colors and patterns.
• Any sock that doesn’t have a matching pair can be placed into a bag. Every once in a while, the bag can be looked through to see if there are any pairs.

19. LAUNDRY – MAKING PILES

• It is important to minimize the amount of piles we make after we fold the laundry.  
• Instead of making a pile for each person in the household one makes piles according to who sleeps in each bedroom. For example, three children sleep in one bedroom, all their clothing will be put into one pile.   
• When the piles of laundry are taken to each bedroom, one can then separate piles for each child/person and put the clothes in its place.

20. LAUNDRY – LARGE AMOUNTS 

There are a few ways one will find it easier to fold a large amount of laundry

1. If the laundry is still in baskets:

• Fold two baskets and put away. Fold another two baskets and put  away and so on.      

2. A bed full of laundry 1:     

• Pick out the larger items first, like sheets and big towels. After one finishes folding all of them, they should be put away.      
• Continue to pick out the next larger items in the pile and put away.      

3. A bed full of laundry 2:   

• Separate all the items into piles, for example; linens, big towels, shirts, pants, skirts, and so on.      
•  Fold.      
• Every once in a while put the folded laundry away.      

• Note that the setup of putting away each part as it is done, helps us to keep our minds clear, focused and to work with more ease.
• Putting away the laundry often is only when there is a large pile of  laundry.

21. IRONING 

Ironing is usually done once the house is in order, unless it is needed immediately. If one does not get to the ironing at all, he might want to consider doing it first thing in the morning after putting up a load of laundry. After one finishes the ironing, one can then start the morning routine unless food needs to be put up or another urgent matter comes up. 

One who has a difficult time with getting their ironing done should have their iron and ironing board within easy reach. An advisable place to keep your iron and ironing board is in the same room the clean laundry is normally kept. If possible it should be hidden behind some furniture when not in use (or at least be put away for Shabbos).

22. TIPS ON IRONING

• With a spray water bottle, lightly spray each section that is being  ironed  
• Fabric softener – add a little bit of fabric softener to another water bottle to spray on clothes that have static.   
• Shirts   
  • Start with the collar.      
  • then upper back part of the shirt (shoulder area).    
  • Sleeves.      
  • Back.      
  • Front.         
• Dresses – if the dress is sectioned off with a seam at the waistline,  start by the skirt part then go to the top part.   
• Skirts – start by one seam, and continue to go around till one gets to the seam again.

23. ORDER OF IRONING CLOTHES 

A guideline for those who are able to accomplish all the ironing in one day. For others see below.

• Men’s shirts   
• Boy’s shirts    
• Men’s pants   
• Boy’s pants  
• Skirts, shirts, dresses, jumpers     
  • The larger quantity go first (If there are more shirts then skirts then the shirts are done first etc.).      
• Tiechlach (head coverings)   
• Big items like table cloths and kittlels will usually be left for the  end.

For those who cannot manage all the ironing in one day.    

• All items that will be needed for the next day or two.   
• All the Shabbos items.     
  • Shabbos clothing.           
  • Shabbos table cloth (If needed).      

AFTERNOON/EVENING SCHEDULE

24. PREPARING FOR THE NEXT DAY 

The more we can prepare the day before the better, for example,

• lunches, snacks and drinks.         
• Clothing that children will wear for the next day. (This can be done after the little children have gone to sleep).  
• Books and supplies the children will need in their briefcase for the next day including sharpened pencils. (This is usually done with the children when they finish their homework).

25. AFTERNOON ROUTINE     

• Supper – Supper should be served about 4 or 5 o’clock, depending on what time the young children come home from school. Children are very hungry when they come home and therefore it is important that supper should be served soon after they arrive and not have to wait for the older children or father to come home.  
• Homework – After supper it is important for the mother to sit with the children around the table and help them with their homework. After each child finishes their homework check to see that they have all their supplies and books that they will need for the next day.   
  • Sitting with the children around the table.           
    • Children take out their homework.
    • Parent or caregiver checks to see what everyone has for homework.
    • Now the parent or caregiver chooses one child to help with their homework, while the other child or children start with what they can do on their own. 
    • If a child does not understand how to do a particular assignment, try explaining it to him in different ways.         
    • Go over with the child A few times what they did not understand or know.                
    • It is very important to have patients with every child.           
    • Always use nice, pleasant and loving words.      
• Bath – Bath starts at about 6-6:30 for the younger children.   
• Story time – Younger children can be read a story before or after they go into bed. While older children can read for about ten minutes if they go to sleep on time.      
• Bedtime – Bedtime should start between 7-8:30 depending on the age.   
• Note that evening schedule can get messed up when children have friends coming over after school or do after-school activities (this is advisable to avoid for children who come home from 3:30).

26. BEDTIME ROUTINE

• Bedtime is a time to focus on the needs of the children without other distractions.      
• Children need guidance and our complete attention. 
• At times we will need to literally change the children into pajamas or calmly sit with them while guiding them through tasks such as those mentioned above in “morning rush hour”.      
• Bedtime is a very special, precious and rewarding time for both the children and the carer if it is done in the right way.      
• Bedtime is a time to bless, hug, kiss and tuck the children into bed. (And tell them a story if they didn’t get a story before).

27. PARENTING TIPS

• Being assertive with children rather than yelling at them is more effective. Screaming at children only causes conflict, unpleasantness and pain.      
• Talk to each child individually rather than as a whole group when you want to be heard.      
• Get the child’s attention, by looking at him/her when you want him to do something.      
• Consequences should be short and to the point and only implemented when necessary.      
• Children need consistency.      
• Before disciplining, remember that parents are there to teach their children right from wrong and to help them to succeed in life.      
• Sometimes a child may not do as he is told because he argues that something else he is doing is more important. In this case, it is a good idea for the parent to calmly and assertively repeat their instructions and not to enter into an argument. Refrain from discussing the details of what the child raised. Rather, simply assert what you would like him to do without emotion. 
• In general, children should be listened to. But when they are trying to avoid a task, it is not the time to enter into a conversation or argument.

DISORGANIZED ROOMS/HOUSES

28. UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPT

Disorganized houses can also be easily cleaned with a breeze. 

One of the secrets to keeping a neat home is by minimizing the amount of possessions one has in his home. Because people tend to look at a whole mess instead of looking at each item in the mess, it causes them not to know where to start and what to do next. For instance, instead of seeing a bed full of clothes, it is important to see sheets, big towels, large shirts etc. When seeing a pile of all kinds of different stuff on the floor, it is important to notice the things individually, such as clothing, big toys, papers etc. One looks at one thing at a time and visualizes where they should go. Any item that belongs in another room should be placed aside, in a box/basket or bag. 

Before doing anything in each room start with bringing everything together that is on the floor into one pile and leave it on the side. This gives a feeling of accomplishment in a short time. It gives the room a better appearance and makes it less overwhelming. Reading below will guide you step by step on how to see items individually instead of a whole mess. In this case one may start in any room they prefer.

29. BEDROOMS

• Sweep everything that is on the floor together and leave it on the side.      
• Make one bed.      
• Put everything from the other beds on to the made bed and continue making the other beds.      
• Take everything that is on all the dressers (except clothing put on the bed) that don’t belong there and put into a box or bag then put on the bed so it doesn’t get lost.      
• Floor (See below “Tackling The Floor”).      
• Tackling the bed that is full of clothes.

1. Fold all the blankets and other big items first. Blankets can be put in bags and put away if it is not needed. Fold all sheets and other big items and put away.           
2. Pick out all the clothing that need to be hung and hang them up.           
3. Continue with the pile, always picking out the bigger items, pants, tops, skirts and so on.      
4. Socks go last and can be put into a bag to get out of the way until one is ready to pair them up. (See above by “Laundry Folding”).           

• Any clothing that is not needed immediately, (such as babies and children’s clothes) should be put in a bag to be dealt with another time. If one wishes to do it now he can separate babies clothes, toddlers clothes and children’s clothes and put it into different bags. (It is not worth spending too much time on it now except for the babies and toddlers clothes).     
• Any clothing that is definitely not needed should be put into another bag to give away.

30. LIVING ROOM/DINING ROOM     

• Sweep everything that is on the floor together and leave it on the side.      
• Couches should be cleared off.      
• Bookcases should be cleared of everything other than sefarim/books.      
• Tables can be cleaned.      
• Floor (see below “Tackling The Floor”).

31. BASEMENT/STORAGE ROOM     

• Sweep everything that is on the floor together.      
• All clean laundry goes into one bag or on a bed.      
• Dirty laundry goes into another bag.      
• All books that belong in another room go into a box to be put in its place later.      
• All papers that need to be looked through should go into another box or a bag.      
• Papers that are definitely garbage should be put directly into a garbage bag.      
• All toys or games should be put into another box unless they belong in the room one is working in, if so put on the side until one gets up, then put away.

32. TACKLING THE FLOOR     

• Sweep everything that is on the floor together.      
• Bring a bag for garbage to have nearby.      
• Bring a few more bags (big and small) and a box or two in case one will need them.      
• Sit in one spot for as long as one is working on the pile, without getting up to put anything away.      
• Pick out all the clothing and throw onto a bed, couch or into a bag.      
• Pick out all the big toys and put into a box.      
• Pick up any books and/or papers (without checking to see if any of the papers are garbage) and put into a bag or box.      
• Next see what other items are big or catches ones eyes and put into the pile that they belong, which is near you.     
• The end of the pile can get tedious and frustrating. Therefore one must remember to focus on what catches the eye. It might be a little toy, little pieces of paper or plastic or it might be some dirt that would need to be picked up so that one will become more clear minded.

SELF CARE

33. LOOKING AFTER YOURSELF     

• In order to stay organized it is important to get rid of excessive things that are not needed.      
• Excessive items causes clutter and confusion.      
• Women who lack energy in accomplishing their housework should either be taking ‘wheat grass tablets which have a lot of vitamins and minerals or even better to eat soaked grains, legumes, nuts and   seeds. (See “An Essential Boost Of Nutrition”). 
• Since women are mostly in and around the kitchen and also the laundry room, it is advisable for anyone building a house to build the laundry room near the kitchen. 
• When a person suddenly sees that they don’t know     where to begin, they should relax on a couch, armchair or bed and visualize all that they have to do. Then visualize where they should begin first second and third. By using this method one will see that their housework will flow more easily.

34. RESTING DURING THE DAY

• Resting or sleeping in the mornings or afternoon can give renewed energy for the rest of the day.      
• While quietly resting, – for those who have a husband and/or children it is useful to visualize issues going on with them and work out how to deal with different situations.      
• It is also advisable to do healing on oneself, like covering one’s eyes and forehead or holding onto the wrist or socket of the thumb. This might help a person to relax and fall asleep.      

TABLE OF CONTENTS

MORNING ROUTINE 

1.  Morning Rush Hour                                     

2. Bed Wetting 

3. Dressing Children 

4. Brushing Teeth – Children 

5. Breakfast 

HOUSEWORK ROUTINE 

6. Bedrooms 

7. Bathrooms 

8. Hall 

9. Living Room 

10. Dining Room 

11. Kitchen 

12. Kitchen  Tips 

13. Pantries Cleaning And Organizing 

14. Meal Preparation 

15. Shabbos Preparation

16. Laundry – Washing 

17. Laundry – When To Do 

18. Laundry – Folding 

19. Laundry – Making Piles 

20. Laundry – Large Amounts 

21. Ironing 

22. Tips On Ironing 

23. Order Of Ironing Clothes

AFTERNOON/EVENING SCHEDULE 

24. Preparing For The Next Day 

25. Afternoon/Evening Schedule 

26. Bedtime Routine 

27. Parenting Tips 

DISORGANIZED ROOMS/HOUSES 

28. Understanding The Concept 

29. Bedrooms 

30. Living Room/Dining Room 

31. Basement/Storage Room 

32. Tackling The Floor 

SELF CARE 

33. Looking After Yourself 

34. Resting During The Day