CLEANING TIP
Back-to-School Tips for a Less Stressful Home
If you've ever stood by the front door at 7:30 in the morning while someone is yelling, "Mom! I can't find my shoes!"...you're are in good company on this blog.
As cleaners, we get to see what life looks like behind the front door of a lot of homes. And every August, it's the same story. Summer comes to an end, school starts back up, and everyone is trying to get into a new routine.
The families that seem the least stressed aren't the ones with the biggest houses or the fanciest organizers. They've simply built a few habits that make life easier.
Here are three we've seen work time and time again.
1. Stop Treating the Front Door Like a Dumping Ground
We've all done it.
You walk in after work or soccer practice, drop everything wherever it lands, and tell yourself you'll deal with it later. Then "later" becomes tomorrow morning, and now everyone is searching for backpacks, lunch boxes, and library books before the bus shows up.
One family we clean has a small bench by their garage door with a basket for each child. That's it. Every night before bed, shoes go underneath, backpacks go in the basket, and anything that needs to leave the house the next morning gets placed there too. It isn't Pinterest-worthy, but it works. Those few minutes every evening save them from the morning scavenger hunt.
2. Don't Let Tomorrow Steal Tonight
One thing I've noticed is that kids aren't the only ones carrying around a full mental load.
They're thinking about spelling tests and making new friends. Meanwhile, you're wondering if you remembered to sign the field trip form, whether dinner is planned for tomorrow, and how you're going to get everyone to practice on time.
Before bed, take five minutes to empty your brain. Ask your kids if there's anything they're worried about or need help remembering tomorrow. Write it down. Then do the same for yourself. I've found that once it's on paper, it's a lot easier to actually relax instead of lying in bed mentally packing tomorrow's backpack.
3. Give Yourself Permission to Get Help
Back-to-school season asks a lot from parents.
There are lunches to pack, homework to check, sports to get to, teachers to email, clothes to wash...and somehow the house is supposed to stay spotless too?
What we've learned is it doesn't all have to fall on you.
One of the things we hear most from our clients is, "I didn't realize how much lighter I would feel." They aren't hiring Foothills Elite Cleaning because they can't clean. They're hiring us because they'd rather spend Saturday morning at a soccer game than scrubbing baseboards. Honestly, we don't blame them.
A Little Less Chaos Goes a Long Way
Back-to-school season is always going to be busy, but it doesn't have to make you want to pull your hair out.
A simple evening routine, a dedicated place for everyone's things, and a little help around the house can completely change how your week feels. And if taking cleaning off your plate gives you one more evening around the dinner table or one more Saturday making memories with your kids, we'd call that time well spent.
If you ever need a little support, you can always reach out to us about our cleaning services.
Interested in ongoing cleaning at a lower rate?
We offer recurring options so your space stays consistently clean without the extra planning.