Being a parent can make even the best of us feel a little out of control. Having your housework reach that out-of-control point can make you feel even worse. Although organizing your household may take more effort with kids, it still can be done. Here are a few tips I’d like to share to get a very basic grip on your household duties:

1. Keep a FAMILY calendar. Write down every appointment, or event your family must attend. If you have a large family, you may want to consider using a different color for each person. Keep the calendar in plain sight (we keep ours on the refrigerator).

2. Schedule your tasks. Make a list of every daily, weekly, and monthly housekeeping task you must do. Start with basics like laundry, grocery shopping, dusting, etc. and you’ll think of more to add later. Come up with a schedule to get them done: Monday: laundry; Tuesday: dusting, etc. This should keep you from forgetting what you need to get done, and also give you a sense of accomplishment.

3. Keep a to-do list. This list includes all the little tasks that need to be done that aren’t on your schedule. It may include things like fixing a leaky faucet, making a birthday card for Grandma, or giving the dog a bath. We like to compile our family’s list at the beginning of the week. Sometimes we add things to the list that we’ve done just so that we can cross them off!

4. Have a 15-minute pick-up. I must admit, we implemented this mostly for my husband. I was getting tired of nagging him to pick up his dirty clothes off the floor, and he was getting tired of me nagging him to do it. Now before going to bed, we spend 15 minutes picking up odds and ends around the house that accumulate during the day (sorting mail, putting away newspapers, picking up clothes, etc.). This works out well for both of us, and prevents a lot of arguments.