Keeping an Orderly House-- By: Grandma Thera Sanburg

Keeping an Orderly House

By: Grandma Thera

[Mostly for the purposes of a fairly traditional wife--which I really wouldn't mind being..]

(All italics are mine).

MOST IMPORTANTLY!!

• You should be praised always in your efforts, if he (your husband) appreciates it-- you try harder.


• People always need to try to compliment others, especially family


• ALWAYS tell your husband how you appreciate him!


• Tell him you would like a compliment once in a while...it's a two way street, compliment him always.

I love the way Miriam's family works..her husband praises her daily for everything! And in turn, she takes really good care of him... These things are new to me, and I like them, my parents are...different. :-)

• When you don't get praise, you stop trying.

Compliments are indicative of relationship health.

Children

• Individual chores for kids when they are old enough


• Use a clothes bag! It hangs on the doorknob, or the back of the door, and have the kids put clothes in them as soon as they're done with them, that way, on laundry day, you go from door to door, pick up the bags, without having to pick the clothes up off of the floor.


• ALWAYS lay school clothes and SHOES out the night before


• MORNINGS: Every child makes bed


• Have hot cereal, oatmeal, toast, hot chocolate for breakfast (She lives in Colorado..)


• Do homework at night, and as soon as finished, put all books back into bookbags, so they can grab and go...


• Make lunches the night before too!


• Put dishes in sink/ dishwasher right after breakfast, instantly brightens kitchen, makes life so much easier


• TRAIN CHILDREN TO PICK UP AFTER THEMSELVES!!!


• Start when they are little with toys and a toy box, then move onto clothes when older
• It always depends on the child's maturity level too...what they can handle responsibility-wise.


• IT IS NOT FAIR FOR THE MOTHER TO DO IT ALL

WORKING TOGETHER IN A LOVING WAY TO RAISE THE KIDS

• Decide together beforehand to work as a team, keep each other updated on the kids, so one doesn't undo another's work!
• Be nice, be kind of firm with your husband- "Be behind me, agree with me when I ask our child to do something"
• Take privileges when kids disobey
• Work together to keep an orderly house--no arguing, no fussing
• Teach children to be appreciative, and ALWAYS appreciate them and praise them- EX: "I appreciate you for studying hard"
• BE CAREFUL: NEVER COMPARE CHILDREN!!!!
• Never one to another, or any other person
• Never about grades, behavior, or anything. SHAMING A CHILD IS NOT GOOD!
• "I think you could be better yourself in this way..."
• Sometimes kids are just brighter, (or not) or function in a different way
• People put too much emphasis on intelligence
• Don't brag- people will figure out how smart they are.
• Please, never ANY fighting in front of the children. EVER. They'll never forget it.
  

MAKE TIME FOR NAPS!!!

"That's why there are grouchy people in the world...they don't take naps!!!"

CLEANING & HOUSEWORK

Invest in:

1. Many Miracle Cloths {blue, can be found at Sam's Club}


2. Long armed rubber gloves to keep your hands nice forever!! {they should have a nice grip}


3. Mr. Clean


4. Spic & Span


5. Simple Green


6. Odo Ban


7. Vinegar


8. Squeegee


9. Long handled duster


10. BUCKETS!!


11. Mr. Clean Magic Erasers


12. Soft Scrub


13. AND ONE REALLY REALLY REALLY NICE VACUUM CLEANER!! It will save so much work just having a vacuum with really good suction.

Always Concentrate on One room at a time, and a few things in that room at a time...and clean TOP TO BOTTOM, otherwise, you'll just have to re-clean everything you already cleaned.

Form a list in your head the night before, while your laying there waiting to fall to sleep, say "I need to work on this....tomorrow", AND FOLLOW THROUGH!!!

Keep a list handy..add as you see...don't just go off and do something else and get sidetracked!!!

As I go through these methods, my dream house envisioned in my head begins to shrink smaller, and smaller and smaller...I can't imagine doing everything like this in a big house!!

Instant Room Boosters: She could write for magazines!

• Dishes in cupboards


• Always have them done- it's nicer when you walk in, and have to look for something


• Always wipe stove off when done- stove will always be clean. I wish I had this common sense!


• MONDAY- is a good wash day for clothes

Up the Cleaning Scale:

• Do another day for bedding--don't have the kids make their beds that day-- put sheets in laundry bags, or pull them off yourself once they're gone.


• Vacuum after that, and dust after bed change day (lint on floors from beds)


• Do the bedrooms one day- Living room another.

BIG JOBS:

WINDOW WASH DAY: Inside & Out

• Have your squeegee handy


• Don't use newspapers around white woodwork, ink will smudge it.


• Use a miracle cloth, they make windows sparkle


• 2 Buckets: 1 with dish-soapy water, 1 vinegar-water mixture, then a couple of miracle cloths to dry


• Always wipe squeegee after a few strokes to prevent smudging


• Use the soapy water with the miracle cloth, then vinegar water, then squeegee [or miracle cloth dry on inside].


• Well worth the extra elbow grease, after she did our windows, we had birds hitting them for a month!!

WALL WASHING/CEILING WASHING: It really makes it look like you just got a new coat of paint.

(And yes, people do wash their walls-- make sure you have washable paint)

• Dust everything


• Dust ceiling fan with long handled duster [You'll want to vacuum/sweep later]


• Get a bucket of HOT SOAPY water, you can use Mr. Clean {wear gloves} or Soft Scrub or Spic & Span, rub rough spots with cloth, however Simple Green is wonderful, it has a good smell, and is not hard on your hands


• You can pat dry if desired...


• FOR CEILINGS:


• Safe, stepping ladder (Be careful!)


• Rag/ Miracle cloth- scrub the same way


• You don't usually have to dry..self drying

This is really important in kitchens--after cooking, the walls actually do get greasy! Gross...

BATHTUBS/ HOT TUBS

• Soft Scrub in bathtub
• Go over with vinegar water
• Be careful to rinse thoroughly, you turn on the jets and their are cleaning suds everywhere
• Running mild cleaning solution through jets can clean them, but be careful!

IT IS IMPORTANT FOR WOMEN TO LEARN HOW TO CLEAN A DRAIN! NOT JUST LIQUID PLUMBER...BUT TAKING IT APART AND YANKING THE HAIR OUT TOO

CARPETS (Hers are amazing, perfect, and she's had them 15 years, they've only been shampooed once, last week)

• Keep them nice, shampooing costs around $150 each time!
• As mentioned before, invest in a really high quality vacuum with GREAT suction, it saves on everything else
• Spot clean usually: ODO BAN/Enzyme cleaner to get ride of pet stains.
• Spills/Stains:
• Bucket of water, spray Odo Ban/Carpet cleaner on, let sit 10-15 minutes, then POUND with a damp Turkish Towel (heavy bath towel, and this actually works, I spilled chocolate milk all over her den carpet when I was twelve, and she made me pound that sucker until I was blue in the face...it all came out! It works by breaking the stain up..the vibrations bubble it up I guess)
• For greasy stains, go to an industrial store, like Home Depot, get something like Chemdry, it smells like gas, and its different than regular cleaners, but it works
  

WOODWORK:

• Mr. Clean Magic Erasers!

YEARLY/SEMI-YEARLY PROJECTS

• Cleaning out the cupboards
• Go one or two a day..never all at once!

_____________________________________________

Now, I would find it extremely odd that anyone else my age would care remotely for these things.. (unless you're LDS... if you find them useful, let me know!) but I am fairly prejudiced and do not frequently hold a good opinion of my own generation (preparedness wise). Hopefully someone does...

These were the works of an hour-seven-minute conversation with Grandma, I pulled out my notebook and started taking notes..FIVE PAGES WORTH!! --Because the quality of my future family life is REALLY important to me. I guess it's just a result of Young Women training!

Coincidentally, that's usually how long my conversations with Grandma have lasted recently..which is good! She's amazing!

LOVE ALWAYS! Follow church teachings in organizing a schedule of prayer and Family Home Evening.

And it helps so much to have a Priesthood holder in your home.

Now I need her vast Library of Congress cooking knowledge..