7 Housekeeping Rules I'm Glad My Parents Taught Me...


…even though I ignored them until I moved out and THEN discovered just how much sense they made.
1
 Turn around and look at the kitchen before you leave it!

Any dishes you missed?  Stray spoons?  A hotpad you could put away?  It makes life easier in the long run.  Thanks, Daddy.

2
Shake the crumbs out of the toaster when you’re done.

Yes, it does get nasty when you don’t do that for a week…or two months.  Sorry about all the complaining, Mommy!

3
Open your windowshades and make your bed in the morning.

Okay, I haven’t thoroughly gotten into the habit of this yet, but I’m definitely starting to see the value of coming home to a lit, neat-looking room.

4
Saturdays are for cleaning.

Oh, how I hated this custom as a child…now, I’m so happy for Saturdays because I can catch up on all the chores that just can’t get done during the week.  And then I can start off the new week with a clean, neat apartment, which somehow makes life so much easier!

5
Wipe off the table after a meal.

Enough said.

6
First in, first out.

Mommy always marked canned food with the month she bought it in, and put new food at the back of the shelf to keep straight what needed to be eaten first.  With a smaller pantry and fridge, I’m coming up with my own system for ensuring that I don’t waste food, and don’t buy what I don’t need.

7
Clean before leaving for a trip.

Again, there’s something about coming back to a clean apartment that eases the exhaustion of travelling, especially when you have to get up and go to work the next day.  Also, packing is easier if everything is already in its place!


Moral of the story?  All those things you tried to drum into your children's heads, and despaired of them ever learning... Some day, they'll thank you.  It might take a few years, but eventually something will click in their heads, and the habits they hated will become their recourse.  There's one phrase of adulthood that always seems to provide consolation and direction:

"This is the way my parents always did it!"

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