Whether you are a young homemaker or an experienced, full-time homemaker, you could benefit from establishing these 10 simple habits of a homemaker. By consistently implementing some small changes, your overall perspective of your role as a homemaker will be impacted for the better.
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Daily Tasks of a Homemaker
You may have wondered at some point: What is a homemaker supposed to do all day?
If you are a new homemaker and trying to figure out your responsibilities, priorities, and goals, you are not alone! We all start somewhere, and it can take years to really find your purpose as a homemaker.
Most homemakers, however, have a set of daily tasks they consistently need to perform to manage their household well.
One thing is for sure, homemakers have no shortage of responsibilities to carry out in a day. Having these consistent habits of a homemaker can help you manage the tasks. And, more importantly, they can help you find joy in your work as a homemaker!
Why are habits of a homemaker important?
Over the years, I have listened to and followed many women on various platforms, trying to glean as much wisdom from them as possible.
There are so many wonderful mentors in the online space. And, you can learn a ton about motherhood, homemaking, and pretty much any other skill imaginable just from watching youtube channels.
One common theme I heard over and over again from these women was that you must have certain systems in place to manage all the things.
Some examples of systems that are extremely helpful include: cleaning routines, meal planning, homeschool rhythms, and organizational systems.
What I have found, though, is that you can set up as many systems as your heart desires. But, without the habit of actually carrying out those systems, they are useless.
Systems, schedules, and a homemaking routine are all fantastic tools to make your life more manageable and fulfilling.
However, they are completely useless if you don’t have the ability to consistently use those tools.
Forming these healthy habits of a homemaker is crucial to the success of these systems that we put in place all throughout our daily life.
Look at it this way: You can write out a cleaning schedule for the week and assign vacuuming to every Thursday for the rest of the month. But, if you don’t actually go get the vacuum and use it on Thursday, what was the point?
Making a habit of getting out the vacuum every Thursday is actually what will keep your floors clean and your housework a little more manageable.
This is why the habits of a homemaker are so important.
The Simple Homemaking Life
What is your ultimate goal of being a homemaker?
When I envision my “dream” life, I am doing all the homemaking things.
I love cooking from scratch, caring for my children, homeschooling, meal planning, grocery shopping, budgeting every month, and making sure all of my family members needs are met.
And, shockingly, I even find joy in cleaning!
I love everything about being a homemaker…when I am just looking at each aspect individually.
The problem is, we let all these things that we love about homemaking become so overwhelming when we don’t have habits in place.
We forget to order groceries for the week. So, we have to pick up takeout, which in turn blows our budget for the month. And then come the feelings of guilt and shame that we are failing at our job.
Or maybe you’ve been in the situation where you get an unexpected visitor at your house, but you haven’t cleaned the bathrooms in 3 weeks. And, now, you’re just totally embarrassed and overwhelmed.
You frantically start deep cleaning every surface of your home. You’re frustrated with your family for making it so messy in the first place. And, you feel like a failure for not being able to keep up with this one responsibility of a clean home.
Except that it’s not just one responsibility. It’s SO many. And, it’s totally understandable how things fall to the wayside when you really look at all the balls you are juggling on a daily basis.
The key to a more simple life is establishing some simple habits of a homemaker.
I was speaking from personal experience when I shared those examples, by the way.
I’ve been there. We all have. And, it’s hard to see in the moment why we are failing so badly.
But, the truth is, we just don’t have the habits established that we need to in order to live a more simple life. And, the good news is, it’s not impossible to start implementing these habits right away in order to see a big difference.
Trust, me. I’ve done it myself. And, I am so thankful now that I spent a lot of time working on these daily habits. It has made such a huge difference on my joy and fulfillment surrounding my role as a homemaker.
And, it can for you as well!
10 Habits of a Successful Homemaker to Make Life More Simple
Habit 1: Be in scripture everyday
This is the first habit I established 2 years ago, and it paved the way for all the other habits to fall in place.
I had always had a goal to read through the Bible in a year. Like so many others who set this goal every new year, I stuck with it for maybe a month and then quickly reverted back to old habits. None of which included reading my Bible everyday.
The year that I accomplished this goal, I had a deep desire to fulfill this need. I wanted the change in my life. So much so that even when I started to feel myself falling out of the habit, I quickly remembered my “why” and kept pushing forward.
Now, two years later, I’ve not only read through the entire Bible, but have also spent another year reading through and studying the New Testament a second time. And, it all started by pushing through those initial temptations to quit.
After seeing how it was possible to establish a habit, I began looking to other places in my life that needed improvement.
I was able to make good habits in my home management systems that I had failed to do before. Things really started to change when I saw the potential that creating new habits had on my life.
It’s incredibly easy to quit a new habit, and feels impossible to stop the old ones. But, what if those new ones become the old ones? It’s life changing. And, only you have the power to make that happen.
Why is reading scripture everyday an essential habit? Not only does it help to center my emotions, thoughts, and intentions for the day, but it also almost always speaks to me. I often find the exact words I need to hear to keep pushing through the obstacles.
Reading God’s word daily makes me a better mom, a better wife, a better friend, and certainly a better individual.
Habit 2: Consistent sleep schedule
With a one year old, a toddler, and 3 other young children in our home, this is the one habit I still struggle with all the time.
The importance of getting regular and consistent sleep is so high, though, that I keep striving to meet this goal on a regular basis. And, one day, I know it will be a regular part of my daily routine.
Even though it’s not consistent right now, I try to get at least 7 hours of sleep a night. I know when I have less than that, I struggle with my mood and energy throughout the whole day.
I also tend to eat more poorly, not move my body as much, and find it easier to revert to bad habits if I don’t have enough rest.
Sleep is instrumental to all aspects of your life. You need it to function, so it shouldn’t be taken lightly!
Habit 3: Eat nourishing, whole foods
As a busy homeschooling mom of 5, this has been a habit that has taken much time to get into.
Convenience foods just seem so much more… convenient. And, if i’m not careful, I find myself starting to slip back into those old patterns of fast food and processed snacks.
When it comes to finding easy, nutritious foods for my large family, I find tons of inspiration on social media.
I love following accounts that are specific to sharing healthy, made from scratch, meals for families.
Not only is eating nourishing meals obviously a good choice for your health, but it also can save you money in your budget. Having some simple, in season, fruits and veggies on hand as well as a few easy protein choices makes it easy to throw together simple meals that are filling and lead to less snacking.
Purchasing in-season produce is often more budget-friendly and easier to find, too!
Having these items on hand reduces the need for you to run out and grab dinner, which is almost always worse for your budget than cooking at home!
Habit 4: Move your body
Another important habit of a homemaker is to intentionally move your body.
If you’ve been a homemaker for a while, you are probably questioning why you need to move your body more than you already are.
I completely understand. Somedays it feels like I’m constantly moving as I’m caring for little ones, cooking, cleaning, and running errands.
The difference is that moving your body intentionally has many benefits besides just exercise. It’s a great stress reliever, targets muscles in your body that you may not actually be using very often, and leaves you feeling more energized than you were before.
Every time I tried to establish a workout habit in my life, I thought it had to be first thing in the morning. And I quickly found out that I am not a morning person ,especially when it comes to exercising.
One of the most important aspects of establishing new habits is to make them work for you. You won’t be nearly as successful if you have to change who you are in order to start a new habit.
So, for me, I am far more motivated to exercise in the afternoon when I put the baby down for a nap. And, it’s the time of day where I really need that energy boost to push me through.
Habit 5: Do something you love every single day
Somedays, I get so caught up in trying to get everything done. I get so focused on moving through tasks and can easily convince myself that I’m being lazy if I stop to do something for myself.
But, the truth is, I find that I am a far more productive homemaker if I give myself a break to do something I enjoy doing.
While it can be easy to think that these are “lazy” activities that are a waste of precious time, they are actually super important to me being productive with the rest of my time.
Some activities that I love to do include reading for fun, baking treats, goal planning, and getting caught up in a new series on tv with my husband.
Deprivation will only hinder your progress, not propel you forward.
You have to make room for fun and enjoyment in your life. It goes far too quickly to not take a little time to decompress and do things you enjoy. Even if there is no “purpose” in the activity, joy and happiness radiates throughout everything you do.
So, giving yourself a little joy in your downtime will translate to more joy in carrying out your daily responsibilities.
Habit 6: Do one load of laundry every day
This may seem really basic, but if you are really struggling to establish habits and need a place to start, start here.
You CAN do one load of laundry a day. And, when I say “load,” I mean from start to finish. Put the clothes in the washer, transfer to them to the dryer, fold them, and put them away.
One load. That’s all.
Even if you don’t have any clothes to wash one day, was bedsheets, towels, or bathmats. Anything you can throw in there that needs to be washed. Just do it!
Not only is this an easy habit to start, but also it will keep the laundry at bay and you won’t get overwhelmed by it. In all, you will spend about 20 active minutes doing this entire load of laundry. The machines do the rest of the work.
Habit 7: Close your kitchen every night
“Closing” your kitchen means you load the dishwasher, empty the sink, wipe down the counters/table, and basically reset the whole thing.
Going to bed with a clean kitchen and waking up with it nice and tidy is so good for the soul. It’s a mood lifter and helps you stay on top of the potential mess.
If you are resetting your kitchen on a nightly basis, it’s not getting so cluttered and messy that you eventually reach a breaking point and lose your mind. You’re always staying on top of it and getting the joy of waking up to a clean house.
Habit 8: Keep floors and counters clean
In addition to staying on top of laundry and keeping the kitchen tidy, another important habit of a homemaker is to keep the floors and counters clean.
These are problem areas in any home. They are just magnets for clutter.
In our home, the floors are usually littered with toys, clothes, shoes… all the things. We have 5 little kids, so it’s expected.
The counters are also such a pain point in our home. It’s so easy to just toss the mail on them or come in from running errands and unload all your belongings. The kids also think the counters are the perfect place to set all their random knickknacks, including rocks, leaves, coins, toys, etc.
Have an organizational system
One way I’ve tried to combat all the clutter on the floors and counters is to have an organizational system in place.
We have toy organizers in our living room for storing toys. Throughout the day, we will pause what we’re doing for 10 minutes and pick up the toys. We may have to do this several times a day, but if we all work together it goes smoothly.
I also make sure to reset our living room on a nightly basis once everyone is in bed. I like to come out first thing in the morning to a tidy living room and kitchen. So, these little things throughout the day help make that more doable.
On my counters, I keep a nice wicker basket to toss all random papers in. Anything from kid drawings to homework pages to bills go in this basket. I will frequently thumb through the stack, discard what we don’t need anymore, and file away things I want to keep.
As far as random trinkets that end up on the countertops, we keep an organized “junk” drawer in our kitchen. I purchased this drawer organizer a few years back, and it has helped so much in keeping the drawer tidy and clutter free. I frequently will go through the drawer and empty out things we no longer need or use.
Habit 9: Make your bed every morning
This is another of the habits of a homemaker that is so easy to establish and a great place to begin. Making your bed every morning not only creates a more tidy-looking space, but climbing into a made bed is also a nice way to end your day.
I have not always been a bed-maker. It was probably around the time that we got married that I started making a habit of making the bed every morning.
Now, I definitely can’t start my day on a happy note without having my bed made first thing. It’s part of my morning routine, and it brings a sense of order to what are often chaotic days around here!
Habit 10: Journal
The final habit of a homemaker that I strongly recommend is journaling.
I am fairly new to journaling, but have found it to be so helpful with organizing all my thoughts. As a busy mom and homemaker, I very often have an endless to-do list swirling around in my head.
It’s common for me to tell my husband “I have a lot on my mind but I can’t focus on one single thing.”
Journaling has been therapeutic for organizing all those thoughts into manageable chunks. When I write down my worries, things I’m grateful for, and my goals, I am able to put everything into perspective and keep a positive attitude.
Making a habit of journaling is wonderful for less stress and bringing peace and joy into your life. It’s one habit of a homemaker that I definitely wouldn’t give up on!
My Favorite Resource for Establishing Habits of A Homemaker
A great resource for learning how to establish simple habits of a homemaker is the book Home Management Made Simple.
This book is full of systems and habits you can establish as a homemaker in order to run your home more smoothly. I have implemented many of the concepts from this book into my daily life and have seen great results!
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