This month we practiced the habit of shining our sink once a day. I have trained my children to rinse their dishes and put them in the dishwasher. That keeps my sink empty. All of them help with unloading the dishwasher as well. I do resist the temptation to rearrange the dishwasher. We run the dishwasher twice a day anyway. I am not going to be a perfectionist on how the dishwasher is loaded. They have emptied it enough that they know the general area the dishes go in. I don’t stress out about how the dishes are loaded.

Teaching your children how to do dishes is an important life skill. There are many things around the house that you can teach you children to do that will benefit them later in life. In the present, it will benefit you to train your army to help you. Remember that the next time you do something around the house because it is easier for you to do it rather than to teach them to do it.

While I am talking about perfectionism and teaching your children. Think about your laundry. Do you find yourself doing most of the folding even if it is towels because you want things folded a certain way? Teach your children to fold laundry and be willing to accept it if it is not perfect. My two youngest fold the towels and washcloths daily. They know the way to fold them, but I do not go back behind them to refold them if they do not look perfect. Guess what? We will be using those towels and washcloths again really soon.

Have a wonderful day!