SAHM Workload Balance
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Are you struggling to keep up with the very demanding day-to-day work that being a SAHM requires? If you've taken steps to get your home organized, changed up your morning routine to give you the best possible start to your day, and there are still items you can't get to – I have a plan for you! Follow these four phases to help find the workload balance you've missed as a SAHM.
Phase 1: Assess Your Current Workload
I recommend making a list of your current daily/weekly/monthly responsibilities. I know – I'm adding work to your work, but listing the jobs will help you decide what areas you can get help with.
Daily tasks will be cleaning the kitchen, picking up toys, making the beds, playing with the kids, cooking meals, etc. Weekly jobs could include cleaning bathrooms, vacuuming, washing linens, etc. Monthly responsibilities could consist of paying bills, planning meals, or scheduling kids' events. Whatever you can think of, writing it down will help you visualize all of your current responsibilities.
Identify Workload Struggles
What areas of your homemaking career need improvement? Think about it and either create a new list of struggles or highlight those items on your list. Maybe you struggle keeping up on laundry, prepping meals in advance, or fine-tuning a morning or bedtime routine. Whatever you are struggling with, make a note of it. These are the items where you need more time to focus.
The areas you've identified as a struggle are probably only a struggle because you do not give them enough time. We all know that if there is a task that you don't want to do, your instinct is to prioritize other, more rewarding jobs above those. By identifying these tasks, we can work to change that mindset to get them done as efficiently as possible.
Possible Delegation of Workload
Next, highlight any tasks on your list that you do not want to do and would prefer for your partner to do. Be realistic. You probably aren't going to talk them into changing their work schedule to get the kids ready for school or convince them to prep all the food for the week. The key here is to find jobs around the house that they can be responsible for to alleviate some of the time constraints you've been facing.
Maybe they could always empty the trash and take it to the curb on trash day. Or, they could be responsible for their laundry to alleviate you. Try to identify five jobs that you would like to have off of your plate. These items will be the beginning of giving you more time to focus on the areas where you struggle.
Phase 2: Talk to Your Partner
Take your list and communicate it with your partner. The number one issue with SAHMs struggling is that they have not directly communicated what they need their partner to handle. This leaves the partner to either do something that you don't want them to do or not do anything at all because they think you have it all handled. Communication is key!
For instance, my husband always fills up the dog food container. We have a container that we scoop out of, and when it is empty, we refill it from a massive bag of dog food. I feed the dogs daily, but I hate filling up the container. So, every time the container needs to be filled up, I place the food container on the counter, and my husband fills it up. We don't even have to discuss it because he knows it's his responsibility.
Have Your Partner Counter Offer
It is only fair to let your partner veto some jobs that they do not want to do. If they reject a task you had for them to do on your list like you no longer wish to refill the Kleenex boxes and toilet paper, but they cannot fathom taking that over, you need to take the task. You want to give in on some, to gain some others. If this happens, you get to add another item to your list of responsibilities you no longer want.
Ideally, you and your partner will have some jobs that they now know are their responsibility by the end of this phase. You will no longer need to ask them to complete these tasks, and they will no longer wonder where they can help. It's a win-win!
Create Your Staging Zone
If you both agree for your partner to take over a responsibility that requires a signal from you to complete, make a plan for how to achieve it. When the dog food needs refilled, I place the empty container on the counter to signal my husband to fill it. We don't have to discuss it. He knows if the dog food container is on the counter, then it needs to be filled by the next feeding time for the dogs.
Again, communication is vital. I love using staging zones in our house because they signal to the rest of the family that those items require attention. If a staging zone isn't necessary for them to complete the task, like emptying the trash when it's full, then make sure your partner knows to check to see if their jobs need completing. It might also be beneficial to create a timeline for how often the tasks need to be completed.
Divide and Conquer
After delegating some responsibilities to your partner, talk about dividing and conquering the nightly routine. For instance, my husband gives the boys a shower while I clean the kitchen or vice versa. Nightly routines are typically 30-45 minutes in length. Make sure the both of you are working together to get the kids to bed – but not working on the same thing! This will save you both time and headaches!
Phase 3: Consider Outsourcing
Outsourcing particular jobs can be a life-saver for a SAHM! Outsourcing can help you free up time to get your house in order and save a lot of additional stress knowing that job is handled. I use a grocery delivery service every week. I have a yearly membership that allows unlimited free deliveries to my doorstep. The amount of time and stress that this saves me is astronomical. I don't have to lug the kids to the store; I don't have to question if I have the ingredients for a meal because I shop from home, and it helps me save money by not buying anything based on impulse.
Furthermore, I have a cleaning lady who comes to my house every other week. I clean, organize, and maintain our home, but having someone take the responsibility of deep cleaning my home opens up so much time in my calendar! I know that every two weeks, my house will be spotless (I mean – they are amazing!), and that is a massive relief to me. If you are looking at a cleaning service, I must stress the importance of having your home in order BEFORE you hire someone. You will receive a lower and much more cost-effective quote if your home is consistently organized to make the cleaning easier for whomever you choose.
Need Funds? Find a Side Hustle!
Does the thought of paying for outsourced services stress you out? Are you wondering how you can add additional funds to your bank account to bring these options to reality? If money is tight, consider doing a blog, Etsy shop, or PLR shop to assist with the funds. That's what I did!
Find out how to make Passive Income here!
Other options are organizing and selling items you no longer need, creating a family budget to include outsourced items or even becoming a door dasher or grocery delivery person. There are multiple ways to bring in a little extra money if you look around!
Phase 4: Get in the Right Frame of Mind
We've listed the majority of the duties we complete on a daily/weekly/monthly basis and identified the areas where we struggle. Also, we've communicated with our partners on things that they can help with around the house and considered items that can be outsourced. Now it's time to get in the right mindset for all the day-to-day tasks. How do we do this? I'm glad you asked!
Work Ethic
I'm sure most SAHMs worked at some point or another before being a homemaker. Think back to those days. Were you a good employee? Reliable? Efficient? Did you do everything your boss asked or step up when it wasn't your responsibility because it was good for the team? I'm sure you did – I know that I did. Take that work ethic and apply it to your new job.
I was the type of employee who, while a little stubborn and emotional, my co-workers and customers knew that I would do what was needed to get the job done. I did jobs I didn't like or weren't my responsibility, but those jobs were good for the team. Your family is your team now. Don't let them down.
Recognize Your Capabilities
You may consider the organizing and cleaning aspects of being a SAHM an inconvenience, but I challenge you to relook at it. Your home is the one thing you can control at this stage of your SAHM career. I challenge you to take control of your domain. How much can you accomplish in a day? Push yourself to go above and beyond the homemaker you thought you could be.
I probably have some undiagnosed OCD, or you could call me a neat freak; either way, I require my house to be in order. Each day is a new challenge for keeping up with the mess. I have a strict routine during the week for keeping up with the household chores, and I am more relaxed on the weekends since my husband is home and that time is for family time. Regardless, I have a standard that I've set for my house, and as the CEO of my home, I plan to keep it that way.
Remove Yourself
Another way to deal with the everyday tasks that you despise is to remove yourself from the equation to see how much impact you truly have on your household. Who would do the laundry if you weren't there? Who would buy the groceries and cook the meals if you weren't there?
In Conclusion
Ultimately, you, the SAHM, are a critical component of your household. Change your perspective and pick yourself up. If you have to dole out responsibilities, that's ok! But the duties you have should be conquered head-on. You are more than capable of being the CEO of your Home. Recognize you are needed, and those needs can be excessive, but your family will be better off knowing you are there to handle them.
By implementing these 4 phases to create a SAHM Workload Balance, you are setting yourself and your family up for success. Communicate when and where you struggle. Come up with a plan to tackle those areas. Divide and conquer your nightly routine, and consider outsourcing when you can. Being a homemaker is the most challenging job any of us will ever have. However, that doesn't mean we don't need to reevaluate and develop a plan!
Take pride in your work, momma. No one could do what you do for your family any better than you. Your career is a SAHM and a homemaker. Let your home be your resume. If you need tips, head on over to my Boot Camp page and get started. Or, better yet, send me a message and let me know what areas you are struggling in.
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