The War on Dishes (Part 2)

As I mentioned in Part 1, dishes (and laundry) have always been a struggle for me.  [I'm sure there is some deep, psychological reason for this, but I don't have time to research all of my various quirks, or else I'd never get ANYthing done!]  We have ENOUGH dishes that I can go for a couple of days (usually, if we're not all eating 3 meals/day at home) without running out.  {SPOONS seem to be the exception!  So, I bought more spoons.  Cheating?  Maybe.  But, it couldn't be helped.}

The problem these days (as I mentioned before) is that we don't have a dishwasher.  And, I HONESTLY believed (when we moved in here, a couple months ago) that it wouldn't be a huge struggle to just "wash dishes after every meal" or "wash dishes as you go," but it HAS turned out to be a HUGE struggle!  I think I stayed on top of it for the first week or so, and I was even able to convince my children to help out.  (They were on a week-long break from school when we first moved in.  Now, with school/homework, bath-time, etc., getting them into a daily ROUTINE of helping with dishes has NOT happened.)  However, as of this moment, I am WAY behind.  [Yes, I realize that I should be washing dishes instead of typing right now.  Another "quirk," which could explain a lot!]  

Let's get back to the "kids helping out" part of this discussion.  [Do you like how I call this a "discussion," even though it's really a "monologue"?  It helps me to think that you have some input, dear reader!  It's okay if you DON'T.  It just helps my process to THINK that you do!]  {I digress....}  So, the fact that I can't get our "evening routine" solidified enough to include my kids helping out with dishes is REALLY the thing that bothers me MORE than the fact that I can't seem to stay caught up with the dishes.  [Yes, this just turned into an "I sort of feel like a bad Mom" moment.  Sorry.]  So, not only do I feel like I'm not doing a good job as a "housewife," but I also feel like I'm not doing a good job as a PARENT.  I'm not asking for you to send me messages of affirmation or anything like that... I'm just reflecting here.  And, that's all I'll say about it, for now.

{Oh.  By the way, when I wrote Part 1 of this post, I thought I was going in a  completely different direction.  I had concocted a plan to help keep up on the dishes better, but it only lasted one day... so I had to abandon that "draft post" and come up with this new, whinier version!  Aren't you glad you're spending your precious time reading this???}

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Part 2.5

Well, a few days have passed since I first started drafting this post.  Night before last, I washed dishes for three hours after kids/husband went to bed (stayed up WAY too late... but it was fine because I was watching a guilty pleasure on my phone-- yes, I had it propped up in the window sill!), and I STILL didn't get them ALL washed!  But, at least my counter-top isn't littered with dirty dishes now.  [You might be thinking, "Sheesh!  How many dishes does this woman HAVE???", and I can honestly say that I don't think I have many more dishes than the average household.]

Here was my "plan" that lasted less than 24 hours, initially:  Even if there is a PILE of dirty dishes on the counter/under the sink (yes, there are STILL dishes under my sink right now!), after each meal (or, at the very least, after DINNER), wash the dishes from THAT meal-- including pots/pans used to PREPARE the food.  My husband and two older kiddos wash their PLATES after dinner every night (his rule), but I noticed that what was piling up were my pots/pans, big spoons, etc., because only *I* am responsible for washing those! The thought behind this "plan" is that if I only think of "one meal at a time" and not focus on the gads of misc. dishes that might also need to be washed, it won't be so overwhelming (for me OR my kids).  So, last night, my oldest daughter (she's 11) finished her homework BEFORE dinner (a rarity), and I had her help me wash up the dishes-- JUST the ones from dinner (hence the remaining dishes under the sink).  She wasn't thrilled about it, but after we got our rhythm going (I washed, she rinsed), it didn't take long, and I enjoyed our conversation.  So, hopefully, this will be something we can continue, and it can also be a chance for me to stand side-by-side with one of my kiddos for 10-15 minutes every night... and THAT is a good thing.  <3

This "struggle" may seem so trivial to some of you, but I'm trying to figure out how to make things work for ME.  So, please pardon the simplicity of these last few posts.  I hope to get up out of this ditch soon and gain back some creativity!

Until next time....