How to Enjoy Homemaking: Tips for the New Homemaker

Learn how to find joy in homemaking and enjoy doing your daily homemaking tasks. Read advice from a full-time homemaker with 10+ years of experience.

Starting right

A good start to the day can make all the difference. But maybe you didn’t get a perfect night’s sleep. I feel ya, those days are hard. But especially on those days, you need a plan! We’ll dive into that further in the blog post, so hang in there.

Let’s take a step back and go to the night before. One tip I love to implement is to set my alarm a little earlier than everyone else’s. That way I can get up, take some time for my morning routine, and be ready to welcome family members to the breakfast table.

Make sure you have a quiet space to do your morning routine. One thing that can ruin a slow and energizing morning routine, is an interruption of any sort. That doesn’t have to be your neighbor listening to loud music. It can even be one of the homemaking tasks like a load of laundry that needed to be folded a week ago and that’s staring you in the face.

Leave all but the things that are part of your morning routine. Your morning routine’s only purpose is to prepare and get ready for the day. Don’t hasten into the day without a good morning routine to wake up and prepare yourself for the day ahead.

Developing a morning routine

Having a daily routine should start with a good morning routine.

You can use the free editable worksheet from the resources page to find out what you need in a good morning routine.

A good morning routine makes all the difference for me and how I care for my family.

The more habits you develop the less energy you spend on recurring tasks. Daily or weekly tasks may include making a grocery list, meal planning, checking your social media, and making a cleaning schedule.

If you can train yourself into developing habits for these tasks you will have more energy for spontaneous activities or unexpected changes in the day.

Here are some ideas that you can implement in your morning routine. I understand that everyone’s life looks different and not all of these things might be of equal value to you. Pick whatever you feel like you need. That can be 2 things or 20. Whatever gives you the best start to your day.

A good morning routine contains all the things that you need to prepare for the day ahead. This can include getting dressed, showering, eating breakfast, doing your daily devotional, making the bed, taking care of personal hygiene, etc.

Here’s an example morning routine to give you an idea of what a one-hour-long, structured morning routine can look like.

06.30

• Alarm goes off
• Make bed
• Brush Teeth
• Shower
• Put make-up on
• Get dressed
• Daily devotional
• Morning stretches

07.00

• Set breakfast table
• Eat Breakfast
• Check e-mail/ Social Media
• Make a to-do list for the day

07.30

You can take this example as a guide and take or add things that you need to your morning routine.

Note that a good morning routine might need some preparation the day before. This can be a small task as simple as setting the alarm the night before. But it may also be something like setting the table and/ or preparing breakfast the evening before to save time in the morning.

Schedules, lists, and meal planning

A lot of what you do as a homemaker is repetitive, like grocery shopping for example. Not necessarily in the sense that it’s all boring, but more so in that there are tasks that you can order, make schedules of, and plan to make them more efficient next time leaving you more energy at the end of the day.

Schedules can be very helpful if you’re trying to develop a habit. When you do a certain task in the same way for a specific time, you’ll notice that things become natural. Like making your bed. When you make it a habit to make your (side of) the bed each morning right after you get up. Sure enough, after a week or two you’ll notice that you get out of bed, and without thinking about the next step, you just make the bed.

I can’t emphasize enough how helpful it is to form habits. It will make your days run smoother and more efficiently and, what I see as the greatest benefit, it saves a lot of mental space. You don’t have to think about every next step. The next step is just natural to you.

You can start forming habits at any stage in your homemaking journey. But as with a lot of things in life, when you start young, it’s easier. So, especially for the young homemaker, start forming habits in the early years and they will benefit you for the rest of your life.

Back to the schedules and lists… Only you know what your home and family members need. Make a list of schedules and lists of recurring things so you don’t have to make them again and again. Feel free to use the free meal planning printable from the Resources page.

Taking care of your home

Grace towards fellow homemakers

A little side track here. I promised to get back to the “But what if I only slept for a few hours that night and woke up 10 times in those few hours!?”.

Let me first say, I feel ya. As a homemaker with 10+ years of experience and a mother of 5 young children. Life can be demanding, very demanding. In some seasons of life, even simple tasks can feel too much.

First, acknowledge that you’re in that phase right now, this is not the time to first some rigid schedule for yourself or the family. There will come a time again that you can change, organize, and implement, but not right now.

My advice here is to take 30 minutes in the evening. Make sure it’s 30 uninterrupted minutes. So, make sure hubby is watching the baby so you can focus on what needs to be done.

Take a cup of tea, start with a shower, or whatever you need to step out of the mist. Then, make a list of the bare minimum that needs to be done in the home every single day. This is different for everyone, but here are some suggestions. Keep things very minimal, don’t put any extras on there, and be kind to yourself!

• 3 meals a day
• Vacuum/ sweep floors
• Do a load of laundry
• Wipe kitchen counters
• Wipe table

Now the next day, take all day to do these tasks. Don’t do anything other than what you put on the list.

A special note to friends and fellow homemakers reading this last paragraph. If you have thoughts (and I don’t blame you) like: “How can she not sweep the floor for two minutes”, or, “How can she not keep up with laundry?”, “Why does she let things get out of hand so much?”.

First of all, be gracious. You’re probably not in the same phase of life as your friend. There can be circumstances and phases in life that the house look like a complete disaster. That doesn’t mean that your friend isn’t a good homemaker. Life’s easy when there’s money in the bank and you get a sweet 8 hours of sleep. When this is not the case, it becomes a completely different story.

Second, offer your help. Instead of pointing out where she’s lacking, your help can be just what she needs.

Lastly, point out the things that go well. Your friend might be feeling alone. Be an encourager.

The little things can be a game changer

Intentional homemaking is more than just doing the daily routine and everyday tasks. The role of a homemaker stretches far beyond clean clothes and houses. It’s about creating a home that you love, where you can nourish your family members and welcome friends and family.

Making your home a lovely place to come home to is especially important if you’re a full-time homemaker. After all, you spend a lot of time in and around the home.

You don’t have to break the bank to make your house feel like a nice place. Adding little details here and there can be a great way to personalize your home.

You can add pictures or thrifted art, or make a new recipe that makes your kitchen smell so good. Even the simple ways can make a big difference.

When we have our tea time I enjoy lighting a candle. I don’t do that every time we drink tea together, but when I do, it makes it extra special.

I still enjoy my Lampe Berger Lamp. It’s a simple system that spreads a unique scent through the home. Lampe Berger Lamps are at a higher price point, but the scents are unique and give a touch of luxury to the home now and then. I love mine! Plus, their looks are timeless. Whatever home decor style you have, they’ll likely blend in.

Lastly, try some new things. A new recipe, some simple decor changes, and connect with fellow homemakers in the homemaking community.

Don’t underestimate the difference that small changes or touches to the home can make. Even little things can make the home feel more like “your” home. Above all, a positive attitude will make you a better homemaker.