For most of us housework is that tedious event where we feel like we sold our souls to the dust-bunny gods — enslaved every day of our lives — but there are ways to make housework fun. It doesn't have to generate negativity or that feeling where you want to get rid of it all and start over. Yes, I, too have felt like throwing it all out the front door and forget that I have those elegant silk blouses that demand that I dry clean only! Then I look at the patterns and textures of these prints and recall that feeling I get when I put them on and look fabulous. Laundry is not the enemy, ladies, and the dishes are not your mother-in-law screaming at you about how she would have done it differently. So while we are all rolling our eyes at the thought of it all — let's learn the seven awesome ways to make housework fun.
Most of us perform our housekeeping duties in our pajamas or sweats. This is not conducive to positive energy needed to get through a day of household chores. Although they are comfortable, they give us a non-dimensional shape and for the most part they are just boring. When considering ways to make housework fun, why not contemplate how to make ourselves more fun, as well. Instead of those stained up sweats or pajamas covered in bunnies and flowers — what? I like my bunnies, they're cute — consider a theme for the day. Children, actors, and models are allowed to play dress-up, so why can't we? You can select your favorite movie character, Disney princess, or if you are a little nerdy, like I am, why not choose Princess Leia? It's fun, inventive, and sets the tone for silliness. We all need to laugh at and with ourselves sometimes.
Your musical selection should produce good vibes and get you moving. The greatest thing about technology these days is that it provides us with access to a vast collection of music without limits. And who needs limits? Don't we have enough already? When choosing your soundtrack you can opt to make a playlist that runs on your iPod or even your laptop, if you prefer. As a bonus, there are thousands of free music players online that allow you to listen to music without incurring credit card debt — it's a win-win. You should choose songs that make you feel inspired, full of energy, and like you are ready to take on the world, or the dust bunnies in my case. I prefer music that empowers women such as that of Pink or Kelly Clarkson, but you are not limited to my preferences by any means. Get your groove on to your own favorites, ladies.
Dancing presents the illusion that you are at a party instead of vacuuming your carpeting. I'm not kidding — the imagination is limitless and provides you with an outlet all your own. I am not implying by any means that your vacuum cleaner or your steam mop are Fred Astaire; however, if the mood strikes you to imagine you are on the set of "Funny Face" — go with it! Crank your musical selections up to a nice volume — okay, the volume that the city's noise ordinance allows — but fill your living space with the atmosphere needed for you to dance. It is great exercise and as we know with exercise comes endorphins, high-five natural feel good hormones!
After you complete a room, choose a reward that makes you feel great! I, personally, love chocolate and mint delights (as I call them) and keep a candy dish full of them for this exact purpose — they're delicious! You, however, have your own options to consider. For instance, if you are dieting you don't want to fall off the wagon by eating too many chocolates — I know, I know, temptation is everywhere — consider instead celery with peanut butter or ranch dip. Whatever you choose as your reward, take a few minutes to relax and enjoy a moment of clarity and serenity... you deserve it.
Those of us with children may face difficulties in motivating them to do house chores. Although allowance does come in handy for major jobs, it is not always the answer. Instead, you can invent a new game for your kids. You could turn laundry duties into a basketball game; vacuuming could become an Olympic sport where you race to see who finishes first — think of a quick reward for the winner like their favorite ice cream or allow them to choose the movie for family night. When my sons were toddlers — they're grown men now, sigh — we played the matching game with their socks — who needs board games when you have a basket full of brightly colored Power Ranger and Superman socks?
Ladies, are you as guilty as I am? I see the commercials advertising impressive cleaning tools, buy them, open them with great excitement for that first use, and then allow them to collect their own set of dust bunnies in the pantry. We have to stop this right now! They were designed to make our cleaning experience more simplistic, and the designers are right — our kitchen floor is spotless after about ten minutes. Although these tools take a few minutes longer to set up, the rewards are stellar. So, instead of letting our steam-cleaning tools go to waste, let's choose them over that gunky mop and receive the immaculate results we paid our hard-earned money to achieve.
Although housework overall has us down most of the time — it never has to be boring. Recruit your inner child and transform yourself into a major goofball. Why? Because it is hard to be in a bad mood while you are laughing; silliness and goofiness promote laughter in its original form which leads to a great overall mood for us all. Besides, you are in your own home, your domain, and you do not have to impress anyone here. So, be fun and carefree and laugh more today.
Housework doesn't have to become that thing you dread on Saturday mornings after a long week at the office. It can become a fun activity shared with your family or your significant other—why not, he can clean, too, right? What are some concepts you incorporate into your housework that make it more fun for you?