3 Ways To Enjoy The Every Day Chores Of Motherhood

I am participating in a VIN campaign for P&G. I am receiving a fee for posting; however, the opinions expressed in this post are my own. I am in no way affiliated with P&G and do not earn a commission or percent of sales.

I was always the annoying kid who talked too much. My mom tells everyone I was speaking clearly at 6 months, and now that I see my 22-month-old Lil Pige speak in the vocab of a four-year-old, I believe her. My mom enrolled me in school well before my third birthday and has recounted numerous times how “I couldn’t keep anything to myself.” I was barely four when I started to write “everything that happened in our home” right below my homework for my teacher to read. I joke around saying “that was my first blog!“

All my life, I wanted to play pretend, write, and speak, you know, tell stories! I didn’t exactly like doing chores and, much to my dismay, I had plenty of those to take care of. Being the oldest child meant more responsibility: washing dishes, doing laundry, (all by hand) sweeping floors, mopping floors, dusting furniture… (we didn’t have a tub or a toilet, so that was a blessing if you think about it from the perspective that I didn’t have to scrub them lol). I once had an iron’s cord burn while I was using it, and while it didn’t hurt me a bit, I’m still cautious, not to mention dreadful, when ironing.

At an early age, I became passionate about business, technology, and lifelong learning. I always saw homemaking responsibilities as something that always got in the way of my passions, so needless to say, I highly disliked them and thought it was very unfair that I was “stuck” with these assignments, which created a lot of resentment within me.

However, becoming a mom completely shifted my attitude around chores. It’s not just that we have dishwashing machines, washers, and dryers in the United States, it is how we choose to deal with the tasks, the activities, or the chores we do not normally enjoy that determines our joy in doing them:

1 ~ Changing My Perspective

Doing laundry was something that caused me a lot of emotional burden, inertia, and procrastination. Dread, guilt, fear, anguish, and stress are strong emotions that can drain anyone’s energy. Motherhood has taught me that laundry is one of the ways in which my love for my daughters has been made manifest. When I look at chores as opportunities to serve my family, I can bless them and I feel blessed. I have learned to thank God for these little chances, and to find ways to make it fun: listening to music, listening to audio-books, or engaging someone in conversation.

2 ~ Asking For Help

My older daughters are now 11 and 12, and my first born is already taller than I am. And at 4’9″, and suffering with lower back issues means it is difficult -and painful- for me to reach the bottom of the washer and load the dryer. They have been folding their own clothes for a few years, so I recently started teaching them how to operate the washer and the dryer and they have been taking care of the entire process.

I feel such a relief and such a joy when we work as a team! If you find it difficult to ask for help, read this post to get a play-by-play script on how to let others know about your needs. You can enroll the people in your life to provide the necessary support to get your needs met.

3 ~ Being Kind To Myself

As moms, it is natural to feel drained, depressed, and depleted, every one is a while. I have been really taking some steps to heal my body through yoga, visits to the chiropractor, and using products and services that allow me to be gentle to myself. By using the innovative and powerful Tide Pods, I’ve found a way to get the same stain-fighting results and still be able to work smarter and in an easier way.

Not having to carry a heavy container has improved my life and not having to measure how much detergent I use has saved me a great deal of time. Procter & Gamble’s Tide and Gain brands have sure redefined laundry by continuing to clean and brighten, yet in a more convenient and simple fashion!

I think what most impressed me is that the film can be dissolved completely even when you’re using cold water. It is also HE compatible.

A photo posted by Elayna Fernandez (@thepositivemom) on Jun 22, 2015 at 4:32pm PDT

As I continue to grow in age and wisdom, I have let go of the perfectionism of having things done “just so” or the “~~usual~~ right way.” I am embracing new ways to be happy, in harmony, and honest about my need to practice self-care.

Remember: self-care is not selfish. It’s self-preservation, self-love, and self-respect.

[Tweet “self-care is not selfish. It’s self-preservation, self-love, and self-respect. #elaynaquotes”]

Life has a way to come full circle. I still have the gift of gab and of the typed word, yet I have found a way to enjoy doing laundry and the every day chores.

Do you ever dread doing laundry? What is your favorite laundry tip? Share your answers and tell us how you can re-define laundry and chores for yourself and for your family! xo

As a member of The bLink Marketing Network, I participated in this sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Proctor & Gamble. The opinions and text are all mine.

[ela]

Holly @ Woman Tribune

Wednesday 8th of July 2015

It is so important to be kind to ourselves. I always think that we should treat ourselves at least as nicely as we would treat a dear friend.

Stephanie Pass

Saturday 4th of July 2015

I avoid laundry like the plague, lol. I usually avoid it for days and then just get it all over with in 2 days time. Now that my oldest two are a teen and tween, I force them to help me all the time with the laundry. They hate it as much as I do.

Elizabeth O.

Friday 3rd of July 2015

I know a lot of people hate doing the laundry, but I love doing it. That and cooking!

Rebecca Swenor

These are great ways to enjoy daily chores. Kids helping is always nice too. My tip is that putting peroxide on most stains and letting it soak into fabric along with a little scrubbing will take them out. Thanks for sharing.

April Grant

Laundry is actually one of the things I don't dread. Even though there's always a consistent supply of new dirty clothes, I love it when once a week, I see the bottom of the laundry baskets. I feel like I've accomplished something.