Why am I so Homemaking Challenged?
Personally, every time I feel like I am finally making headway in this department, I feel like something happens and I'm forced to take 5 steps backwards. I have been analyzing this question a lot over the last few months, and trying to come up with some concrete reasons why I might by Homemaking Challenged. I personally am challenged in EVERY area of the home. Running it, decorating it, cleaning it, cooking for it, maintaining it (what else did you expect from someone who names their blog 'Homemaking Challenged').
Are you Challenged in this area too? Perhaps some of these reasons apply to you:
1. Lack of Funds
Pottery Barn? Hahahahaha, not in my budget. Target and Home Goods - maybe the clearance rack, if we are lucky. Honestly, 'Home' isn't even a line item in our budget. We just really don't have the money to delegate to it right now. I remember watching a show where they showed a room transformation in 1 year with just $50 per month. Instead of inspiring me, it discourage me greatly. I'm lucky if I can come up with $10 per month from our "spending money" budget. It isn't because I don't care, or don't want to do anything, it is genuinely that our budget is that tight. It can be frustrating and discouraging having to wait 4 months to save up just for a gallon of paint. Sometimes just funds alone can be a challenge.
2. Lack of Knowledge
I am no Martha Stewart. I do not in any way have a decorating gene in my body. I look through magazines and Pinterest, and wonder, how do they do that? I even follow blogs, read articles and flip through books that show you step by step how to decorate. I can look at something and see that it is lacking, play with it and make it better, but I rarely feel it is ever "Pinterest" worthy. I can assure you, that even IF I had all of the exact items in the photo I'm attempting to recreate... it would not look nearly as good. Sometimes my challenge is lack of simple recipes that are cheap and my family will actually eat (bonus it they are healthy!) I have been scouring the web, and have yet to find enough easy recipes that will actually work with our hectic schedule and my family will actually eat.
3. Lack of Management
Sometimes, delegation is our best tool. Sometimes, it is an enemy. You know, there is one task I delegated to my husband at the beginning of February, which I told him was a HIGH priority, and have reminded him of it multiple times since, that he has YET to do (it is now the END of April folks!). Obviously, not my best choice in delegation, as I have probably spent more time and energy reminding him and worrying about it, than if I had just done it myself. Knowing what and when to delegate to others is an important thing to figure out. I'm still learning this.
4. Lack of an effective routine
I pined all the charts, have made multiple attempts and having a "morning" or "evening" routine. I have found that it doesn't work. I know that if I could figure out a way to do some of my home tasks each day, that things wouldn't get so out of control, but I always seem to start with such great intentions, and then they just fall apart.
5. Lack of time
In my job, there are several weeks that I work 50 hours outside of the home. Trying to balance running a home, being a mom, a wife and my job can be super challenging. Those weeks, I get so far behind it seems as if I will never catch up. I don't have enough time in the day to do the house work and make sure I get quality time with my kids. It is a struggle and it is a challenge when time is tight. This issue for me compounds on the pervious four. When money is tight, you need more time to be creative, when you don't know how to do something, you need more time to learn and figure it out. When you delegate, you can get more time, if you do it the right way, and it is hard to maintain an effective routine if your time is short.
How many of these things challenge you in the Homemaking Department? Didn't find your challenges listed? Don't worry, in part two there will be 5 more reasons you could be challenged!
Then in parts three & four I will share 10 simple ways to conquer all of these challenges. After all, challenges are only challenges until we overcome them.
