My Gramma was a funny lady. She hated washing her hair. Gramma got her hair cut and styled once every few weeks, and in the mean time she’d wash it as little as possible – because styling it was such a chore to her. She was even known to sleep propped up on the couch so her hair wouldn’t get smooshed during the night! To say my Grandmother dreaded washing and styling her hair is an understatement.
Is there a household chore that you dread or even hate? Instead of putting it off until it is a huge mess (like my Grandmother’s matted hairdo), I want to challenge you to find a way to make it a little more pleasant.
Here’s my example. I have been in charge of emptying the cat’s litter box my entire life (or so it seems). It’s gross. And I’ve been doing it forever. It was the last thing I’d do before going to bed at night. We would finish whatever show we were watching on TV and my husband would head for bed. But not me. I still had to empty that stupid litter box.
And then I had a revelation. Why not empty the litter box in the morning? I usually stand around in the kitchen while I wait for the coffee to brew – so I decided to use that time to do my dreaded chore! When I’m done, it’s time for coffee and I don’t have it hanging over my head all day.
Here are a few more suggestions to help with those dreaded chores:
- Watch Netflix or YouTube while folding laundry
- Play fun music while mopping or dusting
- Get your kids involved (why do you think I had to empty the litter box as a child? Ha!)
- Change the time of day when the chore is done
- Reward yourself with something upon completion of the task – example: allow yourself a few minutes of relaxation on the porch after the dishes are put away
What chore do you dread? Have you found a way to make it a little more pleasant?
Come Home For Comfort 
I absolutely HATE cleaning the bathroom and will put it off and put it off, I love a clean bathroom but wish someone else would do it and of course they don’t. I’m going to try your hint of making it the first thing I do instead of the last thing. Hopefully it will work. I know if I turn on the Cathedrals and sing along while I work, (everything always goes better with the Cathedrals) it helps to get my mind off what I don’t like to do. lol
LikeLike
Haha, I feel ya. I have a tendency to put off the bathroom cleaning too. After I get ready in the morning, I wipe down the sink, counter and toilet seat (top and inside) with a lysol wipe. It takes seconds and makes a huge difference in the looks of the bathroom.
Thanks for sharing!
LikeLike
I dread putting my clothes up. As in they will sit where I ever leave them for eternity — or until I wash them again. SO I just do it right away, don’t even think about trying to get out of it. Just do it.
LikeLike
Yep, that’s me. It gets real bad, real fast!
LikeLike
I can’t stand doing dishes!! I hate it! I always put them off for wayy too long…longer than I would like to admit. lol! Any tips for enjoying the dishes more??
LikeLike
The best advice I can give you is what you already know. 🙂 Don’t put it off! As soon as you finish a meal, get up and clean the kitchen. You can even fill the sink with dish water while you’re cooking and clean up the prep dishes as you go. I think doing dishes in small chunks is much more enjoyable (and easier) than cleaning three days worth of dishes at once.
Hope that helps! Thanks for stopping by, Julie!
LikeLike
I have found that I do not dread Ironing so much if I listen to my daily Bible Study via my ipad. What did we do before ipads? I listen to my Pandora radio as I clean in the kitchen and that has really encouraged me to keep things neat and tidy!!
LikeLike
That’s a great idea! My mom used to listen to books and sermons on cassette tapes while she worked around the house – so I guess that’s what people did before iPads. 🙂
LikeLike