I am so excited today. I have been assigned as your home teacher, and felt prompted to share this weeks lesson with you. The lesson is on Homemaking, so it is especially important for the dear sisters to pay attention. However, you men might want to read too, because if your dear wife ever needs to attend a church activity, you will need to take care of the home while she is gone.
This lesson is from Chapter 20 of the Basic Manual for Women, published by the church.
The purpose of this lesson is to help you dear sisters organize your homes and make good use of your time.
Part of a homemaker’s job is to be an efficient housekeeper. When you keep your homes tidy, you feel a sense of pride. You enjoy a peaceful atmosphere at home when it is clean.
You need to organize not only your homes but also your time. Some women spend too much time keeping their homes clean and organized. They need to learn how to spend less time on housework in order to spend more time being with their families, developing talents, and serving others. Housework is important, but it should not take away from more important things. Having a clean home should not be your main goal; it should be part of your goal to be happy and have happy families. We need time to develop your talents and learn to live the principles of the gospel. You should have time to serve in church positions, help our neighbors and those in need, and be good missionaries. When we keep our homes clean without spending too much time on housework, we are free to spend more time in family activities and to do other important things.
Look at this picture:
Ask yourself these questions: What is the purpose of my life? How should I spend most of my time? Why is it important to keep a balance among my activities, family, and housework?
To be comfortable, a house has to be functional. The first step in organizing your homes is to decide what the function of each room is. Then we can put what we need in that room in well-organized drawers and cupboards.
Sometimes we do not have enough closets, cupboards, or drawers. If not, we or our husbands can buy or make some.
Even if we have many cupboards, we may still find that we do not have room for everything. In this case, it is a good idea to sort through our things and decide what could be used by someone else, what should be thrown away, and what should be stored somewhere else. If we decide to store some items, they should go into well-labeled containers. Labels help us find things quickly and easily. Important papers such as wills, property deeds, insurance papers, and family pictures should be organized, labeled, and filed.
Keeping our homes tidy is easier if all family members take part. The responsibility for keeping the home clean and tidy should be shared by everyone. President Brigham Young counseled: “Teach little children the principles of order; the little girl to put the broom in its right place … and everything in its own place. Teach them to lay away their clothing neatly, and where it can be found. … Teach the little boys to lay away the garden hoe, the spade, etc., where they will not be destroyed by rust; … and see that they gather up the tools when they have done with them, and deposit them in the proper place” (Discourses of Brigham Young, sel. John A. Widtsoe [1954], 211).
Some of you sisters may want to share how you have taught family members to form the habit of putting things away.
Simplifying Our Housework
It takes less time to do a job if we have organized our working conditions first. It helps to arrange equipment before we begin so we do not have to retrace our steps to get something we need. We can also save energy by putting the tools we need within easy reach.
Another way to simplify our work is to clean up after ourselves as soon as we have finished something. Clutter multiplies fast. More things fall accidentally when clutter is left on counters or other work areas. Pots, pans, and dishes are harder to get clean if they have been left sitting with food on them. The sooner we clean up after ourselves, the easier it is.
A third way to make housework easier is to accomplish several things at the same time. Some homemakers wear an apron with pockets. They can walk though the house, tidying up as they go. Efficient homemakers combine some tasks. For example, they talk or plan while working with their hands. They fold clothes while teaching children how to handle a personal problem or while talking on the telephone. It is fun to create ways to use our time efficiently.
Some of you sisters may want to share ways to cut down on housework time.
Many of us have moments during the day that are wasted because we have not planned ahead of time how to use them.
How can we use our spare moments more productively?
We can use the extra time earned by working efficiently to relax and enjoy ourselves and our families, to help others, or to work on long-term projects, such as family histories.
What would you like to have time to do?
In conclusion I would like to say, orderliness can bring added peace and harmony to your homes. We can have more time to develop our talents and serve others.
I would like to issue a challenge.
Start this week to become more organized and improve your use of time. You may want to read Doctrine and Covenants 88:119 (organize yourselves and prepare every needful thing).
Review Questions:
1) what are some ways to make being a homemaker easier?
2) What did the Lord say about homemaking in D&C 88?
3) Why is it important to find more efficient ways to do your housework?
