Guest post from Leigh Ann Dutton
I quit my office job to be a stay-at-home-wife when I was in my first trimester of pregnancy. I didn’t know the first thing about homemaking, at least not full-time homemaking. Without hesitation, I called my grandmother (aka, Mamaw) and begged for tips on how to make a house a home. She’s going to be embarrassed, but I’m going to share her homemaking wisdom with you.
Grandmaw’s Tried and True Homemaking Tips that Work:
1. Get up and get dressed.
Don’t stay in your pajamas all day and expect to be productive. Not to mention, you never know when someone may call on you. Comb your hair, brush your teeth, and put your shoes on, you have a house to keep, children to feed, and a husband to kiss. She didn’t say that last part, but I’ve seen her kiss my Papaw. They didn’t get four kids without kissing, I tell ya’. So get dressed.
2. Treat homemaking as a full-time job.
Homemaking is a full-time job. Treat it like one. The home is your domain to keep and tend. Just as there are things that must get done in the office, there are must-dos at home. Do them every day even if it already looks clean.
3. Be done by 10am.
There are daily chores that you should do every day: make your bed, wipe your bathroom counters, pick-up dirty clothes, do the dishes, sweep the floors, and shine your sink. You will have your own routine. Stick to it and be done by 10 o’clock. People will start calling and there are other things you will need to do. Don’t waste all day on these easy tasks.
4. Stick to the work week.
Housekeeping is for Monday through Friday. Saturdays are for family. Sundays are for the Lord. Enjoy the weekend.
5. Children come before housework.
There will be times your husband will leave for work and return to a house that looks the same or worse than when he left it. You can’t keep a doll house all the time, and that has to be okay! Tend to the babies first and get a towel from the dryer for your shower. Love your babies and care for them as only you, their mother, can do. It is such a short season.
6. Do what works for you.
Always remember, everyone is different and everyone likes to give their opinions. Just listen, and then, do what works for you. Half the time, the person who gave you the advice won’t know, or care, what you ended up doing. Your home is your domain. Don’t compare it to others. Make it a place you enjoy!
What do you think? Do you think grandmaw’s tips are worth adopting for your home?
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Wonderful advice!
Thanks for reading. 🙂
Something I can add to that. Try to get up and have your quite time before the little ones get up. This is something I strive for this after my Mamaw telling me she would do that. I also agree with everything else. Our grandmother’s were cut from he same cloth, lol. Thank you for posting this reminder!!!
I agree completely with the quiet time before the children get up! It’s hard sometimes to get up if you have an early bird, but it’s worth it. I’ve found the day to go 10xs smoother than on the days I roll around in the sheets moaning about not wanting to get up. 😉
well it’s 1051 and i am back in my gown. the good news is that i’ve already gotten my boys ready for school, sat thru a LONG honor’s day program, been to the store, the bank, the dmv and the post office. wa to the hoo! i wish i could be a stay at home mom, but i do work 4 days a wk. today just happens to be my day off. all this is awesome advice! i admit i am lazy on wkends and my day off and leave my pjs on till 3 or 4 pm. my dishes are done bc we had mcd’s for breakfast. 🙂
My grandmother worked outside the home also. She would tell me to just make the days I was at home count, as it’s my first priority. 🙂 Sounds like you’re in the throws of busy! Do what works for you and enjoy those pajama days!
Wonderful advice but it’s 11 and I am still in my PJs! Feeling bad now. Mondays are my Saturday though, so maybe I don’t feel too bad. ( I work long hours every Saturday and Sunday, off the rest of the week)
Well, this wasn’t meant to make you feel bad, just to think. 🙂 Sounds like a pj day is in order for you! Enjoy it!
Your Mawmaw is a very wise woman! I would add one more….Check your calendar every night before bed so you know what the next day has in store. 🙂
Great idea. I just started implementing this recently. It’s a huge time saver! Great tip. Thanks for adding it!
What awesome advice! I totally agree about the work week; once I left home, I had no desire to introduce “Saturday chores” into my life ever again, lol! Saturdays are for fun!
I am the same way, Anne!!! I’m glad to know I’m not alone. 🙂
GREAT advice! I think being up and dressed as well as getting the daily things done early are key to being productive.
This is amazing!!!
Sounds like your grandmother was one wise lady! Thanks for sharing her tips, I think we can all use some reminding every now and again 🙂
That is such good advice! Sounds like FLYlady! I’ve been using the flylady.net system for over a year and these tips really work!
#3 is such an important point! If you have a daily routine and stick to it, the house will look nice with very little effort, letting you start your day on a good note. Too often, though, we get distracted in the morning (Hellooooo, Facebook!) and put things off. Then there’s barely time to tidy up, much less actually clean anything, before it’s already time to start dinner.
Cleaning routines: they save a housewife’s sanity!
Found this on Pinterest. I love it, it speaks the truth to homemaking in so many ways. I am a sahm of 4 kids (3 in school) and I have followed this since I first fell pregnant. I aim to do my basic chores by 8:30 am, so once I drop the older kids art school I can spend time with the little ones, run errands, bake etc and know I don’t have to remember to get that load of washing out on the line.
I’m so glad you found this post and left a comment today!
Sounds like you have the right attitude towards homemaking! You are most welcome around here!
Oh, Leigh Ann, what a sweet, comforting post! This sounds like advice from my owm mom and her mom, my beloved Memere. I lost mom, now 22 years ago, her and my dad, passed, just 5 months apart from one another. My Memere died, just a short 9 months before my mom! Sound advice here~! I love the idea of finishing with housekeeping tasks by 10:00 a.m. I don’t quite seem to do that, yet so love that thought! Beautiful reassurance for those just starting in this career, and those some ways into it, as myself, now going on 14 years. Thank you!
I love this article! I have been a stay-at-home-wife for a little over a year now but I still have a lot to learn. I definitely want to start trying to have my chores done by 10 am. Lately, I do little errands in between and it seems to take me all day just to clean the house! I think it would make my life a lot easier, especially since we are preparing to start a family. Thanks for your sharing your grandmaw’s wisdom!