There's nothing that gives you a wake up call like telling your husband that when you get back home from your dad's, you want to come home to a clean house but when you do get back, the only main difference is that most of the dishes are done and the ugly, reeking couch is gone. So along with cracking down on a budget, I'm also cracking down on chores.
Before I left, we already got a dry erase board that I would use to doodle on and write my day's chores. When I got home, I found that this dry erase boards not only had my fading doodles still on there, but also the chores that I gave myself before I left. Obviously he didn't use it one bit to his advantage except to change a description of one of my doodles from "Man-eating Pants" to "Man-loving pants". I decided that since he didn't take advantage of this awesome thing, then I would!
I sadly erased all of the doodles that remained on the board and a few days ago, started a grocery list on it. I wasn't a big fan of it being the grocery list along. There was just too much valuable space not being used. So, when I went grocery shopping for the week yesterday (yes, I went the day before, but that was just so I could have something to eat until the shopping...and baking soda for cleaning) and got some little legal note pads. All I'm waiting for is either little magnet strips or a strong enough magnet to hold it up so I can put it on the fridge along with a pen on a string (there will be no excuse!)
Today, I'm in between rooms taking an hour break (I'll call it my lunch break even though it's past noon) and I took that dry erase board and happily erased the grocery list from yesterday. I drew a line right down the middle of it, put my name on one side and my husband's on the other and put down some chores! For me today, I have (left) to do the dishes, clean the kitchen counters, sweep and mop the kitchen, and make dinner. For my husband, I split his into two sections: Before Dinner and After Dinner. In his before dinner section, I have that he needs to gather his dirty clothes and put them in the hamper (he has a bad habit of when he gets home from work, he just strips right at the front door and throws his uniform where ever and sometimes even change the clothes he has on under them right there. So there's clothes every where...mainly socks) and to throw away trash in the living room. For the after dinner section, I have him to take out the trash if needed.
I noticed that I had quite a bit of room left mainly on my side, so I started to make use of it. Right under my chores for the day, I have a note saying "Is there something you want for dinner next week? Write it here!" and I left some space for him to write (every Sunday, I write out the next week's menu and make a grocery list accordingly). Under that note, I have another note saying "I have a grocery list going. Don't have it? Don't write it? Don't complain! (If it's not on the list when I go shopping, I won't get it!)" Hopefully, this will get him in the habit of writing things down when we run low or are out. Under his chores for the day, I wrote the daily note (a note that will probably change every day) saying "I WILL be doing laundry tomorrow. So, anything you need washed, put in hamper!" That way, he can't complain that I didn't tell him about doing the laundry when his uniforms don't get washed.
I'm really keeping my fingers crossed that this helps to motivate him to help out some more around the house (normally, he just takes out the trash and/or does half the dishes and laundry but doesn't fold the clothes.) Hopefully, the "Before dinner" part will motivate him to do those few chores I give him so he can eat because I won't let him eat until he gets them done!
Wish me luck!
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