Dear FlyLady,

It has been many years since I was first introduced to the 3 x 5 card system in Sidetracked Home Executives.  I was really great at setting up the cards, but not so great at doing what they said to do, when they said to do it. Then one day I found FlyLady.net and found your version to be easier to follow. Now our four children are grown and I find that an organized, clean house is much easier to maintain, even after our 17 grandchildren have come to visit.

But things changed for us a year and a half ago when our son became a single Dad with primary custody of his children now ages 3, 7, 11 and 13. My husband and I drive 3 hours to spend most of our time at his home caring for the children and coming home every other weekend to our clean quiet house.

As a grand Parent, with a capitol “P,” I find that I am not much better at keeping a clean, organized home than I was years ago. All too often I find myself nagging the children to do the most basic things in regard to personal hygiene and picking up after themselves. So, once again I am on the full e-mail FlyLady system. I set up a control journal with before and after schoolroutines for the children – make bed, take shower, make lunch, 5 minute room pickup, etc.

Some days are easier than others and I find, like so many of your FlyBabies, that I do better when I am dressed with hair and makeup on (and also with the children dressing to shoes after a shower so that we are not waiting at the door for them to find shoes when it is time to go). I am still in the process of being organized myself, and teaching them to keep an orderly home. Life with a large family is difficult and I truly believe that many homes are split apart because of the inability to cope with the mess that never seems to get cleaned up. I hope and pray that I can influence our grandchildren to value their home responsibilities.

Thank you for what you do, it has been helpful to me and I am sure that you have saved some people from the tragedy of a broken home. If more young women could learn to take pride in their homes and FLY, perhaps they would not be seeking greener grass somewhere else.

Charlotte – a veteran called back into duty.