Dear FlyLady,

I just found out I am having ankle surgery within a month…. I will be completely not moving or putting weight on ankle for at least 2 weeks. How can I prepare my house before hand with husband and a kinder?

We are teachers and school will start about the same time. That’s a whole other stressor. So should I ensure all laundry is done, dishes, things organized, self help bucket available, easy accessible things, etc.

I needed to follow the Beginners Babysteps.. Because I was waiting to do all major house work and organizing in the summer for 2 months after messing up the house for 10 months. Ugh. Thank you very much for showing how to do little things to help. Still not a 100% consistent. I think my ADHA plays a role in that, but I am doing 100000% better.

Do you have info on how to balance chores and family life with adhd as an adult. How do I train my husband and five year old?

FlyBaby S.

Dear Friends,

This was the question that triggered a conversation I had yesterday.

We have a lot of teachers who are FlyBabies. Many of them suffer with the “I Don’t Have Time” Syndrome. This is why they ignore their homes throughout the school year. They just want to wait till they have a big block of time to get their home organized.

The sad part is that the worse their homes get; the more stress they have. Routines put your home on automatic pilot. They are a blessing every day! If you will just do them.

It makes me so sad when perfectionism takes over. During our conversation I asked this question, if one of your students said they wanted to wait for the perfect time to do their homework; what would you say to them? Her answer to me was; That’s true… Humm not going to happen. Try little bits at a time.

Let’s get back to the question at hand. How do I get Ready for Surgery?

Remember that your home did not get messy in a day and it is not going to get clean over night. Reread my book Sink Reflections or listen to it while you get some things done.

1. Utilize your Control Journal. This is your instruction manual for your home. Keep the routines simple for your family. They are more apt to help when you keep things simple. If you don’t have one then start building a Control Journal now. We have one that you can order.

2. Get your laundry caught up! This will make it easier on the rest of the family and you will not be stressing out. It would be good to put together whole outfits for your children. This will keep you calm because the children will not look mismatched. Pick out your outfits too. You may have to be off your foot for two weeks but you don’t have to feel and look like a slug.

3. Focus on your bedroom. If you are going to be off your foot then your bedroom needs to be a place that you will enjoy. Clean out from under your bed and clear everything off your flat surfaces. Clear out your night table so you will have a place to put the things you need. Set your timer!

4. Build yourself a pamper bag. Put some magazine, books, Kindle, DVD player, iPod, headphones, lap desk, coloring book, markers, nail polish, lotion, and anything else you can think of. If your bag has handles it will make it easy to carry to the living room. You may be able to sit in a recliner. After a few days in the bedroom you are going to want to get out of there.

5. Plan your menus for those weeks. Keep things simple; so your family will not be stressed trying to prepare difficult recipes. Over the next month you could actually make up some freezer meals. Leanne Ely has some great freezer recipes. Another thing you can do is make two meals when you are cooking. It is just as easy to make a big batch of spaghetti sauce or two meat loaves. Then just before you go to surgery make sure you have all the food in the house that you will need. Also add plenty of healthy snacks and beverages to your list.

6. Don’t get caught at trying to clean up your junk room or the basement. It has been a mess for a long time. Your perfectionism wants to make you do anything but focus on what is most important.

The main thing I want you to do is listen to your doctor and take care of yourself!

We now have a new book CHAOS to Clean in 31 Easy BabySteps. BabySteps really do work if you allow yourself the kindness to practice one habit at a time. Let go of your perfectionism and do this for you! Don’t force FlyLady down your family throat.

FlyLady

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