Housekeeping might not be the most interesting topic to people, but it is a necessity. Like it or not, it’s a part of life and a part of the responsibilities that we have.
I was thinking this morning about the word itself and decided to look up its meaning. According to Merriam Webster’s dictionary, there are three definitions to housekeeping.
The first is “the management of a house and home affairs.”
Doesn’t “management’ make it sound so much more important? Instead of saying, “I am a housekeeper,” I would much rather say, “I am a manager of my home.”
The second definition isn’t very interesting and applies to an industrial organization.
The third definition is “the routine tasks that must be done in order for a system to function or to function efficiently.”
I don’t like the word “routine.” That sounds so boring. But the reality is that routine is the best way to keep…or should I say, manage your house. Establishing routines really does make the job easier.
Routine helps things to function but I like the last word…efficiently. What good does it do to have a routine but only function? I would much rather function EFFICIENTLY.
Housekeeping encompasses so many things. It includes the act of cleaning, chores or tasks that we are responsible for and of which we many times assign to others. It is the act of furnishing our home to make it functional and pleasant.
But housekeeping is also about making your home look nice, in a style that fits you and your family. Finally, housekeeping is also about making your home safe.
So there really is a lot to housekeeping. And by the way, Merriam Webster’s online dictionary also mentions that the first known use of the word housekeeping is from way back to the year 1550.
Imagine how different housekeeping was back then. Now we have all kinds of fun, handy tools to make the job easier.
As we move forward, we are going to break all of this down into bite-size pieces. Let’s look at the year 2012 as a chance to really grasp the importance of housekeeping, how to make it work best for our family and the tools that can help.
Related Articles:
Thinking Positive Thoughts about Housekeeping
Which Type of Housekeeper Are You?
The Importance of Taking Care of Your Home