Home Management 101: Proper Management, Decision Making, and the Fa...

There are many chores to be done at home: sweeping the floor, dusting the furniture, arranging the clothes in the cabinets, cooking, doing the laundry, ironing the clothes, mending shirts, the list is endless. Attending to daily chores is sometimes more challenging than school or office work. These household chores, however can be done efficiently with proper management.

Household chores can be done efficiently with proper management.
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Proper management of the home requires rules. For instance, there should be a time set for eating dinner, which everyone should be home for. Only those who have to be in school or at work may be excused. There should also be rules for keeping things in their proper places: used plates, drinking glasses, and eating utensils should be placed in the kitchen sink for washing; dirty clothes should be placed in the hamper; and toys should be kept in a designated place. There should be rules for the use of common areas such as the toilet and bathroom as well as the use of the telephone, television, and other home facilities.

Proper management requires the distribution of household chores among the family members. Parents should not do all the household chores by themselves. The children can be assigned to fill drums with water, to feed and clean the pets, to throw the garbage, or to sweep the yard.

Proper management necessitates the preparation of the requirements of the family members ahead of time. Weekends are the best time to do certain household chores such as washing and ironing office and school uniforms. Meat-based viands for the week can be cooked during weekends, packed and labeled, and stored in the freezer. This way, meal preparations during the week will involve only reheating the viands and cooking rice.

Schedule the general cleaning of the house on weekends. This way, dusting the furniture and appliance and sweeping the floor will be adequate during weekdays.

Decision Making in Home Management

Making decisions for efficient home management can be challenging. It could mean being firm even if it hurts the feelings of a family member or even depriving a family member of some privileges for the good of the rest. It could also mean having to cut down on certain family luxuries to be able to make ends meet. Decisions are often made regarding the following matters at home:

Discipline - When your parents set rules regarding curfew, watching television on weekdays or going out with friends, they expect you to follow these rules. When you deliberately disregard the rules, your parents have to impose sanctions. They may decide to limit your privileges such as prohibiting weekend meetings with your friends or banning television watching for a certain period. Limits imposed by parents help put structure in one's life.
Prioritizing expenses - Family expenses are generally classified as needs or wants. Needs are expenses that the family members cannot do without. These include food, clothing, housing, health maintenance, and children's education. Wants are expenses for the family's recreation, relaxation, and comfort. They include out-of-town trips for vacations, fancy clothes, and recreational appliances such as television sets and stereos. The family can postpone buying these items until they have extra funds for them.

When the family budget is limited, it must be allocated mainly to meeting the family's needs. Additional funds may result from increased income or bonuses may permit the family to enjoy their wants. Even then, wants should be prioritized according to their benefits to the family. For example, a family get-together for a sick grandparent may be more meaningful than a new stereo set for the family.

Maximizing the use of available space - When living space is limited, decisions have to be made on who will share sleeping and storage areas. It is ideal for parents to consult their children on this matter to arrive at an acceptable arrangement for everyone. Rules must be set on the use of the available space so that there will be order in the household.
Planning meals - With a limited budget for the family expenses, it is important to be able to decide on what food to serve the family. Homemakers should be guided by this basic rule: buy foods that are high in nutritive value but are inexpensive.

Factors That Influence Home Management

There are different ways of managing the home. These differences are influenced by the following factors:

The philosophy of the parents - Some parents believe that their children should be allowed to fully enjoy themselves and be spared from household chores. Children in these families grow into adults not even knowing how to cook rice or iron a shirt. Other parents, however, believe in training their children to do household chores. In such households, children in their elementary years can already cook and know the basics of housekeeping. An upbringing like this adequately prepares the children for an independent life later on.
The household budget - If the household budget allows, a family can purchase food items and other groceries that can last for a whole week or more. This spares the family members the trouble of having to got to the market every day. It also allows the family to plan meals in advance. A bigger budget may include provisions for household help. This eases the burden of household chores on the family. Some families do not hire help but save up for a washing machine, a floor polisher, or a vacuum cleaner to simplify housework.
The resources and facilities available to the family - If resources and facilities available to the family are limited, then the activities of the family members have to be adjusted accordingly. For example, if some members of the family have to sleep in the living or dining room, the family will have to avoid entertaining visitors in the evenings, then the family members should have cleaned up the kitchen, bathed, and filled up water containers before the water supply is cut off.
The amount of time parents give in managing the home - Sometimes, both parents are busy working. In such households, the eldest child is usually made responsible for busy working. In such households, the eldest child is usually made responsible for managing the house based on the policies set by the parents. The child assigned to take charge supervises the activities of the younger siblings, prepare meals, takes care of the younger children, and does the laundry. While the parents are away, the eldest child is regarded as the head of the household and should be respected and obeyed.