Dear Chase,
I’ve recently noticed that our house has started to get a little out of hand.  The dishes go unwashed, the clothes lie around, the beds remain unmade, paperwork is everywhere, and the house is simply and completely unorganized.  My wife and I have two kids and we both work full time.  How can I encourage my wife to clean up without sounding like I’m nagging or getting onto her?  And what steps should we take to begin the “clean up process?”
Thanks,
Concerned Husband

Dear Concerned Husband,
Let me be frank and go ahead to get this out of the way:  You said ‘our’ house, therefore, meaning that you too have a responsibility to clean and take care of the house.  You both work a full time job and have two kids, so you can’t expect your wife to do all the work.  I would suggest that you offer to help her and get involved together, as a couple.
I completely understand how housework can pile up with both parents working and taking care of two kids, but there’s no reason you can’t take just a few moments out of your day to all clean up together.  Depending on the age of your children, you can give them the chore of cleaning their rooms, picking up their toys and making their beds.
You can even delegate larger tasks around the house such as sweeping, unloading the dishwasher, taking out the garbage or vacuuming; again, depending on their age.
Accomplishing these tasks teaches them responsibility and self confidence for a job well done.  You can also give them a reward for doing certain chores without being told.  Make house cleaning a fun, family affair, and also try to set a time each day that you can do some cleaning TOGETHER.
When you notice the house getting a little hectic then simply take a moment to say, “Honey, why don’t we do the dishes together.  If you wash and I dry then we can get done much faster and then maybe watch some TV with the kids.”
I would encourage you to approach all of the chores and housework with this way of thinking.  And just a side note; studies have shown that couples who do housework together have a better love life than those who do not.  Yes, it’s true, I promise.  I suppose women find it attractive when they see their husband washing the dishes.  So my advice is to approach house work with teamwork, purchase a filing cabinet or an alternative filing system for the office and paperwork, set up a time to do specific housework, and encourage the kids to help out with special rewards for specific tasks well done.  You can read more into how to start getting organized by reading my previous columns that are all posted on my “Saving Dollars & Making Sense” Facebook page.  Good luck and thanks for writing!
*If you would like to submit a question, please do so via my Facebook page or by emailing me at savingdollarsandmakingsense@gmail.com