cleaning: get your partner or other household members involved

I know for myself, and many of my friends, dividing up household chores can be a point of contention for many couples, or even roommates. One trick I have shared over and over again with others is our ‘responsibilities list’. It is super simple. You and your partner sit down together and make a list of every single thing that needs to be done whether daily, weekly, or seasonally to keep the house in order. After you make the list you each highlight or initial the jobs you are willing to do…. if you both highlight one job, that means you will share the responsibility. Whatever hasn’t been highlighted at the end you can take turns picking, until they are all gone.

Usually hard feelings start with “I am always the one to do this”…. So get ahead of that. If a job doesn’t get done, you know who is responsible to do it. This has solved so many fights in our marriage— I seriously can’t recommend it enough.

What I love about this method is that you are each deciding your own capacity. So if you work from home, work outside of the home, it doesn’t matter. The chores don’t have to be equally divided in all cases. You are merely deciding what you each think you can handle and have time for. Then the rest, you split, and you have to make time for. Because ultimately someone has to do it! Or maybe you decide to hire those things out! Whatever works for you to make your home and lives run smoothly. I like to keep the list we agreed upon handy just in case. Then when an argument comes up about who does what, you can pull that out. But that’s not to say that when your partner or roommate is having a hard or busy week, that you can’t pick up their slack to bless them. That is actually one of my favorite ways to love on my husband— because I know it really helps to take things off of his shoulders during a crazy week.

I made a template of the list we did, with plenty of space at the bottom to add more tasks of your own. Click on the free download image to use this template as a resource to get started!

Keep in mind these lists should probably be redone each year or with each major change in your lives. From moving, to adding a new baby or kid, to a new job, or any other big life change. Each of these things will affect your capacity, and may even add a few more things to your list.

Taking the time to do this I believe will set you up to flourish, not just in your home, but in your relationship with your partner. I’d love to hear how this activity went for you! If you decide to do it tag Flourish Home on Instagram or Facebook!