Daddy and the kids on the swing.
15 March 2008
I’ve read many books on productivity and organization. It is one of my favorite nonfiction genres. But I have never been able to follow a system — any system — successfully. The other day, as I was trying to feed both Damian and Lily while cleaning the house and doing the laundry, it dawned on me why I have failed so miserably:
Productivity books are written by professional men for professional men.
The productivity guru sequesters himself in his home office for nine hours while his wife is left cooking, cleaning, paying the bills, doing the laundry, grocery shopping, and caring for the children (notice that I did not even mention any hobbies that she may be trying to pursue for herself). “But, honey,” he says as she desperately asks for help, “my work brings in the money and puts the food on the table.” And off he goes into his office, away from his hectic family, to publish his solution to the world’s productivity problems.
Yeah. Whatever.
I’m waiting for the book written by the housewife. Not only does a housewife have too many things to do in too little time, but the priorities are constantly shifting – I mean, truly constantly in flux like water on paper. And a housewife has a very difficult time following a set schedule because children are variables which cannot be quantified.
Short of getting up at 4am (which is what I did this morning), I cannot find the time for anything but housework and childcare. And even the housework falls behind. (Childcare is the primary duty, so it never falls behind; it takes precedence over everything.)
Maybe someday I will discover an industrial-strength productivity system — one that even a housewife can use. I’ve been searching, but I have not been successful yet. But as always, I have hope. 🙂