For the past couple of years, I have had a housekeeper; she came every other week and did all the housework that I just wasn't getting to, or wasn't good at (which is the same thing, really). There are a lot of reasons I hired the housekeeper, which aren't really relevant here; what IS relevant is that I'm letting her go after we move, both because we're readjusting our budget to cover the new house and because she's not really been cleaning lately, which is a problem.

When our house was actively on the market, I had to keep it Show Ready all the time. This was fairly easy because my kids were in school full-time, but it still required that I make the effort every single morning to clean up. And you know what? It wasn't that hard. So this summer, I'm going to do my own housework, and I've been looking for strategies to get it all done.

With the kids at home. Did I mention that? Oh yes.

My mother never had a housekeeper when we were little. She also didn't have a lot of childcare. BUT she always had a clean house, and I've been thinking about how she did it all, and I"ve got three basic strategies that are currently working for me.

Get organized. My mom used to keep her cleaning supplies in the room where she was going to use them the most--for example, she kept Windex and paper towels under the sink in the bathroom, so she could clean the mirror without hunting all over for the glass cleaner. That way, when she was supervising us in the tub, she could also wipe up the bathroom! So easy. If you have very small kids, be sure to keep dangerous cleaning supplies out of their reach, either up high or in a locked cabinet. Of course.

Make a plan. Think about what needs to be done every day (kitchen counters wiped up), what needs to be done a couple of times a week (bathroom counters wiped down), and what can be done once a week (vacuuming in low-traffic areas). Don't try to do it all at once, and DON'T leave it until it feels like it might be easier to just pack up and move away. My mom did one or two things each day, usually in the morning while we watched Romper Room or Captain Kangaroo or while we were playing outside. Her house was always neat and clean, but I don't remember her constantly doing housework.

Enlist the kids. My mom used to give us fairly simple household tasks, even when we were little. I remember dusting, for example, when I wasn't any older than my youngest child; by the time I was the same age as my oldest (who is nearly seven, for heaven's sake) I could run the sweeper. My sons are already responsible for cleaning up their toys, both in the living areas and in their rooms, and my four-year-old recently announced that clearing the table is his job (and he does it EVERY NIGHT, which is awesome). I'm thinking about what else they could do to help out, things like sorting their own laundry or wiping up the bathroom counter (with a paper towel, not any chemicals) after they are done brushing their teeth. Simple, but very helpful.

Finally, one last tip: when we were getting ready to start showing the house, we pared down on the clutter. We got rid of all that extra stuff that was lying around, which made the actual cleaning so much easier. It also made me feel lighter and freer because my space wasn't full of junk anymore, just things that I really loved and used. Less stuff also meant less cleaning, which is good, especially when the trade off is more time to do fun things with the kids. Or to watch them play in the yard while I lounge on the porch with a cold drink. Whatever.