On housework

If you really want to garden (or indeed enjoy life), then housework is an important casualty.

I believe there are websites about cleaning super smartly so it doesn't take long. I can't possibly bring myself to recommend any of them. Not one single one. I had a look once at the Flylady and practically needed therapy afterwards. Something about beginning with a shiny sink because that would give you self worth. You were supposed to do that before you went to bed. Our home in London at the time had a plastic (I kid you not) sink which was coloured beige with stains that were resistant to strong cleaners (of course I don't know whether it was resistant to EVERY cleaner known to man - I spent the money otherwise possibly used on 82 types of cleaner on wine.)

I do not need to shine my sink to have selfworth.

What I recommend is simply not doing housework. I can tell you from much experience that if you cook food and clean clothes, all other housework activity can be done away with for quite long periods of time. I won't tell you how long in case you were planning to visit me and then change your mind.

Here are some tips in case anyone wants to know:
1. If you have a male partner, then observe what mess/dirt prompts him to action. From then on, don't bother to clean or tidy those things as obviously you have someone else to do them.

2. Dishwashing machines are the best invention in the whole wide world. I am grateful every single day to my UK nappy friends who convinced me that I didn't just want one, I needed one. I did, as it turned out.

3. I won't bore you about slow cookers, but they are part of my strategy.

4. I understand that some mothers successfully train their children to do a lot of chores. I am not in the league of good mothers. I am not even trying.

5. In case you were in any doubt about how bad a mother I am, and how unrepentant, I am thinking of going back to paid work next year and one reason is because then I can have a cleaner.