5S

In Proverbs we learn to "trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding." Five years ago, this week I switched places with my husband,  I went to work full time and he came home to be with the kids and to go to school full time. I always wanted to be a full time stay at home Mom - I loved the few brief years I was able to do this and still long for the day that I can stay at home with my sweet children. However, no matter how righteous of a desire this was, this was not God's plan for me. Through the years I have grown to appreciate God's wisdom in all things, sometimes it takes a long time to see the blessings of following God's ways, and other times it hits us right in the face. I remember the first week that I worked, I had already determined a brief switch of places was of great value. I came home from work and my husband would look at me and say, "I swear I cleaned up the house three times today, I don't know what happened!"  and I thought FINALLY UNDERSTANDING, EMPATHY!  but it worked in the reverse as well,  I would walk in the door and he would say, "it is your turn with the kids I need a break" and I would explain I just need 10 minutes to wind down and I will take the kids and He would shoot me the look that I am sure I gave him all the time when he was working - "ten minutes! ten minutes! you want ten minutes!?! You just had a 9 hour break!"  and finally I had empathy for my husband who had worked so hard to support me.
 
When I first decided to go back to work I thought I would go back to teaching. I had been a successful well liked teacher before I had kids, I knew I would be a shoe in at my old district. While all the people on the district level really wanted me back, the ultimate decision was with the principals, and I couldn't seam to land myself a job. I couldn't figure out why, but in all of God's wisdom he had another place he wanted me to work - totally different than teaching, something I thought I was totally unqualified for. I work full time at an engineering firm. I have learned so much and grown, and in ways I never would have dreamed. As part of the company's goals they have implemented what is called 5S, it is a methodology of organization.  And it is stressed big time.  Prior to working where I work I had spent a lot of time studying organization and simplification and never came across the 5S methodology.  I think because it is mainly used in the workforce. However, I think it applies very well to the home, I mean after all, home is where I do my most important work. 
 
5S is a Japanese theory and there are 5 steps, that all start with S's in Japanese  (and in English as well)
 

1. Seiri (Sort)
2. Seiton (Straighten, Set)
3. Seiso (Shine, Sweep)
4. Seiketsu (Standardize)
5. Shitsuke (Sustain)

In short  you go through all of your stuff and SORT it,  you can sort it by like items, by items you use often, and others that you use not as often, and those you should get rid of because you don't ever use them.

 

After sorting comes typically comes  straighten, however I find it more helpful to SHINE- you clean it all up, because when things are disorganized it is difficult to actually keep it clean so wash down the countertops, wash out the cabintents that have spilled stickiness on them and spilled chocolate chips and sprinkles. After everything is shined for me then comes the STRAIGHTEN  you start putting stuff back:  put things you use often in the easy to get to places,  put things you rarely use further away. Put things in places that you regularly use them. No reason to store your kitchen utensils in your study, it may be really nicely organized but you aren't going to be likely to keep it organized if you have to go all the way to the study to put your forks and knifes away.

 

Now time to STANDARDIZE - do things to keep it that way.  Make it visual, so that anyone who walks into your house can find what they need and put things in the right place. If your mother-in-law comes to watch the kids make it easy for her to know where things belong, so she doesn't have to search the whole house to find something, and so you don't have to search the whole house to find the same thing next time you want it. Standardizing makes it very easy to SUSTAIN, even your two year old can figure out where things go so you don't have to continually pick up after them. A truly 5S area naturally Sustains itself.
 

I love it!  I have had major issues with my book shelves for years. I love books and I have lots of them. I have them so my kids can read them. But it drove me crazy because when they read them they would never put them back where they belong.  So I came up with this grand idea.  - WASHI TAPE

 

 

With the help of my oldest we pulled out all the books, got rid of duplicates and books we thought were stupid.  We then sorted them into like books all the Christmas book went together, all the easy read books went together all the science books, all of mom's favorite "if you damage these you will be in big trouble" books together all the children novels together etc.  and then we placed them back on the shelves.  and we put a different color of washi tape on the spine of each book.

 

 

 

I did this on labor day.  And four months later, I have not had to put a single book back where it goes, the kids do it all by themselves, and when Grandma's come to baby sit, they know exactly where all the bed time books get returned.  It has been wonderful. The kids keep the shelves organized.  Every once in a while I do have to remind them that there are too many books on the floor, but they can put them away and they put them away straight and in the right place.

 

By trusting in the Lord, and not doing what I thought was best, but doing what the Lord thought was best I have learned to better manage my home, and thus have become a better mother and wife. I have been able to bring my home just a smidgen closer to heaven by eliminating this set of stress and adding a bit of order to maybe an otherwise chaotic home.  We are getting closer.