Welcome to our Household Chores Series, where we are discussing the types of household chore skills that are important for independent living, how we might decide what we need to learn, and how we can practice those skills to incorporate them into our routine. 

In Part 1 we went over some common household chores one might encounter in an independent living situation. In Part 2 we are sorting through all those chores together to talk about the ways we might choose to prioritize some chores over others when there is simply too much to learn at once.

The reality of household chores is that there are some that are absolutely essential on a regular basis, others that are fine every once in a while, and others still that you might go a long time without remembering or noticing something is off. Some chores are universally important, but the priority and attention we pay to a particular chore can be a product of our own unique independent living situation and personal judgment. 

Some people might not mind seeing their dirty dishes stack up a little bit but need clean countertops, while others might need clean dishes but struggle to put away clean laundry. How can we set our priorities if our aim is to improve our skillset but there are more skills to practice than we have time for? 

We can ask ourselves some important questions about our needs and preferences! So let’s do exactly that and dive into some questions we might ask ourselves in an order that reflects the priority level those questions may play in our lives.

There are lots of different ways our home can get messier when we don’t do our household chores, but some messes can be more harmful than others. Dust or mold buildup can be especially harmful to some people while for others clean dishes might be essential for ensuring they cook and eat regular meals. 

The crucial decision on this question is whether some chores that are being neglected have some especially harmful consequences to your health, as we should prioritize those chores even if we find them annoying.

We all have different pet peeves when it comes to messes. Some people don’t like to see food remnants on a dirty plate. Others can’t stand it if the bed isn’t made. While some of us can’t help but notice all the messes that are out there, for most of us the reality is that some messes are more bothersome than others. 

If you are choosing between a variety of household chore skills, starting with the ones that address the messes that annoy you the most can often be the best use of your time and can get the ball rolling on learning other skills!

One consequence of not doing household chores is that over time our living space gradually gets dirtier in ways we might barely notice until it gets overwhelming. This can happen across a variety of different chores and some are easier to manage than others. 

What do you think is most frustrating to work on if it’s been too long since the last cleaning? If you hate the consequences of a particular chore falling out of your routine, learning the building blocks that can make it part of your routine might be your best bet!

This is an important point of consideration for reasons that will also vary from person to person. Some people might think about the chores they struggle with in terms of having neglected to work on that skill set. But others might have practical reasons why they can’t complete particular chores. 

Whatever angle you are approaching from it is certain to impact how you prioritize working on your household chore skills! Chores you know are not practical for you to complete also likely aren’t worth practicing. 

Chores you know you want to get better at, on the other hand, might be a higher priority when you are deciding how to allocate your time.

Every living space is a little different when it comes to the things it requires to stay clean and organized. For some people, yardwork might be one of the most time-consuming parts of their regular chore schedule while others might not need to do any yardwork at all. 

Consider what your living space needs the most of. Do you cook a lot of food at home and need to do dishes regularly? Does your house have mostly wood floors that require a broom and a swiffer? Does your apartment have a washer and dryer you can use or do you need to plan around trips to the laundromat? 

Knowing what chores will have the most gravity in your life based on your living space can go a long way toward prioritizing what you want to learn!

Another approach worth considering is thinking about what chores you are currently able to get help with versus which you currently aren’t and focus on shoring up your skills in the areas where you don’t currently have help. 

If your mom comes over and does your laundry every week, for example, but you are responsible for your dishes then working on your dish cleaning skills should likely be your top priority! Of course, you are best equipped to make judgment calls about your own situation. 

The crucial thing worth considering is that if you have limited time and energy to use it can be hugely valuable to be able to benefit from someone else who is willing to offer you theirs in a small or big way!

All other considerations aside, it is pointless to plan on practicing household chore skills if the practice you end up doing doesn’t help you feel like you are learning or better incorporating particular chores into your routine. If you are feeling overwhelmed or like you are not getting anything out of the process, a great first step is any first step! 

Narrow down your practice to something that feels achievable in the short term and build on that when you feel confident with it. Instead of cleaning dishes, for example, you may want to focus on wiping down plates and bowls with a sponge for now, and worry about other types of silverware later. The crucial thing is that you are moving forward and have something to build on!

We hope this series of questions has offered an idea of how you might begin to work on your household chore-related skills. 

If you’d like to share your thoughts on how you prioritize your chores or if there is a topic you would like to see us cover related to household chores then we would love to hear from you! 

Just drop us a line at hello@autismgrownup.com and tune in next week when we will talk about teaching and practicing household chores from a parent or caregiver’s perspective.