Hey everyone! Thank you so much for turning out again for the next issue of the 10 rules for a highly effective House Husband.

I’m going to be honest, I struggled this month with motivation. The temperature is dropping and mentally
I have been feeling a little worn out.
Time has flown by this month and I find myself submitting this article a little
later than normal. I’d like to give a big shout-out to the team at the Voice for
helping me edit and finalize this article so close to the deadline.

Being a good house husband often means doing things you don’t want to.
Our lives can start to feel really mundane. Repetition is not a
punishment. It takes a strong person to constantly follow though on their
responsibilities, no matter how trivial they may seam.

It’s for that reason I got my bum in gear and sat down at my computer to
make sure I was following through on the commitments I made.

Enough said about that, let’s get into the meat and potatoes of it all.
Let’s recap the rules so far.

RECAP FROM LAST ISSUE

1. Focus

Taking care of a household is no easy task. There are a million things to do at
any given time, and any number of these things, can have another
possible million interruptions. That right there is why the number one trait
any house husband must master is focus.

2. Cherish your loved ones and family
members

Let’s face it, without a family and loved ones, there would be no need for
house husbands. Cherishing your partner and dependents is the whole
base of our existence, the pride we take in our work and the exhaustion
we overcome is all in the name of the ones we love.

3. Communication

Communication is the pillar of any healthy and respectful relationship. As
the home maintenance expert, communication on your part will be
key to your success.

There are going to be a lot of areas that will require concise and prompt
communication. The clearer and more concise you can be with your family members
about household needs, the better. Also, staying on top of the day-to-day
life requirements of the family unit will add to the overall harmony of the household.

4. Consistency

As the house husband, you will need to be able to plan and execute daily
tasks. It’s important to understand what your duties are and ensure that
you are consistent with them. The others in your life deserve only your best.

5. Progress

It’s easy to get caught up and worn out by the day-to-day events of life.
Add a kid or two into that mix and, life can feel like it’s on fast-forward. For
that reason alone, it is important to take the time to stop and reflect,
Specifically on your own personal progress / growth.

You will notice, as time goes on, you will change and evolve. Your skills around
the house will refine, and you will find easier ways of doing things.

6. Stay clam, and just roll with it.

Being the care taker of your home
and several other life related responsibilities can be extremely
stressful. It can often feel like an uphill battle and your work just like the
money earner in the household is never done.

Life is never going to be easy for most of us, That’s why it’s
critical to learn to roll with the punches. It’s easy to be your own worst enemy,
the only issue with that is it affects everyone else around you. To steal a
line from a great Drag queen “It’s water off a duck’s back” Things won’t
affect you if you don’t let them.

 

7. PLAN AS MUCH AS YOU CAN

You have probably heard this 100 times before, and you will likely hear it
100 times more. A person with a plan will always find more success than
someone who just wings it. Planning ahead is a form of empowerment. Life
will always be filled with randomness and unpredictability, it’s our ability to be
prepared and adjust that keeps us from running around like a flock of
headless chickens.

For example, you know that every day, at least 3 times a day, you will need to
feed your family. This is not something that you can put off or decide to do
tomorrow. Yes there are times when just the idea of cooking 3 times a day
can be overwhelming. However, when you have people that depend on you
and your ability to run the household, letting them down sucks. Being
prepared takes a lot of the stress away. When you have a plan, you
have steps to follow and repeatable actions. Both of those things will
greatly decrease the level of stress you feel when trying to take care of any
given task or chore.

If you take the time each week to plan out ahead of time what meals you will
be cooking and when, you can save yourself countless hours of discussion
and indecision.

The same goes with everything else you know you have to get done in
week. If you plan to do laundry the same day every week and follow
through, you won’t have a pile up of work. If you know it’s your responsibility
to walk the household pet each day rather than trying to fit it in plan it for
the same time every day. Once in a while you might have to adjust your
schedule, but more often than not the routines you put in place with careful
planning will only improve your quality of life and reduce your overall stress.

8. FIND THINGS YOU ENJOY

Life is intense, it’s always changing, and time waits for no one. That’s why
it’s important to find activities and hobbies that keep your inner fires
burning. Life is full of so many cool and interesting things to do that you owe it
to yourself to experience some of it. Some people love to write, others
enjoy creating art. Some people love playing sports, while others love to
watching them. Often, as the house husband, you are going to feel like you
have lost all your free time. You might find yourself having battles with the
depression monster or anxiety snake. While I can’t take those things away I
can tell you that everyone needs me time. If that means sitting your family
down to figure out when you can collectively make time for your needs,
it will be worth it, promise.

Taking time to recharge your batteries, to fill your need meters, is so
important. Taking care of yourself will allow you to take care of everyone else
in your care. As a good house husband, that’s all we really care
about. Doing right by those that love and depend on us. So for the love of
all that is holy, take care of yourself and find time for you.

Once again, I would thank everyone who takes the time to read this article.
Like I said in the beginning, I was really struggling this month with motivation. I
took a lot of time this month to enjoy the things I like, and that is ok. Just
remember, when the bottom of the 9th rolls around, and you need to step
up to bat, make sure you hit a home run.