12 Parenting Secrets To Steal From Moms with Lots of Kids

Good Housekeeping

These families have figured out how to keep it all under control.

(Dec. 27, 2023) Sharing the load between partners is hard enough. Now imagine the amount of laundry, dishes and clutter produced by large families with five, six, seven or more kids. How do they handle it all? Systems!

Through trial, error and experience, these families have become pros. They organize chores and get buy-in from their kids. Even the youngest members of the family share responsibility for the household. Each system is different, but here are some ideas that work.

Create Zones

Hannah Keeley raised seven kids in a 1,400-square-foot house in Virginia. She divided cleaning chores by area: the living room, the bathrooms, the hallway, etc. Each child was responsible for one zone, and assignments rotated weekly.

Even before her children could read, they participated.

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