
Homemaking with ADHD require one to acquire a few tips and trick in order to survive. Though I have never been officially diagnosed I have read the criteria in the DSM and I have fit it since at least the age of 5. In fact my loving mother taught me to read by allowing me to jump on the words on the floor instead of reading them on a page.
I have had my own home since I got married at the age of 23. That was almost six years ago now, it’s amazing how quickly time flies. Some of these tips I have figured out on my own, some I got from the internet and some I learned from family and friends.
Don’t Give Up

If even brushing your teeth every day is something that you struggle with the idea of managing a your life let alone home, husband, children and in my case a farm to boot, is daunting. The most important thing to remember is that you matter how much you fail always try again!
Trying again can and frequently should look different. Maybe you try a new routine, a different calendar, different music or doing it at a different time. Think of yourself not as a failure but a unique puzzle that requires patience and intelligence to figure out.
Homemaking Is The Perfect Job For You

While you and I might stink struggle with getting the house clean and even more to keep it clean, we are by nature the best at homemaking. ADHD gives you creativity, the ability to roll with the punches, to thrive with the unpredictable, multitask like nobody’s business and see a grand vision for your life.
Embrace this life and what you uniquely bring to it. Your home will be anything but boring and cookie cutter. Life is too short for sameness. Love your differences.
Gain Over Gap

Focusing on your gains over time will allow you to not get so frustrated by the gap between who you are and who you want to be. As newlyweds my husband would invite people over so that I would get the house clean.
It would take the two of us days to clean a small house to prepare for guests. Now we can clean a larger house with children in a few hours. So instead of looking at all of the mess around me and getting depressed I can remember how far I have come.
Invite People Over

As I said my husband would do this to get me to clean. Now I have a fair amount of motivation on my own so that is not necessary. However is still puts a little pep in my step to go the extra mile with the house in preparation for company.
Also remember clean for your guest but don’t think your house has to look like no-one ever lives there. The goal is the comfort of our guest not a image if perfection that does not exist.
Use A Timer

I find this particularly helpful when it comes to cleaning my kitchen. Not only do I cook from scratch and preserve lots of food, we also produce a lot of our own food. This means dishes galore. My amazing husband can help me get the kitchen clean and in a few hours of food prep even with cleaning as I go, it looks like I haven’t cleaned the kitchen in days.
Finally I have found the perfect system for helping me have a clean kitchen. Let’s call it the 20,20,20 rule. I clean my kitchen for 20 minutes at a time, three times in a day. Depending on how much cooking has been happening depends on how clean it is at the end of it. But after one hour of concentrated work the kitchen is at least passably clean.
I like to set a timer for 20 minutes at the most. Anymore than that and it is hard for me to keep up my energy to get the job done. Sometimes after 20 minutes I will set the timer again and go for another 20 minutes. Other times I need a break even if it means just switching to a different task.
Just don’t use the timer on your phone because in the process of starting the timer you will stumble across some piece of information and come to three hours later having a good understand of it and still not washed your dishes.
Wear A Watch

Wear an old-school watch without a calendar, internet connect or any functions other than telling the time. Wearing a watch allows you to know the time without opening your phone. Modern smart phones are wonderfully distracting and addicting use them with caution and when you want to use them, not when you just want to know the time.
Awareness of time is essential for the homemaker. Unless you know how long it takes to wash the dishes you won’t know if you have enough time to do the dishes before you have to leave to go to your appointment. Being able to check the times without getting distracted easily will over time help you to get an intuitive knowledge of time. You will have a sense of what time it is, how long something will take and what you can fit in a day.
Dress For The Job

As the saying goes, “the clothes make the man” this holds true for homemakers as well. We need to feel our best to be our best which means wearing clothes that we feel comfortable in. However comfort should not be our only concern. When we get dressed for the day we want to make we are wearing modest clothes that are flattering.
Depending on your style this could be a dress, t-shirt and jeans, skirt and blouse or leggings and a tunic. Wear clothes that reflect your style. Project to the world and yourself how you want to be perceived. Do you want to be seen as laid back? Try legging and a tunic. Want to be seen as a lady? Try a dress or a skirt and a blouse.
Brush your hair, brush your teeth, get dressed and face the day head on. Be you but be the best you!
Do Something That Sparks Joy Each Day

Life should not be all dishes, laundry and cleaning the floors. Take some time each day to do something you love. This could be enjoying a beautiful cup of tea, taking photos, knitting, sewing, crocheting, or just about anything that brings you joy and adds beauty to your life.
For me it could be anyone of the things I listed above. Today I worked on the quilt that I am making for my husband and me. Tomorrow it might be something different. What matters is we are enjoying and creating beauty all around us.
Eat Well

Take the time to eat well. Investing in your health will pay dividends over the course of your life. For me eating well can be the difference between be able to function and focus and being depressed and unable to handle even the most basic things is life.
Focus on protein, nutrient dense foods and proper hydration. Eat protein with every meal and snack. Think eggs, meat, cheese, dairy, nuts and beans. This could be nuts and dried fruit, muffins with lots of eggs, pieces of meat, yogurt etc.
Nutrient dense foods help you feel full faster. Organ meats such as liver, heart and tongue are a great place to start. Sounds gross to you? Don’t even want to think about it? Start with either taking them in capsules or mixing in liver powder into seasoning blends such as taco seasoning, fajita seasoning and seasoned salt.
Proper hydration is something I really struggle with. I rarely get thirsty so drinking enough water can be really difficult. The electrolyte powder from Redmond Real Salt has been wonderful for helping me drink water. I mix it at about half the recommended strength and it still tastes great! Water, raw milk, teas and fermented drinks are all great ways to get your hydration in.
Stay tuned for more tips in the future!
Your comment is awaiting moderation.
This post was super helpful, and SOOO encouraging!!