It’s that time of year when we sit down and think about what our resolutions will be.  Last year, my resolutions included going to bed by 10:30 p.m. each night, exercising more and beginning Max’s potty training. These seemed like reasonable resolutions until I realized that I couldn’t even get the kitchen cleaned by 10:30 p.m., I valued sleep more than a treadmill, and I didn’t end up potty training Max until October.

Well, I’m trying a different tack this year. In addition to my usual list of resolutions, I’m making some cleaning resolutions. Hey, I figure the more resolutions I make, the more likely that some will get kept, right? Here they are:

1)      Clean as I go:

On most nights after preparing dinner, my kitchen looks like a stampede of elephants just came through — elephants that appear to enjoy reveling in tomato sauce and then bounding gleefully across my kitchen. I also have piles of pots in the sink, sticky measuring cups on the counter and remnant carrot or onion peels on various surfaces by the stove. Well, starting January 1, I’m going to adopt the “clean as you go” protocol. I will try to clean up the messes as I make them: when I finish using those measuring cups, I’ll try to pop them into the dishwasher instead of setting them down wherever I am (I’ve found a measuring cup on the bathroom counter before — don’t ask me how it got there). I’ll bust out the disinfecting wipes to just be DONE with those annoying kitchen messes as they happen, and remnant food will be immediately composted (or possibly popped in my mouth — whichever is easier). This should also give me a jump-start on the evening’s kitchen cleanup routine … and who knows? It could also help me fulfill my resolution of getting to bed on time.

2)      Get the kids to help clean:

OK, maybe we didn’t have kids just to have some extra physical labor around the house, but let’s face it, putting our munchkins to work not only helps us out, but it has been shown to build esteem and a sense of responsibility in young children. So I sat down with each of my kids and asked them to choose tasks they will complete in 2012 to help keep our household running. I figure if they select their own tasks, they’ll be more likely to follow through. When I had the conversation with my 5-year-old, Elle, she politely promised to unload her lunchbox and make her bed each day.   When I had the same conversation with my 3-year-old, Max, however, he listened intently and then looked up at me and asked, “Can I have a cookie?” Clearly, he may need a little more guidance with this one.

3)      It’s OK to go to bed dirty:

This one is going to be tough for me. But I am going to try to let go of the guilt that consumes me when I go to bed with the house messy. I must admit there have been times when I’ve lain in bed, too tired to get up and tidy up the bathroom, but just burdened by the thought of the toothpaste gunk that I forgot to wipe up. But I’m going to try to be more “Zen” in 2012 and realize that for my own sanity and that of my family (who, for some reason, doesn’t seem to find a cranky Mommy that charming), I may just have to let the house be a bit messy sometimes. It will probably infuriate me at first, but like that age spot on your cheek that you just get used to, I am hoping that I can eventually “let go” and be more at peace with sticky floors or messy counters. And besides, if the house is a little dirty, maybe that means I’ll finally have a chance to hit the sack early or hop on the treadmill!

What are your household New Year’s resolutions?