Home Management: Plain and Simple

by Kim Brenneman

Home—more than a house, a home is a place for rest, restoration, and relationship. For families with children, a home is a place for care, learning, and belonging. Managing a busy home is a serious undertaking, with many tasks to face and obstacles to overcome: the laundry monster, household clutter and cleaning, caring for babies and little ones, menu planning and mealtime routines, town outings, bill paying—and so much more!
This sensible and straightforward how-to manual is filled with systematic procedures, easy-to-understand organizational advice, with tips and hints for managing a bustling home with greater efficiency—all in a way that honors God and builds family relationships. Home Management Plain and Simple is an invaluable resource that will equip busy families with tools that will help them get beyond survival mode and thrive!
How-to guides included for:
• Fitting home management tasks into the day
• How to plan for smooth days
• Planning for interruptions
• Kitchen management
• Laundry management
• Family teamwork and how to teach and delegate chores
• Living joyfully and honoring our unique selves
• Creating a happy home full of grace and hope
• Minimize inefficiencies and save time
• Develop proficiency in home skills
• Discovering time for hobbies
• Keeping a positive attitude and remaining flexible
• Fitting in exercise
• Life with babies
• Shopping skills, with children!
• Even more planning, sorting, prioritizing
Home Management Plain and Simple separates the needs of family members and the tasks of living in a home. It helps families to prioritize those needs, and build systems for managing the home so that the best days are better. Home Management Plain and Simple is full of helpful ideas to help families get organized using creative, yet simple methods. This practical book is a manual of tangible solutions and tips for household management that is applicable to all, no matter how many or what age groups are living in the home.

Genres: Parenting, Nonfiction, Christian, Family, Unfinished, How To, Christian Living

360 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 2, 2010

About the author

Kim Brenneman is the homeschooling mom of nine plus adaughter-in-love, Iowa farm wife, Registered Nurse, and writer of all things todo with home and family. What began as book for her daughters, Home ManagementPlain and Simple is now available for all who seek to live a better life athome. She continues to write about laundry, kitchen management, home officeskills, menu planning, grocery shopping, cooking, house cleaning, gardening,and children. Visit her online home and learn how to make your best days betterat homeplainandsimple.com.

Reviews

[Jen · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am not the target audience for this book. I'm sure of that. Normally, when a book is not for me, I'm able to pass it along or at least leave it at a laundromat or something for someone else to find and look through. And so when I found myself ripping out a page maybe fifty pages in I stopped and looked around for someone to come and take away my free speech badge, because I am not that kind of person (the kind who rips pages out of books. Or trashes them. Or burns them.)

What compelled me to grip the paper and pull violently? The portion on reading materials and reading habits. The author felt the need to tell me to not only be careful and monitor what I read, but to beware of even "Christian" books, because sometimes the devil is in them too. Words.
Words. Ideas. The devil can be in words. Ideas can be dangerous. And I agree and also want to pull out my hair and scream "NO! I don't agree with you in that way, author!", which is a conflicted stance to have. So:

I am not going to argue that point because I think I will lose. Words do have power. Ideas can be dangerous. That is why we read. That is why I read, because "safety's just danger out of place" (it's a little bitty sad that those quotes are lyrics from Harry Connick, but whatever). When books warn that you have to only read certain kinds of them, and that even those segregated few aren't safe, well then I think you are destined for the real danger, living constantly like Mr. Magoo, one unknowing step away from fallling into a pit with no bottom. That to me is the devil-- making rules where no one can encounter inflammatory ideas anywhere, turning them around, studying them, deciding what to do with them, refute or agree or a blend of the two. Mr. Magoos fear all the wrong things. As a viewer (please tell me someone else is as old as I am and knows what tv reruns are) you know that outside of the television Mr. Magoos don't last very long. He's not a bad guy, but he puts everyone around him on edge because he's so totally disconnected that every step is a matter of life or death because he knows no better- his glasses, where are they?

So what am I saying? I don't know, really. Only that when I was growing up safe and sheltered and caged, reading was my only freedom. Everything in my developing life was controlled or censored. My parents, for one reason or another, restricted my reading habits the least, perhaps because I was so musical, and watching Vivien Leigh with Victor Mature made me pull out the scarves and dance around the house saying "Samson, Samson, the PhilLISsteens are uhpohn you" but even then there were books that I hid, books that I read only at school. Some of those books, yeah, they were about incest and romance, they were V.C. Andrews and had peekaboo covers that when opened had no naughty picture bits, only warped family portraits. But some of the books I couldn't bring home were not really harmful. Some of them were perfectly fine but just not saintly enough for my parents. Books like Judy Blume. Judy Blume! Pippi Longstocking. Pippi. Longstocking. And so that is why I feel this way, and I'll admit freely that my background is what ruined this book for me. Ms. Brenneman (can I call you Ms.? Mrs?), I am not trying deliberately to offend you. I was given this book as a Christmas gift with an inscription written with love from someone who worked her very ass off to make me the semi-decent person that I am today and I do not want to belittle that sacrifice. But also, when I think of hers, I do (perhaps selfishly) think of mine, and of all the times I wandered around helplessly squinting in the face of unrealized disaster like Mr. Magoo.

When I was little I remember wanting to read awwlll the books in the whooooole wiiide worrrlddd" and thinking maybe, just maybe, I could do it. The library wasn't all that big at school and my parents had perhaps sixty books on our shelves at home. Back then, it seemed an honorable and achievable goal. Today, anytime I feel that strange optimism creep in (which is rare with my to-read mountain and goodreads), I will curb it with the reminder to my thirty-something self that this books exists. Because I am not ever going to read and finish this one, ever. Vaya con huevos, book. Don't worry, I won't rip you again. We part in peace.

[Lisa Wuertz · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author states that this book started as an instructional manual for her girls to teach them how to run a household when they got older. Something she wished she had from her own mother or at least some experience with home life logistics instead of being away from home 8 hours a day at school and her mom taking care of everything. And that is pretty much how this book reads. Basic topics from how to do laundry, to what vitamins and supplements to take daily, to the importance of taking time each day to freshen up and put on make-up to look your best and most beautiful for your family. Some of it is just so rudimentary that I don't feel it belongs in a book about taking care of a large family (if you don't know how to do laundry and you have 9 kids, you are in a world of trouble).

The author is very big on being anti-feminist and believes the wife's main purpose is to be in the home, wearing dresses and taking care of children. She casually mentions a few times that her husband's job keeps him away from their home much of the time so every detail of home management from bills to appliance maintenance, etc. is her sole responsibility. What I got from the book is that women are supposed to find their only joy and happiness in doing dishes, cleaning up and caring for their family. And really, the way the author outlines it, she really doesn't have time for much else. I still don't see how she manages to do it all after reading this book.

Her interpretation of the "Proverbs 31 woman" isn't completely accurate or achievable. Our modern society is quite a bit different from that time period in which more than one generation lived under the same roof, there were servants, multiple wives and concubines to help with all the various tasks of running a household. We are very nuclear family oriented and often cut off from our parents and siblings that in a past life might have helped us farm, take care of babies (even nurse each other's babies) etc. So, to interpret Proverbs 31 and say that in our new modern age one woman is responsible for all of that doesn't seem to fit in my opinion. I don't think the author is completely off base, just that perhaps she overextended the argument a bit. I agree that being depressed and sighing repeatedly while doing the dishes (or other household chores) is counterproductive and not a good attitude to have, but I do think it is OK for women to have other pursuits and joys outside of cleaning up after and taking care of a family.

Her sentiment that women don't need a break or a girls night out or alone time ever because God meets those needs is a bit ridiculous. Even Jesus had alone time and time with just his three main guys. Then, like many other Christian books and pastors she goes on to suggest that you pretty much "need" to get up early in the morning before the rest of your family to do your devotional and all that in order to be ready for your day. I think it is completely ridiculous when this suggestion is made, like we can't be truly spiritual unless "we start the day off right" in this one specific way. Nevermind the countless characters in the Bible that sought God at all sorts of hours of the day and night. This argument does not hold water. Some people are night owls and need to process the events of the day, journal, read, pray, do a devotion or whatever at the end of the day and this makes them no less spiritual than the person that wakes up a 4am everyday to do it.

While I appreciate the way the author makes things work for her and her large family, some of it really doesn't apply to those of us that do not have 9 kids on an Iowa farm. She mentions having a website with forums on large family logistics. I think this book would have been much more true to the spirit of the subtitle (the art and science of managing the large family) if she had collaborated with some of her best website members and had several large family "managers" from a variety of lifestyles (urban, suburban, farm, etc) share what works for their family.

[Rebekah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Edited to add: over the years I’ve referenced this book MANY times. It’s been over 5 years and I finally read through the entire book again. I still love it as much as the first time.

Original review: I loved this book - soooo incredibly helpful and practical, and I don't even have any children yet!

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This author managed to confuse Evangelical Christian life with a high order family life, and it rendered her book somewhat less effective. Also there are sections where she clearly wrote with less steam than in others. If you can accept her lifestyle premises, this book is a 4-star work. This book is published by Vision Forum, so these views aren't seen as out of line from this publisher.

In many ways, this woman uses her book to push a Christian life philosophy that isn't necessarily relevant to a woman's success as a mother or household logistician (or even, quite frankly, a Christian). There seems to be an out-of-place focus on modesty and femininity without emphasizing the more appealing aspects of long skirts (cubic feet of pocket space?), and the author seems to think that any form of idleness is sinful, that any complaining is intolerable, and that loneliness is sometimes a treasure from God. Solitude I get, but isolation? While I see the virtue in choosing to be content, I don't see how it benefits someone to be content with misery, especially if that misery can be easily alleviated. Also, in her view, the mother/wife should be a cheerful expert in self-denial and unquestioning deference to her husband. Yes, having any number of children is going to limit your free time, but should the high point of your day really be the fifteen minute bath? And must you always defer to your husband's (possibly dubious) judgment in all domestic matters? (She's silent on marital intimacy, but I would be willing to bet that she expects mothers to be cheerful and creative lovers on a nightly basis, always submitting to the whims of the husband.)
She also seemed to heavily imply, if not explicitly state, that outside your immediate family, you should only spend your time with other professed and similarly-minded Christians.

The book is also heavily sexist and focused on gender roles. Make sure your daughters know how to sew and cook, and your sons know how to do heavy work (since it's not like a son will ever have to fix supper, and all large families have a natural gender/age balance with the children). Show your children how you and they must defer to father's judgment in all matters, even ones he knows nothing about. [I'm a military wife, and while there are certainly times I don't mind deferring to my husband's judgment, and I value his opinion in almost all domestic matters, the household won't work at all unless I exercise a heavy degree of autonomy in daily activity. Whether he's around or not, it's my job to keep the household running like a well-oiled machine, and it's important that I can make decisions free of his guidance since I don't always have the luxury of his direction.]

Aside from the muddling of the theological and logistical lifestyles, this book was very helpful, even to a mother of a not-particularly-ponderous brood. Brenneman fixates on cleaning and organization a lot, which seems boring, but it turns out that cleaning and organization are the two biggest secrets to family success. Meal planning. Homeschool planning. A cleaning routine. Teaching the kids to do chores from toddlerhood. She fixates on cleaning a LOT. Ponderously so, in fact. Clean the shower walls while you're in the shower. Clean around the sink after you wash your hands. Clean the bathroom while the children are taking a bath. Clean whenever you feel bored or lonely or sad, and be cheerful as you clean.

Plan your days. Designate a day for kitchen activities, a day for outdoor activities, a day for shopping/errands, a day for heavy cleaning, Sabbath for resting, a day for laundry, a day for office/paperwork/bill paying activities, and the like. This makes a lot of sense.

I was bummed about the homeschool chapter. I was hoping for advice on homeschooling four or more children that was more nuanced than "encourage self-learning." Maybe how certain subjects, like art/music/cooking/religion/character can be taught effectively to all children at the same time, or some way of teaching certain subjects with greater depth to older children.

[Amber Jimerson · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone coming to this book with almost zero household management knowledge, I found this extremely helpful, well-organized, and easy to receive and implement. Judging by other reviews, you'll likely only appreciate this book if you're coming from a Christian point of view, which is unfortunate because there is such a wealth of basic wisdom inside.

[Micaela Rojas · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I could give this six stars I would. This book was the Titus 2 woman to me that I have been so desperately needing in my life. Filled with practical advice and wisdom on how to run a home! My life won't be the same after reading this book and I'm forever grateful to my friend for suggesting it to me!

[Tricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read through it while away from home & came back with a ton of inspiration to dial in my housekeeping routines. After 3 months of implementation I can safely say that it has been helpful and successful. Not perfect, by any means, but I feel much less overwhelmed. She helped me visualize training my kids to help with housework, she gave me bullet points to actually write in my planner so that they get done. Seriously, bullet points like “Dust one bedroom” or “Organize 1 drawer in the focus area” - I love it because I’m actually doing what I set out to do and I don’t get distracted by undone jobs in other areas of the house because I know I’ll get there eventually.
Two caveats: I may not have been able to glean as much in earlier seasons of parenting babies & toddlers. Also, I’m a homeschool mom like the author & I don’t think this would work as well for those who work outside the home.

[Annie C · Rating 1 out of 5]

I would give this book negative stars if I could.

More than fifty percent of this book is nothing but propaganda for the Dominionist movement. I know this is a book by and for this kind of Christian but this is billed as a practical homemaking guide, not a set of sermons on the evils of feminism, which is what you get for much of the first half.

What practical advice she has is vague and poorly organized. There are a number of better homemaking books on the market.

The one thread I picked up on through the book is that she expects her older children, especially her older girls, to take over most of the chores she sets out, as well as looking after and teaching the younger children. In many places she clearly states that this is supposed to take priority over their education, because reading and writing are fun time activities, not actual work.

Yes, she says that.

She says that having a homeschooling parent actually teach is an unnecessary waste of time. If you actually have to sit there and explain something to your child rather than have them figure it out for themselves then you need to reevaluate your curriculum. All you should have to do is check up on them once a week if you have the time.

Yes, she says that.

But the benefit of being a de facto teen mother is that you get to eat the scraps off the little one's plates.

Yes, she says that as well.

There are lots of better books on homemaking out there, even from a Christian perspective. Don't give this author the money, she doesn't deserve it.

[Lindsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was expecting to like this book much more than I did. There was some practical stuff in the book, but not as much as I would have hoped. This book presents the husband as the authority in the house. In all areas. At all time. Kitchen needs to be remodeled? Husband decides how. Kids need new homeschool curriculum? Ask Dad what he want them to learn. It isn't presented as keeping the husband involved in the goings on of the family or weighing his opinions with yours, it always comes across as you ask him what he wants and then you make it happen. I don't view my role of wife and mother in that way. That is not what submission says to me. That sounds an awful more like slavery than submission. (All the responsibility with zero authority.) It was very hard for me to get passed this aspect of the book. Even when I tried to overlook it, I'd come across her advice that was really more of a personal preference than actual wisdom. She prefers jumpers. (As in those overall type dresses that were popular in the early 90s.) I can get just as much mothering done in my jeans and t-shirt, thank you very much. That is a personal preference. There is nothing holy or even helpful about jumpers. There was plenty of this type of thing sprinkled throughout the book. I was also a bit surprised that the publishers chose the textbook style of printing. It just didn't seem to be a textbook style book of any kind, so the choice of printing was strange to me.

Overall, I don't recommend the book. Want something better and along the same lines? Try "Smart Martha's Catholic Guide For Busy Moms" by Tami Kiser or "Mrs. Meyer's Clean Home" by Thelma Meyer.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book has 2 parts. I only read the second part which includes nitty gritty details on how to actually run your household. I LOVED it! It is a textbook for moms. Seriously helpful. LOVED it. So many practical helps. Did I mention I loved it???

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vision Forum deserves side-eye, but this was a helpful book. Refreshing to read a home management book that assumes pregnancy, homeschooling, and more than 2.1 children.

[Lynzee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to admire the woman who wrote this book. She seems to have it all together! "A place for everything, and everything in its place" is her motto. It's a little overwhelming, but she has some really good ideas that I'd love to incorporate in my family lifestyle. Most of the notes below are things I'd like to remember in particular, since I don't own this book to reference later.

I love that the author teaches her kids to work and often says, "We work before we play." She said, "If children are not taught to work when they are young, then they will find it hard to work the rest of their life. They will grow up with an entitlement mentality. They will expect everyone around them to take care of their every need while they sit back demanding it to be hurried." I certainly don't want my children to behave that way!

I really like the chapter she wrote about teaching children to be obedient. After asking a child 3, 4, or 5 times to do something - often without even hearing ourselves repeating the request the first 3 times - we start getting upset with the child and frustrated that we've had to ask for something to be done over and over. The author, Kim Brenneman, says this is not okay. As moms we are busy people and tend to multi-task, but child discipline isn't something that can be multi-tasked. We need to train ourselves to hear ourselves. And it's hard, but repeating ourselves is training our children to continue in disobedience. Mrs. Brenneman is very religious and encourages mothers to have a prayerful heart in these matters. Refreshing!

I photocopied Chapter 16 in its entirety - "Your Own Personal Spa." Because I currently share a bathroom with my kids, I only dream of a beautiful, candlelit room where I can soak (uninterrupted) in a hot bubble bath. But someday it will happen.

One thing I'd like to do is have a toy cupboard with locks, like the author suggests. This is like having another adult in the house and is a good method of managing the toys that are out and available. It is not a cruel thing to lock toys away. It is good management. Rotating toys keeps interest high and brains working in different ways. In the toy cupboard, each activity or toy has a specific place that is labeled on the shelf. This way, anyone can put things away or look to see where to find something. I'd love a toy cupboard like this.

So many of her ideas are overwhelming for me (like the chapter called "Laundry Day"), but I'd like to be more like Kim Brenneman and appreciate her sharing her thoughts. It's a great book for anyone looking to be more organized, even if your family isn't that large.

[Jenifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a large family but do not homeschool. This book almost made me want to homeschool. One point she makes is that we have lost the art of homemaking. Young married women today do not know how to keep an orderly home. I believe that is true. This family is very traditional Christian. It reminded me of Little House on the Prairie, and I love the feeling of that life. It is possible to have a large family and still have a clean, orderly, happy home. This book has inspired me to be better and outlined some practical ways I can improve. I like how she teaches her children manners by having them touch her arm if she is busy with someone else. I like how she quotes psalms and proverbs all the time- i want to know them better. I like how she has an afternoon pick-up before dad comes home. I like how she has weekly tea parties and quiet mornings with her husband. I like how she sets the baby in a play pen with toys while she helps the older kids with school work. I like how she teaches obedience and encourages her children to say, "yes mother". I wish she was more detailed about her schedule and chore rotations, but I think she has a blog with additional information on it. This was a nice, religious book to read.

[Crystal Milliken · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderful book for mothers. Even those without large families would benefit from it. I am still in the process of going back through it and implementing some of her strategies.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was an answer to my prayers in trying to balance the housework with the homeschool. Along with house keeping tips and routines, she offers homeschool tips and routines as well. Loved it!

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part I is very insightful for ways to cultivate a good attitude about all the hard things that come with large family life. I’m not sure I agree with all of her recommendations, but the overarching principles regarding the ministry of family are spot on. It was good for my soul. Part II is a resource for practical application of homemaking. It was helpful to read through how another momma runs her home and make some much needed tweaks and adjustments to my own routines.

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely practical book on home organization, cleaning, raising kids, budgeting... so I guess the title sums it up well - home management!

Definitely written for a very specific cross-section of people (Christian, large family, homeschooling) but I only have 3 kids and don't homeschool and still benefited a lot from her advice.

[Jade Boyd · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wouldn’t really recommend this book if you’re looking for a simple system. The author has 8 kids she homeschools, and her routines are intense. However there was a lot of wisdom and good tips spread throughout the book. Not enough to justify 350 pages for me though.

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book! I was very encouraged & challenged from reading this book, even though we don’t have a large family. I liked how she used Scripture throughout the book as well. I will probably be reading through this often!

[Katherine Meyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has helpful information, and some good ideas. I did feel the author had an attitude of her way being the only right way, which somewhat bothered me. However, I found it quite interesting just seeing the ins and outs of how she manages her (very) large family. Also, the book made me wonder how in the world she had enough hours in the day to do all the things she said they do!

[Rebecca · Rating 1 out of 5]

What I got from this book: I do not love Jesus enough to teach my girls to be subservient to their future husbands (OMG. What if my daughters marry a woman!?). I don't love my kids because I let them read things that let's the Devil hang out in my house. I DEFINITELY don't love my husband because I don't find it an uplifting spiritual experience to clean up after him.
BUT at least I wear dresses most of the time! I have that covered.

I can normally overlook (and enjoy!) blogs & books that have an extreme Christian perspective if it offers enough solid & valuable information but there's really nothing presented here that isn't common sense.
The cover photo is what made me read this , absolutely confirming you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover.

[Alonnah Thomson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This truly is one of the most helpful books I have ever read. It is for a very targeted audience, so if you’re not wanting to make stay-at-home mother your career, this book would not be of benefit to you.

However, if you are looking for a Titus 2 woman who puts in the work, loves her family and loves God then this is your lady! The first half of this book is about the heart and the second half is about home management, with tips that are genius. Written very to the point it’s as if she’s walking alongside you, explaining how to do every single thing more efficiently.

She works hard but with the heart to love her family, not just for the act of getting things done. I cannot praise this book enough. Wish I could give it six stars. So thankful.

[Mystie Winckler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Own.
MCL bought it, also.


This is a *big* book, and she covers all the bases, but does it in a punchy, no-nonsense fashion. She wants you to take a hot bath every night and take time for prayer and Bible reading everyday, but other than that, we are to follow Prov. 31 and not be idle. Her advice works even if you don't have a large family, but feel drowning in everyday life. She has a section in the back for how to recover from chaos, too, which you need to do before you can really devise and implement a system.

[Hollie D · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book outlining basic family management. Though the title suggests it is only for large families the skills contained within are great for any size family. Its a very helpful read especially in our culture today where home management is not really even thought about or considered a desired skill. I am sure this is a book I will return to again and again to glean more tips and advice. Its also wonderful that the entire book is grounded in Scripture.

[Jennifer · Rating 1 out of 5]

Waste of time. Only helpful if you have a ridiculous number of kids (you have to schedule an appointment once a week to check on one’s schoolwork?) or live in the middle of nowhere (“Town Day”? 😂).

I also can’t stand books that are a random collection of thoughts on all kinds of topics. Like this. Or spend the first 100 pages trying to be a devotional. Again, like this. Edit, or rename your book so as not to mislead readers. Thank you.

[Grace Anne Vrazo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super practical, easy to read, lovely emphasis on creating a joyful, pleasant home for your family.
Clearly this is for the Christian homemaker mom. My life and ideals don’t completely match hers (her husband isn’t involved in much of her household rhythm and I think a godly man should be), but she’s happy and enjoying things and I think her systems can help me out.

[La Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Practical

I use my Home Management Book daily even if just running through things in my head. Having small children, husband, home, etc. is doable...even while staying sane!

[Nathan Albright · Rating 5 out of 5]

For the record, I do not come from a large family, nor am I in any particular place to plan for a family of the size of the author. Indeed, given the rather consistently disastrous state of my own love life and the unpleasant state of my family history, reading this book may appear to be even more ridiculously improbable than the most fanciful speculative fiction would be. So, given the unpromising reality of my own life and lack of immediate or even reasonable prospects for any kind of short to medium-term family planning on my part, why even bother to read a book like this, all the more since this book and its subject matter are clearly aimed at the female audience of would-be housewives to large families? The answer is that this book is an applied book on logistics, a subject of intense personal interest [1], an intense enough interest for me to read more than 300 pages on a subject which I may never get to use any of the wisdom for myself, barring a remarkable turnaround in my own personal life. And so it is that my love of studying logistics in its many applications to our contemporary life led me to read this fascinating and excellent book on household management despite its lack of applicability to me personally. For those who have large broods that tax one's ability to cope as a mother, this book is a good one.

For those who have a more practical interest than my own in the subject of the logistics of large families, it is important to understand the impressive depth and scope of the advice this book provides to its female audience. The author begins with an explanation of why she wrote the book, expressing her desire to reverse the loss of societal skill in homemaking over the past couple of generations, along with some helpful tips in how to use the book. The author then covers forty-seven chapters in two parts and two appendices over the next 300 pages of material, and the material included is not puffery in the least. The author begins by discussing the wise woman of Proverbs 31, goals, systems, self-discipline, attitude, time management, interruptions, the Psalms, the importance of giving children a strong work ethic, dealing with inattentiveness that leads parents to often repeat themselves, a method of teaching children new chores, redeeming time spent alone, life with little ones, baby balance, the family dynamic, making the master bedroom the parents' own personal spa, and how mothers can dress for success without ever leaving the house (the author recommends camisoles and avoiding frumpiness). All of this material covers a bit more than 100 pages and the first seventeen chapters of the book, and makes up the first part. The second and longer part of the book contains chapters on creating a home management book, dividing the week into laundry day, kitchen day, office day, town day, cleaning day (along with a separate chapter on deep cleaning), gardening day, and "the Lord's Day" (readers would be advised to apply this to the Sabbath, the day of which Jesus Christ is Lord). The author continues with a discussion of morning and evening routines, meal time routines, table time, fifteen minutes of phonics for pre-readers, quiet time, read alone time, afternoon chore time to make sure that the house is clean and welcoming for the husband returning home from a long day of work, bathroom management, bedroom management, the children's hour, family worship practices, home arts and crafts, homeschooling the large family, health and wellness, the playroom, feast night, meal planning, project day, pregnancy and preparing for baby, and the buddy system by which older children help share the load of taking care of and looking after younger kids. The author then closes with two appendices on how parents can cope when overwhelmed and exhausted and how housewives can move beyond survival mode. I can think of a few people this book would be useful for if they are not already very familiar with its contents.

Although this book is clearly not aimed at me, the author points out implicitly over and over again that an appreciative and involved husband makes the job of being a wife and mother much easier. And no fair-minded man could read this book without having a great deal of respect and admiration for the self-discipline and logistical genius that is entailed in following the recommendations of this book. Anyone who underestimates the importance of household management would be well-advised to see just how seriously this author takes the subject, and how thoughtful and wise and observant she is to so many details about how to best manage a large and busy household in ways that preserve spiritual and physical health, provide for the well-being and encouragement of all, and raise a godly and productive family. The author blends an obviously high degree of intellectual knowledge about the subject material with her unimpeachable personal experience and distills wisdom learned by her experience and that of other mothers in the same position into a book that ought to be required reading for families seeking to have a large brood of their own. The author's love of books as well as of practical arts and crafts from gardening to sewing and cooking shines in this magnificent book, which admittedly is aimed at a niche audience but is a fantastic and immensely practical resource.

[1] See, for example:

http://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017/...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2011...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2012...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2012...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2012...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2011...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2011...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2013...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2012...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2013...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2013...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2011...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2015...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2012...

[Leah Yenor · Rating 5 out of 5]

If someone wants a book that’s more focused on practical advice on how to keep up with chores in the home and how to organize your home making, this is definitely a great one to read. I’ve read quite a few home making books in the past year, my one complaint would often be these books often stayed in the philosophical and spiritual aspect behind homemaking. Obviously very important, but I started the new year wanting practical ideas and advice on how to streamline some of my “home systems” as she would put it. Especially as someone who wasn’t particularly taught home organization/building skills growing up.

Author has a very large family, so a lot of what she talks about fit families of greater size and with older children. I have 3 children of a very young age, but just found all of her ideas and examples extremely helpful in getting me thinking about my own organization. I’ve implanted some of her methods, tweaked for age and size.

The book is broken into the more philosophical explanations in the first half and the practical methods in the second half. This makes it pretty easy to speed read through the sections that don’t apply to your current family or areas you don’t want to mess with.

If anything this book gets you thinking on how you run your space, definitely recommend to any SAHM who is feeling overwhelmed.

*this author never tries to hide that she’s a Christian, fundamentalist Protestant by my guess, and is very conservative and traditional. Idk how people were surprised or offended by this fact, hearing she had 9+ kids and was a Christian who homeschooled had me guessing this would be the case just by reading the back. If you’re not able to put that stuff aside if those sort of things bother you, then don’t read it. Most of that doesn’t offend me as a conservative Catholic SAHM, but the things I didn’t agree with is easy to put aside for the point of practical advice in the book*

[Lauren · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read through the entirety of the book just to make absolutely sure there wasn’t anything helpful I could glean from it. I was hoping this was more a book aimed towards new mothers who are just learning how to be stay at home moms, but much of her advice is “get the older kids to do it,” but I don’t have older kids. This book feels geared more toward women who have already popped out a bunch of kids without ever having established any systems of organization or task management and need help getting on the right track. This book also made me roll my eyes a couple of times.. for instance, she recommends having one outfit for each day of the week based on what tasks you have set for that day.. so basically, only wear 7 outfits and have them set for certain days.. so if you have events regularly scheduled for a Wednesday, the people you see that day will see you in the same outfit every week..?? That’s so odd, but whatever works for you, I guess. She also talks a lot about how your cleaning, handling of children, appearance, demeanor, and preparation of dinner should be geared toward the joy and peace of your husband when he comes home from work. I literally turned to my husband and said, I have never heard of a book written for men about how they need to do everything for the pleasure and peace of their wives. As a Christian, I definitely understand and agree with it conceptually to a point, but she goes way overboard with it. I did appreciate ways I could share scripture throughout our daily routines with my children and that’s was about it. The book was a long way around to saying, “clean your whole house and then schedule days to clean to keep it clean, homeschool your kids, and have lots of them so they can help out with the chores on your farm that you probably live on just like me.”