'I was an extremely stressed mum of three. Then I started "insourcing".'

I was one of those mums with kids running wild in the supermarket - you know the kind I mean. Not running wild in the sense that they were out of control and screaming and demanding lollies, but more in the sense that I would tap into their incredibly competitive nature to ensure a trip to the supermarket took 20 minutes and not 60. "Fred - grab the bread, Wally get the milk, Peggy 3 carrots please... go, go, go!" And off they flew, returning in record time for their next set of instructions in our own mini game of 'Supermarket Survivor'.

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No-one wanted to be voted off the island. The shop was quick. Everyone was happy. No-one was whinging. And I was mostly left to myself as they scoured the aisles for the elusive soya sauce. The moral of this little tale? Family is a 'team sport' and happily, you are the captain of the team.

So, if you aren’t yet tapping into your kids, or others for that matter, as a source of labour when it comes to the never ending list of household chores, it’s time to get into the game.

Insourcing versus Outsourcing.

Outsourcing is where you identify everything you do around the house that you are prepared to pay an expert to do for you, because they will do it faster, better and cheaper than you (e.g. you might hire and pay for a gardener). 

Insourcing is the exact opposite of outsourcing. Insourcing is where you identify everything you do around the house for the people you live with that they can do for themselves, that you don’t have to pay them for.

My top tips for Outsourcing.

1. You are not a machine. You cannot do it all, and you do not need to do it all. Stop feeling guilty. Stop thinking: I should be doing this because it is my house, my garden, my child, my dog. Give yourself permission to get the help you need at home.

2. There are experts out there who can do some of the home-based tasks faster, better and cheaper than you.

3. Make a list of the tasks you do at home and then rank them in order of what you really don’t like doing or do not have the requisite skills for. Work through the ranked tasks, decide exactly what you will outsource, and then find the right expert to perform the task for you. If an individual task does not take very long, couple it with other tasks to build it up to at least two hours' worth of work.

My top tips for Insourcing.

1. Regardless of your kids' ages, as long as they can walk there are little chores they can do around the house - your two-year-old can help put away their toys. The older your kids get, the more complex the chores they can take on.

2. The key to insourcing is you are not after perfection – you simply want to instill in your kids the habit of helping without a fight.

3. Have a family meeting over dinner tomorrow night, share your mantra that 'family is a team sport' and explain that as a minimum, everyone is responsible for their own 'stuff' and their own room – pack it up; put it away; clean it up; put the dirty stuff in the wash; put the clean stuff in the cupboard.

4. Next, as a family identify the family-based tasks, divide them up equally and rotate them – for example, feed the pets; walk the dog; take out the bins; vacuum the floor; pack and unpack the dishwasher.

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5. Start your kids young - when they are little it’s all about instilling good habits: no-one expects a six-year-old to vacuum like a pro. However, by the time s/he is 15 s/he will be a pro, and what’s more, s/he won’t argue when you hand over the vacuum, because family is, and always has been, a team sport. Without question, the younger you start your kids on insourcing, the better – when they are young they are enthusiastic, compliant, chores are a game, and they don’t talk back. If you leave insourcing until your kids are teenagers you will be fighting a much harder battle.

6. Work together – this is family time. A great example of this is in the kitchen. Cook together. Your three-year-old can rip up the herbs, shake in the salt and pepper, and measure out a cup of flour. By the time your three-year-old is 10, s/he has had seven years' experience in the kitchen and will be cooking meals for the family.

7. Keep in mind your 'costs'. If you spend five minutes a day sorting your family’s dirty washing, that’s 30 hours of your time a year. If you spend 12 minutes a day tidying up all the 'stuff' your kids leave around the house, that’s 73 hours of your time a year. That’s nearly two working weeks a year!

Kate Christie is a time management and goal setting expert. Her 5th book, The Life List: Master Every Moment and Live an Audacious Life is available now.

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Feature Image: Instagram @katechristieloves.