I love this question! I'm on the 'other side' and in a different season [children all married, and I was a single mom / still single], but I'd love to share what I believe will work for anyone, regardless of what season they are in.
First, I think it really helps to minimize STUFF. Clothing, for example - it's a lot easier to keep up with laundry when there is not so much to keep track of. When my children were young, I kept it down to about 7 outfits each, with double socks and undies, just in case. That meant ONE load of laundry per week, or possibly twice a week, for their clothing. I worked full time, and it was in a business setting, so my clothing also took ONE load each week. Everyone only had ONE towel, too. That towel got washed with the weekly load of clothes. ONE set of sheets per bed - sheets got washed a few times a month (or more if needed). Wash, dry, and put back on the bed in one day since I only had one set per bed. As they got older, they each became responsible for their own laundry. I assigned everyone their own laundry day, and that was the day they washed their clothing, their towel, and their sheets.
Dishes - I had enough plates, cups, and bowls for ONE meal, so dishes had to be done after each meal. Once the children were old enough, they were responsible for rinsing off their dishes after a meal - that made washing them super fast. And of course eventually they just took turns doing the dishes.
We all did chores together each day - this made it a family affair, and it was peaceful and sometimes even fun. I'd put on fun music, and my rule was that whenever "you" are finished with your assigned chores, go and find someone who is not done yet and help them. This way we were all done at the same time. I also rotated chores so everyone learned how to do everything. I never gave chores as a punishment and I never paid them allowance for anything they did in and around the home. Chores HAVE TO be done whether we want to do them or not, so it didn't make sense to use them as punishment. Also, no one has EVER paid me for cleaning up after MYSELF, so why would I pay my children allowance?? If they wanted to earn money, I expected them to earn it just like any adult would earn it: go out and find a job [ they were well known in the neighborhood for their hard work doing yard work, shoveling, etc., and got plenty of paid jobs!]
Mealtime, too, was done with a lot of help from the children. Planning, shopping, prepping, cooking, cleaning, etc. They all had a part, and when they each got old enough I would put them in charge of one meal a week.
We might not have actual servants now, but we do have a few modern inventions that really help us. Slow cookers, pressure cookers, freezers (freezer meals), and so on. Learn ways of saving time, and have backup plans for those days when you just need a break.
One more thing I think is worth mentioning - I did certain things every day, and certain things weekly, without much variation. This suited MY personality, but it might be a bit stressful for some. Find what works for you and your home.
The goal: work yourself out of jobs. Children are VERY capable at such young ages; invest the time now and you'll be rewarded for it later - and so will they. Again, I believe it's best if everyone works together ... as opposed to an obvious extreme example of: you expect the children to do their chores while you surf social media. [not saying you do ... just saying that kind of situation always always always causes friction in a home]
I hope some of that was helpful!
) is appreciated. Thanks in advance!
. We go through way too many clothes and minimizing sounds perfect. Thanks so much.