So you don't want to do the dishes?

What are the alternatives?  Let them stack up to the ceiling?   Nana is not so sure that you will feel more motivated at a later time, when the food is stuck like concrete, and there isn't a clean plate to be found.

                                         Here is the goal - A clean wonderful Kitchen

Notice beautiful live plants, helping clean the air and breaking up the doldrums of winter months!

   And here are 5 suggestions to keep on top of the work:

1- Rinse and Soak.  If you really can't get to them right away, at least rinse off the plates or soak baked on pans in hot soapy water, so when you do get back to the job,  the food isn't stuck on like crazy glue.   But then get back to the job as soon as you can.  Putting things off, only makes them harder.

2-  Divide and conquer.   So you cooked a wonderful meal for everyone.  Is it wrong to expect all who enjoyed that meal, to get up from the table, clean their plate off and put it in the dishwasher?  No.  Keeping house is a team effort. It is nice when others volunteer without being asked. But for some it just never occurs to them that their help might be needed or appreciated - so ask!

3- Learn to multi-task while in the kitchen. If you can start the cleaning up while you are still cooking, it equals less to do later. Put ingredients away after using, and don't let things accumulate where you are working. 

4- Be pro-active in preventing messes before they happen.  Keep spray cleaner, rags and paper towels in a convenient location. As a routine, wipe off your childs sticky hands and face with a wet cloth, before getting them down from the high chair. Thus eliminating the trail of cracker crumbs, mashed potatoes and green beans, or whatever else you just fed them.

5 Keep the positive vibes flowing.  Once the work is done, look around and appreciate what you have done.  Spray a nice air freshener spritzer in the waste bin. Cut flowers from the garden and enjoy the lovely kitchen you just re-claimed.  Maybe it won't last long, and maybe no one else will notice, but put on some nice music and enjoy the moment.   And remember, maintenance is much easier than moving heaven and earth to face the disaster that results from ignoring the plain fact, that if you eat, there will always be dishes.