--- title: Too May Dishes? description: Too May Dishes? --- [![catholic-mom-logo-v2](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/images/catholic-mom-logo-v2.svg "catholic-mom-logo-v2")](https://www.catholicmom.com/) [![facebook](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-facebook.svg)](http://www.facebook.com/CatholicMomCommunity) [![twitter](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-twitter.svg)](http://twitter.com/CatholicMomCom) [![instagram](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-instagram.svg)](http://instagram.com/catholicmomcommunity) [![youtube](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-youtube.svg)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAuUqHCVPDzyMgSMaMZxxug?view_as=subscriber) [![search-icon](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/search-icon.svg)](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/2013/07/09/too-may-dishes#) # Too May Dishes? Jul 9, 2013 3:00:14 PM  |  by [Tami Kiser](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/author/tami-kiser) [![SmartMarthaLogo - Copy](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/SmartMarthaLogo-Copy-550x258.jpg?width=330&height=155&name=SmartMarthaLogo-Copy-550x258.jpg)](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/SmartMarthaLogo-Copy.jpg)Do you feel like you are doing too many dishes this summer? Here are a couple of tips to help: ** 1) **We try to encourage a ***one glass a day rule.***  To facilitate this, we have "parking" places for everyone's glass.  (These are designated spots, on the counter, marked with a sticker.) Some families use color-coded cups—but they still need a place to park them.  We even have “parking” places for the neighbor kids who regularly play at our house.  When our college aged children are home for the summer—they even use their spots!  If I didn’t do this, I’d have the dishwasher full of cups twice a day. [![Too May Dishes?](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Smart-Martha-dishes.jpg?width=231&height=274&name=Smart-Martha-dishes.jpg)](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Smart-Martha-dishes.jpg) Too May Dishes? Insist on no dishes in the sink!  Dirty dishes must go into the dishwasher.  Definitely not on the counter, table, or anywhere else.  For this to work, the dishwasher must always be "dirty."  This is not always easy on Mom, but the small inconvenience of making sure the dishwasher is always run and emptied, means less time standing at the sink loading the dishwasher.  I've made a new sign so that everyone is aware that the dishwasher is dirty. (I just printed the words out and put it in a small dollar store picture frame.  It goes face down when the dishwasher is running.  See photo.) There are no excuses now.  I was tired of hearing, "Oh, I thought the dishwasher was clean!"  Run the dishwasher when there will be the least chance of accumulating dirty dishes in the sink. [![Dish "parking"](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/DSCF4942.jpg?width=262&height=280&name=DSCF4942.jpg)](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/DSCF4942.jpg) Dish "parking" This is a start to fewer dishes! Sure, I will miss the opportunity for prayer while doing dishes myself, but I am sure I will find other opportunities for prayer -- like laundry, dirty dishes, vacuuming, etc. Or better yet, how about those moments of prayer such as by the pool, on a walk or before dozing off on a nap? ***Copyright 2013 Tami Kiser***   ### Share this article [![Share on Facebook](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/facebook-24x24.png)](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2013%2F07%2F09%2Ftoo-may-dishes%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dfacebook) [![Share on Twitter](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/twitter-24x24.png)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2013%2F07%2F09%2Ftoo-may-dishes%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2013%2F07%2F09%2Ftoo-may-dishes%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&source=tweetbutton&text=Too%20May%20Dishes%3F) [![Share on Email](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/email-24x24.png)](mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2013%2F07%2F09%2Ftoo-may-dishes%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail%20&body=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2013%2F07%2F09%2Ftoo-may-dishes%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail) ** #### About the Author ![Tami Kiser](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/Contriubutors/TAMI%20KISER.jpeg) ### [Tami Kiser](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/author/tami-kiser) Tami Kiser is a wife, mother, teacher, author, and speaker. She runs a video production studio featuring Catholic speakers. These can be purchased or viewed on Formed. She also is the co-owner and host of a new Catholic Retreat and Cultural Center in the Carolina Mountains called Heart Ridge. She has taught everything from NFP, Zumba, cleaning toilets, Catholic crafting, the hula, bullet journaling, tap dancing, and liturgical living to Saxon Math 54 for the 10th time. ## Related Blog Articles [ Feast of the Rosary, October 7 Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/2015/10/05/feast-of-the-rosary-october-7) [ Truly Finding Jesus in Our Work by Tami Kiser Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/2010/10/12/truly-finding-jesus-in-our-work-by-tami-kiser) [ Can You Hear the Bells? by Tami Kiser Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/2010/11/09/can-you-hear-the-bells-by-tami-kiser) ## Comments ## Donate now [![Support Catholic Mom](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/275132/10016573-1c5c-4aa5-baba-c2ac91fe7545.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/275132/10016573-1c5c-4aa5-baba-c2ac91fe7545) [![CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c (002)](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c%20(002).png?width=1806&height=731&name=CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c%20(002).png "CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c (002)")](https://www.catholicmom.com/) ##### Subscribe to Catholic Momcast on iTunes or Spotify [![itunes-logo-black](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/logos/itunes-logo-black.svg)](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/catholic-momcast/id1362352357)[![spotify-logo-black](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/logos/spotify-logo-black.svg)](https://open.spotify.com/show/15CoipHL7z61IDcYErV0b8?si=hqaQJSxDQgq7S1hxCwsoxQ) ##### CatholicMom on Social Networks [![facebook](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-facebook.svg)](http://www.facebook.com/CatholicMomCommunity) [![twitter](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-twitter.svg)](http://twitter.com/CatholicMomCom) [![instagram](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-instagram.svg)](http://instagram.com/catholicmomcommunity) [![youtube](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-youtube.svg)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAuUqHCVPDzyMgSMaMZxxug?view_as=subscriber) ##### About Catholic Mom [Who We Are](https://www.catholicmom.com/about-us) [Contact Us](https://www.catholicmom.com/contact) [Support CatholicMom.com](https://www.catholicmom.com/support-us)   ##### Associated Links [Holy Cross Family Ministries](https://www.hcfm.org/) [Family Rosary](https://www.familyrosary.org/) [Family Theater Productions](https://www.familytheater.org/) [Congregation of the Holy Cross](https://www.holycrossusa.org/) [Father Patrick Peyton, C.S.C.](https://www.fatherpeyton.org/) [The Peyton Institute for Domestic Church Life](https://www.peytonfamilyinstitute.org/) ### **Stay connected!** Don’t miss a thing! 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