There are many ways to make Pesach. None of them have to involve tears, extreme fatigue, or a week of pizza bagels. In this column we’ll meet women with vastly different methods, but who all share the goal of reaching Pesach calmly and happily.

Name: Gittel Kaplan

From: Beitar Illit

Been making Pesach for: Eight years

Cleaning crew: Me and my husband

Motto: If you’re getting frustrated, you’re probably spring-cleaning

My approach

 I have little kids at home, and it’s very important for me that Pesach not come along with fear, anxiety, or pressure — I want it to be a happy experience for them. And practically speaking, I have a small house, kids, and a job, and so I need a plan that works.

When I clean

 I work part-time from home, and I need to keep up my work schedule, so everything needs to happen in the afternoons or evenings.

I start

From after Purim until Rosh Chodesh Nissan, I get ready to clean. I take stock of my cabinets and see what I have and what I need to get rid of, and I prepare food for Nissan. I try to get all of the clothes shopping off of my head, taking into account which kids will need to switch sizes and what clothing needs alterations. An extra plus of doing these things in advance is that as Pesach gets closer, stores get more crowded and not all sizes are in stock.

I have a list I keep from year to year of the things I do to make me feel like my house is sparkling. All of those extras — disposing of sheimos, cleaning the exhaust fan, bringing clothing to a gemach — need to get done before Rosh Chodesh. When I clean Erev Pesach, I’m not sorting my stuff, I’m Pesach cleaning. If those things aren’t done by Rosh Chodesh, then they’ll get done after Pesach — or next year after Purim!

Out of the Box

Starting from Rosh Chodesh, there is literally no more chometz in my house (except for hamotzi on Shabbos). This way I don’t have to worry about a kid bringing chometz into a room I’ve already cleaned. I don’t want my kids to feel like they can’t run around; I don’t want to feel like if someone gets up from the table during supper, Hashem yerachem, the whole house is chometzdig. It takes off so much pressure!

I prepare a menu for the month of Nissan so I know what we’ll be eating every day. It’s amazing how much you can do with kitniyos — and there’s always potatoes! By the time Rosh Chodesh comes, my food is all prepared, at least the mains. Anything that takes time on my part is done. If I have a meal planned, that’s enough. It can be cereal and milk, but I need to know that, and make sure to have it in the house.