Nobody can do it all. Although sometimes blogs can make it look like it we get it all done. It can probably be a bit discouraging for those thinking about home education, with lots of little children underfoot, to read blog posts about perfectly prepared meals, perfectly planned lessons, and a crafty tutorial thrown in.
While I disagree with the statement, “I can’t have a clean house because I homeschool”, I don’t think it’s a real expectation that your home should be ready for a House Beautiful photo shoot every second of every day. The fact is that my home is lived in, pretty much 24/7 by eight people. A majority of those eight people are under the age of 10. Seven people do not walk out the door each morning to school/work for eight hours, while one person stays home to clean and run errands. So, our house is a home that reflects that. I’m no Martha Stewart, but we have clean clothes in our drawers and predictable meal times.
I enjoy reading home keeping/organization books and blogs. Taking care of my family is my job, one that I take very seriously. It only makes sense that I continue to educate myself on how to do that job, most efficiently and effectively, and I hope with a lot of love.
Here are some ways we get through our days:
We limit our activities, we are not out and about each day. Not that there is anything wrong with being busy, but just for my own sanity it doesn’t work for us. The kids have a couple of well chosen activities, but we have a couple of days each week that we are home. It allows us time to complete our lessons as well as chores around the house, and gives us down time.
We have planned meals each week. It’s nothing fancy or particularly impressive, but having planned meals is a true life-saver for me. I even have started planning our breakfasts and lunches, using the same plan each week. Makes my grocery shopping easier too.
Each day has a purpose. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday are laundry days. More on that on my 7 Easy Laundry Tips post.
Use a schedule. We use a schedule that gradually becomes a routine. It’s not a watch the clock in a frenzy schedule, but a framework to keep us moving through the day. I would be lost without our daily homeschool schedule!
I’m linking up this week for the final installment of the Virtual Curriculum Fair:
Weekly Homeschooling Schedule by Julie @ HighHill Homeschool
http://highhillhomeschool.
Virtual Curriculum Fair: Week 5: The Nuts & Bolts: Pulling it all
Together by Leah @ The Courtney Six Homeschool
http://courtneysix.blogspot.
Our Schedule’s Working! by Eunora @ All Things NoriLynn
http://allthingsnorilynn.
Homeschooling: How do I do it all? by Debbie @ Debbie’s Digest
http://debbiesdigest.blogspot.
Virtual Curriculum Fair— Wrap-up Angie @ Petra School
http://pebblekeeper.wordpress.
Virtual Curriculum Fair: 5 Ways to Use an iPad in Your Homeschool by
Pam @ Everyday Snapshots
http://everydaysnapshots.
A Peek Into Our School Day by Melissa @ Grace Christian Homeschool
http://www.gchomeschool.com/
A Day in the Life… by Nicole @ Schooling in the Sun
http://schoolinginthesun.
Homeschooling at My House by Jessica @ Modest Mama
http://www.modest-mama.org/
Getting a Grip on Things by Susan @ Homeschooling Hearts & Minds
http://homeschoolheartandmind.
Making Home School a part of LIFE by Cindy @ For One Another
http://for-one-another.
Now Where’s That Pencil Again? by Beth @ Ozark Ramblings
http://oramblings.blogspot.
Something About Homeschooling I Really Didn’t See Coming by Letha @
justpitchingmytent
http://justpitchingmytent.
Curriculum, Kids, and a Frazzled Homeschool Mama leads to Controlled
Chaos! by Laura O from AK @ Day by Day in Our World
http://daybydayinourworld.com/
The Virtual Curriculum Fair – Nuts and Bolts by Kristen @ Sunrise to Sunset
http://
Staying on Top of Everything by Brenda Emmett @ Garden of Learning
http://myhomeschoolgarden.com/
How Does This Homeschooling Thing Actually Work? Fitting it all
Together by Joelle @ Homeschooling for His Glory
http://
Nuts & Bolts: Pulling it all together by Christa Darr @ Fairfield Corner Academy
http://christadarr.blogspot.
I like how “each day has a purpose”. That is very good advice, because no one can do it all! I also try to only cook big meals 2-3x each week. The other nights are leftovers or something easy.
So glad to read that you believe in continuing education for moms, too. This is our calling and we need to get it RIGHT because one day all those little people will have moved out!
These are great tips, thank you for linking up with the Virtual Curriculum Fair.
I am learning to let some things go for the sake of sanity. I am a neat freak by nature, but I am learning to have the balance of “lived in” and enjoyable vs. photo perfect and uptight. Sure, I still have my quirks, like the beds MUST be made and they must be dressed in the a.m. before anyone comes downstairs, but throughout the day I find myself stressed out enough about the BIG stuff without adding extra drama to my day.
I think the biggest problem I have this year with our routine (or lack of) and the state of chaos in my house is that we have four children on three different schooling plans. Oldest is at Catholic school 16 mi away from our house. Youngest two in public school, which thankfully provides bus service. Middle son is home with me three days per week and in the hs option at his Montessori school 2 days. I spend a lot of time on the road, running between schools for various activities and to pick up kids for appointments, and on my days when no kids are at home, that is when I feverishly try to accomplish the projects that I am working on, get caught up on laundry/cleaning, and snatch 30 minutes of time for pleasure reading. It is crazy and something has to change next year…
I love these tips – so often we get caught trying to figure out how to do it all rather than cut out a few things. Great encouragement here Jen, thanks !!
I do wonder how you do it! I love that you have these plans in mind as you go through your busy weeks. I like that each day has a purpose in your household (ugh,,, I do need to do that!)
Great tips! Limit activities- I always tell people that. Now I am telling myself that! As for housekeeping, my favorite quote is from the Flylady- “Housework, even poorly done, blesses the home”. It really helped me let go of expecting everything to be perfect, which would then became so overwhelming that nothing got done. Even after 31 years (today:)) of marriage, I still read how to books on keeping my home and organizing. Continuing my education and staying motivated for the long haul is key!
We sound a lot alike. =) I live by schedules and find that things can get done when they are scheduled. Thank you for sharing this. I especially agree with making sure you are home some days. =)