So, to you seasoned homeschoolers, how do you keep a tidy house and homeschool! We are doing grade 1, and I found this week that I couldn't get any housework done during school time! It was difficult enough getting dinner prep'ed in the afternoon. We do school from 9am to about 1pm. I got a few things done on our break and lunch times, but not really the big cleaning jobs. So, today I spent the whole day cleaning/tidying. Not a fun way to spend Saturday! I think I need to get the kids to be a little more heavily involved in chore time too though.
Hmm...I don't at least not with a 3 year old whirlwind that creates a mess everywhere she goes. Looks like you may have several whirlwinds. I'd start with maybe having them learn to pick up their messes and keep the most important things in good shape. I put our homeschooling time as a priority over a tidy house. When I need to have more time to clean I take a little extra time in the day and make my boys' chore time longer and we all work together.
Forget tidy... just be happy if it's clean. I don't think it's possible to have 4 kids under the age of 7, homeschool 4 hours a day, and have a tidy house... unless maybe you have a helper. If you can afford it, you could hire someone to help with the big cleaning chores and focus on the tidying... Or ask your husband to help. Another thing that helps with keeping things tidy is having less stuff. Get rid of as much as you can. However, you should accept that "tidy" may be unrealistic right now. As your children grow older and can help you more, the house may be tidy again.
Don't homeschool in a messy house, you are training your children for the future and that includes keeping house. Maybe you have too much stuff and need to get rid of stuff. But you need a regular time every day where you and the children tidy and clean. My first year of homeschooling, I was so excited to get going that we homeschooled in pajamas, and often all stayed in pajamas all day, but my second year everyone had be be dressed. After that they had to get dressed and tidy their own rooms every day before school started. If you don't make tidying and cleaning a regular chore every day then you will live in a mess and be less productive. The best advice I ever heard was "make your children do A+ chores and then they will do A+ schoolwork" - Nancy Thomas. My opinion, work on chores when they are young and the schoolwork will come later. Giving Kindergarten children huge workbooks (think A Beka) is just a time filler and not real education. I had a housekeeper for many of my homeschool years, but then she quit. I shared out the chores between the children and it was almost comical to see them. One had to clean the kitchen and another had to clean the kitchen floor, but they would attempt to do their jobs at the same time and not have the patience to wait. Gosh they were the real lessons learned.
One more thing - I've seen a number of homeschoolers finish homeschooling and they are overweight with mounds of clutter in their homes. But, they reason, at least my child got a good education. I find that sad. I've seen other homeschoolers get so absorbed in homeschooling they have no time for their husbands. The education of your child isn't top priority. Yourself and your marriage come first. Look after yourself first and you will be setting a good example for your children.
If you take out breaks and lunch time when would you be done? we go until we are done then do lunch......
I find, especially when the kids were small, that I had to change my housecleaning goals. Instead of feeling like the entire house needed to be cleaned, I changed my concentration to the rooms which potentially might be seen by company (kitchen, living room, bathroom). THOSE get picked up every single day. Even if I'm sick or exhausted, I can handle doing a few things here and there. The bedrooms/other rooms get attention when I have time and energy for it. I'm not sure how anyone can NOT have clutter if you homeschool . I'm sure there is a way, but I accept it as part and parcel of the entire experience. However, I think you can have clutter but still have neatness kwim? I think, as well.. that learning to do some work on their own is a process. My dd has gotten to the point that she can do her math on her own after I've taught her how (dishes! Change laundry over!). She dawdles over copywork but doesn't need me then, either (pick up living room! Change/fold laundry!). It took time though. Initially she thought she needed me there with her for everything.
I clean my house in the evening before bed. Yes, I am tired at the end of the day and the last thing I want to do is clean after being on my feet non stop. But I would rather do it then and wake up to a clean tidy house in the morning. It really helps me get a better start on the day. I vacuum, sweep, mop, dishes, tidy up before bed. When I wake up I unload the dishwasher so I can just add the dishes throughout the day, then start it when it it full. I have also found that if I tidy up the bathroom while I am in there in the morning it cuts down on some time. I do laundry throughout the day. Throw in a load when I wake up, get it in the dryer during breakfast. If there needs to be another I get it done right then and it usually hits the dryer during lunch. Then I pick up as we go, if I am walking through the living room and there are things on the floor I pick them up as I pass by. If there are any big jobs like stripping beds and washing blankets, etc I do that on Sundays. I agree keeping a dirty house while you homeschool does show your children it is alright. So, yeah I am tired and on my feet a lot during the day. But I am setting a good example for my children by keeping my house clean and keeping up with my chores and duties as mom and wife.
I say clean the house will good. Then when you start homeschool only do a room or two a day and bingo you got it done. Now my bathroom I wipe them down every day with a cloth and clean them and have girls pick up there rooms. Then the rest I pick one room or two a day and do it. Don't seem like much work then.
I have had a clean living room, laundry room and kitchen for about 5 days now. That's a record. And I've been homeschooling mine for 8 years. I think it's helped that I'm now only 7 weeks away from giving birth so the kids are chipping in even more AND I've gotten over any misgivings about asking more of them. They generally do the laundry, dishwasher, sweeping, dusting, tidying, etc. We'll do about 20 minutes of work before school work, another half hour or so in the afternoons and a bit of tidying before bed. I do more of course but mostly keep the jobs that are easy for me right now like cleaning the stove top, folding laundry, etc. I think I'll keep this in place after the baby's come because it sure seems to be working. We're even starting to make progress in place like *shudder* the basement. I'm also asking more of my husband and since I started asking more, he's doing more. I've asked him to help with the evening tidy-up for instance and he's begun picking up his clothes more and putting stuff away rather then leave it for me. We try to keep the chore times pleasant and fun - more like family time then work. If the kids start to bicker I'll just cheerfully add more work to their list. What I've learned this past week though is that I CAN"t do it all myself. I have to ask my husband and kids for help or it doesn't get done and I get resentful. And the more they see the fruits of their labour (if I am not cleaning all day I can bake cupcakes for them!) then the less they seem to protest.
Your little ones are young but could still help with simple things. Give them a rag and let them dust. It doesn't have to be perfect and it can be fun. Put on some kiddy music and let them go to town. Let them dry some dishes or put the small stuff away that they can reach. Let them help fold laundry or put socks away. Again, it doesn't have to be perfect. That will come with age and experience. But getting a little done is better than getting nothing done.
Whats a clean house during the school year? No really, I have the girls do a few chores during lunch break. I schedule an hour and half for lunch. This way after a few chores like doing lunch dishes, run the vaccum they have a few minutes to rest before we start again. I also make sure they have their rooms clean before school starts. If we know someone is coming over, we scurry around making sure everything looks ok! :lol: I have learned that the girls have to help or nothing gets done....
Thanks you all are awesome. Tina - I like your view. My Mom kept an untidy house, and I find I'm always having to unlearn those habits. I have started chore charts with them, and that helps. I need to put it on our school day schedule though. They view school as done when they get their 1/2hr of video game time, so I have to make sure music practice and chore time happen first! I do try to remember that I can't expect a perfect house when my kids are home all day. They need to feel free to roam the house, play, learn and live. I do have my whole morning + taken up by school, so I won't get as much done. (Breaks and lunches are a must, sometimes I just need to send them all to play for my sanity, or for my son's attention span!). Things have been a bit better this week, but it's going to be a work in progress. I need to find the balance between relaxing and letting them be kids, vs teaching them to care for their things and home, and helping out. Every day is a new day! Let's start fresh tomorrow!
I am failing at housekeeping but this year I've resolved to do better. Some of the things I've upped: 1. My kids are supposed to do their basic chores - cleaning the bathroom (we do the quick 5 mts a la Flylady, and the bathrooms are divided up, so like my 8 yo cleans the sinks in the upstairs bath, my 6 yo cleans the toilet & picks stuff up off the floor, and my 10 yo does the downstairs bath), making beds, emptying the dishwasher - before their breakfast. 2. While they are sitting down or engaged in their schoolwork, I do a little bit of random picking up downstairs. 3. The biggest one - my kids are allowed 30 mts each on the computer, at 4 pm. I've told them as of last week, if their rooms aren't clean and the downstairs isn't picked up, the cleaning time comes off their computer time. So I set the timer for 30 mts and they can clean. Thus far, I haven't had to set the timer. It's not spotless, and when things get hectic, some things go downhill, but it's an improvement over last year. /sigh
I try my best to have the girls do their beds and change then come downstair for breakfast. I clean the kitchen and we move on to studying. Lunch is time when their have their meal and I spend 1/2 hr. fixing dinner. back to schooling till 3pm or so. if they don't need me, I fold laundry. their foreign language tutor comes at 3 so I try to tudy room tidy and vacuum. after we 're all done for the day. the girls clean study room and their wash dishes after dinner. i working on hiring a clean lady once a month for deep cleaning(places where i don't have time for) I do my bext, I still have a lot to do, but at least trying makes a difference
Oh, I love this blog idea http://lifeasmom.com/2010/09/the-morning-high-five.html My kids know that they have to have their High Five done by 9am, and then we have our Morning Meet-Up around the dining room table, where I tell them the plan for the day and we have our Bible time. The thing for us is that one of the kids seems to need me all the time! It can be so frustrating! I can get the oldest to do some work on his own, but then one of the other kids wants a story or a snack or to go pee... the list goes on! This too shall pass... However, the last two days have been better! I have had dinner on the go and the main areas tidy by the time DH gets home from work. He`s happier, and so am I. Hopefully we can build on this success!
