SO, do you clean your house during the day??

[mom2denj]

Do you dedicate your day just to homeschooling or do you go on with your daily chores? I really would like to focus on school only during the day, but I do not have the energy at night to get it all done. :(

[Pretty in Pink]

I do clean my house during the day, but sometimes I wonder why! I don't have the time to do it at night because I have to study then. I clean in little bits here and there as I can. Some days I don't clean much at all, but that's okay I think.

 

The kids also help a good deal. Whenever someone complains that they are bored I just give them a chore to do!

[flobee76]

I try to get some of my household chores done in the morning before school starts. Our kids are young, so we don't have a long schedule, so for the year, the majority of the housework will be done after nap/quite time.

 

And for some weird reason, I have a TON of energy in the evenings and can do quite a bit after the kids have gone to bed. This is coming from someone whose 18mo old still wakes 2-3 times a night! :001_huh:

[Hedgehog]

I've been struggling with this too so I'm going to try a new schedule for my chores.

 

I have 4 kids, we do school 4 days a week and I have a big dog who sheds a LOT. She goes to a homeboarding place on a Wednesday so I've scheduled most of my cleaning on that day. In reality I think I'm going to need to vac other times as well but at least the main mopping of floors and cleaning of toilets (which she seems very interested in) will be done when she's not around.

 

Other than that I sorta keep laundry going during the day in between schooling and do ironing in the evenings when dh does Bible readings. I'm not totally happy about that as it means I can't do any Bible marking so I might change it.

 

The kids also have a small number of rotating chores - loading and unloading the dishwasher, wiping the table, bringing the laundry down (this is usually accompanied by a lot of laughter since they all throw it down the stairs and oftentimes the laundry and all the kids end up in a heap at the bottom. :lol: ) A while ago a wise mom advised me to get the kids on board with some simple chores and it's worked very well for us. Somehow, they still seem to think it's fun doing grown up jobs!

Edited August 27, 2010 by Hedgehog
wrong wording

[angela in ohio]

We do household chores at lunchtime, and I do long-term projects, like laundry and baking, during the school day.

[dm379]

All our school work is done in either the kitchen or living room and I usually do little things while they're doing their independent work like load the dishwasher or sweep and mop. The kids fold laundry during read alouds. Still working on how to get the rest of the house clean!

[Cortana]

Our schoolroom is in the basement next to the laundry room so I run the washer and dryer while we do school and fold laundry when I get a free moment between helping the boys (yeah, like I ever truly get a free moment, lol!)

 

I've got myself into the habit of not starting dinner until I've loaded the dishwasher, that has helped me a lot.

 

The biggest thing that has helped me is finally getting dh to realize just how much I need his help. He has really put out a lot of effort the last couple weeks and has lifted a lot of burden off my shoulders. Plus we argue a lot less about how messy the house is. ;) It does help that he only works 3 days a week, too.

 

The boys have chores and do their part. Even the 2yo has to help pick up and put away her toys.

 

Friday is our light school day to catch up on lessons that didn't get done or do field trips, but the main thing is so I can clean the house. Dh sleeps all day on Friday (he works graveyard shift) so it also is a way to keep the kids quiet so daddy can sleep.

[Parrothead]

I cook and tidy up during the day. I desperately try to have something in the crock pot for dinner by 10a.

 

Dd is old enough now that I do not have to sit beside her while she does her seat work so I can use that time to do chores (or visit the Hive). I do prefer to have every thing cleaned up and "company ready" before I go to bed.

[MamaT]

We all do chores in the morning before school starts, so cleaning is done then. Laundry I can switch during school. I fold it at night. I try to get something on for dinner during our lunch break. During the day the house stays tidy because I am vigilant about everyone picking up after themselves.

[achristean]

The kids have to have their rooms and their assigned zones cleaned before they are "done" with school. As far as dishes (that's my zone during the day). They happily wait until I'm good and ready to wash them. : )

[Pamela H in Texas]

Well, when my kids were little, we all did housework a short time in the morning to get everything done that needed to be done. Then we did a quick clean up before daddy got home.

 

I have not been well enough to do all the chores ever so my kids learned to do chores very early ("you can walk, you can work" though there are a few things even babies can do). However, I did handle most of the work and direction for the first many years. The last several years, I have spurts where I can do quite a bit; but I have much longer spells where I can barely do basic self-care. So my kids took over completely a few years back. They appreciate our downsizing in that way :) (we always look for pearls in the sand).

 

Anyway, so in our house, everyone works together to a large degree from toddlerhood on (though they didn't get GOOD at just about every chore until 5-7yrs old). I know some people are uncomfortable with that thought; but I just am not well enough to make another choice. Honestly, I think we're fortunate that it worked out this way.

[Annie Laurie]

We all have morning chores we do before school starts- teen ds loads breakfast dishes, ds9 and ds6 empty the dishwasher, dd8 takes care of the animals, I wipe counters and the table, sweep the kitchen, and fold and start laundry.

 

I don't do chores during school. After quiet time, we have a chore period for 30-40 min where everyone helps pick up zones that tend to collect clutter, I vacuum, kids take turns wiping down bathrooms. They are responsible for having their rooms picked up before they come out of quiet time. Then after dinner, we repeat morning chores. I make dinner, teen ds cleans up the kitchen. I fold and do more laundry while dh and I chat or watch tv.

 

That seems to be good enough until Fridays or the weekend when I mop, the kids dust, we do a more thorough bathroom cleaning, and I do major declutters where needed. Every now and then we do a deeper job like dusting ceiling fans and cleaning baseboards.

 

I feel like my house stays clean and neat without long periods of time spent on cleaning. Hsing is my priority. Having a place for everything and everything in its place, and the kids working on good clean up habits as we go along, helps a lot.

[Denisemomof4]

I will do picking up or dishes, maybe some dusting or clean a bathroom, after I've given lessons and while kids are working on assignments. I will also throw in a load of laundry.

 

I save much of it for the end of the day. Dd10 has ADD so it's distracting to have me moving around and making noise.

 

When I've overscheduled activities I've had a major cleaning day on Saturday and then try to maintain during the week.

[NanceXToo]

Well. I'm no neat freak, so that probably helps. Heh.

 

I tend to wake up first in the morning and I'll do a quick straightening of the kitchen, doing any necessary loading/unloading of the dishwasher, and just some quick things like that before anyone comes down. Sometimes I'll also use this time of day to start laundry.

 

If the living room has been left looking like a tornado went through it with toys and whatnot, I will ask the kids to straighten it up before we start school. If it needs to be vacuumed, I'll vacuum it (or sometimes my daughter will).

 

Garbage goes out when we can't fit anything else in the can, regardless of what time of day it is. :)

 

Laundry gets done when someone is out of clean things to wear (which is usually me first since I have the least amount of clothes out of anyone in the house. Clothes that fit anyway lol). And then I'll usually do it first thing in the AM as mentioned above. Kids are old enough to help fold and put away.

 

I make my daughter clean her room when I find myself yelling "WT$#!$! did I just step on? Why can't I even walk into your room without stepping on something?! What are you going to do if there's a fire?!?! Are those clean clothes on your floor?!"

 

Bathrooms I just sort of quick do when I see that they look like they need it, no special time of day. I might sort of give the tub a quick washing while I'm showering.

 

I ask the kids to do a quick straightening of their toys in the living room before bed, right before we sit down to read a bedtime story and get pj's on and all that.

 

On a weekend I might ask my husband to pitch in, he's actually great for mopping the kitchen floor and will even dust the living room stuff if I ask him to.

 

I don't know, we just sort of keep it quick, simple, and I don't stress over it (unless company's coming, then I stress and make everyone clean really good haha). I figure my time is better spent learning, having fun, teaching, bonding and so on than making sure my house is spotless. I do have the kids pitch in which helps take some of the stress off of me. We're not totally unsanitary over here. We just aren't neat freaks.

[mom2denj]

Thanks for all the responses! It is nice to see that I am not alone.

 

After reading all the responses, I realize that I need to stop doing everything myself!!! The kids are to keep thier rooms clean and my ds (17) takes out the trash daily and dd (13) does thier bathroom once a week, but other than that I have always done it all. A little help with the laundry and dishes would probably take a BIG load off my back.

 

Now, I just need to work on my control issue of thinking that nobody can do it as well as I can.:glare:

 

Thanks everyone!

[mcconnellboys]

That's why it just doesn't get done at my house, LOL.... I do some things while he's doing written work on his own, but I don't get any kind of deep cleaning done....

[Ellie]

Of course. :-)

 

Home keeping is a part of life, something which our dc need to learn. I only had two dc, and we lived in a small house in a big city, so our daily chores were not as hard to keep up with as some others' might be, but still, you bet the house was cleaned during the day. :-)

[meet me in paris]

I started up with FlyLady since we moved into this house, and it's really, really helped me get a handle on routine cleaning. Honestly now that I'm doing little bits at a time it's not that bad, and I definitely don't do any cleaning (other than picking up as we go) during school time.

 

I've gotten my girls involved. They take turns doing the "swish and swipe" every day in the bathroom - they rotate weeks. Their bathroom gets wiped down every day and it literally takes them less than a minute. I do the same for the other 2 bathrooms in the house. One load of laundry a day and it doesn't pile up. I don't even need to use laundry baskets anymore, and laundry was the absolute BANE of my existence. (I will never forget a time when 10 years ago a repair man came to my house and told me, "well, your first problem is laundry". I swear that actually happened.)

 

And now my sink is *real shiny*. :)

[Renee in NC]

We have chore time first thing before breakfast, after school at 3, and then again in the evening (before and after dinner.) The biggest clean up happens from 3-4pm. All my dc have jobs to do, except the 4yo and 1yo (need to get the 4yo some of her own.) They don't do it all, though, as I have chores of my own to do.;)

[MorganClassicalPrep]

The truth? Our mess (and laundry) generally builds and builds until we can't move and have nothing to wear, and then I bust my butt to get it all done in one day.

 

I am at school 15-30 hours a week, plus DD has dance and soccer and HER schoolwork, plus I have homework that needs to be done. Keeping a spotless house is just not a priority for us.

 

During the summer though, we keep it clean by cleaning as we go. It is just DD and I, so it's pretty simple to keep things straight.

[wendybird]

The kids and I clean throughout the day, and I do another tidy up after they go to bed(what I should be doing now!) I did it this way so they could see how I clean and eventually they learn to do it and start helping. I count it as part of homeschooling. ;)

[mama2cntrykids]

You know, I'm really bad. During the day, I will usually pick up/wipe stuff down (kitchen counters/diningroom table), but usually I am hit and miss with the actual cleaning. For instance: one day I will vacuum the downstairs, the next clean the upstairs bathroom (or part of it...the dirtiest part, lol). The following week I might vacuum the upstairs, etc. I don't have a set schedule to cleaning and I'm not sure if I should let it bother me or not...I feel like I miss cleaning stuff this way though.

 

Is anyone with me on this? lolol...

[CalicoKat]

three weeks ago I thought, "Why am spending an hour and half cleaning each morning?!" Cleaning after the kids have gone to bed is now my thing. I wake to a clean house and everything is ready to go. I do have about an hour after dinner just for me to rest and relax before getting to the job. The kids do their chores after dinner and then I do mine. It works for now.

[Abigail4476]

I do little things throughout the day like a quick wipe of the table or tossing in a load of laundry, but I don't do any major cleaning.

 

A couple of little rules you can follow that help things stay neat all the time:

 

OHIO - Only Handle It Once - if you have something in your hand, don't put it down until you reach the place where it belongs. Pockets are great for picking up loose items as you walk around and then putting them back down in their designated spots. I can't remember where I read this tip (maybe FlyLady?), but it's a good one.

 

Change1 - Every time you walk into a room, change one thing about it. This is my housecleaning adaptation of the Change1 Diet book--it's really the only thing I got out of that book. :D Whether it's opening the curtains, putting a book back on the shelf, rinsing a dish, swishing out the toilet, wiping off the sink...just change one thing.

 

Beyond that, our family shares basic chores through the week to keep things tidy, and my major cleaning happens on the weekends. Also, my mother lives with us, and she keeps up the laundry through the week if I get behind--which happens OFTEN!!! If that was the only thing she ever did, it would be more than enough. :)

[DianeW88]

I clean for 30 minutes in the morning before school. Then during school I will do laundry as well as clean up the kitchen and empty/load the dishwasher. We do our schoolwork at the kitchen table and my youngest in 9, so I work while the kids do their math or grammar. Dinner is defrosting or in the crockpot by 10 AM and I set out rolls to raise by noon. After school, we all pick up the mess and I set the timer for a quick 15 minute straightening of the house. I may vacuum or mop the kitchen floor quickly before my dh comes home as well. That usually does it.

 

Diane W.

married for 22 years

homeschooling 3 kiddos for 16 years

[Paintedlady]

Well I don't vacuum or clean anything upstairs while the kids are working downstairs, but I'll fold laundry or wipe counters or sweep. Anything that allows me to stay near by to answer questions/offer assistance but isn't loud or distracting. I'd be frustrated at the end of the school day if no chores had been accomplished. The kids also have their chores that must be done before we start school work, so by the end of the day, the house is usually in decent order.

[5LittleMonkeys]

The older 4 dc and I clean on Saturday.

 

Dd12 is responsible for doing 1 load of laundry a day. She starts it in the am, moves it to the dryer at lunch and folds and puts it away after school.

 

Dd11 is responsible for cleaning up the kitchen after each meal. (I help when its really messy)

 

Dd 7 is responsible for picking up after the baby after lunch and before bedtime.

 

They are all responsible for tidying their rooms before bed.

 

I tidy the living room before bed.

 

Wednesday dd12 does a wipe down of the bathrooms and cleans the toilets. She does this after school.

 

Wednesday dd11 runs the vacuum upstairs. She does this after school.

 

I swiffer the downstairs daily after school.

 

I DO NOT ALLOW CLUTTER...my motto "put it away immediately"

 

I prepare lunch while the dc are cleaning the school stuff off of the table, and if I need to prep dinner I will either do it before we start school, during my lunch break, or on the weekend.

 

I do school during school time. If I try to clean during school time I get caught up in it and can't get back in the frame of mind to teach. I keep thinking about those baseboards, or those cobwebs under the dining room hutch. :glare: I managed to inherit my mother's fanatic behavior when it comes to keeping the house clean, and it has taken me a long time to just let it go. I'm a much better teacher when I just concentrate on teaching and don't try to multi-task. ...now if I can just stay away from this board while I'm teaching...;)