How do you survive homeschooling?

[warriormom]

I am a mom of 2. One child is a 5 year old precocious, strong-willed little boy and a 2 year old busy little girl. How do you survive homeschooling? Do you do co-ops, Master's Academy, CC or do you hire a mother's helper/babysitter? I just do not understand how one can balance homeschooling, household chores, errands and have enough "me time" to maintain sanity. I am afterschooling presently. FYI, I did have both kids home until my son turned 4 (no MMO, babysitter etc). I am not criticizing. I REALLY want to know how do you do it! :confused:

[Ginevra]

Sangria.

 

Seriously, though...there have been hard parts and easier parts, but it's like anything else in life - you just get up in the morning, do what you can and then pass out...er, fall asleep at night. I am in my 9th year of homeschooling. In the early days, I was in awe of the moms who had homeschooled for "soooo long!" But now, it's just my life. It's no big deal. I could just as easily wonder how someone could be a WOHM or a single mom working two jobs living in a tiny apartment, or any of the other many scenarios people live with - even thrive in.

 

I participate in a co-op that meets one day a week, 20 weeks/year and that is nice. I have a good network of friends. I go out for "me" time; how this fits in has varied over the years, but now that my oldest is 13, it's not even difficult.

 

And I have sangria.

[jujsky]

I don't.

 

It's nearly impossible to get everything done and get it done well. Those who claim to do it are either Super Women when it comes to time management, they're lying, or they're conveniently leaving out the fact that they have help in the form of a cleaning service, baby-sitter, or kindly relative willing to pitch in.

 

I have a To Do list of all the things I need to do during the week, and I do the best I can to get it all done. I very, very, very rarely have a day when I get it all done, but that's okay. The key is prioritizing. School comes first, the kids' activities come second, cleaning comes last. I do bits and pieces of cleaning throughout the day. I might throw a load of laundry in before we start school, or do the dishes while the kids are doing math. I fold laundry at night when I watch TV, but I've stopped killing myself to get it all done. It definitely helps to have a spouse who is on board with what you're doing. He prefers to have the house nice and tidy, but he realizes it's not possible for me to get everything done in one day. He agreed that being a maid comes after being a teacher and a taxi driver. He is also willing to pitch in when I ask him to, and he does all the grocery shopping which helps tremendously.

 

As for "me time," that usually comes either before or on the same level as my duties as a maid. I will take time at night to do my own thing or even just veg out in front of the TV. DH would rather have a happy wife and an imperfect house than a stressed and grouchy wife and a perfect house. He's had both -- he prefers a happy me :)

 

We're in a small co-op that meets once/week for 2 hours so I connect with those moms. DD is also in dance twice/week for 2 hours each time. This is her 4th year and she's been in class with some of those girls since the beginning. After 3 or 4 years, you get to know the other moms really well. We hang out and talk while the girls are in class. Plus if I'm bored, there is always Facebook. I'm not hurting for social interaction. In fact, sometimes I wish the phone would stop ringing!

Edited January 19, 2011 by jujsky

[redsquirrel]

I don't have any housekeeping duties during the day outside of what the kids need. My kids are 10 and just turned 6 yesterday.

 

I have a fulltime job of childcare and teaching. I make meals during the day but I don't do laundry or anything else like that. Heck today I didn't even have time to wash the lunch dishes and dh took care of them with the dinner dishes. it's not my job to also run the house. That takes a whoooole lot of pressure off.

 

You will get more 'me time' as the kids get older. Really.

 

It won't always be this way. They will get older and one day, you will realize the 10 year old has hardly spoken to you because he has his nose in a book and gets his own meals.

 

And, honestly, some people don't like it. It's not for everyone and that is ok. I wouldn't do this if I didn't love it. It doesn't make you a better mother to homeschool. You don't get a medal or anything.

 

At least I wasn't told we do. Did any of you guys get a medal because if you did, I want one!

Edited January 19, 2011 by redsquirrel
I typed so fast, I almost killed a kitten.

[Peela]

One day at a time.

Flylady for housework and attitude.

Afternoon nap time and early bedtime for kids, for personal space time.

ALso, things like co-ops and homeschool park days always gave me sanity breathing time from my kids- while they were playing- while some perspective-gaining time with other adults.

 

It's hard when they are still young like yours. It does get easier.

[2_girls_mommy]

I agree with Julie. My dh helps a lot. He is making laundry soap as we speak. He did dinner tonight because I was still working on History with the kids. He does grocery shopping at least half of the time. I do laundry and dishes and meals and make my bed daily. Other than that it gets done when it gets done. We pick up and sweep every day (sometimes every hour of every day :) but the mopping is usually more sporadic than it ought to be :)

 

I don't get much me time. We are in a co-op and scouts and church where I get to be around other adults while the kids are in Sunday school.

 

Also I schedule the "daily nap" like in WTM. My 6 yr old spends an hour in her room listening to books on C.D. and the 8 yr old reads silently and I go in my room and fold clothes and watch T.V. and drink hot chocolate by myself.

 

Oh and I love my internet time, whenever I can steal a few min day and night.

[Carrie12345]

I just do not understand how one can balance homeschooling, household chores, errands and have enough "me time" to maintain sanity.

 

Safety and meals are my top priority. Homeschooling is my second.

 

Household chores (other than necessary for safety and meals) are WAY down on that list, though I do manage to keep up on laundry since it isn't something that requires much attention.

 

Dh runs a big chunk of our errands on his way home from work, or we'll take turns on the weekends.

 

"Me time" is limited around here but, hey, I chose to have 5 kids and homeschool!

[Anita in NC]

Chores! :confused: Most of the chores get done on the weekend. Also, my older two children help with laundry and fixing meals during the week.

 

I do school with the kids from 10 - 5 p.m. every day. I set them up with work and then help the youngest and rotate between the kids.

 

I help fix breakfasts in the morning. Do dishes once they are doing their school work. Make lunch while they are working and sometimes my oldest helps prepare lunch.

 

Once school is over at 5 p.m. I prep dinner and finally get to sit down for 30 minutes before I have to make dinner, clear the table of school books and we eat dinner as a family.

 

You just need to decide what is important to you. You aren't going to get everything done. I try to limit activities to one per week. We run errands and do chores on the weekends and my husband helps.

 

Busy, busy and be firm with the kids. :)

[mommyto4]

I am a new homeschooler (just started in August), and I have four young children (ages 8, 6, 4, and 2). When I started all this, I didn't know how it was going to work. But it does! I take one day at a time and remember to enjoy being with my kids. We only do a coop once a month, along with weekly swim lessons and gym times. The older boys have evening activities twice a week.

 

The house doesn't look as nice as it could if the older two were in school, and grocery shopping often gets done at 9pm at night. Meals are simple, and the extra baking I used to do doesn't get done.

 

I get to be with friends at the kids' activities and at church. That's enough for me!

 

I find that life actually is less stressful as you aren't trying to keep up with the school schedule. I am in more control. Don't get me wrong -- most days have the boys complaining about schoolwork, my 4 year old tantruming and my two year old begging for a story to be read to her while I am trying to teach long division for the tenth time, and toys are everywhere. I can't meet all their demands but we work together to learn and grow.

 

My mom comes over once every week or two to help with the kids when I have an appointment, and she marvels at how I survive. But I love being with the kids and even though it is hard, I wouldn't give it up!

 

I guess what I am trying to say is that you can do it! Trust yourself!

[SailorMom]

Well - I survive only by not expecting to get everything done like I used to :)

It will get easier as they get older, but for now - yeah - the house just won't be that clean unless your DH helps a lot, or you hire a housekeeper!

[Jean in Newcastle]

Your children are so young. When mine were that age, we did very little formal homeschooling. We did chores together, singing and reciting poems and doing verbal word problems and telling jokes while we worked. We did science by working in the garden together, by taking nature walks, and reading fun science books. We read and read and read and did puzzles. We did phonics while shopping, "I spy something that starts with 'b'".

 

The house was not always clean. I did errands with the kids in tow. I got "me time" by having quiet time every afternoon from 1 to 2 pm.

[nono]

The older my kids get, the less I drink. ;) It gets easier, esp. when the kids love the whole integrated family/learning/living groove that develops.

[lincap]

It can be hard. My house is messy and lots of piles of stuff everywhere. I have a 5 yr old, 2.5 yr old and 10 month old. Each day is really just playing, cooking, clean-up, play, eat, etc..

 

I have a mother's helper every other Monday for 4 hours... that is when I do big big projects (change of winter to summer clothes, clothes that don't fit put away, scrub the bathroom, reorg toys).

 

I do laundry every day. I try to throw in at least 1 load a day .. better if I do 3 a day. With 5 people, 2 in cloth diapers, dust mite allergies, cloth napkins, dress up costumes etc etc,... I can fall behind in laundry fast.

 

Each night dishes get done, sweeping in the dining room and maybe kitchen.

 

Once a week I clean bathrooms, and steam mop my floors downstairs and give the kitchen a GOOD cleanup.

 

I have given up on a neat home that would make me feel good. BUT I make sure I do enough to keep me happy. I might sound weird but if I have a clean bathroom or floors then I feel better and I don't feel distracted and play better with the kids.

 

Some days I get antsy and want a cleaner house... so I will put on a video when the baby naps and tackle a small project.

 

After the kids are in bed I try to do whatever I feel like (cleaning, tv, computer, book).. depends..

 

I just try to enjoy my kids and I involve them in my daily life!

[Mommy22alyns]

It gets easier when they get older. 5 and 2 is tough.

[alpidarkomama]

Just one day, then the next. I do history and science mostly on the weekends since we have a hefty secular/Jewish dual curriculum. I start a load of laundry every morning, shuffle it at lunch, put it away at night. Not too bad. Dishes I pile in the sink all day, then DH does all of them at the end of the day. At 5:00 every day we do a CRAZY FAST 15-minute cleanup of all the rooms that aren't bedrooms/bathrooms. On Thursday night, the boys clean the boys' room (w/papa) and the girls clean the girls' room (with mama) really thoroughly. Train the kids to do chores from a very early age, even if it takes a little longer. It helps a lot. I do some cooking prep the night before for the next day's dinner. Keeping either a menu plan, or a list of your best easy dinners inside the cupboard door makes it easier to get dinner on the table. Our house is NOT perfectly neat most of the time (but just fine for the friends who really love me!), but we usually have clean clothes and good food.

 

You really do just take it one day at a time. With kids 5 and 2, it's not really so hard yet. 1st grade basics can truly be done in 1-1/2 hours per day, 3 hours if you include history, science, art projects, music, readalouds, etc. So you really could learn 9:00-10:30, then have the rest of the day be projects, outings, and keeping the house together. It's overwhelming at first, but I bet as you start to do it you'll figure out ways to get through it all. :)

[twacademy2010]

I just started HSing this month so I am still asking myself this very same question every single day. Some days are great and some days are so bad I cannot believe I actually WANT to do this :lol: I spend moat of my time

trying to keep the three younger kids (4,3,1) happy while my oldest (8) is trying to stay focused and get through her work.

 

My biggest issue is the dishes, but they are usually washed twice a day. Laundry is done every day and now (thanks to the minimalist thread) it is actually folded and put away as soon as it is dry. I have shelves and a drawer for each kid and the clothes are folded and stored neatly in the laundry room.

 

I will admit that I do not do any deep cleaning and have someone come once a month for that, but I make sure the house is clean and try to keep stuff picked up. That isnt too hard now that I donated 80% of the toys.

 

As for "me" time, I crash around 10pm and lay in bed on my phone or laptop (like now) until midnight or so. I also have a drop-in daycare that I use when I am desperate or DH and I need a date night.

 

DH is a HUGE help when he is home, which gives me a chance to do

the projects piling up on my plate.

 

I am fairly antisocial, but I interact with our girl scouts and

I go to church and enjoy being around other people then.

 

Sorry... this became long:tongue_smilie:

[ChandlerMom]

I don't have any housekeeping duties during the day outside of what the kids need. My kids are 10 and just turned 6 yesterday.

 

I have a fulltime job of childcare and teaching. I make meals during the day but I don't do laundry or anything else like that. Heck today I didn't even have time to wash the lunch dishes and dh took care of them with the dinner dishes. it's not my job to also run the house. That takes a whoooole lot of pressure off.

 

:iagree: An awesome dh makes it easy(ier). :D The other night, dh came home after working a 10hr shift to a kitchen that looked like like a FEMA disaster area. I hadn't even gotten the dishwasher unloaded that had run during the night. I told dh I was "sorry", he looked confused at me and said, "What for? You took care of three kids all day." then he rolled up his sleeves and whipped that kitchen into spotless shape. :D

 

It helps that dh was a SAHD and I was working FT after DD#1 was born, so he's btdt and remembers those rare days he'd meet me at the door with the baby needing a break. :D

 

Having a partner in life is really, really an amazing thing. So, I try to do it all, but my priorities are hs, non-hs parenting, work (PT from home), and lastly house work. What I don't do, dh does; what he doesn't do, I do. fwiw, I think hsing makes parenting easier.

[justamouse]

Your children are so young. When mine were that age, we did very little formal homeschooling. We did chores together, singing and reciting poems and doing verbal word problems and telling jokes while we worked. We did science by working in the garden together, by taking nature walks, and reading fun science books. We read and read and read and did puzzles. We did phonics while shopping, "I spy something that starts with 'b'".

 

The house was not always clean. I did errands with the kids in tow. I got "me time" by having quiet time every afternoon from 1 to 2 pm.

:iagree::iagree::iagree:

 

this.

 

and wine.

[alpidarkomama]

I donated 80% of the toys.

 

We did that too. HUGE difference in how long it takes to clean up. :) I encourage lots of playing in the back yard time!

 

As for "me" time, I crash around 10pm and lay in bed on my phone or laptop (like now) until midnight or so.

 

I love these evening hours. I have 9:30-1:00, which is really a very large chunk of time. One hour for the kitchen, 30-45 minutes for lesson planning, then it's playtime! :)

[alpidarkomama]

fwiw, I think hsing makes parenting easier.

 

Couldn't agree more!!!!!!

[Bird Girl]

Mine are 3 years apart too--when they were 3 and 6 and 4 and 7, I put the little one in a morning preschool program. It was great--we did our schoolwork while he was busy playing, and then everyone went down for a nap and I collected myself for an hour before we started our afternoon activities.

 

Once everyone is more independent, more things are possible. I second the recommendation to cut down on toys and clutter--fewer things makes cleaning so much easier.

[....]

I am a mom of 2. One child is a 5 year old precocious, strong-willed little boy and a 2 year old busy little girl. How do you survive homeschooling? Do you do co-ops, Master's Academy, CC or do you hire a mother's helper/babysitter? I just do not understand how one can balance homeschooling, household chores, errands and have enough "me time" to maintain sanity. I am afterschooling presently. FYI, I did have both kids home until my son turned 4 (no MMO, babysitter etc). I am not criticizing. I REALLY want to know how do you do it! :confused:

 

I'm extremely organized.

 

There is absolutely no such thing as "me time" (unfortunately).

 

I start my day at 4:45am so that I have time to get ready and clean up the house before we start school.

 

I spend all day Saturday trying to clean, do laundry and catch up on the stuff I didn't do during the week.

 

I feel like I am literally "working" from 5am to 9pm.

 

Does homeschooling have to look like this? No, probably not. I spent 7 years in the army. I think this might have just been an extension of the way I lived for so long in the military. I don't think my personality knows anything different.

 

Honestly, when we pulled our kids from public school, it really freed up a lot of time (getting them ready, driving them, picking them up, packing backpacks, doing homework, fundraisers, etc) and it lowered the stress level in our household a LOT.

[NanceXToo]

Well, I am a pretty relaxed homeschooler using a hands-on type of curriculum that isn't ridiculously time consuming- we can be done with school within three hours or less a day. And I don't feel like I have to adhere to a rigid timeframe or schedule- we kind of go with the flow. We might get it all done in the morning one day, and not even start until after lunch the next. We might do some in the morning one day then take a break to do things we need to do and then wrap things up in the evening.

 

I have a 5 year old (who's been quite a demanding child from the day he was born, insofar as my time and energy go) and I just do my best to keep him busy with things that interest him as he's not ready for school yet- it's easier this year. The older he gets, the easier he gets.

 

My girls are older, so they help with household chores. And I don't even TRY to keep my house immaculate, we do general straightening up regularly and I keep up with the things like dishes and laundry as best I can and have the family pitch in, and when we're having company we all run around like lunatics cleaning up but I don't expect that the house will always be spotless and picture perfect.

 

I try to run some of my errands on my husband's day off so I don't always have to take the kids with me- or I make him come too and we do it as a family...

 

I usually wake up earlier than everyone else does and my "me time" is in the morning at my computer with my coffee... and at night when I read in bed or watch TV a bit after the kids are settled... and odd moments in between when they're busily playing together... I just fit it in.

 

I don't know, somehow it just works out! Things kind of fall into place. And maybe I'm just not bothered much because I chose this- like my daughter was in public school til third grade and I chose to pull her out and I've been so much more happy/relaxed homeschooling than I was when she went to public school! So even though homeschooling has its challenging moments, I still remember all too well how much worse it was when she was in public school and she was gone all day and I had to enforce homework at the end of a tiring day and everything we did was done with the bus and school schedule in mind:

 

("Hurry up and get up! You'll miss the bus! Hurry, get the bus! See you later! Hmm I can't go far, I have to be home for the bus..gotta make the bus... oh hi, yes, I know you're tired and you've been at school all day but you have this hour's worth of homework and I have to make you do it, no, not now, I have to do dinner, well, you can play a little but not long, it's a school night, did you study for your test, did you lay out your clothes, get to bed, it's a school night...." over and over and over. Ugh. What a monotonous, dreary life those school days consisted of!)

[Donna]

It is impossible to do it all. I am way more lax on the household than I was pre-kids. It gets cleaned but probably not all on the same day. Homeschooling and violin practice are the first things I schedule during each day and the rest is worked around that. If we're home on a weekend day (a rare occurance), I clean house otherwise it gets done here and there...usually when dd is eating lunch or finishing up an independent assignment.

 

There is no such thing as "me" time unless you count the time I get to read a book while sitting at a wrestling practice or orchestra rehearsal. Luckily I don't need much "me" time.

[Laura Corin]

Nap time/quiet time was crucial to me. I always took an hour after lunch to myself: it was the only way to keep my temper for the rest of the day. I also used to go for walks when the children were at activities: if your elder is at an activity, go for a walk with your younger in a stroller.

 

My house was clean-ish and tidy-ish. I sometimes used a cleaner.

 

Laura

[Mommee & Baba]

I agree with the previous posters.....

 

1 day at a time.

Fly lady.

Help from dh.

 

And I try to focus on what's important and matters at that moment and deal with the other factors later, such as housework. I happen to do housechores while my kids are doing an independant lesson.

 

Having a toddler is what makes me nuts. But I know just as everything else it too shall pass and it'll all blend well together. Right now it's challenging but it's not going to last forever :)

 

Also I have a constant reminder of the enjoyment of homeschooling when the school bus pulls in front of my house twice a day! So it's refreshing to know the kids are at home....SAFE....

 

I'm a bit OCD, so it's challenging at time to balance it all and if I can't that day I get really beastly...so I then have the kids help do some small simple chores to help and it really picks my mood up! :)

 

As for the making from scratch and extra baking I once did ALOT of....isn't as much right now. I've simply haven't the ENERGY after doing school with the 2 older kids and chasing the tot boy around. :glare: ... Oh how I miss the from scratch and extra baking though. I do fit it in but NOTHING like before!

 

On top of homeschooling, chasing the tot boy and housechores I also coupon which takes up any "free time" I have that week to myself...because I have to match prices, match coupons to sales and go do the deals....some weeks I'm just DONE being frugal but I still plug at it because the end result is well worth it.

 

Sorry to ramble here..but I just want to say....the end result is worth all the efforts!

 

Oh and if I might add...if I'm having a "moody mama day"....we do school in the kitchen! We practice our writing with butter spread on a cookie sheet. We do our math with measuring ingred. for baking as well as which is bigger or smaller and which has more raisens....and we do our reading from the cookbook!

[Ariston]

You also have to take into account that sending your kids to school adds a certain amount of stress. Everyone bathing and going to bed on time, waking up on time, getting homework done, papers signed, lunch's made, breakfast eaten...For me, keeping them home is actually easier.

 

Chores:

In the morning we all have very simple chores to do that don't take more than 15 minutes but at least keep things from turning into a disaster. (I.e. clean up after breakfast, sweep the floor, clean the DR table...)

 

Then we do the same thing after lunch--take a few minutes to get some chores done (put away laundry, etc.)

 

School:

With only 2 kids I don't find it too hard to focus on one while the other plays. Is there anything your 2 y.o. plays with independently yet? This will only get easier each year. On bad days I rely on poissonrouge or pbskids.org.

 

Also, what REALLY helped me this year was scaling back what I planned on doing and figuring out what was REALLY important to me. I had started out with so many ideas of what I wanted to do with my kids that I realized I was focusing on breadth instead of depth and it wasn't working for me. Every day I felt like I didn't get enough done. So I took some time to figure out what I really wanted to do a good job on: phonics, a lot of math, languages. Now I make sure I do those every day. Everything else (science, art) I do whenever I feel like it but don't stress about it.

 

Oh, and I've moved just about all read-alouds to bedtime. I leave a little stack for my husband to do with one child and I do the other.

[Impish]

The older my kids get, the less I drink. ;) It gets easier, esp. when the kids love the whole integrated family/learning/living groove that develops.

:iagree::lol:

Honestly, I started hs'ing mid grade 3 for Diva, so we've been at it since Tazzie was 3, Princess not even 2. While Tazzie and Princess have joined in homeschooling, its tonnes easier now than it was then, even with becoming disabled.

 

The kids all have age appropriate chores too. Every little bit helps. My house is never 'perfect', I've fallen off the flylady wagon more times than I want to admit, but when I use her system, it does work...aside from the fact that some things are just impossible to accomplish 1 armed.

[UmMusa]

I just started back in September. My friends' and family's main concern was 'how will you do it all'? I have a toddler and then the school aged kids. It's very busy. However, I agree that having them home makes parenting and even life in general easier. We're all less stressed out.

 

I had to change in my heart how I looked at my children. I pray for patience and guidance all the time. I remember that I WANT them to be at home and with our family instead of being raised by others.

 

I also quit my extra-curricular activiities like baking and for-fun cooking. It's ok.

I've figured out the best times to get stuff done. It all works out. Life is full of changes, and we adapt. This is just antoher example.

[WTMCassandra]

Everyone has already given good ideas. I would heartily second the help from DH and the afternoon quiet hour or two suggested in WTM.

 

When the children were about 5, we instituted family clean-up time. We would all four of us clean the house on Friday afternoons before supper. This got the house clean and started them learning how to do the household chores. During the week, all I had to keep up with was laundry, dishes, and general picking up. We picked up before each meal. I would deal with laundry during recess. We developed simplified meals.

 

What is most important is to have a . . . To Don't List.

 

Yes, A To Don't List. You can't do it all. I homeschool, but I don't bake. I don't make fancy meals. I don't have a huge variety of meals. I don't have clothes that require special treatment (lots of ironing, dry-cleaning, etc.) I don't can/preserve. I don't scrapbook (not a hardship--I would hate it). Our photos are dated on the back and put in order in albums (very quick). I don't have knicknacks out that require lots of dusting. I keep my house decluttered so that cleaning is easy. My To Don't List is endless.

 

I get alone time during afternoon rest time and in the evenings. My DH pretty much takes over when he gets home. We trade off grocery shopping and usually one parent does it after the children are in bed. I do errands on our "out day" when we have to go into town for lessons.

 

Hope this helps a little. It IS a juggling act, but I think it's a worthy endeavor.

[twoxcell]

I'm not sure I even know what "me time" is:lol:. I do the majority of my house cleaning in the evenings and on weekends. It is very important for me to start the week off with a clean house. Also at the end of our school day each of the children is expected to do at least one chore before free time. My ds1 can fold clothes, wash dishes, vacuum, straighten up, wash laundry etc. dd1 can fold towels, help wash dishes, wipe tables, etc. My almost 3 year old can even fold towels, and help with dishes as well as other things. My dc's are with us pretty much 24/7 we have never hired any kind of babysitter. Our parents watch them occasionally if needed. This is the lifestyle we have chosen and I do not expect my house to look like it came from a magazine, and luckily my dh agrees.

[NancyNellen]

Strive to be organized.

Wake up early.

Train your children to do chores from a young age, and to do them thoroughly.

Train your children to clean up after themselves.

Have a schedule.

Use free moments during the day to tackle quick chores (such as: cleaning a bathtub, dusting a room, sorting the bills, etc.)

Start a load of laundry first thing every morning.

Plan your meals ahead of time.

Have an afternoon quiet time.

 

These are the things that quickly come to mind.

I have never had household help or been involved in a co-op or enrolled my youngers in pre-school. And I'm still here to tell about it :lol:

 

It is crucial for me to have a clean & tidy home. I am a stressed out mama if it isn't. My children have always done chores twice a day. Now that they are older they do much of the work, from cleaning toilets to vacuuming to emptying the dishwasher to putting away all of the clean laundry. I firmly believe that one of the best things we did was to train our children young to do chores and to insist that they get done well. It is not too much for them - 20 minutes before school starts and 20 minutes before dinner.

 

When our kids were younger there was plenty of time in the day to get the 'extras' done. Up until my oldest was in 4th grade we were able to finish school by lunch, leaving the afternoon free for errands, cleaning, projects, etc. Now that I have 4 school-aged kids, 2 of whom are at the jr. high level, we have much less free time, so we need to spend our time even more wisely and be as efficient as possible. I try to correct assignments as they happen, so as not to fall behind. I stagger my kids having one-on-one time with me while the others are working independently. Sure there are weeks that all the assignments don't get completed, but all in all, we usually accomplish most of what we set out to do (and the house is clean!)

 

Consider it a job - strive to be as good at it as possible. Learn from your mistakes. Always assess areas that need improvement. And train your children to be cheerful, helpful, responsible members of the household. :001_smile:

[....]

Strive to be organized.

Wake up early.

Train your children to do chores from a young age, and to do them thoroughly.

Train your children to clean up after themselves.

Have a schedule.

Use free moments during the day to tackle quick chores (such as: cleaning a bathtub, dusting a room, sorting the bills, etc.)

Start a load of laundry first thing every morning.

Plan your meals ahead of time.

Have an afternoon quiet time.

 

These are the things that quickly come to mind.

I have never had household help or been involved in a co-op or enrolled my youngers in pre-school. And I'm still here to tell about it :lol:

 

 

 

:thumbup1: You and I must have similar personalities. Lol. :gnorsi:

 

There are lots of organizational "helps" out there. Organization can make a huge difference.

[catz]

I am a mom of 2. One child is a 5 year old precocious, strong-willed little boy and a 2 year old busy little girl. How do you survive homeschooling? Do you do co-ops, Master's Academy, CC or do you hire a mother's helper/babysitter? I just do not understand how one can balance homeschooling, household chores, errands and have enough "me time" to maintain sanity. I am afterschooling presently. FYI, I did have both kids home until my son turned 4 (no MMO, babysitter etc). I am not criticizing. I REALLY want to know how do you do it! :confused:

 

I personally think everyone has difference tolerance levels on how much alone time they need, how messy they can stand their house, how much schooling they need to do, etc. Personally, I can tolerate a somewhat messy house and are fairly laid by standards set on this board. We work hard at rigorous curriculum for short stretches. My big saving grace is outside activities. Right now my kids take music lessons, dance (daughter), circus (both), science (son), engineering club (son), monthly book club, and regular field trips and playgroups. I have grandparents locally that I use for childcare on occasion and my husband knows I need some downtime in the evening. I also don't really cook nearly enough even though I really enjoy it!

 

My kids did go to preschool between 7-10 hours a week between ages 3-5 and that was extremely helpful and great for both of them. They learned quite a bit socially (to this day both know how to negotiate relations with groups of kids well).

 

Anyway, I find we are always evolving to make things a little more manageable. The kids are getting more helpful around the house.

[rootsnwings]

Strive to thrive and everyone survives! If you have your kids engaged in learning things they love, they are thriving. Families who are thriving don't think twice about surviving. :)