scrapbookbuzz Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 I find that either I can focus on getting school lessons done OR I can focus on getting the house straightened/cleaned up but I cannot focus on both in the same day! I have tried EVERYthing. Even FlyLady, who's wonderful. But again, if I focus on doing those things, even babysteps, I have a difficult time then going back to helping the kids get lessons done. If I help the kids get lessons done, I can't seem to "switch gears" afterwards to get household stuff done. PLEASE tell me there are others of you with this same 'disconnect'!:confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathyBC Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 Yes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 Yup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hen Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 yup, raising my hand. If dh walks in and the house is a wreck, and books all over the dining table, he knows it was a good learning day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IsabelC Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 I'm all too familiar with this issue. It's just really difficult to do everything! Even if I get super organized with both housework and school stuff, it will invariably mean that something else suffers in the process: we have no social life, or I don't get any exercise or other self care activities done, for instance. I suspect one has to be extremely strict and well organized to keep everything under control. Also, it is probably necessary for many homeschooling parents to lower expectations somewhat. Not long ago, I actually wrote down everything I wanted to do on a regular basis, added up the time needed to do it, and discovered that I would need 9 days per week to get it all done :lol: This was discouraging in one sense, but it was also reassuring in that I now know my failure is a logistical problem as opposed to a fundamental character flaw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrapbookbuzz Posted September 21, 2011 Author Share Posted September 21, 2011 Wait, you mean there aren't 9 days in the week?? When did that happen?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 yup, raising my hand. If dh walks in and the house is a wreck, and books all over the dining table, he knows it was a good learning day. :iagree: My expectations were never that high. :tongue_smilie: I'm used to devoting full attention to a job when you do. Other adults in my household needed reminding of that. :D I told said person that I could either educate ds or keep the house clean during the day, but not both. I also need time to unwind between "jobs". We're not messy really, but there is evidence we live here. It's one thing when ds was younger and school took 2-3 hours max, now we have longer days and I have more admin work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momdm Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 Yes. It never ends. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 :cheers2: Welcome to my world. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
higginszoo Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 Definitely. I saw this on Pinterest, and it explained our house: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frontier Mom Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 If I get into cleaning something, I see something else and then I'm off on that darn bunny trail again. I was cooking supper two nights ago and ended up cleaning out every single drawer in the kitchen. Nice to be clean but I have to get this stuff done after schooling instruction or else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wheres Toto Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 Yup, that's me. And by trying to do it all, I feel like I'm not doing anything well. The house is a wreck and I feel like I'm not being structured enough with the kids school. They are still really young so it's not a major problem but I know I need to find a better way before things get even worse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 What if we are bad at BOTH? :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhonda in TX Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 Yes. I am incapable of multi-tasking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curlylocks Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 Yes... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angela in ohio Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 Yep. I told dh in one of our first years of homeschooling that he had a choice: I could either homeschool his kiddos well, or he could come home to a clean home. He chose the education. :D It is easier now with two teen girls to help me, but if it comes down to cleaning or needing to do something homeschooling related, homeschooling wins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissel Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 I do. I posted about it here too, not too long ago. I also work part-time (freelance), and my work comes in waves. During a work wave, EVERYTHING ELSE suffers! It's hard. I'm trying to be more organized, and to teach the kids to do more too. Our old vacuum was huge and heavy and miserable to use--I'd end up soaked in sweat after vacuuming the LR/DR. Recently, I bought a much lighter vacuum so DD9 can use it too :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thescrappyhomeschooler Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 Yes. It never ends. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laughing lioness Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 Definitely. I saw this on Pinterest, and it explained our house: This. Absolutely. We try to stack books when we are done with them during the day. Really. But if we really go after school, the house shows it. We pick up regularly and clean when needed but we are busy living. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twoxcell Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 I do not clean during school except for basic picking things up. When school ends I make the kids do a basic clean up, and my ds does the dishes. I do what I would call a quick clean every evening before bed in order for it to be decent in the morning. All my deep cleaning is done on the weekend. If I'm on top of it my house stays fairly clean this way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristusG Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 Yep, same issue here. I start doing housework when I give the kids a break from school. But then I get so focused on the housework that I don't want to stop, so we postpone school. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 I can keep up on general things like kitchen clean-up and keeping clutter under control, but for the most part, I had to do all my major stuff one day a week--Fridays. All the laundry, clean the bathrooms, dust/vacuum, all that stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geo Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 (edited) Yes. :o I struggle terribly with multi-tasking. In fact, I find it difficult to clean with people in the house, period. It's our 24th year homeschooling and it hasn't changed. I do the basics during the week, but reserve deep cleaning and organize on the weekends. I am ADD. My husband is a saint. Edited September 21, 2011 by Geo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrapbookbuzz Posted September 21, 2011 Author Share Posted September 21, 2011 Glad to know I'm not alone. I think I just have the inability to clean PERIOD. One of these days I AM going to hire a housekeeper. It will make me feel a little better about my house. My poor husband. He has a mother who's very good at keeping house. I'm sure he was greatly disappointed when he finally realized I am NOT like here and won't ever be. Thankfully, he loves me, anyway! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pretty in Pink Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 I don't have a problem doing both in the same day, just not at the same time. I cannot be up and down all day long, bouncing back and forth between school work and household chores. I sit with my children until lessons are done and put away. Only then can I tackle the household stuff (usually after a break of an hour or so to help me switch gears). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjins Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 Today I was planning on helping DD (8) clean her room while dictating LA lessons to DS (9). Good thing he was able to do most of his work on his own, because we did not get ANY dictation in. :-) YEP... clean or teach... not both! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1bassoon Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 :waving: That'd be me. No solutions, just feeling your pain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 Me too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulieH Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 I find that either I can focus on getting school lessons done OR I can focus on getting the house straightened/cleaned up but I cannot focus on both in the same day! I have tried EVERYthing. Even FlyLady, who's wonderful. But again, if I focus on doing those things, even babysteps, I have a difficult time then going back to helping the kids get lessons done. If I help the kids get lessons done, I can't seem to "switch gears" afterwards to get household stuff done. PLEASE tell me there are others of you with this same 'disconnect'!:confused: Oh baby...disconnect is an understatement for me! I am really really really REALLY struggling with this right now. In fact, I just cried about it a few minutes ago. LOL I don't know where to begin. I wish I had some words of wisdom but I don't. Know that you are not alone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleIzumi Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 Mine are younger, so we school in chunks with breaks in between plus snacks and stuff. I clean (or snack too, lol) during the breaks. I have one room assigned per day, plus the normal dishes/laundry, so when I check off the things from that one room, I'm done. Doooooooone. I can handle that. Probably not more than that, but that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaithManor Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 I have a high schooler, an 8th grader, and a 6th grader. We are neo-classical homeschoolers which means Latin, lots of history, writing, and literature, and we push math and science VERY hard. I homeschool from about 8:30/9 pm (depends on the day and if I am farm sitting) until 3-4 p.m. (today we are off because the three sickies are still sick), and I'm pretty well tied to it, plus lunch preparation, and then getting something on for dinner. Additionally, we host a 4-H science club and projects are always out and in progress. So, housework...well, it suffers. I try to keep up with the laundry and cleaning the bathroom. The boys do the dishes and outside chores. Someone mops the kitchen floor once per week and I can tell you that the cherry hardwood floors only get swept once per week and dust, dirt, and crumbs REALLY show. Most days, though disinfected properly, I would not want to have guests. It's grueling during rocketry team season when I have the team here nearly every week for four months. I have to ride dh and the boys to try to keep it picked up. Don't feel bad. For a variety of reasons, little ones, living on a farm so a lot tracks in, lack of storage, etc...we all go through periods of life when getting to the housework is really, really hard and homeschooling absolutely complicates that. Faith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelBee Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 I find that either I can focus on getting school lessons done OR I can focus on getting the house straightened/cleaned up but I cannot focus on both in the same day! I have tried EVERYthing. Even FlyLady, who's wonderful. But again, if I focus on doing those things, even babysteps, I have a difficult time then going back to helping the kids get lessons done. If I help the kids get lessons done, I can't seem to "switch gears" afterwards to get household stuff done. PLEASE tell me there are others of you with this same 'disconnect'!:confused: DAILY struggle for me. :( Plus I work out of the home as an owner/instructor at a dance academy and a coach for a high school dance team. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitten18 Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 This thread is depressing. :glare: It's not giving me much hope.:tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WishboneDawn Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 Definitely. I saw this on Pinterest, and it explained our house: When my kids were younger I made a handpainted sign that would greet anyone who came into the house, "Young minds at work. Expect mess." :) As they've gotten older and we've gotten more structured and since I gave up on the idea of a homeschooling room and just do school in the dining room/living room I have been able to get them started and then fold laundry, sweep, clean counters and that sort of thing. I can't really leave to main living area, at least if it's my son working but I have found a bit of a rhythm so I can clean and help them. ETA: This is something that's really only happened in the last 6 months or so and, I think, has mostly to do with my son's maturity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrissiK Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 Yes! Right here. Vacation time is about the only time my house straighted up half ways decent. The rest of the time it looks like a tornado hit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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