So if school takes up most of your day, when do you do your planning, cleaning, etc.?

[Heart_Mom]

At this point, most of our homeschooling is done in the morning. Well, at least my part. My older two have some independent work to do after lunch and then I check it in the early afternoon.

 

Even so, I feel like I'm just barely keeping my head above water.

 

I really feel like I need to do some teaching in the afternoon, but if I do that it will have to be during the quiet afternoon hour when I usually get things done. Like ... menu planning/shopping lists, homeschool planning, decluttering, etc.

 

So ... if you spend most of your day homeschooling, when do you find time to clean the house, or prepare homeschooling lessons?

 

I know that God will not give me more to do than is possible for me to do ... but especially with a new baby coming, it sometimes feels like it.

 

Thanks in advance for any insights you can give me.

 

Oh ... and I should mention that I'm a morning person, but pretty useless for getting things done after dinner. I go to bed at 9 P.M. and wake at 4:45 A.M. Before my children are up at around 6:30, I shower, do my Bible study, plan my day, exercise, and check email ... but there's not usually any time to spare.

 

I keep telling myself that it has to be possible to do this homeschooling thing well without it taking over, but I don't know how...

[freesia]

My kids are just about one year older than yours. Around last year I had to realize that homeschooling, more than ever, was now a full time job. It was going to be as hard for me to get "everything" done as any Mom who worked. Just realizing that it shouldn't and wouldn't be "easy" was a huge help to me.

 

What I did:

1. I got Managers of Their Chores by Teri Maxwell and got the kids even more involved in the chores. We have daily chores and on Sat and Weds we have extra chores. While the bathroom gets wiped down daily, I have a SET day for cleaning it and a set day for mopping, etc. I also follow Flylady Zones for weekly deeper cleaning. Any system where the chores are split and written down helps a lot.

2. I planned my schedule so that we school 6 weeks and then either take a light (one subject only) week or a whole week off. I use that week to catch up on the house, other responsibilities.

3. I radically cut down on outside activities until we only left the house for Co-op during the week. I was able to add some things back in this semester but what a great break we had.

4. It helps us if we do "5 minute" clean ups before lunch and at the end of the day.

5. My dh has taken the kids to his Moms w/o me a couple of times so I can organize and regroup.

 

None of this is "magic." You have a lot on your plate and your kids are young. You cannot keep all the balls in the air and that's okay. Your kids are your priority (well and your faith and dh, too). Just keep working on the house.

 

I will pray for you bc I know how you are feeling.:grouphug:

[Melissa in Australia]

I find homeschooling has completely taken over. It is the main focus of our lives.

[Cassy]

I find homeschooling has completely taken over. It is the main focus of our lives.

 

:iagree: Things like cleaning and planning get stuffed into those spare moments, like weekends, early mornings, late afternoons, and holidays, when I used to have fun :tongue_smilie:.

 

The cleaning thing is definitely my bete noire, the absolutely most difficult thing about homeschooling. We're just finishing a two week spring break and all I've really done is dust, scrub down paintwork, change sofa covers, all the deep-cleaning things that I never have time to do. DH keeps going on at me to get a cleaning lady, but by doing it myself I can at least justify the expense of all the packages of books that arrive weekly :tongue_smilie:.

 

Yes, homeschooling definitely takes over your life.

 

Cassy

Edited April 15, 2012 by Cassy

[kroe1]

You mean we are supposed to be cleaning, too?

[shanvan]

You mean we are supposed to be cleaning, too?

:lol::lol::lol:

 

It has only become more difficult to fit 'everything' in as my children have gotten older. They have more extracurriculars and more advanced schoolwork. I've had to make my peace with the fact that my house is just not going to look like it did before homeschooling (and before 3 dogs!).

 

Freesia has some good advice, and if you search the boards you'll find even more. Getting the kids involved in chores helps, and taking some light weeks here and there gives you the time to do whatever you need to feel more in control of your home. There are several books & articles that have helped me over the years, but their titles escape me. I'll check in later to post them if I can find them.

 

As for school planning, this year I did mine in quarters. For next year I will go back to mapping out everything in the summer. It's too hard for me to find enough time during the school year.

 

ETA: I also use summers and breaks for major purging of books, clothes, and clutter.

[Heart_Mom]

My kids are just about one year older than yours. Around last year I had to realize that homeschooling, more than ever, was now a full time job. It was going to be as hard for me to get "everything" done as any Mom who worked. Just realizing that it shouldn't and wouldn't be "easy" was a huge help to me.

 

This is very helpful. A little hard to hear ... but helpful! :001_smile: It seems particularly overwhelming with a new baby coming. I mean ... what mother who works outside the home brings a newborn and toddler to work each day! :001_smile:

 

What I did:

1. I got Managers of Their Chores by Teri Maxwell and got the kids even more involved in the chores. We have daily chores and on Sat and Weds we have extra chores. While the bathroom gets wiped down daily, I have a SET day for cleaning it and a set day for mopping, etc. I also follow Flylady Zones for weekly deeper cleaning. Any system where the chores are split and written down helps a lot.

2. I planned my schedule so that we school 6 weeks and then either take a light (one subject only) week or a whole week off. I use that week to catch up on the house, other responsibilities.

3. I radically cut down on outside activities until we only left the house for Co-op during the week. I was able to add some things back in this semester but what a great break we had.

4. It helps us if we do "5 minute" clean ups before lunch and at the end of the day.

5. My dh has taken the kids to his Moms w/o me a couple of times so I can organize and regroup.

 

Thanks for telling me what helps you. I do have MOTC, and set up a good chore schedule about a year ago. But my children are older now, and I think they can do more.

 

I think it would also help to either take a whole week off every 6 weeks, or take one day per week off to do cleaning, etc.

 

None of this is "magic." You have a lot on your plate and your kids are young. You cannot keep all the balls in the air and that's okay. Your kids are your priority (well and your faith and dh, too). Just keep working on the house.

 

I will pray for you bc I know how you are feeling.:grouphug:

 

Thanks for praying and for your understanding. My in-laws also live with us, and my dear mother-in-law is very ill. I am not really needed for her care, but that does add to our day.

 

I find homeschooling has completely taken over. It is the main focus of our lives.

 

I know homeschooling has to be a big priority, but I don't want it to take precedent over the relationships in my family (with God and each other). If I'm not carefuly, I tend to be very task-oriented (versus people-oriented). And if I'm not careful, I see the people in my home as obstacles to getting my stuff done, rather than people to love and serve.

 

I don't want to do that!

 

:iagree: Things like cleaning and planning get stuffed into those spare moments, like weekends, early mornings, late afternoons, and holidays, when I used to fun :tongue_smilie:.

 

The cleaning thing is definitely my bete noire, the absolutely most difficult thing about homeschooling. We're just finishing a two week spring break and all I've really done is dust, scrub down paintwork, change sofa covers, all the deep-cleaning things that I never have time to do. DH keeps going on at me to get a cleaning lady, but by doing it myself I can at least justify the expense of all the packages of books that arrive weekly :tongue_smilie:.

 

Yes, homeschooling definitely takes over your life.

 

Cassy

 

I guess I have to get used to squeezing these extra things in. I really like having a specific time of day for them, though! :001_smile:

 

You mean we are supposed to be cleaning, too?

 

Well ... just for the record, I don't want anyone to think that I sit up at night and worry about the dust on the tops of my bookcases. I just want the house to be reasonably clutter-free and reasonably clean...:001_smile:

[Chris in VA]

You've gotten great advice, but I just wanted to add that, along with lower standards (;):D) one thing that helped me was to tuck the chores the kids do into their homeschooling day. Back when ds was home, he considered doing chores as his "tuition" for being homeschooled! I'd actually write up his chores each day like I wrote up his classes.

 

So maybe you could tuck your kids' chores into the schedule and that would help a bit. For example, your 10 could take a break and sweep the first floor while you work with your 7, and then your 7 could clean a bathroom or empty trash around the house while you work with your youngests. By the end of the day, a couple chores each, plus general stuff like setting/clearing the table and making beds, and bringing laundry down or taking it up (or whatever), would leave you with a pretty tidy house. In theory, anyway.

 

We also did chores on Saturdays after cartoons (those were the days...) for about 2 hours as a family. Putting on The Beatles and dusting/mopping/doing bathrooms is actually pretty fun!

[gingersmom]

I take care of things the same way others do who work 40+ hours a week.

[kwickimom]

My main advice is to declutter as much as you possibly can. We have gone so far as to put ALL the kids toys in totes in the basement and they are allowed one tote at a time and that one needs to go back if they want a new one.

 

I delcuttered the kitchen, we use cheap paper plates, and each kid gets ONE cup per day with their name on it. Dishes get done at night. I always start the day with a clean kitchen.

 

I cut down on the clothes the kids have and I do a load of laundry first thing in the morning. I toss them in the dryer during our first break and I hang them (we hang everything and dont have dressers) right before lunch.

 

My school stuff is organized so that we dont waste time looking for stuff.

 

Right before dinner we run around and pick up the house and sweep and vacuum. After dinner we clean up our dinner mess. Right before bed everything is put away.

 

 

I looked at the fact that I have 24 hrs in a day. I figured up times for sleep, meals, school, and activities. Then I took my remaining hours and figured out what I want to do with them. It doesnt take long to clean my house because it is decluttered, yes the kids make messes but I just keep on top of them. The kids are responsible for their own rooms (even the 4 YO) or they dont get to go to activities and fun stuff.

 

I spend maybe an hour a day doing basic cleaning and laundry. Some days I will schedule in extra deep cleaning time. I spend about an hour a day grading papers, doing bills/menu plan/coupons/to do lists etc. I exercise, read my bible, read, check computer, do about 4 hrs of school and still have some free time. We have activites at least 4 nights a week.

 

You can do it, things wont be perfect, you just need to declutter, make a plan, and get organized!!

[Heart_Mom]

I take care of things the same way others do who work 40+ hours a week.

 

I've honestly never been able to figure out how women who work 40+ hours a week (and have children) take care of things. :001_smile:

[Heart_Mom]

:lol::lol::lol:

 

It has only become more difficult to fit 'everything' in as my children have gotten older. They have more extracurriculars and more advanced schoolwork. I've had to make my peace with the fact that my house is just not going to look like it did before homeschooling (and before 3 dogs!).

 

Freesia has some good advice, and if you search the boards you'll find even more. Getting the kids involved in chores helps, and taking some light weeks here and there gives you the time to do whatever you need to feel more in control of your home. There are several books & articles that have helped me over the years, but their titles escape me. I'll check in later to post them if I can find them.

 

As for school planning, this year I did mine in quarters. For next year I will go back to mapping out everything in the summer. It's too hard for me to find enough time during the school year.

 

ETA: I also use summers and breaks for major purging of books, clothes, and clutter.

 

If you're able to find any links to helpful articles, I'd really appreciate it! :001_smile:

 

You've gotten great advice, but I just wanted to add that, along with lower standards (;):D) one thing that helped me was to tuck the chores the kids do into their homeschooling day. Back when ds was home, he considered doing chores as his "tuition" for being homeschooled! I'd actually write up his chores each day like I wrote up his classes.

 

So maybe you could tuck your kids' chores into the schedule and that would help a bit. For example, your 10 could take a break and sweep the first floor while you work with your 7, and then your 7 could clean a bathroom or empty trash around the house while you work with your youngests. By the end of the day, a couple chores each, plus general stuff like setting/clearing the table and making beds, and bringing laundry down or taking it up (or whatever), would leave you with a pretty tidy house. In theory, anyway.

 

We also did chores on Saturdays after cartoons (those were the days...) for about 2 hours as a family. Putting on The Beatles and dusting/mopping/doing bathrooms is actually pretty fun!

 

This is very helpful! I just recently realized that my almost 8 year old daughter could do some prep for dinner (like making a salad or chopping a red pepper) while I do spelling with my oldest. (She loves doing this!)

 

I hadn't thought about chore breaks between subjects for them. That could be very helpful. Thanks so much! :001_smile:

 

My main advice is to declutter as much as you possibly can. We have gone so far as to put ALL the kids toys in totes in the basement and they are allowed one tote at a time and that one needs to go back if they want a new one.

 

I delcuttered the kitchen, we use cheap paper plates, and each kid gets ONE cup per day with their name on it. Dishes get done at night. I always start the day with a clean kitchen.

 

I cut down on the clothes the kids have and I do a load of laundry first thing in the morning. I toss them in the dryer during our first break and I hang them (we hang everything and dont have dressers) right before lunch.

 

My school stuff is organized so that we dont waste time looking for stuff.

 

Right before dinner we run around and pick up the house and sweep and vacuum. After dinner we clean up our dinner mess. Right before bed everything is put away.

 

 

I looked at the fact that I have 24 hrs in a day. I figured up times for sleep, meals, school, and activities. Then I took my remaining hours and figured out what I want to do with them. It doesnt take long to clean my house because it is decluttered, yes the kids make messes but I just keep on top of them. The kids are responsible for their own rooms (even the 4 YO) or they dont get to go to activities and fun stuff.

 

I spend maybe an hour a day doing basic cleaning and laundry. Some days I will schedule in extra deep cleaning time. I spend about an hour a day grading papers, doing bills/menu plan/coupons/to do lists etc. I exercise, read my bible, read, check computer, do about 4 hrs of school and still have some free time. We have activites at least 4 nights a week.

 

You can do it, things wont be perfect, you just need to declutter, make a plan, and get organized!!

 

This is a BIG goal of mine. Still trying to figure out how to make it happen. I tend to want to do it all at once, but I've signed up for Flylady's emails, and her 15 minute per day approach is helpful! Thanks for the specific ideas! I love the idea of keeping most of the toys in the basement! :001_smile:

[KirstenH]

I've honestly never been able to figure out how women who work 40+ hours a week (and have children) take care of things. :001_smile:

 

For one thing, no one is home all day messing up the house.

[angela in ohio]

Have less stuff.

Share the load.

Give up some things I want for this season.

 

That's pretty much the secret here.

 

At 8 or 9, my dc start getting a large part in helping with cleaning and such. Your 10 yo can be doing a lot.

 

Before the baby comes is a great time to go through your home and see how it can run more efficiently and what you don't need. Every piece of stuff we own takes time.

[KungFuPanda]

I've honestly never been able to figure out how women who work 40+ hours a week (and have children) take care of things. :001_smile:

 

Nobody is home to mess up their house during those 40 hours. That doesn't make up for everything, but when you're all gone, the house stays as you left it. Nobody sneaks in and cooks lunch or runs a school while your out.

 

 

 

I like to do the bulk of my planning over the summer months. I also found that it's easier as kids get older and you can actually count on stretches of uninterrupted time. In your situation, adding home ec. as a subject in your day might be helpful, then take the time to teach them the skills just like you would math or phonics. Expect SEVERAL sessions of instruction/correction before the kids can do a task well. Rearrage where appropriate. Could they empty the dishwasher if cups and plates were on a lower shelf? Could they clean the bathroom if you kept cleaning wipes in there? Can they fold a t-shirt? How many lessons do you think it would take to teach them? Can you do a load of ALL t-shirts? Or a load of clothes by person so they're folding their own stuff? Are they motivated by a timer? Will they race around to see how much they can clean up in 3 minutes?

Edited April 15, 2012 by KungFuPanda

[Heart_Mom]

For one thing, no one is home all day messing up the house.

 

That's VERY true!

 

Have less stuff.

Share the load.

Give up some things I want for this season.

 

That's pretty much the secret here.

 

At 8 or 9, my dc start getting a large part in helping with cleaning and such. Your 10 yo can be doing a lot.

 

Before the baby comes is a great time to go through your home and see how it can run more efficiently and what you don't need. Every piece of stuff we own takes time.

 

My 10 year old does the dishes as well as all the vacuuming. My almost 8 year old folds most of the laundry. I'll talk with my husband about what more he thinking they can handle. I think my 5 1/2 year old could start doing some folding and maybe my almost 8 year old could move up to some bathroom cleaning... Thanks for the ideas!!! :)

[Tinkerbell]

You can do it, things wont be perfect, you just need to declutter, make a plan, and get organized!!

 

:iagree: But it definitely isn't easy

[swainsonshawk]

I do almost all my planning during the summer. I pick out all the science experiments we are going to do, write them all down per week. Schedule history activities, etc. I do my weekly planning on Sunday night. I fill out a week's schedule for each child. I look up all the activities/experiments I'm going to do and add things to my grocery list (like vinegar) for a Monday shopping trip during guitar lessons.

 

I'm doing weekly planning for three kids right now--the younger two are have a basic velcro sticker chart where they just mark off subjects each day and "do the next thing" while I'm sitting next to them.

 

We do 1 experiment in science a week, 1 activity in history a week and I also do 1 other subject of the day (states/presidents next year--math focus this year). I don't have the time to run history and science and fine arts and whatever every day. My older kids do some work on their own for these subject every day, but my time is too limited.

 

I take one morning off per week (no school) to put the house back together and we do co-op 1 morning per week. This means that we only "school" three days per week. I have tried doing more, but I just can't hack it. My older kids sometimes have school work to do on my "days off", but I try not to.

 

I religiously guard my three days per week on which I school. I don't schedule lessons, appointments, friends, errands on these days. We double up on some assignments (spelling, grammar) and chose to move more slowly through other curriculum (IEW, reading less books). I feel my kids are getting a fine education. I am happy with their performance all of their subjects except writing and grammar, which I am currently working hard on. I think it is a doable plan and I have probably been schooling this way for the entire time, only it used to be unplanned desperation clean up/catch up days once a week.

 

Also, I try to get pre-planned curriculum so that I have less to plan. IE Lightning literature gives me assigned books with comprehension questions for each chapter and discussion/writing questions based on the themes. I don't have to pre-read the books and take notes on them that way (that's for 7/8 grade).

 

Also, I have weekly meetings (Friday after co-op or Saturday) with my two older kids who are working more independently. I want to check in with them and keep them accountable. It's hard to fit it in, but when I do it consistently, I am happier with their homeschooling.

 

To sum it up--summer planning, Sunday night planning, weekly meetings and school three days per week helps me make it. Hope you can find something here that helps you! Homeschooling does take over your life!

[CalicoKat]

:iagree: Things like cleaning and planning get stuffed into those spare moments, like weekends, early mornings, late afternoons, and holidays, when I used to fun :tongue_smilie:.

 

The cleaning thing is definitely my bete noire, the absolutely most difficult thing about homeschooling. We're just finishing a two week spring break and all I've really done is dust, scrub down paintwork, change sofa covers, all the deep-cleaning things that I never have time to do. DH keeps going on at me to get a cleaning lady, but by doing it myself I can at least justify the expense of all the packages of books that arrive weekly :tongue_smilie:.

 

Yes, homeschooling definitely takes over your life.

 

Cassy

:iagree: Amen.

 

It's also time to reduce, reduce, reduce. The less you have the less there is to worry about managing. I realized that I was spending a ton of time managing our stuff and that I WAS in control of that. But stuff multiplies all on it's own. Whenever I find myself hyperventilating because I just can't keep up I know it's time to reduce again. It's not about finding another pretty box or shelf for stuff, recycle & re-home it.

 

Also, if you're finding it's mostly over all those kid things laying around .....if they can't manage to pick it up in 10 minutes then they need to reduce their stuff too. I don't pick up kid stuff. I throw it. My kids know it. If it's yours and it's precious, keep it picked up! That's my one warning to my kids. They never miss it when it's gone. My one daughter who would is meticulous about picking up. :001_smile: We do a 10 minute tidy at noon or before bedtime. I sweep it all in a pile and set the timer. They pick up, throw, & put away.

[AHASRADA]

Great question! In a nutshell, everything else has to wait until the weekend. :glare:

 

I do laundry during the week, and grocery shop and cook, of course. The kids have chores which cover most of the basic cleaning, but none of us have time to do many chores on weekdays. It's tough, because we're always torn between wanting to relax and enjoy the weekend, and having all these leftover tasks to attend to. I guess it must be the same for working moms, except at least they aren't home *making* a mess all week! :tongue_smilie:

[BlsdMama]

At this point, most of our homeschooling is done in the morning. Well, at least my part. My older two have some independent work to do after lunch and then I check it in the early afternoon.

 

Even so, I feel like I'm just barely keeping my head above water.

 

I really feel like I need to do some teaching in the afternoon, but if I do that it will have to be during the quiet afternoon hour when I usually get things done. Like ... menu planning/shopping lists, homeschool planning, decluttering, etc.

 

So ... if you spend most of your day homeschooling, when do you find time to clean the house, or prepare homeschooling lessons?

 

I know that God will not give me more to do than is possible for me to do ... but especially with a new baby coming, it sometimes feels like it.

 

Thanks in advance for any insights you can give me.

 

Oh ... and I should mention that I'm a morning person, but pretty useless for getting things done after dinner. I go to bed at 9 P.M. and wake at 4:45 A.M. Before my children are up at around 6:30, I shower, do my Bible study, plan my day, exercise, and check email ... but there's not usually any time to spare.

 

I keep telling myself that it has to be possible to do this homeschooling thing well without it taking over, but I don't know how...

 

We're supposed to plan school?

 

:confused:

 

I don't understand. :001_huh:

 

 

Okay, really, truly, it does take over. But the perk of that is that it also "becomes" life as you know it.

 

I don't do a good job of planning. I'm supposed to be doing it right now but I have a 3yo "helper" and a 5yo "helper" who are supposed to be watching ChipWrecked with Daddy right now. Sigh.

 

I have found that I have switched from using my "ideal" curriculum or "the best" option to the one that works best for our family, i.e., one that requires less planning on my part. My oldest was schooled a la TWTM completely with me doing ALL the extensive planning. We switched to TOG and this year found ourselves at MFW.

 

I switched from FLL (teacher intensive) back to Rod & Staff once we added in more children doing grammar.

 

I'm using Teaching Textbooks for Christian and Elizabeth is about to start TT.

 

I'm saving my time and energy for teaching reading and writing and whatever each child specificallly NEEDS.

 

One thing that helps with housework - keep the littles IN the room with you. I know it seems counter-productive but it cuts down on disasters.

 

At this stage in your life you probably mostly need "open and go" school. I'd minimize what you do as your oldest is seven and read, read, read, read to them. If you haven't found the Bluedorn article on the ten things to do by age ten, it's priceless.

 

Oh, and if you don't have a good baby carrier it's time to invest. They are priceless as well.

[freesia]

 

I have found that I have switched from using my "ideal" curriculum or "the best" option to the one that works best for our family, i.e., one that requires less planning on my part. My oldest was schooled a la TWTM completely with me doing ALL the extensive planning. We switched to TOG and this year found ourselves at MFW.

 

I switched from FLL (teacher intensive) back to Rod & Staff once we added in more children doing grammar.

 

I'm using Teaching Textbooks for Christian and Elizabeth is about to start TT.

 

I'm saving my time and energy for teaching reading and writing and whatever each child specificallly NEEDS.

 

One thing that helps with housework - keep the littles IN the room with you. I know it seems counter-productive but it cuts down on disasters.

 

At this stage in your life you probably mostly need "open and go" school. I'd minimize what you do as your oldest is seven and read, read, read, read to them. If you haven't found the Bluedorn article on the ten things to do by age ten, it's priceless.

 

Oh, and if you don't have a good baby carrier it's time to invest. They are priceless as well.

This is great advice! I, too, have had to set aside MY ideal curriculum at time for ones that will work for us. You know what? They worked, too.:D

 

I try to limit the teacher intensive curriculum (past grade 2) to one subject area that needs the most work. (In our house, this is spelling.)

 

The year I had the fourth I only bought curriculum that had day 1, day 2. I opened my SL IG and did Day 1, opened my NOEO book and did day 1, opened Spelling and did Day 1, opened Horizon's and did the next lesson. That way I could mark where we left off and just keep going.

 

Another think I forgot to mention is to remember to build "mother care" into your schedule. Take the oxygen math approach. Build in time off for yourself, coffee with a friend, free reading. You will be able to handle more with better perspective if you do this.

[shanvan]

If you're able to find any links to helpful articles, I'd really appreciate it! :001_smile:

 

Okay, here are some things I've read, used, or looked at that can help.

 

Motivated Moms looks like it could make household chores manageable without you having to sit down and write out your own list. I have thought about using it and splitting up the daily list each day among myself and my children.

 

http://motivatedmoms.com/

 

Organized Home's Magic Minimum was helpful to me years ago when I first started homeschooling. It helped me define the essentials that needed to be done and give up my idea of a perfect house all the time. Their other articles and household notebook has some good ideas too, though in general, systems like this become a burden to me b/c they are time consuming to set up and have to be constantly changed to suit the changing schedules of our school, extracurriculars, extended family needs, etc. MOTH can be a terribly time consuming project too.

http://organizedhome.com/clean-house/magic-minimum-cleaning-secret-organized-families

 

That's one of the reasons I like the idea of Motivated Moms--I don't have to sit down and spend hours thinking of what needs to be done. Instead I can look at their daily lists and just slightly tweak them. That would leave me free to use my time for school planning, grading papers, gardening, baking with kids and other fun things. I haven't actually tried MM yet, so I don't know for sure if it would work out. I do know that I am tired of sitting down making endless lists.

 

More Hours in My Day by Emilie Barnes was a good do-able guide that helped me de-clutter and organize my entire home in manageable chunks of time.

 

http://www.amazon.com/More-Hours-My-Day-Organize/dp/0736922539

 

Way back when I read 401 Ways to Get Your Kids to Work at Home. http://www.amazon.com/Ways-Your-Kids-Work-Home/dp/0312299931/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1334514657&sr=1-1

 

I didn't really have trouble getting my kids to work, they were willing, but this book did have some good ideas, and my library had it. If I remember correctly it gave some nice lists of what kids at certain ages are capable of accomplishing. I found I was underestimating my kids. I'm not sure I would buy it, but I liked it.

 

Don Aslett's books on cleaning and de-cluttering are also helpful since they often include tips on how to avoid the messes in the first place.

 

I had some other articles I printed from online that helped, but I didn't bookmark them. I'll try to find time to look them up and see if they are still online. I could probably benefit from reading them too!

 

As I re-read this list I'm thinking I need to read these over again and refresh my memory. And I'd love to hear about resources others have used. I am toying with the idea of having a couple of cleaning days once a month or every six weeks as mentioned in an earlier post. My kids actually enjoy spending days cleaning for parties and other events.

 

 

 

 

[KatieJ]

I didn't read all the replies, so forgive me if this is covered.

 

I homeschooled for 11 years and as the kids got into jr. High and Highschool, there was so much more demands on all our time.

 

I would schedule 4 days school weeks with Fridays being a lighter day for school. If there was something that needed to be caught up on then it happened on Friday. Almost always there was Math to be done then.

When school work was done, we cleaned. Everyone cleaned. Everyone had their own jobs and the main part of the house was clean and then we did errands and grocery shopping.

Extra deep cleaning happened summers or breaks. Sometimes I would schedule ina lighter week of school if there was something that needed to be done.

For me laundry was one big day and then maybe a load or two on a different day. It was my rhythm and I started out doing it on MOndays. s we progressed thru homeschooling, Mondays became big ugly days and I decided there was no time for laundry. It became a Wednesday task.

 

Everyone helped straighten up before or afternoon dinner. I did my planning and any correcting that didn't get done during the day, evenings with sunday evening my big planning night. I could often sit with my planner along side whoever was doing Math or science and work on it while they were working out their lessons.

 

Multi tasking became my first name. We did school in the dining room, next to the kitchen, so getting things baked or cooking dinner was not a problem. THe table had to be cleared by supper, so getting school work done was a priority. My school desk was in our front room, separate from teh room with the Tv, so it was quiet in there evenings.

 

:grouphug: It takes thought, and some experience, but you'll get it figured out.

[thefragile7393]

sporadically. I try to clean as messes happen so that cuts down. Try to do mopping and vacuuming once a week. That is pretty much it

[shanvan]

I didn't read all the replies, so forgive me if this is covered.

 

I homeschooled for 11 years and as the kids got into jr. High and Highschool, there was so much more demands on all our time.

 

So true!

 

I would schedule 4 days school weeks with Fridays being a lighter day for school. If there was something that needed to be caught up on then it happened on Friday. Almost always there was Math to be done then.

When school work was done, we cleaned. Everyone cleaned. Everyone had their own jobs and the main part of the house was clean and then we did errands and grocery shopping.

Extra deep cleaning happened summers or breaks. Sometimes I would schedule ina lighter week of school if there was something that needed to be done.

For me laundry was one big day and then maybe a load or two on a different day. It was my rhythm and I started out doing it on MOndays. s we progressed thru homeschooling, Mondays became big ugly days and I decided there was no time for laundry. It became a Wednesday task.

 

Same experience with laundry, but we switched from Mondays to Fris so Dh could help finish it up during the weekend. I'm not a 'throw some in everyday' type. I prefer the 'pile it up and get it over with' approach.

 

Everyone helped straighten up before or afternoon dinner. I did my planning and any correcting that didn't get done during the day, evenings with sunday evening my big planning night. I could often sit with my planner along side whoever was doing Math or science and work on it while they were working out their lessons.

 

Multi tasking became my first name. We did school in the dining room, next to the kitchen, so getting things baked or cooking dinner was not a problem. THe table had to be cleared by supper, so getting school work done was a priority. My school desk was in our front room, separate from teh room with the Tv, so it was quiet in there evenings.

 

:grouphug: It takes thought, and some experience, but you'll get it figured out.

 

Definitely takes a lot of thought and trial and error plus constant tweaking and giving up on the idea that you will completely figure out how to fit it all in---learning to be satisfied with less than perfect.

 

One thing I do sometimes, when I feel like I'm not getting anything done, is to STOP making 'to do' lists. Instead I just look at what needs to be done and work on it as time allows--but I record on paper every. little. thing. I do for the day. I always feel better afterward and realize that I'm getting done most of the important things.

[freesia]

 

One thing I do sometimes, when I feel like I'm not getting anything done, is to STOP making 'to do' lists. Instead I just look at what needs to be done and work on it as time allows--but I record on paper every. little. thing. I do for the day. I always feel better afterward and realize that I'm getting done most of the important things.

 

One way I DO use "to do" lists, though, is to keep a running list of the bigger things (like cleaning the frig, straightening the linen closet, cleaning the laundry area) as they begin to stress me out. I keep this list for our light school/break weeks. Then, if it begins to stress me, I say, "it's on my list." If I have a plan for it to get done, it relaxes me. Same with weekly jobs. If I know that Thurs is mopping day, floor mess is less likely to get to me bc I know it will get done.

[freesia]

That's my problem--while the 3 yo is off entertaining herself quietly and not bothering us, she's also making an enormous mess. And if everyone was nicely put in school/daycare while I had a FT job, I wouldn't have to make lunch, clean up after it, do extra laundry made by children deciding to play in mudholes, have to clean up all the extra dirt tracked in, etc. I also like the OP mention of viewing people as in my way of meeting my goals instead of people there to love. That's really what it's about, and why we do this, there will be plenty of time to clean one day.

What gets to me is how fast it deteriorates. When dh takes the kids to his Mom's and I get everything clean (and then it STAYS clean), it shocks me how fast (1/2 a day maybe) it gets dirty again. I'm not talking clutter mess, either! My friend who is pregnant with her 9th assures me this is normal.

Edited April 15, 2012 by freesia

[Chris in VA]

What gets to me is how fast it deteriorates. When dh takes the kids to him Mom's and I get everything clean (and then it STAYS clean), it shocks me how fast (1/2 a day maybe) it gets dirty again. I'm not talking clutter mess, either! My friend who is pregnant with her 9th assures me this is normal.

 

Boy, I can relate to that.

I have a friend who loves mowing her lawn; it stays looking nice for nearly a whole week! :lol:

[Tarreymere]

I do school all day, starting at 9 am until Dh gets home. Some days that means we are out on a nature walk or at a playground for 'PE". I do a little basic cleaning, like laundry, dishes, sweeping, stuff like that, during school. I babysit grandkids too, during the day. I get dinner going right before Dh gets home and have all the kids pitch in with a pick-up, and we all spend the evening together relaxing.

 

I do decluttering and scrubbing type cleaning on the weekends. I also plan on the weekends. Meal planning, lesson planning, ect. I do my grocery shopping on the weekend too. I do these things around any family activities we have planned or church stuff.

 

Yeah, I know I'm 'working' seven days a week. But I'm not tired, since I do have my evenings mostly free.

[ALove]

My kids are 7,5,3,2 and baby on the way. With so many little ones I hired mother' helpers two mornings a week (I pay them $10/3hrs) and my husband goes to work two hours later on one other morning. That gives me three mornings to REALLY teach with focus.

I also hired a cleaner (I pay a college girl $36 to clean for three hours).

The last change I made is that I leave for one evening a week from dinner until whenever I want (after bedtime) to have a "planning period", just like "real" teachers get. I go to Panera and plan for the week ahead, then I run any pesky errands that are hard to do with kids.

We grocery shop every other week on Saturday after going to the dollar theater and watching a movie together.

I should mention that my husband taught an extra class this year both semesters so that we could afford the help. We didn't think it would be possible to afford help and the day after we prayed about it he was asked to do this extra work and the pay almost exactly covered the costs.

I feel very taken care of and this year has been fun and only slightly overwhelming! :)

I'm sure you will come up with a solution that works for your family. I completely agree with the folks who see their vocation as a homeschooler as a full-time, or at least part-time, job. It isn't fair to the mother, to the children, to the house, or to the educational process to pretend that we are still SAHMs. It's a very different life-style choice and should be accommodated once chosen.

[myfunnybunch]

It can be overwhelming! I haven't had time to read other responses, so bear with me if I repeat...

 

I don't get it all done. I get most of it done, and I'm happy with that. I let the rest go.

 

We clean on Saturday mornings. With all of us pitching in, it takes about 2 hours to get the house clean from top to bottom.

 

I choose curricula that doesn't require a lot of planning. I do major planning in August, winter break and spring break to plan for the next term, but I do not keep track of which lesson must be done on what day. Instead we have a routine which, if followed, gets everything finished by or before the end of the school year. (Ex: In order to finish ds11's grammar curriculum by the end of the year, allowing for a few sick or off days, he must do four grammar lessons each school week. So I put grammar M-Th on his weekly checklist.)

 

I schedule individual and independent lessons in the mornings. I can often do a task or two while the boys are all working independently.

 

We also do a four-day school week. Fridays are for field trips, longer projects, library visits. Any unfinished lessons get completed on Fridays.

 

The kids do chores. All of those little jobs done in the mornings and evenings add up to quite a bit of clean.

 

I switch laundry from washer to dryer all day long and fold it all in the evenings after the boys go to bed. In the morning they all put away their own laundry.

 

If I need to start dinner earlier in the day, I do simple lessons and correcting in the kitchen.

 

:)

 

Cat

[Rosy]

We take a week off every month. We clean the house on Saturdays (whatever we don't get to during the week). I require a certain amount of chores from my oldest daughter; my younger two do chores when I tell them to, but they usually only take 2-3 hours on their schoolwork so they have more time for it. I only teach for about that long each day, so I have time to do what needs to get done around here in the afternoon or before we start in the morning. We pay our kids per chore rather than giving them an allowance, so they'll work extra hard if they're saving for something (but are still motivated even if they don't have something specific in mind they're trying to earn). We also all work together after school ends at 5 to pick up everything, and DD11's consequence for not finishing her schoolwork by 5 is extra chores done for free. Even with all of that, things never are as clean as I'd like them to be. We keep the public areas moderately under control, but there are still piles around, the kids' rooms always take a little extra effort on the weekends, and my room never gets clean unless DH is out for the evening and I can do it after the kids go to bed.

[Heart_Mom]

Wow! I'm so thankful for all your help and encouragement, ladies! :grouphug:

 

I just read many of your posts to my husband. We're going to put our heads together and try to figure this out. I want homeschooling to be a big priority, but I do want to make sure I'm focussing on people more than my to-do's.

 

We're going to put a big priority on reducing the stuff here. That will help lots. My oldest is very inventive and creative, which is great ... except that he's always making things and I just don't know what to do with it all. He also likes to keep lots of "stuff" to have for parts for these creations. I've got to manage to teach him how to keep his stuff under control without squelching his creativity. If anyone has pointers for me there, I'm all ears! :bigear: It would be much easier to keep up with things if my older children played with normal toys ... but they tend to always be making things! Really neat things, but things nonetheless. And they're almost never nice neat flat drawing that would fit in a file folder.

 

Okay ... I think it's time for bed, as I'm just rambling now! Thanks for listening! :)

 

Edited to add: Thomas Edison (who employed my great-grandfather) once said, "To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk." This sums up my ten year old's modus operandi perfectly!

Edited April 16, 2012 by Heart_Mom

[mom2scouts]

Wait! We're supposed to be cleaning?:tongue_smilie:

[KirstenH]

I don't have any advice about cleaning because I suck at it, but as far as planning and staying organized, I usually spend Saturday night writing out my lesson plans for the week in my physical calendar and putting Post-it note bookmarks in all the books so it's "open and go." I track ongoing things like shopping lists, appointments and to-dos in Cozi. I can't say enough positive things about Cozi. ANYTHING I need to remember, it goes there. It even e-mails and texts me reminders if I ask it to do so, which I do, because I'm ADHD and I really NEED reminders.

[Ecclecticmum]

Um.....if I don't "school" all day,....the children create mass destruction known to destroy the universe. :001_huh:

 

Its a lot easier for me to actually keep them occupied all day with my contained messy crafts, art splattering, painting....then it is for them to create their own versions of "art".

 

I have found keeping the kids bust all week, with provisions for dramatic play resources & activities to keep them occupied on the weekend, allows me to get the stuff done then, elsewise our house is like what it is now (I currently just finished planning, we've had holidays, and since the kids are free to do their own projects 24/7 the house is.....um, not words can describe it...literally. An absolute pig-sty. I was supposed to be getting stuck into it today....but I've come down with the flu, that badly that DH had to take half the day off work :(

 

"Normal" Cleaning (i.e. dusting and cobweb clearing, fridge cleaning) would never get done UNLESS I had a full days school going. I tend to do everything on the weekends.

 

Banking is done after the kids go to bed.

 

Basically I am actually less tired and my brain more able to function if I have done a full days work with the kids, then if I just let them run round willy-nilly.

 

But since its holidays, and my activity shelves are bare...I am stuffed, am not completing anything much in the way of cleaning during the day, and am feeling like death warmed over by the weekend.

 

We're starting school again 21st May, so the next month is dedicated to cleaning (yes, it will take an entire month to get everything cleaned, re-organized, and then I also do a deep cleaning of everything before school begins) and I can't wait, so much LESS cleaning (My kids are REALLY creative, thats the pro, the con, is that much creative-ness literally explodes all over my house.)

 

Little do the kids know, that this year, they are ALL going to be roped in for the next month to do each and every chore. Especially since my back has gotten worse and I can't pick stuff up from the floor. Luckily, they all seem to like chores, as long as I make it a game, or a "please help mummy as shes too weak to do it" thing :D

 

School planning I usually slowly plan for the next year during the current year, this year got a bit beeped up, because my CFS relapsed and I had forgotten where I was upto and had to start all over again.

 

We plan for the entire year, so everything for this year is printed/copied and all set up, I'm actually trying an experiment for this year with buying all the non-perishable supplies needed for the entire year too (I usually buy every 6-8 weeks).

 

A new feature I will be implementing on the first day of school will be a picture chore chart I made. No-reading necessary chart. They have two of them, one for "day" and one "night".

 

They will get up, have their brekky, then do the "Day" charts., then its school time. We clean up before we go to each new subject (art projects put away to dry, worksheets collected etc), and at night-time, once daddies home and dinners cooking, they have chores that last from before to after dinner (from clean up their room, pick up toys, to bath & brush teeth), then after chores are completed, depending on the time etc, they either have some dessert and a little documentary with Daddy, or straight off to bed where Daddy reads them books (they love night-time being daddy time, it also makes sure he spends some quality time with them each day, they love him reading to them and getting to snuggle up :) ) I use "daddy time" to calm down from my day, have a a break, then I either do some banking/planning or spend time with DH, then off to bed I go :).

 

As for the washing....well thats a whole, other story. I think I need one of those commercial industrial sized washing machine & dryers to catch up with that (now theres a dream item...no matter how far behind you may be, one load and your done).

The "original" plan was that I wash the normal clothing,delicates & woollens, and of a weekend DH does the sheets, blankets, "bulkier" items (stuff like thick jackets, his jeans etc). But I haven't been getting around to it :willy_nilly: ) What I need is an "8th" day where everything freezes, time stops and I can just sit there in front of the washing machine with a book, awaiting the stop, and re-filling. It ain't going to happen though. Trouble is, I will fill it, and that will be the end of it, I will forget about it. And by the time I do remember, the dogs have been brought into the laundry room, so I can't put the dryer on :001_huh: I really have to get them an outdoor house (something like a mini version of our house with shutters....if they can see out...they will bark at every blade of grass that moves (hence why we keep them inside of a night LOL) Then I can finally re-vamp my backroom into a laundry room (right now our washing machine is in the teeny tiny bathroom and the bath has become the place to put the dirty clothes as there is no place to put a hamper other than in the bath :001_huh:

[runmiarun]

You mean we are supposed to be cleaning, too?

 

 

:eek: We are? Well that explains the mess in the house.

[Chelli]

Here is our 3 step cleaning process:

 

1. Every night we do the 20-30 minute clean up. I set the timer. Assign each person a room and we spend 20-30 minutes (depending on how messy we've been) putting things back where they go. This has been the biggest game changer in keeping the house clean of anything we do.

 

2. Dishes and one load of laundry is done every day. Spot cleaning in floors or bathrooms as needed.

 

3. All other deeper cleaning is saved for Saturday (dusting, vacuuming, mopping, scrubbing etc.). I tried doing a room a day during the week, but we're just too exhausted from schooling. On Saturday we use the timer again. Set it for an hour and start working. Then take a 30 minute break. Repeat until we get through our list. These are the rooms we clean on a two week rotation: Week One is the living areas (kitchen, dining, living, hallway) and Week Two are the bedrooms (all three bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and laundry room).

 

It works for us. Hopefully you'll come up with something for your family too. It's hard to enjoy school when your house is not clean and orderly.

[mariposa]

I love the ideas here - some were new to me and definitely going to be considered!

 

My kids all have regular chores that they do, which does help a lot once you get the routine down. We have a big list on a whiteboard in their playroom and they check off things when they're done. It's pretty much the same every week, but we can change things as needed and reset it every week.

 

One of the best things for me has been to assign them each an "area" to keep clean. This majorly helps by keeping the clutter down. I also have a toddler who is still in the destructive phase, but it's an easy 5-minute school break for all of us to clean up once he goes down for a nap.

 

My 10yo cleans the kids bathroom, dusts his room, takes out the trash, and waters the plants.

 

My 8yo cleans our guest bath, dusts, folds clothes.

 

my 6yo cleans all the toilets

 

They all vacuum once a week, clean their areas daily, put away their clothes, set the table, and clean up the kitchen every night(with adult supervision).

There's probably more, but that's off the top of my head.

 

I just keep the laundry going during the day and then fold it all at night. Sometimes the kids help, but I'm kinda picky about how my clothes get folded.:001_smile:

 

We do our main housework on Saturday mornings, all together. With everybody working (dh helps too most weeks) it only takes a few hours.

 

Like other people, I do the bulk of my planning over the summer, getting the year basically planned out. Then each week, usually Sunday afternoon/evening, I print up assignment sheets for each kid and do a specific plan for the week.

 

Basically, there's very little spare time - homeschooling IS a full-time job!

Sarah

[lauracolumbus]

Wait! We're supposed to be cleaning?:tongue_smilie:

 

As usual, I'm the last to know everything.

 

Laura

[Heart_Mom]

Here is our 3 step cleaning process:

 

1. Every night we do the 20-30 minute clean up. I set the timer. Assign each person a room and we spend 20-30 minutes (depending on how messy we've been) putting things back where they go. This has been the biggest game changer in keeping the house clean of anything we do.

 

2. Dishes and one load of laundry is done every day. Spot cleaning in floors or bathrooms as needed.

 

3. All other deeper cleaning is saved for Saturday (dusting, vacuuming, mopping, scrubbing etc.). I tried doing a room a day during the week, but we're just too exhausted from schooling. On Saturday we use the timer again. Set it for an hour and start working. Then take a 30 minute break. Repeat until we get through our list. These are the rooms we clean on a two week rotation: Week One is the living areas (kitchen, dining, living, hallway) and Week Two are the bedrooms (all three bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and laundry room).

 

It works for us. Hopefully you'll come up with something for your family too. It's hard to enjoy school when your house is not clean and orderly.

 

Thanks for these tips! I was actually thinking of doing some cleaning on Saturdays on a two week rotation. I'm glad to know it's working for you ... so maybe we can try it out!

 

I agree that it's hard to enjoy school if the house is a mess!

[Heart_Mom]

I love the ideas here - some were new to me and definitely going to be considered!

 

My kids all have regular chores that they do, which does help a lot once you get the routine down. We have a big list on a whiteboard in their playroom and they check off things when they're done. It's pretty much the same every week, but we can change things as needed and reset it every week.

 

One of the best things for me has been to assign them each an "area" to keep clean. This majorly helps by keeping the clutter down. I also have a toddler who is still in the destructive phase, but it's an easy 5-minute school break for all of us to clean up once he goes down for a nap.

 

My 10yo cleans the kids bathroom, dusts his room, takes out the trash, and waters the plants.

 

My 8yo cleans our guest bath, dusts, folds clothes.

 

my 6yo cleans all the toilets

 

They all vacuum once a week, clean their areas daily, put away their clothes, set the table, and clean up the kitchen every night(with adult supervision).

There's probably more, but that's off the top of my head.

 

I just keep the laundry going during the day and then fold it all at night. Sometimes the kids help, but I'm kinda picky about how my clothes get folded.:001_smile:

 

We do our main housework on Saturday mornings, all together. With everybody working (dh helps too most weeks) it only takes a few hours.

 

Like other people, I do the bulk of my planning over the summer, getting the year basically planned out. Then each week, usually Sunday afternoon/evening, I print up assignment sheets for each kid and do a specific plan for the week.

 

Basically, there's very little spare time - homeschooling IS a full-time job!

Sarah

 

You mentioned that all your children vacuum. I'd love to do that, but my 7 year old can't handle our heavy vacuum. Could you tell me what kind of vac you have?

 

Thank you for your help! :)

[vettechmomof2]

You mentioned that all your children vacuum. I'd love to do that, but my 7 year old can't handle our heavy vacuum. Could you tell me what kind of vac you have?

 

Thank you for your help! :)

 

We have the Dyson Drive model. My 7 year old has been able to vacuum for over a year now.

[Heart_Mom]

We have the Dyson Drive model. My 7 year old has been able to vacuum for over a year now.

 

Thanks so much! We're in need of a new vac, and one that both my 10 and 7 year olds could use would certainly be a plus! :)

[fairfarmhand]

I take care of things the same way others do who work 40+ hours a week.

:iagree: yup. except that during those hours I have 4 kids messing up the house.

 

Don't underestimate the value of 5 and 10 minute increments in which you can load/unload dishwashers, declutter rooms, sweep floors etc. I have found that if I take advantage of those moments instead of oh.....checking out the WTM boards :) I can really make some headway.

[mariposa]

You mentioned that all your children vacuum. I'd love to do that, but my 7 year old can't handle our heavy vacuum. Could you tell me what kind of vac you have?

 

Thank you for your help!

 

We have a central vac. system, so I'm afraid that's not going to help you! The great thing about a central vac. is it's basically just a hose, so even my toddler "vacuums" b/c it's so lightweight! The Dyson sounds like a good possibility, though!

Sarah

[Heart_Mom]

:iagree: yup. except that during those hours I have 4 kids messing up the house.

 

Don't underestimate the value of 5 and 10 minute increments in which you can load/unload dishwashers, declutter rooms, sweep floors etc. I have found that if I take advantage of those moments instead of oh.....checking out the WTM boards :) I can really make some headway.

 

I've been thinking about time online. It often does only take 5 or 10 minutes to accomplish some needed household talk. So a quick check of my email might mean I don't have the time later to do something that really needed to be done. Hmmm....

 

Now, on the other hand, since I'm 17 weeks pregnant and tiredness or nausea or headaches just hit me suddenly sometimes ... sometimes I just *have* to sit down and rest for a few minutes. But when I'm feeling energetic, I can't be surfing the web!

[Heart_Mom]

We have a central vac. system, so I'm afraid that's not going to help you! The great thing about a central vac. is it's basically just a hose, so even my toddler "vacuums" b/c it's so lightweight! The Dyson sounds like a good possibility, though!

Sarah

 

A central vac would be nice for that purpose! I did have a Shark Navigator, which is a really light and cordless upright vac. Even my 5 year old loved to use it in the kitchen and everywhere else, but it didn't last very long.

[Forget-Me-Not]

1. I do most of my planning in the summer and do a lot of "pick-up-and-go" curriculum. For example, I use WWE, which is self-contained and doesn't require extra materials. It has 36 weeks, so over the summer I made a schedule of where we should be each week to finish by June and take the summer off.

 

2. I plan a lot of either crockpot meals or easy-assemble meals. And planned leftovers.

 

3. I hire someone to come in and deep-clean twice a month. This helps on a number of fronts. For one, the deep cleaning gets done and I just have to stay on top of it between visits. It also motivates me to keep the house picked up and the clutter down so I'm not rushing around before her visits trying to straighten and clear things out so she can get in and clean.

 

 

4. If the house needs it, we have a clearing up session, usually before or after dinner, where toys, books, etc are cleared out of the main living areas and, if not put away, at least put in the bedrooms/office. The kids are usually required to do a good cleaning of their rooms over the weekends and we encourage them to stay on top of them during the week. STAY ON TOP OF IT is my motto. It takes 5 min to unload a dishwasher and then all of our dirty dishes can be immediately rinsed and put in the dishwasher all day. I often keep a sink of hot soapy water during the day so I can quickly wipe down surfaces. I make a concentrated effort to put things away when I'm done with them and encourage my kids to do the same.

 

5. Spread school out during the day. I used to try to rush the kids to get everything done by noon so we could have the afternoons free, and to an extent that is still my goal because we have a lot of out-of-house activities planned in the afternoons, BUT I've stopped stressing about it. If we have to go out to bowling and then come home and squeeze a writing lesson in while dinner is baking, it's not a big deal. DH will often do a science lesson with the kids after dinner. We listen to SOTW on audiobook in the car while we are en-route to gymnastics or bowling or whatever. If we miss grammar for a few days and then have a day where we don't go anywhere, I'll sit my 3rd grader down and go through 2 or 3 lessons with him.

 

6. My DH is awesome. Seriously. Never complains if the house is a mess, just organizes the kids to get it cleaned up. Never complains if dinner isn't made, just pulls out some leftovers or makes grilled cheese sandwiches (I do try to avoid this scenario, but it happens sometimes). Never complains if I need to get out. We have an agreement where I get one night a week for 'me' time, but if I take another night to grocery shop or go to a girl's night or if I've had a particularly crazy week and just desperately need another night, he doesn't bat an eye and just sends me off. I seriously could not make this work without him.

Edited April 17, 2012 by LemonPie