Thanks for coming back as I Blog Through the Alphabet with A Net in Time and Hopkins Homeschool. This week the letter is J!
J is for Juggling the Chaos
Once you've been homeschooling a few months (or a few weeks) you'll quickly realize that things can get out of hand over night. The house, the kids, the laundry, and the schooling seems to spiral out of control faster than a cheetah chasing its prey. It doesn't seem possible to keep it all together. I know first hand how it can feel like the world is caving in around you. It's really not. I promise.
Don't be fooled by all those moms that seem to be the perfect homeschooling mom.
You know the ones...
they always look great
the kids are always neat and tidy
she does amazing lessons
they go on fantastic field trips
she creates cupcakes that rival the bakers on TV
her house looks like something out of Better Homes and Garden
and on and on and on
You get the picture!
She seems to have it all under control. But I have a little secret....that homeschooling mom that seems picture perfect isn't. I promise. I once knew a homeschooling mom who seemed like superwoman. She fit all the criteria I listed above, but she had a secret. She often hide laundry and dishes around the house when company came. The house looked amazing....clean and tidy, but there were messes hiding under all that picture perfectness!
How do I know this? Well, one day another mom and I were asking how she did it all. Her response...I don't. She showed us her hidden laundry and dishes. The mythical creature of the perfect homeschooling mom vanished right before our eyes.
So now that we know no one can do it all, I'm going to give you some of the ways we try to contain the world around us.
1.
We have set school times (for the most part). We start school no later than 9. Some mornings we start at 8, while other mornings we are starting at 9. We have set break times. The dog helps us with this. When she needs to go out, we take a break. Lunch is at 12!
2.
We have set days for chores. I have laminated sheets on the fridge with our daily cleaning areas. As we accomplish the list, we cross off the chores done. Each day has a different zone. This helps the house stay clean and tidy. At least that is the goal. Do we miss days? Yes, we do. The good thing if we miss a zone one week, it will get cleaned the following week.
3.
We have a designated school room. We try to have the room straightened up and cleaned every Friday after school ends. We also try to keep the mess contained to that one room. Unfortunately on most days it still looks like a bomb went off.
4.
We all chip in and help out. We all do chores! Many hands make for light work.
5.
I've come to accept the mess and chaos. Does it drive me crazy? Yes, some days more than others. But all I have to do is think about the days when the kids will be gone. My house will be clean, organized, and free of clutter. The house will be clean, but it will be no longer be filled with laughter, giggles, fighting, science projects, dolls, and Legos.
So my advice don't worry about the mess and chaos! Learn to juggle the basics. Most importantly enjoy the ride and have fun!
Till Next Time,
Monique
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These are all amazing tips! I like the fact that you don't let the mess get you down too much, even though it can drive you crazy. It's good to be thankful for the gift our children are while we still have them in our lives all day every day, even though every moment may not be rosy!
ReplyDeleteThis is a piece of encouragement to me. I know one of those "perfect" homeschooling mamas today, marveling at how she seems to do it all. I am in awe of her - it's good to know she may not be as perfect as I thought! That said, she definitely hides it better than I!
ReplyDeleteThis also encourages me, if we decide to homeschool someday - to know it's okay to let some things slide, and not worry about being the "perfect" housewife (is there such a thing?) in addition to the "perfect" homeschooler. Thank you for the encouragement, and the practical points to keep in mind!
An inspiring way to look at the beauty of your days together. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThis is so important! When parents and kids stay in the house all day homeschooling, disasters happen quickly. I once heard that you can do two of three things--cook, clean, or homeschool--but you can't accomplish all three in a day. We go for cook and homeschool most days. :)
ReplyDelete"Learn to juggle the basics. Most importantly enjoy the ride and have fun!" this ...this is SO true. Though I have to admit I came expecting a lesson in juggling. :)
ReplyDeleteYes this is so true! With five kids in my house all day long, it's going to get (and usually stay) messy! There's no way around it. I try to remember that "This too shall pass", and I'll miss the constant noise and chaos one day.
ReplyDeleteMy house use to be cleaned when I worked, dinner was ready on time when I worked. You'd think it would be the other way around. I juggle a lot now and love the memories that are precious to me.
ReplyDeleteWe definitely zone clean and try to keep up each day Mon- Fri; and yep, it we miss a day we make sure that gets the following week. I find it helps keep it all under control and not feel so overwhelming. My boys also have designated chores and we try to pick up the clutter every single night... before the house gets messy again the next morning. It is definitely a juggling job!
ReplyDeleteI used to be the one wanting to me like those "perfect" homeschool moms. I learned quickly how easy they can hide their mess. I gave up and now I love sharing my mess! :-)
ReplyDeleteLove this. Life is about juggling, but throw homeschooling into the mix and well...it can create a disaster pretty quickly. Love how you have your children help clean up. I think that's so important...especially as they get older and can be responsible for more things.
ReplyDeleteWith my continuous health issues, I have learned to focus on what's truly important. So, my house may be messy but my son is happy, healthy, and loved. I pour the energy I have into him. The rest can wait. :)
ReplyDelete