Families who homeschool must figure out a system for getting household chores done. Homeschooling usually means a family will be spending more time inside their home than their average public/private schooling counterparts. This often leads to a home looking more lived in and getting dirty or messy more quickly. Homeschooling and chores do not seem to go together, but they must.
Moms often end up with the lion's share of the work - both for homeschool and chores. Obviously, this is a generalization, but it is more often true than not true. Chores can quickly overwhelm a parent in the midst of homeschooling. Laundry piles up, bathrooms are messy, floors need cleaning. Yet when faced with too many things to do, sometimes we have to pick what is most important. For example, if the kitchen floor needs cleaning and Billy needs his math lesson, we often choose to spend the time with Billy and teach the lesson, putting the floor off for now. However, that "now" never seems to come, because something else always needs doing.
A few months of this, and the state of the house could drive you mad! There just does not seem to be enough time for everything - teaching, cooking, grocery shopping, lesson planning, extracurricular activities, and cleaning.
The trick is moderation, as always. Perfection breeds pressure, but chaos does, too. In order to have a more successful homeschool environment, the household must run smoothly, at least to some degree. If chores are just never getting done then it is definitely time to organize. This also helps our children gain important skills and life lessons. Our children and our spouse must be part of this larger plan in order for our home to maintain a pleasant atmosphere.
A good place to start - clean your room. Chances are, your own bedroom is not being used for homeschooling. Take that your and make it your private sanctum. Clean it thouroughly, and then be sure to stay on top of any clutter, mess, or cleaning that needs taking care of. That way, no matter what the rest of your home looks like, no matter how stressful your day has been, you have a place to go that is soothing to your spirit.
Over the next two days we will have more information to help get you and your home in more happy harmony with the homeschooling lifestyle
