How to manage household chores while homeschooling

Jessica - posted on 03/11/2010

Thank you everyone! I am a little lonely here homeschooling without support of other women.....still working on finding them....I have 5 kids (7,6,5,3,11,mo) and one on the way in a few months. How fun to see mothers who are homeschooling and love their large family! What else is there, right? My heart is warmed today to know I am not so alone....and I am not crazy to do this homeschooling (I KNOW it is better for them).
Thank you. And good luck with the cleaning. I will try flylady again....I quit because of the crazy amount of emails.....ONE email a day is enough for me....
Blessings, Jessica Gerber

Cindy - posted on 03/04/2010

Use some of these chores to teach life skills to the older ones and let them feel they are part of helping and then when they are experienced more, allow the older ones to teach the younger ones when they get to that age or level. Take one day a week off to just live life during the week and enjoy that time. You can teach sorting laundry as a lesson of patterns, sorting objects and get your work done at the same time. Show your children that even though they have things to do, that so do you and let them in on some of it or redirect them to help you and each other. I know with the ages, it will be a little tight with just one or two able to help, but I have a friend with 6 children also and they have grown to be able to help her out. If they see the work that has to go into things, they will help keep things cleaned behind themselves...Good Luck!

Aletta - posted on 02/25/2010

I have been home schooling for seven years. My boys are 11 and 13 years old. If someone has the answer to that they will make money. We all do our chores as well and the basics are done every day, but the floors and dusting has to wait for Saturdays. I at least manage to get the washing in the machine and hang it up in break time, but the rest have to wait for after school. My boys get merits and they wash the dishes every evening. The breakfast dishes only get done after school. It is a full program and sometimes I get behind, but Ag we catch up again on another day. I have a motto that if my children need me all other things have to wait. It is a choice and those who do not like it have to go.

Melissa - posted on 02/16/2010

I haven't fugured that one out either. My house used to always be clean. Now it's pretty sad (in comparison)!

Christina - posted on 02/16/2010

The fact is, you don't! But what you are providing for your children is going to be worth it. I homeschooled my 8 year old for a year and a half, and found that I personally could not handle 3 kids, nannying for 3 more in the afternoons, providing a good homeschooling experience and also keeping up with the house. BUT, you might find that as your little one gets a bit older, things settle down. The kids don't care if the house is messy! Enlist your husband, and your 9 year old in helping you. That's great preparation for any child. The only thing is knowing that whatever task you give them will most likely not be done as thoroughly as if you had done it yourself. But the rewards are great. I would go through a lesson, then give my son some practice work and go do a load of laundry. I also found that setting a timer for like 15-20 minutes gives you both a good time frame to say ok, you are going to do this reading until the timer goes off and mom is going to fold this laundry. Let's see if we can both finish before the timer dings! It makes it fun too. Delegate, delegate, delegate!

Charissa - posted on 02/15/2010

BTW, just a couple sites that show the benefits for KIDS of doing chores..

http://successfulfamilychores.com/SFC_Pa...

for the below there are several parts to the article, I think at least 3 :)
http://www.nogreaterjoy.org/articles/gen...

Charissa - posted on 02/15/2010

Just one little thought.....in the Bible it says if you don't work you don't eat, so one thing I have been trying to do is that the kids have to pick up the house before they eat dinner... it works pretty well, because they pick up while I make dinner... then they are motivated to get it done fast so they can eat with us :)

Naomi - posted on 02/14/2010

i will also recommend fly lady, i am a single mother of 4 and im homeschooling 2 of my 4 as the older two are now in high school, i use fly lady and find that it is and was a very easy step to just add her in to our lives,visit www.flylady.com.au and happy cleaning

Lara - posted on 02/11/2010

I am a big fan of flylady.net. It's a great website. You can sign up with the daily digest and it really helps you to start getting your house stuff together with baby steps and in 15 minute increments. I am not an organized person by any stretch of the imagination, but it has totally helped. Everything you need to know, she tells you for free through this website and there is even a flylady facebook page.

I have a few things that I do around here daily. Laundry is at the top of the list. I start a load first thing in the morning. I unload the dishwasher while the kiddos are eating their breakfast. Breakfast is often toast, cereal, pop tart, fruit, yogurt, anything fast. I also have their vitamins ready to go so they take them while eating breakfast. After breakfast, the kiddos get dressed. While they are doing that, I stick the dishes (the kids rinse theirs) in the dishwasher, wipe off the counters, and sweep (I prefer to vacuum my tile). While the kids are in their rooms getting dressed, they make their beds and make sure all their pajamas, etc are either put away or put in the hamper.

Then I have my oldest move the laundry from the washer into the dryer, and scoop the litter box while I get my youngest squared away with some toys, books, etc. By then, I get out our school stuff, and we immediately go over everything that she needs me to help her with. We go from one book to the next, and I give her her assignments. My son is usually pulling on my leg by then to get my attention or wanting something, so she'll start her work. While she's working, I'll sit down with him and we'll do some abc's, numbers, preschool stuff. If she needs me, she comes over and asks what she needs help with. I allow her to have a 10 minute break for every hour. Most days (she is in 4th grade) she's done with the majority of her work by lunch time. My daughter loves sandwiches which makes lunch very easy, and she's now able to make them herself.

After she's done eating, dishes are put in the dishwasher, and she wipes down the table and has 45 minutes after as a break. She's free to go play in her room, read a book, watch an educational movie (Schoolhouse Rock). During this time, I have my lunch and then fold the laundry. The oldest puts her clothes, her brother's, and her towels and bedding away. I take care of the rest. If she still has more to work on, she'll get back to work, and I'll start planning dinner. I have become a huge fan of the pressure cooker, and I don't even mess with a crock pot anymore. I was notorious for forgetting to start it. But with a pressure cooker, I can make a pot roast in about 1-2 hours right on the stove top. I want an electric one that sits on the counter next.

About 30 minutes before my husband gets home, we do a flylady hot spot room rescue. We all do a once over and pick up the living room, make sure everything is where it belongs, and the coffee table and stuff are all picked up.

One of the smartest things I did was I found at the Dollar Tree some $1 versions of the swiffer. I bought 2. I slip on a microfiber cloth that I spray down with an all purpose cleaner and turn the kids loose. They love it, get a chance to run around like banshees and my floors get clean. Plus, they do the bathtubs and shower walls with it. Anything that is tile is fair game, and they spend about 20 minutes tearing through the house. My floors have never looked better. LOL. Now if I could just get my dh to quit tracking all the dirt in the house after he's in the garden. :)

Crystal - posted on 02/10/2010

My children have a chore list. I have them tidy up their rooms, make their beds, take out the trash (which is a rotating chore), feed the animals, sweep/vacuum the floors, dust wood furniture and clean glass before we start work. It's easier for us to do work in a tidy and fresh smelling environment. If the dogs are fed they will leave us to our learning in peace. Then I start on the laundry while they are reading or working on their writing, or math. Usually while they work independently. If there is something that needs to be done, I give them study work, or have them do research online. I can do the laundry, dishes, or fix lunch while they do that. I also do not stress if something doesn't get done right away. There is always this evening when they do their evening chores to do something that just didn't get done.

Marciel - posted on 02/07/2010

Amen to that!! We are in the same boat but only on our 2nd year of home schooling!! Oldest is 11 youngest is 8 months!!! We have yet to master this as well, but chore lists help little:)

Jessica - posted on 02/06/2010

Hi I have six kiddos myself ages 4,4,6,8,10,13. And we have learned that the combo of sharing out "life skills" (chores) one major per child and having other smaller tasks parted out regularily and as needed works for us.
Our schedual
Before b-fast:
6:30
Snack and Story time about 30 m
One Hour to complete the following:
Each child cleans their room except 4yo (they make their bedsand the 6yo, that they share a room with cleans it)
Finish a pg of copy work 6y and up
4yos write 3 words of their choice in their journal
Wash and dress self
Violin/ piano practice
Breakfast served 8-8:30
8:40-9:
B-fast clean up
kids set up for math/outdoor play/art/ one on one tutoring w/mom on a rotation
9-11 kids rotate through art/outside/computer/one on one w/mom time and are expected to finish math
11 snack
11-1 quiet rest/reading/journalling/puzzle time- each child gets time to themselves to work or rest and are expected to complete their journalling and puzzle during those two hrs -Mom catches up on sanity and other obligations
1 lunch
Clean up
afternoon chores then free for catch up or plans
Dinner at 4 or 5
Dad home at 6 and spends 20 min with each child and puts them to bed

We follow this schedule M-Th and the 4yos go to preschool in the morning T-F
On Fridays we go to Spanish, library, violin/piano classes, a lunch potluck w/other home-school families and once a month game day.

My kids also have books to read each week and report back on in a method of their own choosing. The 2 oldest read one science or social studies book, a biography and a classic book per week; the 8 and 6 yo read a chapter book at their level and one science or social studies book per week.

They attend Aikido Dojo twice a week.

Each child has a turn to wipe the table after a meal. The oldest is expected to do a load of laundry each day beginning to finish. The 10 yo does dishes after L and D. The 8yo has sweeping and tidying the living room in the after noon.

Each person is expected to wash the dishes they use after each meal leaving only the shared use items for the 10 yo.

My husband takes care of the chickens and ducks before he leaves in the morning.

All other chores I fill in or ask everyone to pitch in an help on.

I keep up on meals by having 2 crock pot base meals going at all times. Rice and lentils are a great base: they cook quickly, place over a salad or cooked squash with some dressing and you have all your bases covered nutritionally and my kids love it.

Snack is often a slice of cheese, fruit, or nuts.

Breakfast is usually a rotation of waffles, eggs, muffins, hot cereal, and fresh fruit w/cottage cheese or yogurt.

Is our house tidy: no.
Is it safe to play/learn/eat in? Yes.

Saturday is a complete day off of all chores for everyone except for my husband who takes over caring for the children for that day, girls he insisted! The kids can watch tv on that day if they wish.

The house is usually a bit rough Sunday morning, lol, but having a whole day to be an adult in an adult world is magnificent.

Sunday morning we go to Quaker Meeting and the Sunday afternoons and evenings are for family time and Family Meeting.

This is how we handle it and it took us 6 yrs to get to this point and it still seems clunky or difficult at times. At those times I prioritize: love and health before all else, learning comes second and everything else after that.

Best wishes,
Jess

April - posted on 02/03/2010

My husband and I are new to educating our children at home. We started about 1 1/2 years ago. I do get frustrated at times that our home is never completely cleaned but it is impossible when you are living, working, and schooling in it 24/7. Before we started we attended a home-school conference and someone there had mention not worrying about having your home spotless that there would be lessons and projects throughout your home. I try to keep this in mind. Like Tiffany Magee stated, in a earlier post, I am happy to have an least one room clean. That room is the kitchen - I enjoy knowing that at least the kitchen is clean and somewhat organized. There are many good tips from parents that have home schooled for years. I think you have to find what works for your family and go with it.

Kelsy - posted on 01/31/2010

I ended up having to work a housekeeper into our family budget. I just couldn't do it. But i know plenty of moms who do.

Lynn - posted on 01/28/2010

A daily "Blitz" may be helpful. This means everyone pitches in for a very short, quick grabbing of things that need to be put away and run put them away. See what can be done in a room in just 3 to 5 minutes. It can be fun for children in the elementary grades. If they tend to wander off and not make it back while putting things away, just place the things that belong in another room in the doorway that leads in the direction they are headed. Then when everything is tidy in the focus room, take care of the piles you made. I don't have a system yet. Things are always changing here as children grow. Just know that God will provide a way for you to glorify Him in what He has called you to do.

Lisa - posted on 01/28/2010

I only have two, 10 and 12, and my advice is for you to know you may never feel like you've figured it all out! God does a work in us...but it's a work in progress and it's never done until we die. Take heart, and give yourself credit where you are successful. Now, you probably want some specific advice:
~ Tidy house: Set a few basic standards that you want for your kids to manage themselves: Dirty dishes go into the sink/dishwasher. No clothes dropped on the floor so put them in the hamper. Whatever is your hot button (or your husband's), make that your priority and let other things go. I remind my husband that we live in the house, eating, playing, working, studying, using the house all day long. I haven't found yet how to keep it clean 24-7. But floors get done some days, laundry others...

~ Cook breakfast...I don't anymore. Cold breakfast is fine so we can get our day started, and instead I make a hot lunch more often. Find the things your older kids can do themselves: fruit, bagels, cereal, toast, peanut butter or cheese for protein. That will keep them going through the morning. Get a good crock pot recipe book for dinners, and make double portions of whatever you can to freeze and defrost other days.
~ Current on bills: This is the easiest one. Set up automatic bill pay through your bank. I don't allow the company to TAKE my money...I go online to my bank and set a regular payment that I choose. When bills come in, I simply have to make sure the amount hasn't changed. Most don't, so only focus on the ones that change. Call your utility companies and set up balance billing, where they adjust your bill to be the same each month (minor adjustments quarterly). This will keep your budget on track all year and relieve you from the yo-yo of high and low gas bills, for instance.

Finally, congratulations for putting your family first and homeschooling your children! Make sure you have support from fellow homeschoolers for we all have many of the same issue and can lift up each other and give suggestions or just encouragement. Then your husband won't have to hear all the petty stuff, but will be there for the things when you need his input since he isn't tired of hearing every tiny issue.

With God's grace, YOU CAN DO THIS! You may just have to let go of the world's standards and aim to achieve His standards.

Marcia - posted on 01/27/2010

I am glad to hear I am not the only one that has trouble fitting the house work into the schedule. I have found that using a chore chart has been helpful. The house is not perfect, but, it is much better. I have three children 16, 11, and 8...6rabbits, 9 cats, and 4 dogs. (yes, I count the animals too..they take almost as much time as the kids) I have our house broke down in sectors. Each person gets a sector every day. So the whole house gets cleaned everyday. But, the younger the child the less "perfection" I expect. Laundry...ick...There are five people in our house and 2 dogs. My washer will only work on small load capacity...it runs constantly...and once a month I take whatever is still not done to the laundry mat to catch up. (hopefully, we will soon have enough money saved for a new larger washer)

Kelli - posted on 01/26/2010

I am a daughter of a mother who had OCD, so I have learned OCD. My trick to save my sanity is remember that I hated being woke up when my mom came home from work because the dishes were not done. But I also utilize the kids. My daughter(8) has chores, which she is paid for, and my son(3) helps where he can with the phrase want to be a big helper. Big helper stopped working with my daughter at 6 then we got wise and bribed her. I admit I am not above bribery. We stress putting things away right away when you are done and have the kids pick up the toys they have not put away before bed. I clean while my kids work on stuff bouncing between rooms and straighten the kitchen before bed. I don't mop or sweep but once a week. If the kids were not so good at helping though and doing their part not to destroy the house then I could never do it. That is not to say that my house is always clean, but I do my best. Lately this has been working for us.

Lori - posted on 01/01/2010

the answer is: lower your expectations of a clean house (really... do you remember how clean your mother's house was, or do you remember what she did with you or how much she loved you?). In addition to that, give the kids chores. While you're fixing breakfast, they are making beds and setting table, after breakfast they help with clean up. Use cooking as another lesson for them (remember home ec? or am I THAT old??? lol) With their help, the house should be up to snuff and school begins. It'll be hard in the beginning, but once they know what is expected of them and that they have no choice, it will become a routine. Hope that helps.

Shannan - posted on 12/07/2009

I have 2 kids i just started homeschooling and believe me it's a challenge.I have them do only 2 subjects a day.I know they should do more but i also have a very hectic schedule & it helps out to limit them as well as myself.If you have them do what you feel is necessary in order for you to complete your tasks then do it.They will have all their subjects complete by the right time and you can also take care of your family without feeling pushed too the limit!That is the best thing about homeschooling.We are blessed to have our children work around our schedule!

Sue - posted on 11/30/2009

At 9, your oldest should certainly be able to help w/ many of the chores, and ea. chore should hold a lesson.
Maybe there are little videos like Magic School Bus for the other kids, to demonstrate some of the things you are trying to teach, while you are getting the bills done, and things that the kids can't help w/. TV is not the root of all evil, when it's used properly and w/ in limitations.
Can the 9 yr. old help some of the other kids along w/ their lessons? She'll be learning by that too.
Are there any other Homeschooling parents in your area that you could trade with? Maybe you don't have to be the one homeschooling your kids every day.
Do you have a crock pot?: Go to Trader Joes, or your local equivalent, get a bag of meat balls, and dump them in w/ a big jar of not too salty sauce, as the bagged meat balls tend to be on the salty side.
Can you get another parent to trade some cleaning for some schooling? Even if there's a parent near-by that doesn't homeschool, what parent would look down their nose at a bit of extra tutoring for their kid?
And how is it that you're beating up on yourself, when you're doing so much for 6 kids?? Pick on someone your own size! Not every chore is important every day. The laundry isn't going anywhere. You could do a half a load, rather than a full one. Don't let the pile get over-whelming, and don't let it dictate to you. Your kids and your own down time are more important.
Are you scheduling in some ME time into every day, or at least a few hrs. into ea. week? After you've taken a couple hrs. of that ME time, you'll find that things are going to look much more hopeful, and much less over-whelming.

Michelle - posted on 11/25/2009

I made a 2 hr lesson is life skills a part of our daily school day. I split is up into 4 half hour segments and my house looks lived in but clean. One of us gather and sort laundry and starts a load while another cooks breakfast and the third pulls the books for the day from the schools amoire we set up for school stuff. We eat while the clothes wash. After we eat one washes dishes while another switches clothes over from washer to basket and starts another load. The boys then sit down to begin their lesson. Once they know what to do and can work independantly for a few minutes I go hang the first load on the clothes line to dry. If they are doing okay I will sweep the floors in the living room and kitchen. After they have work on their lessons for and hour they stop and take a break. We then switch loads in the washer again and hang out a load bring the first one in and fold it while someone else cleans the bathroom. Then it is back to school work for an hour At the next break we make beds and do a general pick up of the common areas We eat a snack and do some more laundry. And so on until we have done all their lessons/subjects and the house is relativiely clean.

Corri - posted on 11/17/2009

I have two, soon to be three kids. (Oldest will be five in two weeks, current youngest is 14 months, due in Feb) Needless to say, I have a hectic life with little to no energy these days, and I personally cannot make my kids do more then clean up their own messes and "help" with other chores due to their ages. I have found that what keeps my house clean is setting a timer for 15 minutes, and going through a room cleaning until the timer goes off. I am not allowed to leave the room until the timer is off, so anything that goes in a different room goes into a pile to be put away where it belongs when the timer goes off. This usually takes a total of 20 minutes as I usually have several things to put away. I do this two times a day. Beyond that I do my dishes daily after I put my kids to bed. My kitchen floor only gets swept after I do the dishes and mopped once a week, and my house is never perfect, but I have found this helps drastically with clutter reduction and keeping things in decent order. I do not allow toys in my children's bedrooms, and they know to put their dirty clothes in the hamper (although my daughter still helps her brother as he often "misses"), so their rooms stay pretty clean. Our playroom is my daughter's one big responsibility, and lately I have been having her help her brother clean up the corner of our living room where his toys live. On top of all this, I try to do at least one load of laundry every other day, and usually about three on Sundays, which is our day we are always home and not doing school. One other BIG thing I have learned that has helped me so much-if you cannot find a place to put it, you do not need it. This reduces clutter significantly, and has actually made my room a semi-clean place again! Hope this helps a little. :)

Anna - posted on 10/29/2009

Fly lady says a load a day keeps Mt. Washmore away....for a bigger family its more like 4 loads a day....

Erica - posted on 10/28/2009

Oh I know how you feel. It may not work for you but here is what I (try) to do. We are usually done with school around 2pm. My kids are young (11 months, 2, 5, 6) but I have them help clean the house in the evenings. So when we get up in the morning the house is all clean. As far as I'm concerned breakfast, lunch, and cleaning are part of school and I have them do as much as they can. Biggest thing I've learned so far....who cares if the house isn't spotless! I am a HUGE neat freak so I know how hard it can be. As long as no one can see my laundry mountain, I'm good, I just catch up on it when watching the biggest loser or lost =)

Now, if only I could find time to work out...... I'm way to lazy to get up before the kids.

Jill - posted on 10/15/2009

My house is a complete wreck no matter what I do. I also work full time so my plate is really full! I just try to keep it livable but it is rarely CLEAN:)

Michelle - posted on 10/14/2009

Oh, I am so glad that I am not the only one that hasn't figured out how to do this! I have always had a hard time keeping my house organized and adding homeschool this year has compounded the problem :)! Thanks for the little tips and the encouragement. Also, thanks to all of you who asserted that non-perfection is perfectly ok!

Liz - posted on 09/16/2009

Well, I have been home schooling 3 boys since 2002 and truthfully, I have not found balance there either. But, over the years, I have found that when I prepare in advance for certain activities to be done, things run much smoother!



Things I try to do...



1. My husband and I spend Sundays cooking meat items that we will simply reheat during the week with quick side dishes. This helps tremendously when it is time to eat! We keep cooked burgers in the fridge at all times so that my 3 sons who are ages 9, 11, and 14 can easily prepare their own lunch.

2. I personally only pay bills once a month. I stack them all in a pile and on the weekend closest to the 20th of the month, we sit down and write out the checks. I also take advantage of bank drafts and auto payment options for recurring bills like the utility bills, phone bill, cable bill and others...this way I am never late!

3. I try to get my sons involved in household duties as much as possible and I find that with a specific chore list I am more successful at this.

4. I use a purchased curriculum....This saves me a ton of time in that I don't spend most of my day and evening searching for curriculum objectives and trying to find the materials to provide the education to meet them....All my books come nicely packed at the beginning of the school year in a box with all my lesson plans outlined day by day, week by week...and we take one day at a time....Makes me fill more organized and in control too.



Hope these tips help....



Liz



Proud Homeschooling Mother of 3 Sons

Working At Home Since 2001

http://www.Home4Kids.com

Anna - posted on 09/14/2009

Thanks for the encouragement everyone... I know how we all feel...

I've tried flylady.net...trying it again because I need to find a routine that works for me again after being away from it.

( I did pretty well on it...BUT do Know that if you sign up for the emails in the non digest form they really, really pile up if you are like me and listen to the part of you that says you have to read it all before you delete them....I already know what Flylady would say about that......)

Tiffany - posted on 09/04/2009

Ha ha ha! I don't. If I get one room clean, I'm happy. I try to set aside 1 chore for each day, ex: Monday, I wash sheets and towels, Tues, I straighten up upstairs, Wed, downstairs, etc. and if I fall off the schedule, I try not to stress about it. I do try to keep the kitchen clean everyday, but that's about it. If I can afford it, I order groceries online so I don't have to take the time, pack up my kids and go to the grocery store. When they arrive, it just makes me smile! and I only have 2 kids!



We used to have a tax-guy that had 7 kids. He told me that his wife had a plaque that said "trying to clean the house while your raising children is like shoveling the driveway while it's still snowing". I try to keep that in mind. Not to mention, all I remember about being younger myself is my mom cleaning (we had 4 kids in my family) and I don't want my kids memories to be like that. I'd rather spend as much time with them as possible.

Claudine - posted on 08/06/2009

I don't know if this will help, but I have a chore chart up so that my girls know what need to be done. I have three girls 9, 7, and 5 and been homechooling for 3 years now and all have chores to do before and after school. This helps me a lot :)

Timeika - posted on 08/01/2009

Thank you. That is confirmation for me. I've been debating on buying that book. Have you read it? If so how did you like it?

Lucina - posted on 08/01/2009

Read the book Managers of their homes. That is what helped me. It is a book on homeschooling while managing your home.

Paula - posted on 07/30/2009

Oh my Timeika, I still don't know the answer to this and my children are teenagers 18, 14, and 13. Not only do I homeschool my teens I work a full time job (part time out of the home and part time I can do at home). If I ever figure out how to manage the household chores I will let you know, but I think I will figure it out when I have graduated my last from high school in 5 more years. Then I vow to have a spotless home. What I can tell you is my children help out alot, they have to if they didn't we would live in a mess. I have been teaching them to do the laundry and clean the house since they were old enough to walk. There is no way I can do it all myself.

Blossom - posted on 07/27/2009

My advice may not be very helpful (because I havent figured out the answer to your question either!!). My husband wants a house that is very very clean. Our children are 10 and 13 so we do have some help from the kids.

We do seriously cleaning only once a week. The rest of the week we do the basics: wash dishes, pick up after ourselves, etc.

Our house is not very very clean! It is presentable for company if they unexpectedly show up, but there probably is dust on the shelves, or socks on the couch. After all, we do LIVE here ;)

Life is too short to for me to worry about if our house is perfectly clean (to the utter horror of dear hubby!). Enjoy life...forget the unimportant things ;)

Lady - posted on 07/23/2009

Well first, make them do most of the work.. (I only have 4 kids) Then give up....

No really you wont ever have it perfect, but if you have an hour in the morning devoted to cleaning plus breakfast, and another couple clean up times throughout the day, it will be passable and that aught to be good enough.

Kelly - posted on 07/09/2009

I think it will get easier as the kids get older. It is my experience that I can ask more out of a nine yo when there are older ones to keep up with. When the 9 yo is at the top, it requires you to be there, so academics and home-ec can't really be done simultaneously!



You may find housefairy.com helpful. The key to housefairy, though, is keeping Mom motivated to do keep the inspirational stuff up for the kids. With six under ten, you may find that housefairy entails too much busywork from your perspective.



I'm not a very good housekeeper, so I can't really give advice.



I heartily agree with the statement made above:



If you obsess over the house then schoolwork won't get done. There just aren't enough hours in the day. It's hard when you want everything to look nice for hubby and yourself, though.

Melissa - posted on 07/08/2009

I have 2 kids. My house is also very "lived in". I have found that doing a load of laundry daily keeps it from getting too backed up & it isn't so overwhelming that way. I "pick up" the house daily(living room, do the dishes, etc). However, I have divided the rooms up & clean so I do a little each day & don't get so overwhelmed. For example, on Mondays I dust & vaccuum the living room. The room in our house are small so I can clean a room in under an hour. This has helped me feel less overwhelmed.

Nicky - posted on 06/30/2009

oh im so glad . im just starting all this with my 12 yr old .. and ive neve been tidy but im glad your all like me. i do preffer lived in look to my house.

Timeika - posted on 06/10/2009

Thank you so much :) I'm going to start with the chores in the morning before school. I think that might help a lot. It's reassuring to here that other moms are going through the same thing. I feel very encouraged!

Tammy - posted on 06/10/2009

I have 4 kids. We've been homeschooling for about 13 years. I have a very organized chore list and I have them do their chores first thing when they get up- before doing their schoolwork. I'm very disorganized in general, but my chore list and my day planner keep me sane so they are always in order. I divide the absolutely necessary chores among myself and the children and post them on the wall. Everyone knows what they need to do. My house is very "lived in" and basically the minimum is all that ever gets done during the school year. You have to lower your standards to "Are the main areas of the house relatively uncluttered?" and "Is the house generally clean enough that we can safely eat here?". Other than that, I don't even worry about it. The kids' rooms are usually a complete disaster area and there are always books and papers here and there. My floors get done properly ONCE per week with just the periodic sweep up or spot mop during the rest of the week. If you obsess over the house then schoolwork won't get done. There just aren't enough hours in the day.

Timeika - posted on 06/08/2009

Thank you:) I will start thinking of my house as lived in.

Maria - posted on 06/08/2009

hi there!! i still don't know the answer but i would love to find out too!! :)



i have 3 kiddos and we are always running around....my house is NOT the neatest in the world but i like to call it LIVED IN!! :) good luck!!!!

Maria - posted on 06/08/2009

hi there!! i still don't know the answer but i would love to find out too!! :)



i have 3 kiddos and we are always running around....my house is NOT the neatest in the world but i like to call it LIVED IN!! :) good luck!!!!