You decided last night before you fell asleep that tomorrow you would turn over a new leaf! The next morning, you jump out of bed and tell yourself it's going to be a great day. You put on your best positive attitude and head to the kitchen for your coffee.
The mess in the kitchen slaps you in the face. It stings, but you know that this is where you'll start and continue to whistle while you prepare the coffee to brew. Once the coffee is poured, you head to your favorite chair, tripping over the toys, determined to have a few quiet moments before the kids get up.
Except. What's this? Where's your chair? Is that it, piled under all of the stuff you tossed off your bed last night? You're tempted to just toss it back onto the bed but then you look around the room and realize that the problem isn't just with the stuff on the chair. Defeated once again, you plop down and cry.
As a homeschooling mother, you're finding it increasingly difficult to keep up with both the schooling and the house cleaning. Let's learn how to change that.
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The Problem isn't Homeschooling
I know you're tempted to think that if your kids were back in school you'd have more time to clean. Yes, you might for awhile, but pretty soon you'd find other things that would get in the way of your house cleaning. So let's drop that thought from the repertoire, okay?
More than likely the problem is either
- expectations for what your house should look like are too high
- your lack of a schedule
- or maybe both
Don't worry, both of them can be dealt with.
Change Your Expectations
Let's face it, when you spend so much of your time in your house, you tend to get frustrated with it very easily.
As homeschooling families, we are in our houses all day long. Therefore, I think we easily fall prey to the idea that we should be able to homeschool and keep them immaculate at the same time.
Add to that social media posts of spotless kitchens and to-die-for living spaces and you're bound to feel less than enthusiastic about your home.
First off, don't let yourself fall victim to the comparison trap. Secondly, find a nice balance of homeschooling and house cleaning that both you and your spouse can live with.
I think it's super important to have your spouse in on this decision. If your husband wants the house to be super clean when he gets home, you might need to work with him to lower his expectations so that you're not under so much stress. Work together to come to an agreement that works for both of you.
This post can help you learn how to prioritize and work together to get everything done.
Get a House Cleaning Schedule
There can be several problems inherent in this:
- Scheduling things doesn't come easy to you
- You don't really know how to clean
- Getting the kids to go along with this
Let's take a look at each one of these.
1. Scheduling
I know that not everyone is good at scheduling/planning/coming up with a system. Coming up with the system isn't that hard, but sticking with it might be the problem.
- Decide what you want to clean and when you want to clean it.
- Figure out who is going to do it.
- Design consequences/rewards to keep you all on track.
I have a bunch of worksheets in my book, "A Plan for Joy in the Home", that help you to put your plan together, so grab that if you need some help in this area.
If you find that your plan isn't working well, determine where the problem is, brainstorm a different approach and then try again. Keep doing this till a plan works for you.
You can also try switching things up on a monthly basis so that everyone learns all of the house cleaning skills.
2. Cleaning
Hmm, but maybe the problem is that you don't know how to clean? Or maybe you don't feel confident enough to teach your children how to do it?
Don't worry, I have a video series that walks you through how to clean the different rooms of your house. I also talk about when to clean them and the materials you'll need to clean them.
If you need help in the "how to" area, these videos will definitely get you started.
3. Training the Kids
Homeschooling and house cleaning are tough to keep up with when you're just thinking about you. Now add in all the other people in your house, who might not be on the same page with you, and it's even harder.
One of the best ideas I've ever heard of is doing a unit study as part of your homeschool on not only how to clean a house but why to clean a house.
It's so important that our children learn about the importance of cleanliness, orderliness and responsibility for the things they have. Taking the time to teach them about this will help ensure they'll help keep things neat and tidy.
Well, okay, so maybe it won't the first time. Maybe this is a unit study that you'll have to repeat every year until it sinks in. And then maybe twice a year once they reach the teenage years.
But really, teaching them the why behind keeping things clean is just as important as teaching them how to clean. A unit study is a fun way to do that. Brainstorm ideas with them on how to accomplish this.
Homeschooling and House Cleaning can Exist Together
Just because you and your kids are in your home all day long making one mess after another, doesn't mean you can't have a tidy home.
It might take some work and some changes in expectations, but it is possible to have a home that makes you feel happy and proud to have people over.
The goal here is to be happy, most of the time, with how your house looks, as well as feel comfortable providing hospitality to others in it.
Both are possible if you plan for it. This plan will help you enjoy your homeschooling journey even more.