Before homeschooling my children ever crossed my
mind, I day dreamed -over the noise of a crying baby and a busy toddler- of one
day enjoying a silent and clean house
after shuffling children out the door and into a traditional school building
for hours a day.
Call it a selfish vision or not, it isn’t reality
for me today. Since I made the very selfless decision to homeschool my girls, I’ve
had to reconsider how to maintain a clean home. I don’t get hours of free time
a day to spend however I choose (and to be honest, I probably wouldn’t even
spend the time cleaning if I did have it) and my guess is you don’t either. So,
let’s look at a few ways we could maintain clean homes while educating our kids
from home.
Create and Keep a Schedule or Routine
It helps to know what needs to get accomplished in
your homeschool each day and it helps to know what areas of your home need
attention each day. If keeping to a schedule would be a help to you, then
develop one or print one out (they are super easy to find online). If you find
sticking to a schedule difficult, then try a routine. Make a check list of
household things to do each day or as often as needed and complete them as you
have the time. Cleaning up as you go is a great routine to develop, especially
in the midst of homeschooling experiments.
Let Little Hands Help
It’s important that our children learn to help
around the house and care for their things. Make a game of it, whistle while
you work and don’t forget to count your cleaning day as class time – Home Economics,
anyone?
Hire Help
If the mess is overwhelming you and your budget
allows, don't feel ashamed to hire help. It could be a professional housekeeper
or the teenager who lives next door. You might want help to watch your little
ones while you clean or to do the cleaning for you, it’s up to you.
Clean Up Your Attitude
Attitude is everything. When you can’t change a
situation, you can change how you view it. You may have to change your idea or
ideal of clean. You may have to sacrifice your dream of a spotless home to
homeschool your children. Just remember it’s a season. Knock the mountain of
laundry off the couch, cuddle up and read a book together and enjoy it.
So, how do you keep a clean house while homeschooling? Has your standard of clean changed since you began homeschooling?
Del Kroemer
Del Kroemer is the
blessed mama of 3 beautiful and busy little girls, the wife of one big hearted
husband and happily homeschooling while working from home as a writer. She is
currently working on a new blog focused on being devoted to seeking God’s truth
and wisdom in homeschooling, homemaking and thriving in this temporary home!Thank you for following The Homeschooling Blog!
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