Housework and Homeschool: Striking a Balance

Don’t all homeschool families have the perfect mom/wife  (dad/husband) running the ship?

Well, I am here to say not all us moms are the perfect housewife.

My house gets messy, sometimes we buy store bought cookies, and order in pizza!

 There I said it! 

Phew … what a load off my mind!

I find there still seems to be  a few stigmas out there once people discover you homeschool.

Some people  really imagine  a pioneer living type of scene where the mom…that’s me…is dressed in a long cotton skirt,  with long hair, either braided or rolled up into a bun,  who is hanging out the laundry, beating the dust out of the rugs, and has at minimum 2 fresh baked fruit pies cooling on the window sill.

The other thought out there is that I am at home covered in chalk dust with my glasses hanging around my neck on a string after a long day of being teacher to my kids.

Truth is, homeschool families come in all shapes and sizes, we are all different but one thing we have in common is we are all trying to find balance.

My Reality    

• I wear blue jeans.

• Paper can and does take over any flat surface there is in our home.

•  I need 1 night a week where we order in.

•  I don’t do buns in my hair (no offense to those who wear skirts, or buns…but it just isn’t my thing)

• We have a new washer/dryer combo (no hanging out the laundry for me)

• Once my welcome mats get too dirty, where they just can’t be rinsed out any more…I buy new ones

•  I enjoy baking and can even make a pretty decent apple or pecan pie, pastry and all…I just don’t devote a lot of my time to that.

• I rarely use the chalkboard…I sit with the kids by their table they work at so I can help them.

• My youngest still requires me to be a little more hands on.

• Once academics are out of the way,  it’s time for another cup of coffee and a read-a-loud.

• My kids mostly make lunch for themselves, which means I am letting go of the neat and tidy to allow them to learn! *(See Side Note below)

My oldest is just about 12, so I will assist him if preparations require using the stove/sharp knife, but other than that, they all enjoy preparing their own lunch.

By allowing them the freedom to make their own lunch they are  learning the importance of small tasks like…clean as you go, not to mention gaining essential life skills.

*Side Notes About Kids in the Kitchen:

1. When kids help make meals, they also make a mess

2. Through the mess, they learn how to clean up

3. The mess usually happens when you are pressed for time

4. You may have to follow behind their clean up to be sure all the jam is wiped up

5. You can’t always get it all done, don’t exhaust yourself

6. Find what needs doing the most, do that and let kids help with the rest

7. Don’t forget to have a cup of coffee (or tea)…and breathe  😉

Make A Priority List

My Must Do’s:

• Clean dishes, counters all wiped clean even if there is still a pile of paper in one corner

• Clean bathrooms

• Tidy entry way

• Clean kitchen table

What I Let Go:

• The pile of mail or papers may not get put away or filed

• Folding laundry (maybe a little too much :/ )

• Outside commitments which may interfere with family time

I do enjoy a clean and organized home, but I am also quite good at recognizing just how far I can go and at what cost.

To push into and beyond exhaustion to have the perfect house will not make me a better mom or wife for my family.

I would rather have energy to have fun with my kids and with our homeschooling.

Time for Me to be Me

At the end of the day I enjoy doing something for myself and it is very important to do so!

Some things I enjoy:

• Read

• Write

• Workout

• Hang out with my husband and watch a movie

• Chat with a friend

To write this post, my “me time”,  I chose to ignore the 2 baskets of laundry.  Fact is the laundry will be there tomorrow, I can fold it while my kids work on some academic type stuff, but my time for me to nourish who I am is not negotiable.

Balance can be somewhat tricky, in fact it requires us to be alert and present in all we do.

“Think of Balance as a moving target, you are always having to adjust your aim and take into account other outside influences.”

What is hard for you to let go of or leave until tomorrow?