Cooking, Cleaning and Learning
When there’s homeschooling going on how does one clean the house? It seems practically impossible to do. Some get the mental image of a mom running around the house, trying to explain fractions while scrbbing the shower and trying not to burn the pasta on the stove. That dizzying image is enough to wear any would-be homeschooler out. Luckily it isn’t the case at all.
When Dana pointed out how she gets it all done I found myself saying “yes” so often. Especially to her first principle: delegate! There’s no need to try and do it all yourself. Not only will that lead to a burnt out mommy, it will also teach your children how not to do any of the housework. There is always something that even the youngest can do. My preschooler can fold dishtowels, pair socks, wipe down the table, and pick up his toys. He can even put things away in the dresser if asked to.
I’m a wanna-be at FlyLady. Which means I do just a little bit every day to stay tidy, or tidy enough. I’ll clean about 15 minutes in the morning, another 15 minutes in the afternoon, and finish up whatever needs done after the boys are in bed. I toss in a load of laundry every day while I make breakfast, toss it over to the dryer around lunch, and fold it while we have quite time after eating. usually with little helpers along side me.
You can even homeschool while you’re cooking for some great multitaking. Christine had a post that made me laugh when she shared reading to her kids while making their waffles. Now that’s how you get it all done!
Of course there will always be some who think if you aren’t spending ever moment of the day homeschooling then you aren’t doing it right. But no matter what you choose there will be someone that comes along and tells you you’re making a mistake. Just do what you can when you can do it and assign everything else to one of your kids.
homeschooling, multi-tasking, claning, cooking
September 24th, 2007 at 7:29 am
I agree—I’ve always hated when I read, “I don’t clean b/c I am spending the time with my kids”; the implication being that they are a better mom b/c they ignore everything else but their kids.
However, I realistically have only a tiny bit of time a day to clean, so I have a schedule. Monday is for upstairs vacuuming and dusting, Tuesday is for cleaning the kitchen and downstairs bath, etc. etc. I keep weekends pretty light so that I can catch up on anything I missed. Laundry happens all the time.
This way, I never have to spend a whole day cleaning and my house is always “ok” (although never fully ’spotless’). Oh, and yes, the kids have to help out!
This is getting long; I may have to write a whole post on this one. : )
September 24th, 2007 at 9:02 am
[...] is for the whole family, not just mom and dad. For more on incorporating the family to help, read http://www.momisteaching.com/cooking-cleaning-and-learning/, by Summer Minor. For more on discovering the gifts and talents in your children, see my blog [...]
September 24th, 2007 at 9:28 am
My kids have chores that they do every single day. It is simple, but makes a HUGE difference on our home. I posted about it: http://christinemoers.blogspot.com/2007/08/aaaaaaaand-were-off.html
My kids have also started to help me cook a lot more! Sometimes it slows me down, but many times it is a huge help (even if it’s just stirring!!).
OH, and word to the wise: when you read while making waffles, put the book down when removing hot waffles from the waffle iron. I’m just saying …
September 24th, 2007 at 12:05 pm
[...] 24th, 2007 Summer over at Mom Is Teaching posted about cleaning house. It’s something I’ve been thinking about lately too. The [...]
September 24th, 2007 at 12:37 pm
“Co what you can…” and don’t stress about the rest!
September 24th, 2007 at 3:45 pm
[...] Interesting Blogs Today: Cooking, Cleaning, And Learning Genealogy Pointers Watching The [...]
September 26th, 2007 at 6:27 am
[...] as you’ll read on Mom Is Teaching, parenting requires giving your children progressively more authority. Hopefully, by the time they [...]
September 26th, 2007 at 8:58 am
Thanks for sharing. I have re-done our schedule in our schooling for we can do chores everyday. Thats how I do it.