Homeschool Order:

Simplify Housekeeping

To maintain homeschool order (and thus a cheerful attitude), housekeeping is important. It makes life more convenient and adds to one's serenity. Most importantly, a homeschooling family can attain an organized home.

Techniques for Housekeeping and Homeschool Order:

First of all, examine priorities and expectations. What is really important? Always refer to your priorities so that distractions don't crowd out the really necessary things. In the long run, homeschooling is more important than a particular housekeeping ideal or "perfection."

For example, while eating well is important, now you may not have time to grow, grind, knead, and bake the wheat into a a luscious loaf that any earth mother would envy. The time may be better spent teaching phonics to your child or supervising his field trip. Cultivating a wholesome head and heart is of infinite value.

Next, simplify your life. This is essential for housekeeping and homeschool order. Cut out the complicated. Buy the whole wheat bread at the store. If you can't think of a reason for keeping an item --"It was my Mom's." "It's a time saver." "It's beautiful."-- then donate or pitch it. (A summer garage sale is fun, educational, and profitable, too.)

Third, enlist everyone's help. You know your child. As soon as he is able, assign him a small chore. Prepare both daily and weekly housekeeping charts with names and detailed duties.

Carefully show each child exactly how his particular job should be done. Be vigilant until it is mastered. Here a little time invested in housekeeping and homeschool order reaps big rewards. Once the youngster masters exactly how you want the work to be done, then you can rely on him. Just spot check. Don't rotate duties too frequently. Try every six months. Changing sooner just means you have to demonstrate again how each chore is to be completed.

Jobs should be completed satisfactorily before playtime. With everyone pitching in, a half an hour a day should make a huge difference. To really clean the house, a Saturday morning should do it.

When daily chores are done depends on you. One mother had to have a somewhat neat house before she could settle down for school. Simple--everyone gets up a half an hour earlier to finish his housework.

Clean as you go and teach your child to do the same. If he's running upstairs, he can take the towels up, too, and put them away.

Others prefer that jobs be done on morning and lunch breaks. This is especially useful with fidgety boys! After school, but before free time, is another option.

Housekeeping and Homeschool Order--Tips for Meal Preparation:

• Use a prepared grocery list. Just check off items as you run out. Then it's completed for the next shopping trip.

• Make a summer project of meal planning. Make eight or so outlines that can be rotated through the months.

  For instance, figure out five entrees per week with five sides and five vegetables. Underneath each write the ingredients you need to buy for it. (Skip salt or other common ingredients always on hand.) Circle the other items on the grocery list. The recipes can be mixed or matched, depending on time or whim. Surprisingly, one plan with five entrees usually last more than a week because you'll have leftovers or order pizza or go out for dinner.

• Use a crock pot. Put the main course on at noon. Fix a salad and cover it with plastic. Ready the other items as much as possible. Then clean up. It's a psychological boost to have a clean kitchen and dinner under control.

Importance of Order

Moms, Maintain Balance in Your Life!

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