Well if you looked into the windows of our house and hearts lately....that is what you would see. Our lives have been so much more at peace with changing a few lifestyle changes...yet chaos getting use to the new routines.
Home school is going awesome....boys are loving learning at home and the laid back atmosphere- We usually do an hour or two of school work- then they go outside and play for and hour or two then we do more school for another hour or two and then they play outside and so on....most days we are still doing school up to supper time!
We are all getting much more sleep, I love the fact that I don't have to pull them out of bed and rush to town...just let them sleep until they wake. Many nights it is a GLORIOUS 10 hours!! This makes for growing boys too!!
And the wonderful learning experiences- teaching my 5 year old to read....seeing the wheels spinning and the light bulb moments. I love every minute of it!! Honestly, I do!
We have the MOST wonderful neighbors who are both our parents ages....the boys think the world of them. The boys are "helping" him build a fence- THIS MAN HAS the PATIENCE OF JOB... and I think they all 3 are having a great time making sweet memories. And his wife sends cookies and candy often....WE ALL are loving that!! We are blessed to be living where we are and have good Christian friends for role models for the boys!
When we want to take a nature walk....we walk. When we want to fish.....we fish. When we want to make mud pies....we play in the mud. If the tree looks like a good climbing tree....they climb it....I am to clumsy I may not make it down in one piece. Life is good here in the country!!
We are still in the transition of living in a rent house and preparing to build a house one day....so MOST of my things are in mini storage. I often think...now where is this or that....oh yes...STORAGE! I am an everything has a home and belongs in it's place type of person....and right now we aren't even in a permanent home....so I feel at home yet out of place does that make sense?!?!
So the chaos in my house and brain is overwhelming at times!! I have read many home school moms blogs and post on how to balance their house work/ school work and they all mentioned how flexible life is that you can take an afternoon and have the kids help clean the whole house....I am going to try this one day this week....I will let you know how well it goes!!
Other than that....Life is GREAT!! We all love it and we are all in better spirits and not completely exhausted from running here and there and trying to meet the demands of so many others. Putting what God wants first and God first in our daily lives- school, family and other relationships!
So....if you home school tell me what are some of your secrets to BALANCE in keeping your house work/ school work all complete in one day ;)
Mollie
4 comments:
Everyday is a new balance challenge. I do throw loads of laundry in between shouts from the kids for help. Dishes get done when I need a break. I vacuum often in the evening or before we get started on our work. I often do have the kids do a 10 min quick pick up before lunch or before schoolwork or when I sense they also need a break. Having them take responsiblity for the messes that they make has really helped me out tremendously. It really is a balance .. the kids are most important but having a mess doesn't help me maintain my sanity, so I have to find the balance that works for that day.
Part of that balance in our home is mess-makers being mess-cleaners. Sure, they will not necessarily do it as well as an adult, but they are not there yet. We have basic chores posted for the kids to do daily and then we have assumed daily chores and finally "just because I asked" chores. We keep a loose schedule but basically, it goes like this: housework, schoolwork, play; housework, schoolwork, play - all in little chunks of the day.
The premise of schedule, cause & effect, symbionic cycle, and endurance will form. Everyone will get better at it. Love grows patience.
Part of that balance in our home is mess-makers being mess-cleaners. Sure, they will not necessarily do it as well as an adult, but they are not there yet. We have basic chores posted for the kids to do daily and then we have assumed daily chores and finally "just because I asked" chores. We keep a loose schedule but basically, it goes like this: housework, schoolwork, play; housework, schoolwork, play - all in little chunks of the day.
The premise of schedule, cause & effect, symbionic cycle, and endurance will form. Everyone will get better at it. Love grows patience.
I am really in the beginning stages of homeschooling and parenting. So, I don't think I have arrived at any sort of balance yet. However, I do realize that I can't keep up with the housework all alone. My mother-in-law encourages me to teach the boys to help - that their wives will thank me one day :). So, the oldest two (6 and 4 yrs) have morning chores. It may not be much, but it really does help to have the dishwasher emptied and the breakfast dishes cleared from the table.
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