How the heck do I keep the house clean!

**betharoo0** · 05-07-2007, 03:38 PM

What is your guys' schedule? I spent all morning cleaning and I have not done a thing schoolwise with the boys! The only thing ds2 and ds3 did was reader rabbit program on the puter! PLEASE do not tell me to put off til after we are done with school cuz the house would drive me crazy!!
help!

**AmyMCGS** · 05-07-2007, 04:12 PM

I don't homeschool, but the routines of www.flylady.net have really made a huge difference in my home. She advises to do everything by routine, and to tackle things for "just fifteen minutes" at a time-- and it's amazing what you can get done in that time. I used to dread unloading/loading the dishwasher because it seemed like it took forever... turns out that it takes WAY less than fifteen minutes.

All the information is free on her site. She does sell products, but you don't need them to use her methods.

**YankeeMom** · 05-07-2007, 05:11 PM

Why not do it in the evening that way you wake up to a nice clean house?

**pita1213** · 05-07-2007, 05:32 PM

if it's toobusy at night or you're too pooped after a long day, you might try picking a couple of things to do once the kids are in bed. whatever it is that drives you buggy the most. that way at least something is done. can you sneak a couple minutes here or there while the kids work on their lessons? maybe try a 15 minute cleaning boogie where everyone helps pick up in a room for 15 min. gives them a quick break and helps you with cleaning up.

**justpeachy92** · 05-07-2007, 07:09 PM

What works for me is lists, I have a list of what needs to be doneand one of what I want to be done. When I homeschooled Friday was reserved for all errands and any chores that couldn't be completed in under 20 minutes. I also made a schedule for homeschooling that broke up the kids school work with what they could do with out constant supervision for me, so I knew when I time for chores/dinner prep, etc. I also scheduled in one on one time with each child. I also learned that with alot of it I had to decided what was important to me to be perfect, and not stress about all the little dust bunnies under the couch. Not sure of the ages of your kids but if they don't already have....give them some chores to help out. Maybe you could do a unit study on housekeeping.

**Edna_E** · 05-08-2007, 04:34 PM

I like a schedule - both for the schoolwork and for the housework. If you draw up a table of who is doing what when, then you can tell where there is likely to be time to accomplish something on the house - and write it in the schedule as your task. Also, some household tasks are a great teaching opportunity - like floors with tiles: you can count, add, subtract, multiply, and divide while sweeping aor washing!

**Neeley** · 05-08-2007, 04:47 PM

My kids have always done some housework everyday. When they were 3 or 4 they did things like picking up their own toys and making their own beds. By ages 6 or 7 we added things like vacuuming, dusting, sweeping and mopping. Now that they are 14 and 11 they are fully capable of doing every chore in the house, and they do the vast majority of them.

We have recently revised their chore lists and currently....

DD does...
all dishes
all responsibilities related to the large dog
helps her dad with laundry
her bedroom

DS does...
all trash and recycle
all responsibilities related to the two cats, the small dog and the rabbit
sweeps all floors daily
his bedroom

They are jointly responsible for vacuuming and dusting and helping their dad with the yard work and pool work. Dh does all laundry and is great at cleaning the bathrooms. Since together we all can get the house cleaned up pretty fast there is plenty of time for school. If I had to do all of the housework, cooking, teaching etc...I would never get it all done.

**Cricket1** · 05-08-2007, 04:56 PM

I clean the bathrooms on Monday mornings--this includes the floors. None of my bathrooms are huge so I'm able to wash the floors on my hands and knees. That's all I do on Mondays except for the normal pick up things.

My boys (6 & 4) are responsible for making their beds and keeping their room neat. They are also responsible for picking up after themselves. When they're done w/their plates, they empty them and put them in the sink or load them in the dishwasher.

I try to do two loads of laundry per night as well as clean the kitchen counters off at night.

Tuesdays are my floor days. I vacuum and sweep. I only wash the wood floors every so often.

I really try to do as much as possible at night (I know you don't want to hear that), but I find with two little ones, that's when I can get the most done.

**Cricket1** · 05-08-2007, 04:59 PM

I'm sorry--I just realized that you posted this in the homeschool section. I don't homeschool, but my kids are on opposite half day schedules so I always have someone with me! Granted, I am not trying to cover a curriculum with them.

Sorry.

**Cricket1** · 05-08-2007, 05:09 PM

I found this for you. Hope it helps.

http://www.thehealthyhomeschool.com/runningahome.html

**McD** · 05-08-2007, 06:12 PM

I don't homeschool but I have to keep routines.

Meaning Mondays I focus on Laundry, Tuesday I work on organizing my kitchen, etc.

Can you maybe have the boys help you? For example---if you just get done with a math unit, have them help you pick up dirty dishes, but they have to count them or add them as they go.

**Early Bird** · 05-08-2007, 11:47 PM

1. How old are your boys?

2. Make up your mind as to what is a minimum school day. For us, it's math and language arts. Younger children can have short minimums; older children can do some work independently.

3. Figure out what hours will be devoted to the minimal day. For example, I sometimes have DD1 do a (Saxon) DIVE lesson on the computer while DD2 sits at the table with me for a math lesson. So, for one hour invested, both math lessons are done.

4. Also, for us, anytime we leave the house, it costs us a LOT of time. For example, a 30-minute piano lesson costs an hour-and-a-half: get ready time; travel time; travel home; unpack time. So, choose outside activities judiciously.

5. I have found that if we do school for 5 hours a day, we can cover all the bases. (finishing 4th and 6th grade). So, from 8-1, pretty much the kids know that if they're not doing schoolwork with me, they should be doing something like a typing program, piano practice, homework, or reading.

6. My kids have chores. It takes a lot to get those chores done right, but, when they are, life goes much easier.

**betharoo0** · 05-09-2007, 05:05 PM

Thanks once again guys! Iam new to H.S. I know I will eventually get this down. Neely and Early bird thanks a bunch....now if only I can get dh to do laundry...at least I know he will help with it!
I just need to brake it up and give the two older ones more chores,as for the past two days Iam teaching ds2 which is 5yrs old to vacume! This is fun! I had to first calm him down that the vacume wasn't going to suck him up!LOL!
And...... I admit.... I need to stay off the puter!

**Early Bird** · 05-14-2007, 09:45 PM

Also, my life got a lot easier when the kids started doing THEIR OWN laundry. First, we had several years of folding ... or helping fold. But a few weeks ago, we decided that the kids can do their own.

Pure bliss!