THE QUESTION IS: How do you divide household duties and needs with your homeschool schedule?Let me tell you up front what SisterT's attitude is about it~I AM A DECORATOR...LOL, not a housekeeper! LOL..oh kay...Not really!
But I prefer NOT to clean but ONLY when the dept of health is ready to bang down my door...no! I'm really, just kidding!
Here's my philosophy: EVERYBODY who lives HERE is just as responsible as I AM! So I really don't do everything and don't feel bad about that, either. There are three adults in this home: me, hub and grandma. NONE OF US are neat-freaks..but mess-makers! Soo it's a real challenge~and my kids? They do pretty good. In fact, all the responsibilities are shared.
There IS a division of labor around here:
Hub~Hub mostly does the outside duties, but he is responsible for all repair/maintenance and picking up his OWN stuff like clothes and counters and dishes...Hub makes the money and is gone some~so we pick up behind him the MOST of this bunch~
Son~Mows grass/shovels snow.. (hub does it too some, but mostly our son!), clears dinner dishes-puts away all foods, cleans his own room, walks the dog(s), cleans the cat box, hauls in groceries...uh...you GET the picture~
Daughter~unloads dishwasher~puts groceries away~puts towels away~cleans her own room/washes windows.
Grandma~Cooks one meal a day usually the dinner meal and preps often for lunches. Laundry.
ME~I have kitchen duty which is cleaning all surfaces and dishes each day~I do this at least twice a day to keep everything ready to go as we generally eat at home. I vacuum, mop, grocery shop and organize~do most of the family buying, deal with most administrative things in the home, also prep and plan~buy for our home such as towels, and consumables....make all appointments, taker over all slack in the house, and now I am a learning coach in stead of the TEACHER I once was~but TRUST ME, I still teach...LOL...this area won't ever end...
OKay you get the idea of our DISTRIBUTION of labor! But if I had to DO IT ALL~my Lord! HOW could I?? I'd never get it all done! In going with the virtual academy this semester, my hsing duties have changed. I am no longer totally responsible for the content and teaching of our schooling~but when I was~I just juggled...as best I could...KEPT MOVING...doing...RUNNING...but today with older kids, life is easier~yes, Mom~having gotten this far does come with benefits~
EVERYBODY has always helped in our house though...this is how I've taught life skills...we ALL worked!
(You can read my post about teaching Life Skills!) Everyone in my house has worked since we ...WE...and so it's been this way~since my kids were old enough which was about 3-4 they've helped and done...Oh NOT the list of things they do now..but things like dusting baseboards and washing walls WITH ME...LOL..it was fun! Soo they thought..then!
BTW~my kids know almost all the jobs...we've had them doing them or doing with us for YEARS~not easy, trust me. Sometimes it seemed like it would have been easier to have done it ALL ourselves. For instance, my daughter once took the trash outside and found herself with the trash bag dripping on the carpet along the way~soooo...she fixed a bucket of hot soapy water to clean it up...Sounds GREAT, right? Did I tell you she used BLEACH?? Well, the carpet was ruined and made it necessary to rip it up...well...well...she DID learn...Another example is the time she organized our laundry room. When she was organizing and putting stuff 'away,' she put the bleach under the hanging bar with MY DRESSES...uh...can you say~spotted dresses??? LOL..so you see, it might be more work, but in the long run, it's soo worth it!
You know, one thing keeps sounding in my thoughts is that I had to let go of the 'perfect' image of homemaker, wife and mother~and allow my family to experience life right along side me. My littles have learned as we went, and I can't think of a better preparation for life~Here's my post again on teaching 'life skills."
This is HOW I'm making it~We ALL DO~
Thanks so much for coming by~How do you do it? Read the TOS Crew on this subject !
3 comments:
I love your "down-to-earth-ness!" (I hope you know what I'm trying to say! LOL) This was a fun post to read.
I have mine helping out too, which is great. When we grocery shop, my Husband and I divide the list (and the kids, too) and we have a "meet-up" spot (usually near the pharmacy).
When we get home, Husband unloads all the groceries and sets them in the kitchen doorway. My boy carries/drags (he's 3!) the bags back to the refrigerator and pantry. The girls and I put away. I do the refrigerator/freezer items and they do the pantry.
I think these "life skills" not only teach them how to do the tasks, but teaches them how to work together as a family.
Yes! I'm also all for the "division of labor" concept. The motto in our house is that we are a team family and everyone has to play their part. My hubby works a whole lot of hours so my son and I mostly take care of the house chores and I do all the admin stuff - bills, appointments, etc. But, it works!
I loved the direct approach to your post. Great work!
I'm just coming through on the Cruise and I'm so glad you wrote this.
God Bless,
Doreen
With a household our size, division of duties is a must and must that everyone participates and a big thing with me, participate with gratitude and not grumbling.
We have our bleach stories too :)
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