Some days it feels like there’s never enough time in the day to get everything done, especially if you have kids and are managing your household. Keep your home and family running smoothly with these simple tips from our expert Boys and a Dog homemaking blogger!
Delegate where possible
While having too much on your plate is never good, it’s also not good to have too little. If you try to do everything yourself, you run the risk of running yourself ragged while taking away time that could be spent with family or Boys and a Dog homemaking homeschooling tips for busy folks something else enjoyable. This will cause stress in your life and may actually make you less productive. Instead, seek out help where possible. Hire a babysitter or housekeeper once or twice a month so you can spend quality time with your kids while they’re young.
Maintain a clean home regularly
Instead of trying to keep things tidy for your family on a daily basis, keep up with cleaning regularly so you don’t have to do it all at once. Vacuum every few days, dust more than once a week, wipe down kitchen counters weekly—whatever keeps your home in working order without becoming overwhelming. If you clean too often, you’ll spend more time than necessary (and make yourself crazy). That said, if there are specific areas that need extra attention—such as an area rug that seems to collect every crumb your kids track into their rooms—you can give them extra love now and then.
Take care of important things as soon as they happen
There’s nothing worse than looking back on a day, week, or month and thinking, I could have done so much more if I’d just paid attention. If you make it your goal to handle small matters as soon as they arise, you won’t lose out on opportunities for growth. More importantly, you’ll be able to look back at certain days and weeks with self-confidence that comes from knowing that everything in your control was handled without delay. You may not have time for all tasks every day (or you might choose not to), but start by aiming for 100% completion of one thing each day—you can pick up from there as time goes on.
Have family meetings
Meet regularly with your family to talk about what everyone has accomplished during the week, how everyone is feeling, and how you can help each other achieve greater success in future weeks. Spending time together is important for your physical health as well as your mental health, but finding time for it can be tough when you’re all doing different things. And while it’s natural for kids (and grown-ups) to want autonomy over their own lives, it’s also essential that they feel connected within their family unit; that way, they’ll do better at school and on extracurricular activities. Which means parents need to put aside some of their own wants and needs—but also understand that doing so will have a positive impact on them down the road.
Put your phone down!
It can be really tough sometimes. When you’re feeling burnt out, step back for a few minutes and take a deep breath. Look at your family — they need you! And think about what you’re doing it all for. Remind yourself why you started homeschooling in the first place, so that when it gets hard, you can remember that motivation again. When things are going well, savor those moments as if they were your last — because home education is just plain hard work sometimes! Don’t be afraid to ask for help: Be patient but persistent when trying new methods or curriculum; don’t expect instant results from something you haven’t tried before.
It will be hard sometimes. Just keep going!
When you first start homeschooling, it’s natural to feel concerned. You might have so many questions about how your child will perform academically compared to his peers. However, there are a lot of reasons why homeschooling can be an excellent decision for your family. As they grow older, children learn at different rates. Homeschooling allows you to customize your curriculum according to their needs instead of following strict guidelines. The best thing that you can do is educate yourself about homeschooling and make sure that it’s right for you and your family.
