Managing that overwhelming to-do list

 

We’ve all been there. Our house is a total disaster. Somehow every kids puzzle has found its way out of their little cardboard box home and are scattered all over the house. The bowling the kids played with 2 days ago is still in the middle of the living room floor just waiting for someone to roll their ankle on. You have mail piles in 6 different places in your house, some has been looked at some not. You haven’t vacuumed in 3 weeks and it looks like it. (Did that dust bunny just laugh at me?) And oh, the piles of laundry and dishes. They are just competing to see which one can get the highest. The more you look around the house the more overwhelmed and frustrated and defeated you feel. Before you have the temptation to light a match and just torch it all I want to tell you what I do to help manage the disaster that is my home sweet home.

It’s so easy for me to feel over whelmed when I feel like my house doesn’t look the way it should. It’s not that I want my house to look HGTV perfect (Although that would be nice). In the season of life that I am in right now I know that is not realistic but I would like some sort of order. It would be nice to have things go back to its “home” after its been used but again sometimes that just doesn’t happen. So how do I catch up on the cleaning?

First is remembering to tell myself no one has it all together. NO ONE! Jesus was the only perfect person to live. The rest of us are just plain ole regular humans whose houses are a disaster.

Second, I make a plan of attack. I am a pen and paper type of gal so, I get the nearest paper and pen and start to brain dump everything I want to get done.  Even if I know I can’t accomplish it that day or that week I still write it down. Anything and everything goes onto the list. Sometimes ,I’ve literally just wrote down the name of every room in my house because its just that bad.

From there I do one of two things. I either just go at it and start doing things on the list and start crossing things off one by one so I can feel accomplished or I get out my planner. I will look at my to do list and start writing down what day I want to do which item. Breaking it down this way makes it feel more manageable. I can look at my planner and say “Okay, after school today I need to detail clean my bathroom, do a load of laundry and start reorganizing the toys. Okay! I can do that!” (By the way, am I the only one who is constantly reorganizing the toys? Ugh!)

Another way I get my to-do list accomplished is speed cleaning. Speed cleaning is fun and a great cardio work out. (Okay maybe just for me. I love to organize and my cardio is awful right now.) Occasionally my husband will take the kids out to get ice cream or run an errand just so he has Daddy time with them. It’s a win win for everyone. They get to spend some time together; I get to clean the house (in silence might I add) and they come home to a cleaner house. We are all genuinely happier after the Daddy outings. Usually they aren’t gone for more than an hour, hence the speed cleaning. For me it’s a fun challenge of how much can I get done in the time they are gone. Maybe I’m crazy but I love the challenge! And I usually get A LOT done.

I understand not everyone has a husband or has family nearby or can afford a sitter who can take the kids out. I get it. There is one last option I do to catch up on the mess. It’s my least favorite and one that I rarely do. Staying up late or getting up early. I am not a night person, nor am I a morning person. I love sleep! I need my full 8 hours of sleep if not more. (No I don’t get 8 hours or more in case you are wondering. Coffee and tea are my best friends) There are times, however, when everyone else is asleep I creep around the house cleaning as much as I can without wakeing any one.

Life happens! Everyone knows it. No matter what season of life you’re in remember you are not alone. No one has it all together. Especially if they have kids their house isn’t perfect. Are you spending time with your family?  Are you making memories? Or are you a working single parent trying to work several jobs just to make ends meet?  Then who cares about the mess today. It’ll be there when you can get to it.  Your kids won’t remember the mess when they are adults and if they do they will know that you were too busy making memories or working your booty off to care about the mess which will teach them what is important when they are parents themselves.

 

 

 

 

How to keep your kids learning even while on a break

Have you experienced Homeschool burn out? Your kids argue over everything you ask them to do. They would rather do ANYTHING else besides school. You feel like you’re going to pull your hair out in frustration. You’re having a hard time finding the happiness that homeschooling usually brings to you and your kids. It’s time for a break! But is it possible to be on a break and still have your kids learning willingly? Absolutely! I’m going to give you just a few ideas to help you do just that.

Tip 1~ Workbooks. Every now and then I may wonder into the dollar store or the dollar section at Target and find workbooks for my kids. I’ve often thought about just homeschooling with just workbooks we love them so much. I keep the workbooks accessible to my kids but I find that they only reach for them on days that we aren’t doing school. I think it’s because they find them to not only be a fun activity but relaxfull learning.

Tip 2~ TV. I know TV time can be looked poorly upon but I believe its fine in moderation. Honestly, If my kids want to watch TV I’m ok with it. I don’t know about your kids but mine tend to like the educational shows so I know that they will learn something – even if they are watching that Magic School Bus episode on digestion for the one billionth time.

Tip 3~ Books. I encourage reading time when we aren’t doing school even on weekends. Honestly, on days when we do school I am awful about making sure we get reading time in so I am grateful for no school days. Those are the days that we actually do read.

Tip 4~ Play. Do you know how much learning happens while playing?  Problem solving, critical thinking, social skills (that is if they are playing with you or a sibling), creativity, coordination, math, Science and so much more.  Play is a natural way to learn that should be encouraged at all ages not just for young kids. For adults, it can be referred to as tinkering sometimes. Do you know a tinkerer? Looking right at you Dad. ;-P

Tip 5~ I pad or tablet. There are so many educational games out there. You can find a game for almost any interest for your kids. My son loves states and countries so the apps that he plays often is Stack the States and Stack the Countries. Search for your kids interests and you may just find and app for it.

We all need breaks from everything that we do and that’s okay. If all your kids want to do on their break is play, just let them. Like I said above, play is still learning. The purpose of a break is to rest the brain and recharge. We all do that differently, including our kids. After a good break, you and your kids will be ready to go again.

Car Trip Reality in 5 Minutes

Old fashioned family road trip. What do you picture? I picture my family and I in the car bonding and make amazing happy wonderful memories to last forever as we travel mile after mile. We play road games like I spy or the alphabet game or find a license plate for as many states as we can. We sing songs together, tell jokes and stories…

And reality just slapped me across the face. Ouch! I am currently listening to the Carmen Sandiago DVD on the 3rd time around because when one child wants to turn it off the other NEEDS to watch it then vice versa. (did you know the Mississippi River runs through 10 States?) Oh, and I now just heard my 3 year old scream she REALLY has to go potty… again… for the 4^th time… with in the last 2 hours. We’ve already stopped for her to go potty each time she has said she needed to go. Seriously, how often does she need to go? Oh and now the other one wants food. Don’t mind me while I through a bag of goldfish into the back like a zookeeper throws food to the lions.

Oh goody! Another rest area. I have literally lost count how many of these things I’ve been to today. Does any else have major anxiety at these things? Who’s lurking in the woods around the building-human or animal. (maybe I’m just paranoid on that one) Oh and don’t get me started on the germs. Now don’t get me wrong many of the rest areas that I have seen have been updated and redesigned since I was a kid however, I still get the heebie geebies just because of the lingering memories I have of the old rest areas of my youth. And let me ask you this. Why does this happen? I see a sign for a rest area ahead. I ask the kids “Does anyone have to go potty?” I get two no’s. I then ask individually. “Connor, do you have to go?” “no” okay great! “Autumn, do you have to go potty?” “No” Now she’s still potty training so I ask again. “Autumn, are you sure you don’t have to go potty?” “No Mommy, I’m good” Fantastic! Finally, a rest stop I don’t have to stop at. Then as I am passing the exit I hear a shrieking voice from the back…I’ll give you one guess as to who’s sweet beautiful voice it is,” I HAVE TO POTTY!!!!!!!” I mean really? Side of the road potty stop it is because I can’t trust a 3 year old who is potty training to hold it. UGH!

Okay, On the road again. And finally Carmen Sandiago has been turned off. And not that I’m not grateful to Carmen. Because of her thievery around the world my kids have learned so much about geography and history I will eternally be thankful but she’s been steeling things for the last 6 hours. I’m kind of tired of it. So, Carmen, Thank you for the lessons today but bye-bye.

Ahhhhh, silence. It’s a wonderful thing. How did I get silence? I pads. Yup, I’m that mom and I just don’t even care what others say. I know it’s totally possible to parent without them but the tool is there and if it helps to alleviate some of my stress, anxiety and frustration why not use it?

10 hours to go!!!