Homeschool House Cleaning
This post is from contributor, Judy Hoch
I used to often wonder how other moms could “do it all.” I mean, they seemed to have it all together. All the time.
It took me years to realize that no mother truly does it all. After all, we each have slightly different priorities.
For example, while one of my friends keeps an immaculate house, she doesn’t cook much more than hot dogs or boxed mac-n-cheese. Another friend cooks delicious meals every night of the week, but she doesn’t have the time and energy left to worry about deep cleaning her house. And so it goes.
If you are one of those homeschool moms who feels like you are the only one who isn’t “doing it all,” I hope my housekeeping confessions will encourage you to find a workable balance in your life. So here you go:
Housekeeping Confessions of a Homeschool Mom
1. I often let dirty dishes sit in the sink overnight. Only too true. My older children are each assigned to do dishes and basic kitchen cleaning after one meal a day. I try to just ignore the dirty dishes, realizing that someone will be taking care of them immediately after breakfast.
2. I don’t fold any laundry that doesn’t show. Yes, you read that right. Undergarments of any kind are simply piled semi-neatly into the drawers. And since nobody knows, why should I stress over it?
3. I’d never want to eat off my kitchen floor. Within minutes of a thorough cleaning, the kitchen floor seems to begin growing sticky spots and cracker crumbs. I’ve had to accept the fact that, in spite of being swept three times a day, there will be times when the floor is less than shiny clean.
4. I rarely clean behind any appliances. I always have good intentions, but there are so many other things to do in life that cleaning behind appliances is a once-a-year (or so) occurrence.
5. I change sheets less often than I care to admit. With so many beds in our house (everyone seems to want to sleep in one), I find myself falling behind. I just remind myself that at least four of my children are old enough to do their own laundry, and if their sheets desperately need washed, they can handle it.
6. Our bathrooms will never pass the white-glove test. Never. We have five boys. Cleaning them three times a day probably wouldn’t be enough to keep them sparkling. Enough said.
7. The windows–especially the French doors–are usually covered with fingerprints. And let’s face it, I really don’t have time to wash all the windows multiple times a day. So I try not to stress about it. After all, the kiddos will only be little once.
8. I don’t sort laundry. This is particularly horrifying to laundry experts. I do take the time to separate white shirts and tops, as well as other dress clothes, from the rest of the dirty laundry. Other than that, I don’t stress over the fact that the socks aren’t as pristine white as those of the experts. Not a deal-breaker for me.
9. I sometimes find unrecognizable specimens in the frig. I have even occasionally had to pitch a container that was beyond salvaging. And while this is definitely not my goal, I try to remember that it really isn’t the end of the world.
10. I have no idea what all is lost under the couch. I can tell you that the kids tipped up one couch the other day to look for some change. And yes, they found some! I also suspect that you might find odd Legos, stale pieces of cereal, and the like. Since we don’t spend much time under the couch, I can live with that.
It’s all about balance.
In order to balance housekeeping with my other responsibilities as a wife, mom, and homeschooler, I must determine what is reasonable and just plain “good enough.”
Balance is an individual thing–it looks different for every homeschool mom. What works for me will probably not work exactly the same for you. The main thing to remember is that nobody does everything perfectly. It’s up to you to decide your priorities and find a balance that works for you.
Homeschool Mom Cleaning Schedule Ideas and Inspiration
- Cleaning Schedule for Homeschool Families: Lots of ideas here!
- Keeping a Clean House While Homeschooling: Includes a great chore chart idea from Kris at WUHS.
- The Case for Once-a-Month Cleaning at Simple Homeschool.
- The One Day Home Blessing: Focusing on doing the major cleaning chores one day per week by Amy at Raising Arrows.
- Every Room in the House is a Mess: Here is a survival plan from Large Family Logistics on how to get your house together when every room is a mess.
- Taming the Tornado: MANY organizing ideas and helps by my buddy Jenn at Daze of Adventure.
- 31 Baby Steps: Takes you through 31-days to building healthy cleaning habits. FLY Lady also has FLY Lady for Homeschoolers!
- Healthy House-keeping Habits: Hodge Podge offers service opportunities, jurisdictions, tossing laundry, etc.
- Home Management For Homeschool Families
- House Cleaning Strategies for the Homeschool Family from Hip Homeschool Moms
- Cleaning House While Homeschooling from Cake in the Morn
- Kirsty’s Cottage shares more about How to Keep the House Clean While Homeschooling (I love her house pictures!)
What are YOUR Housekeeping Confessions?!
Latest posts by Judy Hoch (see all)
- How to Make a Timeline Notebook in Your Homeschool - August 17, 2018
- When Homeschool Moms Experience Burnout - January 29, 2018
- Homeschooler’s Guide to George Washington - January 9, 2018
- Housekeeping Confessions of a Homeschool Mom (+ Homeschool Cleaning Schedule Ideas!) - September 18, 2015
- 10 Presidents’ Day Activities for Kids - February 12, 2015
Like for so many others, this post is a huge sigh of relief for me—aaaaahhhhhh!!!!!!
We are kindred spirits—so much so that I just Subscribed!!
Thank you so much—and sending lots of prayers of blessing to you and your family. 🙂
Thanks for the encouragement. It is refreshing to know there are other women out there like me.