freepsgal

Barb's message about accountability and self-discipline got me to
thinking about housework. I've been homeschooling 4+ years and I've
had my phases of feeling like I need to be a clean freak and have
daily chores, ala Flylady.net. I actually enjoyed my Flylady
routines for about 6 weeks and then got bored with them and went
back to the way I was before my organizing/cleaning fad.

Anyway, I see housework and/or chores mentioned in homeschool
circles all the time. It's generally people wondering how they can
do it all... how can they teach their children and manage their
households? Even when I was pulling together schoolwork based on
The Well-Trained Mind, I still had time to do the necessary chores,
i.e. dishes and laundry before they run out, and the occasional keep-
it-at-bay duties such as dusting, vacuuming and bathroom stuff. My
kids and I just do whatever we feel is necessary to get done. For
example, I did a load of laundry this morning because my son didn't
have any clean shorts. But I haven't yet pulled the entire load out
of the dryer. There are many nights I don't cook because I really
hate cooking so we grab something out and bring it in. But I've
known some people who get very uptight about keeping on their chore
schedules, as if putting off dusting another day or two might make
the house spontaneously combust!

So, is this attitude of mine an unschooling thing? The relaxed side
of me that would rather wallow in the clothes on the floor with my
kids than to have them sitting properly at the dining room table
doing schoolwork so I can sweep/mop the kitchen? Gosh, dare I
confess that I've lived in my house for one year and I've only
mopped once?? *LOL* I clean up spills as I see them so my floor
isn't yucky, but I did have a friend who felt the need to wet mop
her floor after every meal. Yikes! :)

Beth M.

Melissa

I don't know that it's entirely unschooling, but I'd say unschooling
is easier if you can relax about housework. I really need to have a
clean house, not only for my own thought processes, but because we
have a baby and a toddler that it would be unsafe if there was a
bunch of little stuff on the floor. It's easier to find the little
stuff when the big stuff isn't there. So we wallow in the laundry
together as we fold it. Or they drive their trucks through it as I
fold it.

I can clean without having the kids sitting at the table. And they
help me clean a lot of the time. I don't stress out about it any, but
it is important to me. The kids know that and respect it. It doesn't
stop them from making a dozen messes, but if i said I was
uncomfortable and asked for ten second tidy, they'd totally jump up
and do it.

and I do mop every day. With nine people in our house, you literally
stick if you don't. Either way isn't good or bad, it's what works for
your family.
Melissa
Mom to Josh (11), Breanna (8), Emily (7), Rachel (6), Sam (4), Dan
(2), and Avari Rose

share our lives at
http://360.yahoo.com/multimomma



On Jun 14, 2006, at 6:52 PM, freepsgal wrote:
>
> So, is this attitude of mine an unschooling thing? The relaxed side
> of me that would rather wallow in the clothes on the floor with my
> kids than to have them sitting properly at the dining room table
> doing schoolwork so I can sweep/mop the kitchen? Gosh, dare I
> confess that I've lived in my house for one year and I've only
> mopped once?? *LOL* I clean up spills as I see them so my floor
> isn't yucky, but I did have a friend who felt the need to wet mop
> her floor after every meal. Yikes! :)
>
> Beth M.
>
>
>



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