This week's Blog Cruise question asks, "How do you find time for everything?".
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! (gasping for air) HoooHeeeeeHaaaaHeeeeeHoooooHaaaaaHaaaaaa! (holding my sides) HeeHeeHee! (wiping tears from my eyes).
I thought about leaving it at that, but that may be a tad discouraging. So here goes nothing.
I am the least qualified to answer this question because I always want to do more than I can possibly ever do and so at times, I do none of it. But I think the root of this question is how do I manage to homeschool, write reviews, lead Bible studies, make dinner, keep my house from being condemned, etc.
Coffee. Lots and lots of coffee.
Seriously though, although still searching for the answer myself, I think the secret is in prioritizing your life, making school a natural part of your day, and relaxing just a bit. Everything can not get done. If my kids are in my house all day, it will not stay clean. I don't have the time while they are at school to clean, so guess what? My house may look more lived in than others. That's 'cause we live there. And even though this frequently drives me batty, I would rather spend my days with my kids than cleaning my house. I hate clutter, and can't think if it gets too cluttered, so I do have a certain "I can think now" standard. We pick up and do our chores before we start school everyday. But I would be an anal housekeeper if I hadn't given up until the kids are grown. For now, if you stop by, don't.
I do a lot more outside the home than I could if my kids were at school all day. Because I spend the days with them, I feel no guilt when I have my homeschool meetings or writer's group or am hanging in Borders with my husband or out with friends. So homeschooling actually gives me the freedom to participate in other activities. This was tougher when my kids were younger (no in-home babysitters!), but I believe we all have different seasons of our lives. This one's pretty good in that respect.
Honestly, this is a question we can ask ourselves whether we homeschool or not. Life is busy, especially in our culture, and we get it done by deciding what's important to us and then making it happen. Sometimes that means cutting some things out to make room for others, sometimes it means being flexible with our time, sometimes it just means recognizing we can't do it all.
And when all else fails, there's always coffee. Lots and lots of coffee. ;-)
Check out more answers to these questions at the TOS Crew Blog Cruise Hub.
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4 People Had Something to Say:
I do the coffee thing too (I'm a coffee snob and proud of it! :])...as many, many other moms that I know. Why is that? LOL
I like your take on the subject. I too have ready-made babysitters and that gives me some "freedoms" to do the types of activities that you do too.
With my children with me during the day, I can get more done.
You brought up some great points. I, too, feel like homeschooling does free me up in some ways. I get to be with them all day everyday, so if I need to be gone all day on Saturday or out an evening now and then, I don't feel like I'm missing out on something.
I also need to remember that it's okay for my house to look lived in. When we are here 24/7 rather than just a few hours a day, things will look very different.
Thank you for the pick me up! I don't do coffee, but I do get a boost from visiting other blogs. Thanks;)
~Erin
This is one I feel completely unqualified to answer, so I had to just laugh and hope my admitting to not being able to get it all done all the time would in some way help someone else to at least know they are not alone!
Thanks for the comments!:-D
Love the coffee, although I typically drink decaf. I am currently training my future babysitters and sometimes get impatient waiting for them to be a little older.
Now to convince our family members that we don't need House Beautiful....
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