In part 1 of Balancing Homeschooling Lessons and Chores I wrote about how dealing with an extra messy home (because of the fact we homeschool) can interfere with learning time. I presented some issues I have as well as possible solutions: I have more:
Problem 3: Too many chores. As I wrote down the list, I had to admit I was expecting too much from my 10 and 12-year-old kids. There is just so much a kid can get done in an hour, and I feel that any more than 2 hours a day spent on chores is just way too much, even for me.
Solution 3a: Since I decided the kids have too many chores, it would go to reason that I took on some of the chores myself. That is not going to happen. What I did instead was to dole out defensive chores instead of the offensive chores we have dealing with. For example: Instead of having my daughter clean the kitchen once a day, I have her emptying the dishwasher. This way, everyone can put their dishes in the dishwasher themselves.
Solution 3b: I give them extra credit. If my children go above and beyond the call of duty (after the main chores are done) then they will be richly rewarded. For example, if my daughter wipes down the counters and sweeps the floor, she may find something extra in her allowance.
Problem 4: When children are bogged down with chores, “school work” gets pushed aside. While I have been very sensitive to this, there have still been times, when a child has not completed the number of lessons I wanted and instead spent the day cleaning his or her room.
Solution 4: Put lesson work on the chore list. For example, my daughter’s chore list includes 4 math units, 3 English units, and 1 spelling unit each day. She also has to write me one science/history essay each week and spend an hour on the piano each day. While she is free to do other work that might interest her at the moment, these items are non-negotiable.
The important thing to remember when homeschooling is that you are schooling at home. If you train your children to clean up behind themselves, you will have to dole out fewer chores, thereby freeing up more time to learn.
I hope the lesson I learned today helped you.
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