One of the things I love about home schooling this year is that I finally have enough time with my kids to instill some sort of system for chores. It's something that's always been important to me, but it just seemed somehow seemed easier to do things myself than fight with them to take out the garbage or water the plants while simultaneously trying to get breakfast served or rushing out the door to work at 7 a.m.
Now that I am home with them every day, and school can start 15 minutes later some days if needed, and I can dole out immediate consquences where appropriate (rather than defer things, or let them slide, due to never having enough TIME to parent properly), it's easy to enforce routines!
The boys each have a schedule of chores that they do, taking turns with watering the plants and taking out the garbage, most days without reminders. They also put away their laundry when clean, and sometimes help with getting a load into the machine. Lately, they have begun helping me with grocery shopping and preparing some meals, too, and are enjoying learning about how things work in the kitchen.
I'm definitely finding home schooling and full time parenting to be a busy, often relentless job, but it's also a rewarding one.
Now that I am home with them every day, and school can start 15 minutes later some days if needed, and I can dole out immediate consquences where appropriate (rather than defer things, or let them slide, due to never having enough TIME to parent properly), it's easy to enforce routines!
The boys each have a schedule of chores that they do, taking turns with watering the plants and taking out the garbage, most days without reminders. They also put away their laundry when clean, and sometimes help with getting a load into the machine. Lately, they have begun helping me with grocery shopping and preparing some meals, too, and are enjoying learning about how things work in the kitchen.
I'm definitely finding home schooling and full time parenting to be a busy, often relentless job, but it's also a rewarding one.