Homeschool Is Messy

Posted by Renae | 0 comments

My husband leaves for work early in the morning, but the rest of us are here all day, every day. Before breakfast, toys are dragged into the living room. I sling bowls onto the table and notice the library basket being emptied. The rug is covered with books as I pull out the cereal. Breakfast explodes all over the table and my coffee has disappeared in plain sight.

Balancing messes and lessons is a daily struggle.

Photo Credit: Melissa, A Familiar Path

I used to hide our homeschool stuff. I love libraries, but I didn’t want my house to look like a classroom. My lofty goal was sort of possible in our last home. We had a separate room for desks, bookshelves, and a closet full of craft supplies. It didn’t take me long to give up notions of a hidden schoolish area in our new house.

There is no extra room. Our school stuff is everywhere. After stumbling around the coffee table for a month, I threw it out and dragged in the craft table. We needed the work space for three students and their teacher. The table top is constantly covered with colored pencils, Lego bricks, and paper. Oh, the paper! My six-year-old can’t stop drawing.

It only takes a few things out of place and this home appears a wreck, but this house will not be here for eternity. Only what happens within these walls can be carried into the future. That is the joy set before me. The joy of seeing my children learn and grow.

And to keep my sanity in all this growing and learning, I figured out what gives me a sense of control in the spiraling chaos. I must deal with clutter daily.

Before dinner, everyone picks up. The ream of new artwork is stacked underneath the craft table in the largest basket we own. Toys are toted back to children’s rooms. Books are put back on shelves. Then since the floor can actually be seen, it might get swept or vacuumed. Another busy day tucked away. The house is clean enough until morning.

Do you have a chore that helps bring homeschooling and homemaking into balance? How to you deal with the daily book explosion?

Renae teaches her eleven-year-old son and two little girls at home. She has prepared lesson plans, enjoyed children’s literature, and delighted in discovery with her children for five years. By studying Principle Approach philosophy, she realized what she always suspected: the Bible lies at the heart of all subjects. Find her reflections at Life Nurturing Education.