After years of using a Chore Board to accomplish our daily chores, our household became too large and our homeschooling too complicated to make that method work the way I wanted it to. Homeschooling was taking more time because my older children were growing up and had more intensive subjects, and homemaking was becoming more difficult because I had lots more littles who were making lots more messes.
Despite the fact that those years were sort of a blur where everyone needed me and no one was truly independent in much of anything, I managed to find a cleaning method that kept the house clean – not always tidy, and never clean all at the same time – but clean, nonetheless. I knew under the toys and paper, the house was truly clean. That was all that mattered during those years.
Here’s the video where I explain this method:
(if you are reading via email, the link to the video is here – https://youtu.be/k3O9lCSZJm0
The basic idea behind this method is that you assign your weekly chores in a rotation throughout the week. Each day gets its own chore instead of trying to get it all done at once. I chose to do the chores before school, but you could do these chores any time of the day that works for you.
In the video I show the Rotation List on a dry erase board, but I explain that since the list does not change daily, it is actually a better idea to type out the list and laminate it. You can get a really good deal on a Scotch Laminator on Amazon:
And, if you would like to order my book, Home Management for the Homeschool Mom, CLICK HERE! You can get it in PDF, Kindle, Audio, and Paperback!
Lea says
Thank you! I am entering this stage with Big’uns and think this will work MUCH better!
Reggie says
This is exactly what I do! I do usually need to vacuum more than once a week, but that’s just because I inherited my mother’s ‘floor Nazi’ gene. She’d actually line us up and check the bottoms of our shoes if she found mud on the floor! Ha!
Sarah D. says
Yes! I started doing this about a year ago, and I love it. I can do as little or as much as I want/have time for, without feeling pressured that it’s not all getting done. We have five kids and homeschool, so I know that some things just have to slide for now. Doing something each day is better than doing nothing!
Irene says
We have a de-clutter day on Wednesdays, conjoined with dusting. There is usually to much accumulation of junk to even dust, lol!
Natalie says
I think this is exactly what I need right now. Homeschool lessons and housework have been in major competition with each other since the new baby joined us.
Jodie says
I just read on your Facebook page that Mercy will not be home for Thanksgiving. Don’t despair.- her time will come. When I was getting weary of NICU, one day I was in our lounge and happened to pick up a small bible and flick through it (I don’t even know why – just a moment of Time Out). The page opened at Galatians 6:9 and I read and felt strength and hope return. You and your whole family are weary of the “work” at hand but when the time is right, the reward will be wonderful. In the meantime, whisper little words of encouragement in little Mercy’s ear from all of us, watching and praying with you.
Enjoy Thanksgiving with your family, laugh lots, hug lots, settle into your own comfy chair and enjoy the splendour of your large family. After all, you know the drill – at one time or another, one child needs more attention that the others. As Mamas, we feel sad and more than a little guilty for the others, but it’s all part of the experience of a large family pulling together, and that’s GOLD.
May God’s strength envelope you and the love of those around the world buoy you. xx