The Old Schoolhouse Magazine

www.TheOldSchoolhouse.com
outline for an article” under Mom’s work,
“free play outside” under kid’s recreation,
and “take a bath” under Mom’s personal.
(If it’s important to you, write it down, or
you may never get to it!)

Once again, flexibility is the key. Per-
haps by the end of the day, I might have
done significantly more in the school-
work department, and maybe I didn’t
wind up getting to the grocery store as
a result. However, by making this card
at the start of every day, I found I stayed
in balance. If I could quickly write down
six things I needed to do for schoolwork,
and had no idea of what to even list in the
Mom’s personal slot, I knew I would be
headed for burnout. If I could quickly list
six personal things I wanted to do, and
had zero items listed in the housework
area, I knew I was headed for a messy
house. Even when I didn’t follow the card
exactly, it helped me recognize what was
working and what wasn’t working.
There are other tips for keeping or-
ganized, but you’ve heard most of them
before. My motto was always, “A place
for everything, and everything out of its
place sometimes.” No, the house wasn’t
always perfect, but when it was time
to get it back into order, I knew where
things went. I also always believed that
it was okay to be messy, but not okay to
be filthy. The “housework” section was
always designed to cure the worst messes
first, and I tried hard not to be such a
perfectionist that the family atmosphere
suffered as a result.

Finally, whatever goals you have, whatever plans you make, be sure to keep at least some records so you will remember later what you did. I used to keep a simple composition book by the bedside, and write down a little something every day, and then write a little more at the end of the week. Nowadays, I might use a computer instead. The important thing is that you find something that works for you, and be consistent. At an absolute minimum, keep track of the books that you and the kids are reading. In a pinch, just that list is apt to impress the socks off any educator who is trying to critique your homeschool! 1

Mary Hood, Ph.D., and her husband, Roy, homeschooled their five children since the early 1980s. All have successfully made the transition to adulthood. Mary has a Ph.D. in education and is the director of ARCHERS for the Lord, Inc. (The Association of Relaxed Christian Home Educators). She is the author of The Relaxed Home School, The Joyful Home Schooler, and other books, and is available for speaking engagements. Contact her via her website, www . archersforthelord.org.