The Autodidact

Nit picking. Literally. Not nagging or carping or finding fault with your kids. But actually picking nits out of their hair. I never expected to find myself in this situation since I have always homeschooled, and my younger kids are never in Sunday School or co-ops or other regular group activities. But, alas, it happened. The 4 year old had a bug in her hair one day after a full day of playing outside in the warm sun. I flicked it out of her hair, and didn't give it another thought. Days later, she said her head itched, so I took a look. Another one of those bugs. And another. And another. Thankfully, a friend was over; a woman who spent years as a school teacher and who recognized immediately what I was dealing with. And thankfully, she was calm and reassuring. So, what follows is a result of research, trial and error, and my approach to the problem. And I must note, the problem spread to me. My 4 yr old is a girl, so shaving her head was not really an ...

So many times I hear moms lament over their messy house and the disorganization and they are overwhelmed by it all. They want to start afresh, turn over a new leaf, but with lots of little kids, trying to homeschool and keep food on the table, it just seems impossible to get a grip! But it's not as overwhelming as you think when you stop and break it down into smaller jobs. And have some chocolate. First, if you are in the middle of the school year, you can slog through the rest of the year and start in the summer. But the lovely thing about homeschooling is that you can take a break whenever you want, include the kids in the project at hand, and then pick up where you left off, with little or no bloodshed. So, where to start? I suggest you start with yourself: your bedroom, and if you have a master bath, your bathroom as well. Leave no drawer, cupboard, closet, under-the-bed space left un-purged. Be brutal. Give it away! Throw it away! Take a week or more to concentrate on m...

Ahh, the week of Thanksgiving. I look forward to the feast we will have this week, as I do every year. While folks are panicking, I am relaxed. Why? Because I do a little bit every day to avoid last minute running around. First things first: there is NO school this week! We all take a break and help prepare for the big meal on Thursday. Secondly, I plan very easy dinners this week, or use leftovers. 1. By the Monday of Thanksgiving week, my shopping is done, so no last minute trips to the grocery store. If I need bread to make my stuffing, this is the day I will bake bread. I make enough so there is enough left over for toast and sandwiches, too. I also make my pie crusts. I do not roll them out, but I flatten them a bit and store them in a stack with parchment paper or plastic wrap in between each crust, then cover with plastic wrap, and put in the fridge. I wipe out my oven thoroughly so we don't have to smell something burning all day while the turkey cooks. I put the frozen...

Lately, I have been reading about moms with young kids who seem to be completely comfortable (if not reveling) in their messiness (theirs as well as their kids'). Some even say that a messy house must mean happy kids. I even recently read an article with tips on how to show love to a mom with young children. It was a nice little essay, filled with things you'd expect. Drop off dinner. Borrow one of her kids for the day. Offer to babysit. Surprise her with a gift just for her. And they were lovely ideas. But nestled in the list was an item that caught my eye. It was unexpected and different. It was something I would never think to do (and never will). It just didn't fit in with the whole idea of hospitality. Since we all know that (according to the author) moms with young children are incapable/too tired/too busy/whatever to keep a reasonably tidy house, invite your friend over and don't clean up (and that's OK). But not only don't clean up, throw some clutte...

A few weeks ago, I read a blog about a woman who took all her kids'  toys  away. It's an interesting essay, and it got me to thinking about all the stuff my kids have. I, too, was tired of telling the kids to clean up their toys several times a day, and it was clearly too big of a job for them. I was tired of seeing messes wherever I went and of stepping on small toys and of wading through them to get to the laundry room. The author didn't mention it, so I am unsure what to think, but she never tells how she got rid of her own stuff before getting rid of her kids' things. How she critically eyed her closet and dresser, her garage and storage and kitchen and then purged; she just mentions that she is trying to keep things to a minimum for the family. I just wished she had gone into detail about simplifying her own stuff first, or referred the reader to a post where she does describe that. In either case, I am not going to judge her motivations for clearing out her kids...

Something I was asked recently was how in the world do I get all the housework and shopping and other housewifely duties done while home educating the kids. How in the world, indeed! I had to think about it, and I gave a rather short answer that may or may not have been helpful. But for the rest of the day, I thought about it, and took note of the things I was doing during the day. How do I get it all done? Well, I don't. In the literal sense, I don't do it all because I make the kids do a lot of house work, and truthfully, I just let the rest go. I used to be called Katie the Cleaning Lady after the character in the Pine Sol ads. I never used Pine Sol, but I used to wield a mighty cleaning rag and vacuum cleaner. Not any more. Now, I'm on survival mode. I keep the kitchen fairly clean and organized, with the kids' help. Bathrooms get cleaned when someone gets grossed out (usually me), or if company is coming, and the sheets on the beds get washed fairly often (alth...

OK, so It's time for me to confess something. I know many people assume this about me, but it's just not true. I do not use coupons. I know, it's crazy, what with all those hungry children to feed, and living on one income, but there it is. Once in a while I look through the coupons that come in the paper, but then I soon remember why I don't use them. Hair products: I have time to wash my hair with really cheap shampoo (no coupon needed) and maybe dry it. Maybe. Personal care products: Who needs pink razors when your husband's is always handy and sharp? Any other product I can buy in a gallon size at the local warehouse club. Except for deodorant and toothpaste, which do not come in a handy gallon size, so I sometimes use coupons for those. Boxed items: Even with a great coupon, you could make it yourself much more cheaply. Plus, most stuff that comes in a box isn't good for you anyway. But I do buy crackers and pretzels- the really dry, boring ones. ...

My house used to be very neat, tidy and clean. Then I started having kids. Around the time I had the third or fourth child, my housekeeping started to slip. In the past, I could clean the house in one day, but I started to settle for cleaning one floor in a day, and then maybe one room. Kids' toys and clothes and drawing materials all over the house. Dishes perpetually in the sink, remains of a snack on the kitchen and dining room tables, because they just couldn't keep the mess contained to one table. The bane of home school moms with a bunch of kids. And, to an extent, it's OK. I teach all my kids how to clean and be neat, but they don't always do it, or do it my way. But they are learning, and I have let go of a lot of my compulsions for neatness, while maintaining a semblance of order. But one room I have never compromised on: our bedroom. Other than brief months with a newborn, or times when I wanted a sick child at my side all night to keep an eye on things, or ...