Being the homeschooling mother of
eight children, people often ask me how we get
everything done and stay on top of school. Well, it’s
easy for me to get sidetracked, overlooking and
forgetting things, so I make lists, writing everything
down. If there is something we do on a regular basis, I
make it into a computerized chart, listing everything
that accompanies it: what we need to take with us,
preparations, where else we need to go, and so on.
We have chore charts, school charts,
after-breakfast clean up chores, afternoon schedules,
dish-washing lists (who does it when) . . . you get the
idea. This frees my mind so I don’t have to think.
I have found that if I have the option to think about
something, chances are that my answer will be negative.
Do I want to do the laundry? "No." Do I want
to make lunch? "No." Thinking through these things one
time and writing it down, frees my mind to think through
and plan the next thing, so I am not constantly
reinventing the wheel. Also, checking items off a "To
Do" list helps me see – and feel – that we really are
accomplishing something.
So, to those who ask, "How do you really do
it?" let me answer by saying "We don’t!" but we sure
try. One way we keep our school on track each day is our
school planning sheet which the children lovingly dubbed
the MomaDay
