I get a little bit crazy when my house starts to explode around me. Being a home schooling family, we are home a lot! This means that we are readily available to mess it up all the time! And we do!!! And it makes me crazy! I am the type of person that has trouble functioning in messy surroundings. I need organization.
So how do I beat the house explosion blues?
We have a simple phrase we use: house sweep. This simply means we quickly sweep through the house picking up any items that are out of place. All items are placed in the appropriate bedroom, room or area of the house where the item belongs. We pick up anything that is not where it is supposed to be - even if it belongs to someone else. We don't actually take the time to put everything away during the house sweep; we put them away during our afternoon chore/responsibility time. This is just a quick (five minutes or less) straightening up of the house.
Dad or I can call a house sweep at any time. Whenever we feel things are getting out of control or the toys are starting to trickle down the hallway, the kids know a house sweep is on its way. Sometimes my kids will even see the house getting messy and do a house sweep on their own. Each night, each child is responsible for a house sweep before bed, during their evening responsibilities/chores. This is really just to help me so that I don't have to pick up the house after every one is in bed.
A house sweep is great for any family, home schooling or not, with or with out kids, and at any time. It is a great way to quickly pick up and keep your house neat, tidy and better organized.
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