Remembering the parent

For a good part of this morning, the kids and I cleaned. Not what I had planned, but what I really needed. A clean, organized house really gives me peace of mind. And after a weekend of not feeling well and being on the sofa, getting the house in order was great.

J mopped the floor; she likes it, esp. the spraying part while I helped W "see". The places where there is stuff lying around and where things are out of place. I guess kids don't "see" like the adults do. So instead of telling him to do this, pick up this, I brought him over and asked him what he sees, what else do you see. We also talked about doing our best, like checking that the table is indeed wiped clean, chairs pushed in, etc. Vacuuming the house was my "morning exercise" of the day.

I'm also letting the kids to do more of their work independently, meaning I'll be around but not necessarily in the same room with them or sometimes they'll have to skip a part and wait. I found that to be a great time reliever. I'm sure veteran homeschooling mom or even newbies would say of course but that is just starting to occur to me.

We still managed to get most of our school done and had a play date which was great for both the kids and I. Great day in remembering the parents' need. In the end, when the parent's tank is full, we have more to give to our kids.