Manic Monday: Lists

If you're a homeschool mom, you know things can get crazy.  I often wonder how our house can get so messy so fast.  And then I remember, it's because we LIVE here.  If we all got up and went our separate ways, the house would stay in whatever state is was in for HOURS.  But that doesn't happen, cause someone is ALWAYS or almost always at our house.

So lists are important, not only for my sanity, but they are also a great tool for kids.  Make a list with your child of things that need to get done (around the house) and have them choose a couple things they want to help with. Then let them mark things off the list.  Great for pre-readers, emergent readers, and full on readers as well.  And it might just help you keep the peace and a shred of your sanity in tact.  Feel free to add very simple tasks to the list, that gives you more things to mark off the list, and helps you mark progress, even if it's small.  Not to mention, the small things are the first to get overlooked when you have lots to do.  NO task is too small for the list!

Kees has a checklist for school as well.  You could make one of these very easily with plain paper and a pencil. But you can also get creative.  Or cheat, like I did.  I got this checklist from Dollar Tree.  It's a notepad, an I fill in the blanks.  But it'll last quite a while since you just need one page per week.

Today, we are getting ready to host guests.  Kees and I started a list last night, and I think I'm adding two things for every one thing I check off!  So I added, drink coffee.  After all, it IS National Coffee Day according to all my nearest and dearest and distant acquaintances on Facebook.

Don't judge. It makes me happy.