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April 7, 2006
The Less-Stress Home
Less-Stress Home
Meal Prep: I have an ‘available meals’ list on the refrigerator. It lists all the meals I am able to make with the ingredients on hand. I just glance at this list (covered in cellophane so I can use a crayon to mark out and erase easily) each morning and I choose what I will prepare that day. When I’ve made that meal, I erase the check that it’s available and write the ingredients on the grocery list that hangs beside it.
Grocery shopping: Of course, this meal list makes for the grocery list to be less stressful too, as I have listed what all I need to make good meals the next week on the grocery list as I used them! When I return from the grocery, I re-check those items on the ‘meal list’ that I purchased ingredients for and there we have it….less stress!
Menu list: It is also less-stressful if you could use an actual ‘menu list’ listing what is for supper all week. This keeps those little ones from asking “what’s for supper?” (that is, if they can read!) You can use it the same way as the ‘available meals’ list only more specific. I don’t do this, as I like to be more flexible with my meal planning.
Bulk items: Buying in bulk is a great way to save money. I will cook chicken breasts and chop them up and freeze them in small bags to be ready in an instant for casseroles or stews. Chop and freeze those vegetables from the clearance produce rack. And of course, make double meals so that you can freeze half for a quick meal later.
House cleaning: I use a list like “Monday, vacuum; Tuesday, dust; Wednesday, sweep/mop; Thursday, bathrooms;” etc. This makes you do a little something each day and you don’t have to spend several hours at once to get your house in shape.
Chores: Don’t forget to make a chore chart for the children to help with daily chores too! They can be a big help even in the smallest task.
Relaxing time: I find that if I sit down for a minute, then someone needs me. Here's where a cat comes in handy. Get a cat! A lap cat! (Providing of course, that you are NOT allergic and that you LIKE cats. We're looking for LESS STRESS here, not MORE STRESS.) Our lap cat will come and lie on my lap as soon as I sit down for a bit. She gets all comfortable. The boys hate to see HER get up, so they don't ask me for help, or to come see this, or to get them that, or whatever when she's made herself a bed on my lap. ahhhh…such a sweet few minutes of time. Here's a picture I took yesterday of us trying to finish up our work for the day:
And a new topic added specifically for Pat
Sick days for parents:
meals: Remember all those great little meals in the freezer? Get them out!
Maybe your children can now practice their cooking skills.
Keep the phone book handy and call the pizza guy.
school: Take the day off! Isn't that one of the blessings of homeschooling?
Have the children sit in bed with you and read to you for a bit.
They can learn 'mothering skills' as they wait on you hand and foot.
youngsters: Hopefully you can call a friend who owes you a babysitting favor.
Older ones can watch the younger ones and maybe 'teach' them today.
I think this just about covers The Less-Stress Homeschool workshop that I did last year (and then some.) I hope you have benefited from some of these suggestions. I’ll close this ‘series’ with this:
Remember, God loves your children even more than you do. You may feel like you will never be up to the task of home schooling, but there is never a second when God isn’t up to it.
~Betsy
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April 7, 2006 - Untitled Comment
Jungle Princess says thanks for the birthday wishes. It will be a small party, so I don't think there will be much stress. There aren't many girls in our circle right now that are her age, so it will just be four.