I'm participating in Blogger Friend School and the assignment was to write about a struggle you have with the homeschooling lifestyle.  My current struggle is with the clutter monster.  I feel like we are living in survival mode and not getting past "go" on chores.  I can usually keep up with laundry (not putting away but washing/drying), dishes, meals, and school each day but the other things (cleaning bathrooms, sweeping floors, putting away the 'stuff') just doesn't get the attention it needs.

This is a personal struggle and not so much something that my family is overwhelmed by.  I'm just the type of person who likes to have a cleaning schedule and enjoys checking off my accomplishments.  I've been trying to rest  rather than react when it comes to the clutter.  I know this is a season in our lives.  We have three kiddos with the oldest being five.  So, momma is pretty much the "go-to" person on picking stuff up.  Now, I do believe in training my kiddos to help out and they really do but there is still so much that momma has to take care of or oversee (they can't put all the dishes away, they can't reach the clothes in the bottom of the washer, they still don't "get" that sweeping is more than a swipe here and a swipe there). 

My challenge is to give myself as much grace as my dh has bestowed on me.  He is a benevolent man.  I look forward to the days when the kiddos and I can collaborate on chores while actually accomplishing something.  I know this day will come because I'm going to keep investing that time in traning them.  But until then you may find me cleaning my own shower at 8 p.m. while daddy gives baths.  *sigh*  I'm sure that when I reach the phase of having a clean bathroom again I'll realize that there aren't any happy giggles coming from the tub.  I'm sure that when I have clean kitchen counters I'll realize that there is a lack of baby toys scattered around.  We'll get there...but I don't think it will bring me as much joy as this moment does. 

Yes, I get frustrated with the seeming lack of order and cleanliness in our home but I know that my kiddos enjoy the stories read, the crafts made, the math games, and the lunches at the park more than an immaculate house.  I know a lot of people who wonder how homeschool moms "do it all".  We don't.  We don't even come close to doing it all and in certain seasons it feels impossible to attempt to do-it-all.  We have to prioritize like every other mom out there.  I must prayerfully choose everyday what my priority will be for that day.  Then the challenge becomes sticking with those priorities and not getting my focus skewed. 

So, no awesome method to slove the problem or great advice from me.  I'm just a mom who keeps plugging away and choosing joy!  I've heard countless times that the children will grow-up faster than I want them too.  When I get frustrated or overwhelmed I try to remember that truth.  I'm committed to homeschooling and it sometimes needs to be more important than me checking off a cleaning schedule.  I'll never do preschool with Pumpkin again and Pickles only has one Kindergarten year but I know I'll have lots of years left of cleaning.  I do what I can with the time I have and I try to let the rest go.