Don't expect what you don't inspect.

by Hanna
(Denver, Co)

"Inspect - don't expect" is an old adage I have found to be true. How often have our kids told us they cleaned their room only to find their rooms barely passable hours later?

I take a moment between breakfast and our first lesson to tour the bedrooms. Since they know I'll be coming through, the kids are more diligent in picking up.

And, when I start to get too busy to do the inspection, they get to busy to do the cleaning.

My Organization Must Haves

by Courtney
(Morrilton, Arkansas, USA)

I utilize one large bookcase. On top are my art/office supplies bucket, my pencil sharpener, crayons, stapler, hole puncher. The next shelf contains all of my daughter's school books, her music cds and dvds. The next shelf belongs to my other daughter, her books, and dvds, and cds. The shelf after that are my belongings. I have each child's portfolio folders, my manipulatives, guides, etc. On the bottom shelf are what I call my separate items: graduated cylinders, goggles, paint bottles, world map, blow up globe, and other odd and end things.

On my computer desk are the computer, a large plastic cup with pens, pencils, staples, and scissors. In the living room, I utilize a small two shelf bookcase as an end table. On top of it, facing backward, but still within reach, is my printer. I keep printer paper, construction paper, notebooks, and writing tablets there. Across the room from me near the easy chair is a two tier glass end table. Under it, I place the girls' games and a book basket.

If I have overflow, I keep a three drawer plastic Rubbermaid "dresser" in my bedroom beside my other desk. I toss all of my overflow there.

That, fellow homeschoolers, in a nutshell is my organizational set up. It keeps me sane and keeps our family from being all over the place at times.

Before the end of the day

by BeBe
(Atlanta, Georgia)

I found that our house is neater and we all our happier if everyone completes all educational assignments and household chores before any free-time is allowed. So we have a checklist for the end of the school day. In addition to completing their work, they have to have their books in order, their work area and their room clean before they can go outside or call their friends. Since they naturally want to start playing, it has helped the kids to stay on task.