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Importance of Excellent Cleaning for Homeschooling

For first-time homeschool parents, learning to organize your day and your children’s study space can be a challenge. Even experienced parents who are naturally organized by nature can struggle to keep up with the added load of keeping their children on track while still somehow keeping their spaces tidy and in order. Falling into mess is easy when you’re so busy with everyday life and the addition of managing your children’s school load.

However, the importance of keeping things clean throughout your homeschooling cannot go understated. A clean space has a positive effect on your homeschool experience, making it critical that you find your method of keeping your space organized and tidy. When it comes to organization, it is not just about a one-time clean; it is about finding a spot for everything that makes sense, is easy to store, and is easy to maintain.

Why is it so important to keep your space clean while you’re homeschooling?

homeschooling mom and child

The Effects of Disorganization

Being disorganized or messy can leave you missing and not finishing projects, having piles of “to-do” lists, and can even exasperate stress and depression in extreme cases. It is hard for your brain to feel relaxed and soothed when in a cluttered space and anxiety-inducing. Regardless of your age or your children’s age, having a disorganized home can lead to poor eating habits, increased anxiety, and forgotten assignments that pile up in all of the clutter.

Avoid the negative effects by allocating time to clean on a regularly basis.

Getting Clean

There are many reasons you might find yourself struggling to keep your homeschooling space clean – whether that’s mental health struggles or busy careers, or perhaps you simply don’t know where to start. It’s important to note, however, that an organized and tidy workspace can lead to reduced stress, improved focus, better health habits, and improved sleep when appropriately implemented.

Trying to keep focused on homeschooling when tired or stressed is hard enough; add looking through piles of disorganized subjects and papers, and it’s easy to see why so many people can’t keep up with homeschooling despite their efforts. Keeping a clean space can help you feel more accomplished.

What Tools Do You Need To Keep A Clean Space?

There are plenty of ways to stay clean and organized when you’re homeschooling, but the following are probably some of the easiest to achieve, particularly when you’re busy working, running a household, and trying to keep your sanity in check as well.
Calendar
Although smartphones come equipped with a calendar, we recommend you separate your general life calendar from your academic one when it comes to homeschooling. As such, starting the year out by planning and visualizing your plans on a physical calendar is a good start. It is easy to forget things you can’t see, but if you keep this calendar in a frequented area like the fridge, the desk, or wherever else works for your home, you will  have more chance of keeping up with academic deadlines for the kids.
Assignment Binders
Binders are affordable and effective. You color-code these for certain classes, and you can have different binders for assignments vs lessons. It helps to keep everything organized – and it keeps your children’s documents in one place, rather than flying all over the room. Assignment binders are best used when there is a calendar inside with due dates, and dates that you assigned these assignments within. This system can make it easier to find the assignments you’ve given your child, while also helping them understand what is due, what is coming up, and what other assignments they may need to be working on easily.
Cubbies and Shelves
The benefits of having cubbies and shelves should never be underestimated. It helps you to keep your children’s schoolwork and assignments away from the other everyday papers, crafts and other office supplies (particularly useful if you’re working from home as well). Additionally, if each student has a “school” shelf or cubby they can organize their schoolwork on, it is easier for them to find and replace their schoolwork without creating a mess to be cleaned up again later.

Essential Cleaning

It’s always a challenge having a pristine home on a good day, but when you’re homeschooling, the challenge is even more. It seems as though the moment you sweep the floor, it’s covered in mud again. The moment you wipe down the bench, a drink is spilled. As much as you might be going over the cleaning process again and again, it’s essential that you keep your homeschooling space clean and organized – for both your physical and mental health.

When it comes to cleaning, get the kids involved. At the end of each homeschooling session, have them tidy up their own mess, put their documents away, pick up anything that’s fallen to the floor, and take their plates and cups into the kitchen. They do all of this when they are at school or daycare, so don’t let them get away with not doing it at home!

It’ll make your start the next day much more bearable.