Shannon,
When I first read your question about how I structure my day to get everything done, I literally laughed out loud. My first thought was “Who said I get it all done?” I definitely can’t claim to be on top of everything. We also don’t leave home to a playground EVERY day, but if not, we’ll be outside in the yard. After almost 5 years with a home daycare, though, I have learned to streamline things. So here are my thoughts, for what they are worth.
First, if there is no one in the house for most of the day, there is less cleaning to do! Eating outdoors means that the floor doesn’t need to be swept and mopped twice a day. Just shake out the picnic blanket, (and wash it periodically) and it’s done. Children who use porta-potties (and baby wipes and hand sanitizer) at the playground aren’t messing up my bathroom! Floors with no one walking on them don’t need to be vacuumed as often. Toys in the playroom don’t need to be picked up several times a day, and don’t need to be disinfected as often (a requirement of the home daycare). They play with toys outside, of course, but cleaning them up is part of outside time.
Laundry in the summer is easier. Shorts and t-shirts make fewer loads than bulky jeans and long sleeves and sweaters. We also don’t fold shorts and t-shirts. There are more towels to wash, but they just get hung back up or put back into the park bag. Folding is what takes the most time in laundry!
Picnic lunches and BBQ dinners take fewer pots and pans to prepare and often are eaten on paper towels instead of dishes. Prep time seems to be faster as well. Crock pots are nice too, since they don’t heat up the kitchen as much (or can even be used outside if your weather is really hot) and the work is done before all the chaos of the day.
My second tip is that I take things outside whenever possible. Any folding that does need to be done can be done on the porch. School planning, menu planning, making shopping lists, and many other things can be done outside, with a good tote to carry them out there with. I can read blogs or forums on my tablet. Once the toddlers go home, I can leave my older kids outside by themselves and get some work done in the house.
I also have my children help as much as possible. My 7yo and 5yo can both complete a load of laundry, clean a toilet, mop the floor, vacuum, wash the bathroom mirrors and counters, unload the dishwasher (and load with guidance), and many other tasks. They are also great about entertaining or helping the toddlers. This teaches them important skills, but also makes it possible for me to spend more time on other things.
I also have fairly well ingrained evening and morning routines. That’s when we get most things done. If the kitchen is clean before I sit down to relax for the evening, the next day with be so much easier. It takes almost no time in the morning to quickly move the laundry forward a step (wet into the dryer, dry clothes brought upstairs, start a new load), make sure the front room is ready to receive children, and get ready for breakfast. I do any prep for the day while the twins play and my kids are slowly waking up. After breakfast the kids each have assigned tasks that I oversee (and assist the 3yo as needed) and then I pack lunch if we are going out. We usually leave by about 10am, come back around 1pm for nap/school, and back out by 2:30 or 3pm.
We do a lighter school schedule during the warm weather. I still plan as usual, but we might only get 1/2 or 2/3 of each column of work in a day (in the winter or on nasty rainy days we normally do one column per day). So far we have done school basically year round, just taking breaks when we need them.
My house is far from spotless, but that’s okay with me. As long as the basics are covered, we can get out and take advantage of good weather while it’s here. Start where you are and start developing routines to get you where you want to be. It takes time and some thought/planning, but it’s worth it. There is time for deep cleaning when it’s 30 below!
Joanne
