Mothering Many

I’m not talking about laughing out loud, either! I’m dealing with loads of laundry instead. This is how I keep on top of it (when I do). I added up the number of loads I do per week, and I discovered that it’s a bit over 20. Yeah, that’s a lot of washing. I aim for three loads per day, though and that’s pretty manageable. Most clothes get washed on warm, towels get hot. Then using the old adage of “wash on Monday”, I try to do any special loads then, and catch-up if I have fallen behind.

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One way to save a bucket load of money is to use cloth instead of paper whenever possible. Now, we still use the Charmin©, but we’ve replaced most other paper in this house with cloth. We use cloth diapers on the babies. In the kitchen, we use cheap dish towels instead of paper towels.

It may surprise you to know that my family of 10 generally makes less than a garbage can full of garbage each week. I’m talking about the ones the trash service gives out, now, not the one you bought for your kitchen. So not only does this save money, it also reduces the amount of garbage you are hauling out to the curb. And we all know that garbage has to go somewhere, right?

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This site from National Geographic explains Forces of Nature in words, pictures and interactive animation. Explore earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes and volcanoes. The case studies (you can access them from the right hand corner of the box) are real pictures, and may be a little intense for some children. The ability to create your own natural disaster is a sure draw, however.

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Rome wasn’t built in a day, and you are not Wonder Woman. Neither am I. Set a short list of 3-5 top priority items for the day, and aim to achieve those things.

Instead of “clean the house” which can seem gargantuan, try

• complete three loads of laundry
• vacuum the carpets
• straighten the bookshelf

The house will get done eventually, especially if you allow those who make most of the messes the privilege of cleaning them up. I realize there will be times when the whole enchilada has to be on the plate at once, but for the most part, tackle it a bit at a time.

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Another trick I use to get dinner on the table is batch cooking. If I am cooking something that freezes well, I’ll make twice as much as it takes to feed us, and put half in the freezer. Along the same lines, when hamburger is on sale, I stock up, and put it in the freezer pre-cooked. this makes it quick and easy to have tacos or to start a pot of chili or soup.

Every now and again, I actually get organized and put several meals in the freezer. This is not as hard as it sounds if you just concentrate on one type of meat.

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Take some time everyday for yourself. It doesn’t have to be a great stretch of time, either. Even 15-30 minutes can make a difference between a grumpy mom and a happy mom. Personally, that’s the first thing to fall by the wayside when things get hectic, and that is a mistake.

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My toddlers always like to be in the thick of things, as is natural. You need not try to stop them. You will get angry and they will be sad. Instead, let your toddler know that you will read a book to them after the reading lessons are done. Then encourage them to wait quietly for you. You will have to encourage them repeatedly at first, but if you make reading to them a part of the reading lesson routine, they will be more inclined to let you teach.

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Most grocery stores put there ads online these days, and that makes it super easy to see who has the foods your family likes on sale. Use those ads, and use the store savings cards too. I have seen a 400 dollar grocery bill come down to under $300 several times that way.

When family favorites are on sale, stock up. Yes, you’ll look weird and unbalanced with 20 or 30 cans of tuna in your cart, but who cares? Around here, that’s just 4-6 meals. Always buy the max allowed when the sale is really good.

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This is something I just figured out. When I had only one or two students, I could flex with their pace, but now that I have 5 students, I need to set the schedule. What this means on a practical level is that I call them to me for reading lessons, instead of saying “when you get to a stopping point, come see me”. Inevitably, I would be hip-deep in something else when they were ready. The same applies to any other subject that takes one-on-one interaction.

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