Use A Commercial Broom And Dustpan
You know what I mean? The kind of broom you might see at a restaurant where the dustpan stands on its own? With the amount of sweeping that a large family accomplishes in a day, this is a practical solution. Bending over time after time with a traditional dustpan might not seem like a big deal but if you are pregnant or have a bad back then this solution will help make the task of sweeping a much smoother process. It makes the task seemingly take less time too. I am a fan. Additionally, I recommend a commercial mop bucket as well. Some might prefer a small steam mop but I find the large yellow commercial mop bucket set up most effective to get the job done and to get it done well.
Run Errands In Between Meals
When you just have one or two kids with you, running through a drive thru to pick up a few items isn’t a big deal. Add a few more mouths to feed though and it certainly can add up. Especially once your kids starting hitting growth spurts and the dollar menu doesn’t cut it anymore. I have found that planning our errands or outings (the park, museums, library, etc) in between meals helps us save money and sanity since the kids are more pleasant to travel with when they are well feed. If I have little ones in tow, I make sure to have small snacks such as goldfish or fruit to help hold them over.
Assign Chores
This is a no brainer. When you have a large family, and you homeschool, it seems that there is zero time to fit chores in. The only way that it can happen, without outside help, is to require your children to help, (or forfeit all of your sleep!) When the children are younger I focus on teaching them the importance of a job well done by giving them small tasks such as cleaning up their toys or organizing the shoes. When they are older, I can trust them to effectively wash the dishes, run the dryer or sweep the house. With a large family, the key is a pristine perfect home (though I do require them to do their best and not to slack off) but teaching responsibility and teamwork to help keep the house in order.
Buy In Bulk
Ultimately the prices are cheaper when you shop this way. When I only had a few kids I would try to buy just what I needed for the time being. With a large family, this can become tiring because then it seems as though you are constantly shopping. When you buy and prepare in bulk, you benefit in the long run. I will search for recipes that are meant to feed large crowds, prepare those and then serve it over the next few days. This way I put the time, money and effort into one large meal and then the next few days I can “relax” so to speak at meal time and focus on other tasks, (such as homeschooling!)
Initiate Alone Time
Regardless of the ages of your children, I find it is beneficial to give each one of them alone time. The younger ones can do this in a pack and play while preschoolers can be in their room or the corner of a room where mom is. Older kids can be separated throughout the house with a book, craft or toy. Either way, the key is to allow them to have some time separated from their siblings for a short time (I usually do this for 30-45 minutes) so when they get back together they are refreshed and rejuvenated and excited to spend time with one another again. Trust me, this works.
