Works for Me Wednesday - Afternoon Clean-up

Being new to homeschooling, it's taking some getting used to. My kids play together really well, but have a habit of *gasp* of making a mess as well. We get all that fun literal schooling out of the way early in the day, and then they have hours to think creatively until Dad comes home.

We school at the table in the morning, mostly clear that "out of the way" for lunch, then move mostly to the couch and floor and out of the house, etc, for the afternoon. Don't tell anyone, but we rarely clean the kitchen right after lunch.

Once I set the kids free with the words "Ok, school is done," the house just really goes downhill from there.

THUS ... I have implemented "Clean-Up Time" in the late afternoon. They must take a break from whatever they are doing, clean up all the messes (including lunch), and then they are free to go back to whatever they want.

This leaves the house tidied up for when Dad gets home, and gives them the responsibility for the mess they've created.