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Daily Schedule
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I’m just trying to figure things out, and am writing this partly because the process might help, but also because some of you wonderful women may have some insight. I’m mainly trying to work out the day-to-day of homeschool for next year….
At this point, (7yo and 5yo with a almost 3yo and baby in the mix) have done things fairly laid back. We have been using AO modified but next year am doing my own program. And yes, I have and have read the Planning your CM education. So right now, we get up, make breakfast, do a few chores, start school usually around 10 or 10:30, go until around 12:30ish, have lunch, and the kids play outside. Nothing is scheduled in the school day per say – I do have the to-do list for them for each day… they pick what they want to do next (with me making sure that a good mixture of types of activities happen). Sometimes they do things at the same time, and sometimes I work with one while the other plays with the younger ones.
Next year I plan to do a lot more stuff together as family subjects.
Now the problem I’ve had with what we are doing, is am getting a lot of complaints from my 7yo about getting started (he complains doing chores too… sigh. I know this is a heart issue.) I am thinking maybe the complaints (stomps, groans, etc) would go away if we were more scheduled…. I also know that CM recommended schedules, to instill a value of time… that there is a time for each thing and not to waste it idea. And this might help with the estabilshment of a habit, which would also help it run smoother. I bought Manager of Their Homes last year, but wow, it is overwhelming and I don’t know how to keep to that musch of a schedule.
One homeschooling mom doing CM that I know (and has graduated kids) has a schedule, teaches her kids to work with a timer, and if they have extra time for a time period, they can do something educational, like draw, bounce on a mini-tramp, read a good book, etc…. so they get the motivation to be efficient, but aren’t off playing either. But she also does school for a lot more hours each day… and I’m worried that it might drag the day more and might feel more like “school at home”.
Also in this, my dh’s schedule might be changing… so that one month he works T-F, then the next month he works F-M…. so I’m probably going to need to be more flexible about which days we school! So I need to think about how to work the organizer / weekly schedule / when I need to change which days we do things constantly….
One thing I had considered was having index cards with each subject/resource for the week (not the specifics… just the resource title…) – a card for each time I need it done in the week… so there would be 5 math cards, etc. Each child would have a box with the cards, and a done section. They could choose a card from the not done – do it, and move it to the done… over the week they would get the work done….
I’m probably just over thinking this. I just want school to go happily, be enjoyable (and not feel like a huge “task list” to drudge through), be flexible, and encourage time for things like making Lego Animations, learn morse code, do scouting activities, yet also have time to play outside etc.
Anyway – not sure how much this made sense… but any suggestions? Do most people have a fairly set schedule (either to a clock, or by time boxes) – do many people use timers or other things to keep on track?
You know I’ll be watching this thread as we have the SAME kiddos as you! I JUST got the book – managers of their homes and so I’m midway through the scheduling process, and while I haven’t completed the schedule, I’m finding I’m already getting more accomplished, feeling less overwhelmed and am enjoying the whole day more! LOTS of homeschoolers use it and while I LOVE the planning book from SCM – I think this book is the next step for those of us with larger families and/or lots of little ones. You can really benefit greatly from using the two together. Will write more when I’ve got a bit more time – multi-tasking at the moment!
I have a almost 7, 5.5, 4, 3, and 20months so I’ll be watching too:) I am a schedule nut I suppose, I really liked MOTHs, it helped me a lot to get a big picture schedule. It’s by time, it’s on the wall and that way hubby or grandma can look at it and see basically what everyone is supposed to be doing when, (which is great after having a new baby) so they stay somewhat on task:) I don’t care that it’s to the minute, but we try to stay within 5 minutes or so. We start our day earlier than yours and I don’t like all day school, we are done by lunch. We get up, clean rooms, eat, clean kitchen, then read bible at the table (I also usually read literature during breakfast and lunch to them, I eat before they sit down). Then my oldest starts some independent work and I work with a couple littles, then I read history to the older 2, then my oldest reads aloud to me or to himself. I’m still figuring out all the bits and pieces, but I know there have been good previous threads on this subject too.
I don’t think the groaning/stomping will stop with a schedule, or any sort of a change, but a schedule would help him know what’s expected, and at what time, and for how long. We absolutely don’t allow disrespect in our house in any form, be it whining, arguing, slumping shoulders, etc. If my 7yr old were doing that(which it’s actually my 5.5 yr old that tries that) he would be sent upstairs to nap since he’s acting like a baby without self-control. It only takes a few times of “napping” (which involves missing whatever was going on, be it breakfast, or a great read aloud, or outside time, etc) to rid mine of the attitude. If it starts again we go back to the “naps”. I just mean having them lay on their beds without a book or toy quietly for a specified amount of time. If it happens more, the time is increased with each nap. That is the only thing I have found that works for my 2 kiddos that have attitude heart issues.
Hope that helps a bit, maybe pick one thing you would like to really be at the same time each day and start there for a week, then move on to another thing. Then you could still be relaxed about the other things that aren’t as important to you.
Only by His grace, Adrienne
The only thing that we do chore wise before school is make our beds, get dressed, put pj’s away, eat breakfast and clear table. I have found that if I do anything else then attention is devoted to whatever was started before school activities, whether it was a “good” thing or not, which causes attitudes from child and me. So we usually start about 8-8:30 and are done with everyone’s school by 11:30-12ish, includes individual schedules and family schedules. (My olders need more time than yours). After lunch and some free time, then I start us on the whole chore thing – laundry, dishes, floors, tidying, etc.
We try to have the floors cleaned up before bed – toys put away(safety issue for fire or tornado emergencies), dirty clothes in laundry. It just makes our mornings smoother. =)
Okay, a word from a non-scheduler here!
I am familiar with MOTH and found it way over-scheduled, altho I admire her heart for mothers. I tend to be a bit of a legalist. If we were on a rigid schedule, I would follow it to the letter and many spiritual opportunities would be lost in our home. It is also my husband’s preference I not over-schedule, after seeing me attempt to do so:-) He is of the opinion there is far more to home schooling than textbook subjects (and he does believe in a good academic education). If I were to complain – and I have – that I did not get any school work done today, he would say did anyone fold laundry? Work in the garden? Help their siblings or a neighbor? Then school was accomplished!!
FYI, I am currently schooling a 17dd, 16ds, 13ds, 12dd, 10ds, 9ds, 7dd, and 5dd. I have four older children who were also home-schooled and have graduated, and yes, I remember the 5 babies under 5 days!!
So instead of a schedule, we have things we do every day, and key points around which they revolve. For instance, the children get up by 7 and are at the table by 7:30 – for math!! Then we make breakfast at 8:30 and do chores. Lunch is at 12:30. We stop and clean up no later than 4 so that we are ready for Daddie and dinner prep. Dinner is at 6. Bedtime at 9. All of the moments in between are filled with good things, not always in the same order depending on the season, etc. This does not mean I allow the children to choose what they will do with each moment of their day, altho they do have free time for acceptable afternoon activities. And if there is anything we do not permit, it is bad attitudes about school work. To me, too much freedom causes that. We do what we need to do each day with a cheerful attitude, just as Daddie goes off to work each day with a cheerful attitude just for us!
This works for us and has for many years. We get a lot of academic work done as well as learning the tasks of everyday life. Our boys tend to work a couple of days a week with their father or a grown brother by the time they are 10, so we plan our academics accordingly.
Hope that helps!!
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