Daily Schedule – How to get to all the kids and stay sane

I don’t know about you ladies, but I’ve been working out our daily schedule for the new school year. I use schedule loosely because we don’t schedule down to the minute, we set blocks of time and decide what things get worked on in those blocks.  Ex: from 10am-11am is snack, scriptures, and literature.  This year I’m feeling the pull especially heavily on me as I try to figure out how to get enough of me to go around for lessons with 6 school age kids, 2 preschoolers, and a baby/toddler.  I need an assistant! 😉

I’ve been working my way through SCM’s Planning Your Charlotte Mason Education book, just like I do every year.  It’s so helpful because I get the big picture and work my way down to the day to day details.  Right now I’m looking at 6 lists (one for each school age child) of subjects to fit into a week. I have the Daily Schedule Free floating time box chart printed with my own time blocks written in.

5am – high schooler and I up for the day. I drive her to early morning seminary (scripture class with other teens from church) at 5:30am, come home, and get my personal devotions done.
6:30am – The rest of the kids get up and eat breakfast, I go back to get the high schooler. Everyone has until 8am to eat, dress, and play.  Or they can choose to do chores early or get some school work done. Up to them.
8am-9:40am – This will have some subjects written in. Devotional, a group subject, and then one on one with various elementary or middle school kids while others work independently. Little ones do table time, play, and listen in when mom is reading aloud if they wish (usually snuggled up on the couch).
9:50-11am – Snack, Literature, and scripture reading for most of the kids, while I work 1 on 1 with the high schooler – this is our tutoring block where she can check in with me daily and get my undivided attention and help.
11am-11:30am – another block that needs a subject assigned, probably a group subject.
11:30am-2pm – Break time. This is lunch, medical needs for Mason that take an hour every afternoon, and just a good mental break for everyone.
2pm-3pm – One last block of time, this will probably rotate some subjects we don’t do daily.
3pm and beyond – Snack, chores, and freedom.

Have you started thinking about the day to day ‘what to do when’ ? Do you do schooling mainly in the morning or do you start later and spill over into afternoons? Or not begin until afternoon?