Oh the schedule! Advice/tips?

Viewing 3 posts - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)
  • Author
    Posts
  • May 17, 2014 at 1:25 pm
    llm
    Participant

    Hello Everyone!

    I hope you are all having a nice day.

    I am working on our schedule for next year.  This will be our 3rd yr HS and we do love CM.  My toughest part is trying to figure out the daily schedule.  Our oldest will be in 1st/2nd/3rd grade (his levels vary widely with his challenges and strengths) and then we have a preschooler and a toddler.  We LOVE nature and can spend days outside at our nature center.  My 2 boys could live outside!  So here is the tough part— I just am not sure how to get it all done. 😉  My best days are when I get up at 4:45 so I have time to get many things underway before I have children underfoot.  I get much needed time to myself so that when they get up I feel better.  I want so much to make a neat little schedule but, more often than not, it does not work.  Our preschooler is getting better with listening but sometimes he is just very loud and needy when I am trying to read.  I try hard to fill his “love tank” before we start but sometimes he just is that way and will say, “Momma, I just want you”.  And then our oldest can’t focus.  This is frustrating.  He is getting better.  I am looking into lots of fun activities to occupy him during school, as I think he wants to be a part of it, too.  And then the baby is all over the place, which is just part of how it is right now.  And we would love to have more children.  So I have to figure this out.  I am sure there is just a clear cut answer I’m not seeing, right? 😉

    I am tempted to just do school in the afternoon when I can have the 2 little ones rest, but that is hard sometimes because our oldest is not as strong in the afternoon, and, to be honest, I am not, either.  But sometimes I wonder if that would be better— for me to get the needed housework/food prep done in the morning so afternoons are free to do the read alouds, which is a favorite for the entire family. 

    And then I pressure myself to get out the door for the nature center or another preserve, and I feel like other areas are “missing” out because we are out. . . I wonder if I need to be more disciplined in getting us all out the door in the morning, bringing little ones home for rest, then doing school. . . I know CM said “hours” outside— so we try to do that. . . but it’s hard to balance everything else.

    We also have decided to dedicate a room to HS, so that will make a separate area that our oldest can go to to focus if needed.  But he is still young, too, and needs my help, too. . .

    I went to a talk at the HS convention titled “100% Mommy.   100% Teacher.”  I know we all have been there!  I want to enjoy the days and have peace that if we are blessed with more chlldren we can love on them and give them a great education.

    Thank you for any advice/tips you may have! 

    Lorna

    May 17, 2014 at 1:56 pm
    Tristan
    Participant

    As one who has had littles for our entire 10 years of homeschooling so far (our 5th Kindergartener begins this fall and he still has 3 younger brothers, oldest child is 12) let me encourage you that planning a schedule now won’t be effective for next fall.  Children change so quickly in the early years so that preschooler will be different as will the baby.  Plan a schedule for your days now, however that will look for your summer and then begin tweaking the schedule as needed.  What works now won’t work in 4 months, and what doesn’t work now may be perfect in 4 months. 

    May 17, 2014 at 2:08 pm
    mrsmccardell
    Participant

    My housework has taken a back seat. Some things are routine but they are quick jobs I usually do myself. I agree that it’s a lot to fit in especially when we want to be outdoors with the littles. I’ve been trying to spend the first 20 mins outside with them and then I come inside to do some things in the house. My priorities are the children so that is how I’ve gotten to my place where it’s okay if the house is a little dusty. They help out with chores during the day but we are taking further training in June to improve their abilities and to teach the 3yo. My dc are 7,6,3,11mos. Also, keep track of how much time you spend doing things (like outdoors) and you can gauge if your day is balanced.

Viewing 3 posts - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)
  • The topic ‘Oh the schedule! Advice/tips?’ is closed to new replies.