schedule frustrations (Long)

Ok — here’s the thing.  I am quickly discovering there simply isn’t enough time in the day for all the things I would like to do.  So here I am asking if it would be OK to do Science one symester, and Social Studies the next, but NOT both at the same time.  See, I work mornings (until noon) and will bringing my boys to the office with me.  Now, I work as an admin assistant for our church, and most days it will only be us there.  (Some of the time there will be one of our associate pastors there, but their offices are far removed from where my children and I will be working so we won’t disturb them).  I need for my children to do at least part of their independant work during the mornings to make this work: Math Mammoth pages, independant reading, project research, OK.  But that still leaves us with all our family work to do.

As it is our first year homeschooling, my concentration will be on math and Language Arts.  My boys are nearly 11 (grade 5) and 7 (grade 2).  I am not worrying about spelling/dictation this year because printing is still a struggle for the older in particular.  I would like to add in typing for him in a couple months, and may be be able to make this an independant morning thing if he takes a laptop to the office. 

My current schedule — with social studies (Canadian) and Science (Creation, Astronomy & Earth Science) twice a week for 30mins each — only allows for half an hour each of guided lessons.  That may be enough starting out — they’ll have printing practice/copywork, any math that may be new or giving them difficulty.  I will have them read aloud during other subjects.  (they are both good readers, but the older tends to rush and slur over words).The older will not be doing written narrations in the beginning, but will need help with them when it comes time.  What am I missing?  It seems like there should be more guided work.  My younger will probably need more time as he is ADHD and will struggle with staying on task more, especially in the beginning.  He will have to learn to complete assignments during independant learning time, or else he will have to finish them during free-time.  He won’t like that too much.  

As I have pretty much promised to be done by 3:30 every day provided they stay on task and accomplish their idependant work, and my dh has promised them all PS holidays and snow-days, etc, and because I was hoping to take an extra week in March and at Christmas, and hopefully finish one week earlier than PS (the idea of schooling year round would not be well received right now, though this August has been so cool and wet I’d just as soon be homeschooling now and be able to take a few nice autumn days off).

I have not been able to fit handi-crafts or nature study into the schedule at all.  I’ve also had to slot literature for the evenings.  But this isn’t leaving me any time for family game nights or movie nights, etc.  Also, at least one day a week my husband is off.  He would like to teach Phys Ed that day, probably in the morning when I’m at work, but he’d also like to do some other things with them as well.  I was kind of hoping he would take over nature study as well as he’s a little more (ok–a lot more) out-doorsy than I am.  Maybe he will be more apt to do that if I can give him some direction to start off.  And I haven’t managed to fit in health or foreign language, etc.  And how many read-a-louds do you usually have going.  I usually have a novel going at bed-time now for each of them, but I am thinking one more together read aloud should be more than enough at a time.  Maybe one chapter at bed-time snack time.  I’ve got devotions scheduled for breakfast time, and at lunch I’ve got picture study, composer study or poetry depending on the term (I’m only planning to do one of each per year) or a chapter of Grammar Land (one per week).  We’ve also got to get at least some chores done and walk the dog at least once during that time.  I need my time from 3:30- 5:30 to work on my own projects and chores, planning for the next day, etc.  while the boys have free time. I don’t want to be doing those things during family time after dinner or during my time with my husband after the boys are in bed.  

Sorry this is so long.  I want to make sure I cover enough this year, but not so much that we are over-whelmed or frustrated.  I am hoping that I can change to a four-dayweek, year-round schedule next year.  I think they may understand the reasoning better after they are a year into the homeschooling adventure.