Well, I’ve finally done it.
This was the scene on my kitchen table last night, and still is this morning. But I completed my final goal for 3in30 of putting together the school schedule.
Sort of.
Initially, I had decided to schedule everything. Then I thought better of it and was going to do a quarter. And then, with all the changes in curriculum and activities happening (swimming, music lessons, co-op) right off the bat, I decided it would be best to do one month and see how it goes from there.
I love me a good schedule. I just really don’t like putting them together. Perhaps I’m too finicky, but I like everything to be just so. And that’s not how it plays out at all.
Last year we had no homeschool schedule. And while we still finished everything we were supposed to, I was usually a wreck to start off each day, we were doing school MUCH later than I wanted to, I wasted time on other things when I should/could have been doing their school work, and our chores rarely got completed.
We were not going to repeat that this year, so I purchased the editable PDF Homeschool Planner from Homeschool Creations, and it has been a fantastic tool for helping me wrap my head around the daily routine!
So, since I have been wanting to do this for WEEKS, here’s our (negotiable and definitely changeable) daily schedule!
7:00 am Kids up, dressed, room tidied
7:30 am Family devotions
8:00 am Breakfast with Narrow Way character study, ABC and Awana memory verses
8:30 am BFIAR with JJ and Keekers (and the great printables from Homeschool Creations!); The Boy can complete a chore or do his reading.
9:15 am RightStart math level C with The Boy; JJ’s (level A) follows right after
(what do I do with Keekers during this time? I have various hands-on activities for her to play with, but I also try to keep one of the boys free at some points to play with or help her with different things. Check out these great posts and sites as well for ideas on how to keep little ones occupied!)
Large Families on Purpose – Productively Occupying Young Children
Homeschool Creations Preschool Corner
Confessions of a Homescholer (TONS of great curriculum freebies and Letter of the Week sets for CHEAP and they’re all fantastic!)
10:00 am First Language Lessons Level 2 with The Boy, followed by Christ Centered Curriculum Level 3 – he does the workpages on his own while I work with JJ.
10:30 am Christ Centered Curriculum B2 phonics and reading with JJ
11:00 am SNACK BREAK and read-aloud, time with Keekers
11:30 am Handwriting Without Tears – all 3 of them participate!
12:00 lunch and play break
1:00/1:30 The Boy does reading and lesson
2:00 – 3:00 QUIET TIME = Mommy’s blogging time!
3:00 – 3:30 Chores (the big ones that aren’t completed post-each meal)
3:30 – 5:00 FREE TIME
5:00 10 MINUTE PICKUP (to get everything in order for daddy when he walks in the door :D)
We also have swimming lessons, piano lessons and co-op happening almost every week, so things are packed, and you can see the definite need for a schedule! To keep us on track and to keep mommy sane :0)
I know that this schedule is NOT hard and fast and is likely going to change – especially since, as you can see, we haven’t even added in our science and history yet. WHERE that’s going to fit, I haven’t the slightest idea! But once we get going, I’m sure we’ll be making changes – for the better!
Check out my other posts about home organization!
Menu Planning and menu plan board
Developing a Realistic Weekly Schedule (household chores)
I’m sharing this post on Get Along Home where there are a series of posts for how to honour God in the details of daily living – in my heart I believe and know that having a schedule helps me to be a good steward of my time. And that is one of the biggest temptations and short-comings in my life – managing my time! So for that reason, I am praying for wisdom and strength to be able to help this to work and create a great learning environment in our home where we are not overworked and stressed out because mommy didn’t plan our days properly.
