I don't know about you but we always seem to be tweaking how we homeschool. Now that it's February, we have finally figured out a good schedule for us. This certainly isn't the schedule I would have ever imagined for us when I first started homeschooling. But, I have allowed our personalities and other interests to guide us into a schedule that works for US, and that's what's important. So, here is what our day (typically) looks like.
7:00 a.m. ~ I get up and have some coffee, my quiet time, check my e-mails and blog updates, and get dressed in my exercise clothes.
7:30 a.m. ~ Dawson leaves for school.
7:50 a.m. ~ My mom and a friend stop by on their bikes to pick me up and we ride a mile to the park where we walk three miles and then ride back.
8:50 a.m. ~ I come in the door and Brynne is usually waking up. I get her settled and try to get into the shower by 9:00 a.m. I also get Eli up then.
9:00 a.m. ~ The kids watch some t.v., have breakfast, get dressed, brush their teeth and fix their hair.
10:00 a.m. ~ We are at the dining room table doing our Bible lesson.
 |
| My side of the table. |
Then it's time for Rock, Paper, Scissors to see who draws the stick that tells us which subject we are doing next.
 |
| Go HERE to see my post on this great tool! |
We do two subjects and then take about a 10-15 minute break. (It's here that I usually make the beds and unload the dishwasher.)
11:00 a.m. ish ~ We are back to the table to do two more subjects. Then the kids read for 15 minutes while I am fixing lunch.
 |
| Doing some editing on a writing project. |
 |
| P.E. time ... throwing a bean bag toy up in the air and catching it. |
12:30 p.m. ish ~ We take about a 30-45 minute break for lunch. (It's here that I try to do my housework of the day.)
 |
| We do easy, convenience foods for lunch. |
1:30 p.m. ish ~ We are back to the table to finish up our studies for the day. Then at the very end of the day the kids grab their books for another 15 minutes of reading. (It is here that I clean up all evidence of school.)
 |
| Th dogs' favorite subject. |
 |
| See what I mean? |
3:00 p.m. ~ We strive to be done by 3:00 p.m. The kids really push to be done by then, but sometimes it pushes to around 3:15 or 3:30 p.m. Then the rest of the day is theirs to do with what they wish. They usually go straight to their room to start playing and I don't hear from them until dinner time. Dawson also comes home from school around this time.
5:30 p.m. ~ We try to eat dinner by 5:30 p.m. so we can get the kitchen cleaned up, baths done, and jammies on by about 6:30 p.m. Then the kids spend the rest of the evening playing, usually in their room. I do odds and ends and REALLY try to be on the couch reading or watching television by 7:30 p.m. at the latest. (Of course this doesn't happen on nights that we have activities, which are Cub Scouts on Monday nights and church on Wednesday nights. Even then we are home no later than 8:00 p.m. and immediately get into jammies.)
8:30 p.m. ~ The kids and dogs go to bed. They are allowed to play quietly in their beds, play handheld electronic devices, or watch television. The point of this is to give me my end-of-the-day quiet time. Dawson usually comes downstairs to watch a television show with me and then he goes to bed at 9:30 p.m. Then I read, watch t.v., blog, drink hot green tea, etc., until 10:00 p.m.
 |
| My nightly nest. |
10:00 p.m. ~ I take the dogs potty one more time, announce Lights Out to the little kids, then climb in bed to read for about 30 minutes.
10:30 p.m. ~ All is dark and quiet. ZZZZZZZZ .......
VARIATIONS
Monday ~ On Mondays we go to my mom's for lunch because my aunt comes through town on her way to work and my sister and niece are here. We walk/scooter to my mom's at noon and usually get home around 1:30 p.m. That causes us to have some shortened lessons or even skip a non-essential here and there.
Thursday ~ We get up a little earlier and start school by 9:30 a.m. We only do the 3R's (Reading, wRiting, aRithmetic) and then head out the door for our Homeschool Co-op that is in a town 30 miles away. We eat lunch at Co-op and then the kids take two classes between noon and 2:00 p.m. We do some errands while in that town and then get home around 3:30 p.m.
Friday ~ We are a little more lax on Fridays in our lessons because we like to get in some Nature Study and Art. I just kind of pick and choose what I think we need to get accomplished in the other studies based on what we have accomplished that week.
I love seeing how others handle their days. If you are curious, too, head over to SimpleHomeschool to catch a peek.
Thanks so much for sharing this! I found your link on Simple Homeschool. It's fun to see how other fams do it; all the best to you on your homeschooling adventure!
ReplyDeleteI love that you've found your stride. We also have tweaked our schedule this year. I've been reading that teenagers really do need more sleep and with two of them now, I've taken that into consideration. Bradley gets up around 9am. We work diligently and then Gage shows up about noon. (This would not have set well with me a year ago) However, I love that I can help Bradley all he needs and then if Gage needs me I'm 100% available in the afternoons for him. He mostly works independently, but it's still good to sneak in that one-on-one when I can.
ReplyDeleteBTW, LOVING the new house!
Thanks, Cheryl! All I know is that my kids are certainly more ready to start the day when they have been allowed to sleep until they are ready to get up and then have some playtime before we start. The little breaks help a lot, too. All's going well! And I love my little house, too! :)
DeleteI love this! I love that your coffee cup is always nearby - mine too!
ReplyDeleteOur days are so similar! Our school is condensed since my daughter in just in K but the flow is the same. I wish we cold find a good coop by us.
ReplyDelete