Monday, August 22, 2005

Our Schoolday Schedule Part II

The other day, I posted half of our school day schedule in detail. Click here to view that post, then come back to read this last bit. I stopped the first one just before noon. So, at noon....

At 12pm-ish: Lunch

Always something quick and easy, like PBJs or Quesadillas or last night's meat (beef/chicken) put in a taco shell with cheese and lettuce.

After lunch:

The kids clear and wipe the table then they pick up anything off their assigned floors.

I clean up, flip laundry loads, and put away school stuff.

Quiet Time: my favorite time of day!

We've had Quiet Time since our first child was a baby, 10 years ago. It is the key to my sanity as a mother of four. The 2yo naps, the 5yo naps if he seems to need it, or he can read or play quietly (with Legos; Lincoln Logs, etc.) in his room alone. I usually write to you during Quiet Time or I might work on a craft project (bookmaking these days) or read a book. If dh is home, he is more than happy to nap with the baby. The rules: 1. Everyone must be quiet; 2. No chores allowed (that rule was made for me); 3. No electronics allowed.

Our 10yo and 8yo, since they are already trained to be quiet during this time (or else mama will make them take a nap!), are allowed to be in their own room or in the schoolroom, doing one of these choices:

  • write (a letter, copywork, etc.)
  • nap
  • read (sometimes they must read, from an assigned reader)
  • draw or color
  • work on their notebook topics (currently: 3-D Drawing and Dolphins)
  • finish their homework (any unfinished papers from the morning)

After Quiet Time (about an hour):

The children are free to play now, but must be quiet until the baby wakes up. They are usually so absorbed with their Quiet Time activities that they continue them.

I write for another hour, or until soon after the baby wakes up. If you are a mom with a business, Quiet Time will give you two hours to yourself. It will take a bit of training for you to get the kids to respect Quiet Time, but your persistence will pay off.

Around 3pm:

I still don't want the electronics turned on yet, so I have this time set aside for fun "school," such as:

  • science experiments
  • nature walks
  • art
  • family business (currently: selling eggs to the grandparents!)
  • tea time
  • crafting skills (soldering, beadwork, knitting, woodworking, etc.)
  • landscaping and gardening

Around 4:30pm:
I focus on making dinner while the kids clean up from the above projects. They also check that their floors are picked up.

5 - 5:30pm:

Dinner

After Dinner:

Evening chores: The kids clear and wipe the table and sweep. I clean the kitchen and get the little ones ready for bed, even though they won't go to bed for a while. This is bath time also. Then the kids are free, and can finally play their Xbox, computer games, and Nintendo.

7pm-8pm: Family Time:
The family gets together to:

  • read from a read-aloud (currently: Little House in the Big Woods)
  • snack
  • play board or card games
  • watch a movie (usually just Friday night)

Then, it's bed time or quiet play until bed time.

Soon, I will post a shortened version of our schedule for you. I've gone into detail so that you'll have all the information you could possibly want!

The moral of the story is: Create a schedule that will suit you.

by Lori Seaborg

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