Tag Archives: schedule

May23

Changes to Schedule

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Changes to Schedule

I wanted to write about what things have changed, and what things have stayed the same since my last two posts on scheduling back in September. (Is It Okay To Serve Myself and Finding Time) One of the points I talked about then is that a schedule will change. Just because things change, it does not mean that you have failed to “stick to it”. You have to find, sometimes through trial and error, what will naturally work for you.

My basic routine has stayed the same, though there are some things about the kids’ schedule that have fluctuated. First, they used to stay in their rooms until 8 o’clock, but they begged to be able to get up and eat breakfast with Dad before he left for work. So daddy implemented a new rule, a schedule change. If they wanted to eat breakfast with him, then they must do some kind of work during the time I spend reading my Bible. After we eat, I assign them whatever work I need done (laundry folding, dishwasher, cleaning out toy box, etc). This way I am still able to have my quiet time and not be interrupted.

The second thing that has changed is what the kids are doing during my workout time. When I first set up the schedule, they were eating breakfast while I exercised. Now that they eat earlier, they are getting a head start on their normal morning routine (making beds, brushing teeth and hair, getting dressed, and straightening their room). This gives me the time I need to work out. I do sometimes have interruptions, but I can usually get in 35-45 minutes worth.

In my experience, the key to keeping a good schedule is determining what things are non-negotiable. I have decided for me that I MUST have my quiet time and I MUST work out. Those two things are non-negotiable to me, so I have worked things around until I can get those in at the start of my day. It is so encouraging to look back and see that I have been able to keep up on these things that had plagued me before. Last Friday, I completed 42 weeks of working out at least 4 times a week! Because I determined it was important, I was even able to keep up my work out schedule through the holidays when we were traveling! I just took my dvd along and played it on my computer in my room.

Go ahead and set up your schedule. Determine what needs to be accomplished, then allow yourself flexibility to find the best way to complete it.

Do you have a morning routine? Do the kids have one?

Dec16

Asking For Help Around the House

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Asking For Help Around the House

I have to admit it. I cannot keep my 3 bedroom 2 bath house as perfect as I want to. With 1 child running around leaving a trail of toys behind them, it is difficult. With 4 children leaving bookbags, papers, cars, crayons, Barbies, socks, blankets, and anything else you can think of lying around, it is impossible for me to do on my own. I’m sure some of you have already conceded this point, as I have, but asking the kids to help feels never-ending.

I have felt recently like I am being too hard on them. Like I’m never giving them playtime, instead always asking them to work. And I got the feeling that they had the same thoughts. “Mom, we always have to do work. We NEVER get to play.” So I decided to try something new this week. It might be discovered territory for some of you, but I was really pleased with the results I got.

I figured that if I proved to myself, and to them, that they do actually get play time, there might be less complaining about the work they are asked to do (and less guilt on my end). I have been astonished at how well this has worked.

I started with a small marker board and drew a block schedule–one block per hour. Then I added small chunks of work that they could help me accomplish. I also made sure to schedule in a couple half hour segments of play time, a snack time, piano practice time, etc. I tried to break things up so they weren’t working for an entire hour on one very open-ended chore, like “clean the family room.” Specific goals are more achievable.

All week long, I have had better responses to my requests for help. A couple of days ago, I allowed the kids to have a half hour of board game time while they ate their snack. I told them I would come and get them at 10:15 and assign their next chore. I got busy cleaning my bathroom and realized at 10:25 that I hadn’t transitioned the kids out of play time yet. When I went downstairs, I found Miranda and Clare already folding laundry while listening to Beethoven’s 9th Symphony (I was thankful for this since I am getting a tiny bit annoyed with the same 10 Christmas songs on the radio!).

I have seen this idea done on a poster, with detachable chores that can be moved around. And maybe some day I’ll actually be motivated to make something like this, but for now, this simple solution is working. And all I have to do is erase and rewrite the next day. So easy!

Do you have a written schedule for the day, or do you wing it?

Nov14

Unmet Goals

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Unmet Goals

Schedules, goals and lists are great! I love them. But what happens when things don’t go as planned? Last week was this way for me, and I began to beat myself over the head because I wasn’t accomplishing the goals I had set. I always plan for 5 days of school, but last week we only accomplished 2 days. This is NOT normal, so I had to remind myself that sometimes things just happen that cause you to deviate from that wonderful schedule. And it is okay.

One day, Daddy was home and we painted outside all day–a project that needs finished before winter. Another day, I felt it was important to finish cleaning the carpets in the house (I had 2 rooms plus the stairs left). And the last day was a visit from Nana! All three of these missed school days were worth it in the work accomplished or the time spent with Nana, but even still in the back of my mind I am starting today thinking I am “behind.” No, the way things happened last week is fine, and we are not behind in school because I started early and allowed for some missed days throughout the year.

So I will pull out my planner, and I’ll pick up where we left off last week. (Yes, this post is probably more for me than for you!) And I’ll remember that this is one of the benefits of home schooling–the flexible schedule!

Are you a goal-setter? How do you deal with unmet goals?

Sep16

Finding Time

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Finding Time

Image provided by Classroom Clipart

Ok. I promised yesterday to share some of the tips that allow me to get some thinking, praying, planning time to myself. And keep in mind though I’m sharing some of my schedule, I don’t expect it to work for you. I am hoping that you can adapt some of these tips to integrate into your schedule.

1) My first tip can work if you have children old enough to tell time. My girls have a clock in their room, and they are required to stay in their room until 8:00 every morning. They usually wake up around 7 to use the bathroom and grab a library book, then they head back to their room to read for an hour. Since it is staying dark a little longer right now, we gave them each a “reading light” that clips to their book. They think that is the greatest thing ever! Sometimes once it has gotten light out, they drag out their Barbies and play away. I ask them to wait until the baby is awake before they get up and move around the room though.

Now Grant is only 3. He doesn’t really understand the concept of time just yet, and he is my earliest riser at 6:45 (he always hears daddy turn on the shower). Being the only boy, I like to allow him this time in the morning to spend with just daddy. So I serve breakfast twice. Breakfast 1 is for daddy, mommy and Grant. Then once daddy leaves for work, Grant and mommy have quiet time. He looks at books while I do my Bible study. When the girls get up at 8, I get breakfast 2 ready for Miranda, Clare and Elsie. This leads me to my next tip.

2) Find one job you can pass off to an older sibling. Since Elsie still needs help eating (without making extreme messes or choking herself by stuffing too much food in at once), I have Miranda and Clare take care of feeding her. Sometimes that just means breaking up her toast into little bite-sized pieces. So what do I do while the girls eat? I put in my dvd and work out. I have tried so many other time slots for working out, and none of them have ever worked for me. I am going 8 weeks strong now with at least 4 workouts a week. Once the girls finish their breakfast, Elsie comes down to me and “works out” with her 1 lb. weights, and the girls go on upstairs to complete their morning chores.

3) The last tip I have for getting some down time is to have “quiet time” in the afternoon. Even after the kids are finished taking naps in the afternoon (Grant still takes a short one for now, and Elsie sleeps a good 2 hours), they are required to have quiet time. This means that they don’t have to sleep, but they must remain still and quiet while reading a book or doing something quiet. When school is not in session, I use this time to get things done that are normally difficult to do with kids running around. Now that we’re back in school, I’m usually listening to one of the kids read or doing History with them. Although some days I finish with enough time to fit in some blogging or cleaning before starting dinner.

The concept of the kids staying where they are supposed to for quiet time, or staying in their rooms until the correct time in the morning might not come automatically. They may come out of their places several times, but the idea is that hopefully after a couple of weeks of training them to go back to their place, they will just realize that this is part of their day. My girls are a lot less reluctant to go for quiet time when we’ve just come back from the library with a huge stack of books they picked out. They are usually excited to go to quiet time then. So make sure you have good and interesting material for them to read. Since Grant is only 3 and can get bored with books pretty quickly, he picked out a Thomas the Train book on cd set (has 4 books on one cd). It came with a hardback copy of the books so he can follow along with the cd by looking at pictures. We picked that up at our local Borders going out of business sale for $5.

I hope you have found something useful in this post. This is simply what is working for me right now. I’m sure that I’ll have to change things up now and then, so I welcome your suggestions for fitting everything into the little “free” time we moms have! Leave a comment if you have something that will help other readers and myself!