Our Schedule
Here is the schedule we have been following lately. I do the same thing in the summer as during the "school year". We need fairly strict routines in this house.
My kids are 7 1/2 , 6, 4 1/2, 3, and 20 months right now.
6-7 a.m. Kids, Dad and I wake up. Shower. Breakfast
Morning chores: Empty dishwasher (3 oldest kids), fold clothes (4 oldest kids), vitamins, brush teeth (3 oldest kids), practice violin (2 oldest kids).
9 a.m. Bible Time: Read from Egermeier’s Story Bible, NIV Bible, review memory verses, sing, and pray.
9:45 a.m. New Testament notebooks (get a color page relating to the story we read) and older two kids do copywork.
10:30 a.m. Changing activity: library, violin lesson, art, lapbook time, Musikgarten, play outside, store.
11:30 a.m. Lunch
1:00 p.m. Naptime for younger two kids. Read-aloud time for older three kids. The two oldest also read to me.
2:30-3:30 p.m. My rest time.
3:30 p.m. Free time for kids playing.
4:30 Clean up downstairs (4 oldest kids).
5:00 Video, I prepare dinner.
5:45 Eat dinner
6:30 Put baby to bed.
7:30 Family devotions, put other kids to bed. I usually put the girls to bed and my husband the boys.
There are things I would like to add into our schedule (such as a more focused math activity, science experiment or deeper phonics lessons with spelling/dicatation), but I know that we can’t do it right now due to my low energy level. So, we do as much as we can. And they’re learning! We take advantage of times we’re driving in the car to listen to books on CD or Jonathan Park.
I also haven’t had to deal too much with "what do I do with the younger kids while I school the oldest" because I do much of it during their naptime or find ways to include them in it.
For a while, though, I had them use the "Day of the Week" box. I divided all my preschool hands-on materials such as puzzles, lacing cards, pipe cleaners, etc. into 5 plastic bins. I would let the younger kids get the box for the day. They had to keep it all in one room, and it was easy to clean it all up–just throw it all back in the box.
Actually, I love all schedules, I just have trouble keeping to one! Is it easier because you stay home more? I really need to stay home more this next year. Maybe you can hold me accountable to that.
You always have some neat study going on. I really like a lot of the things you do with your littles. I'm sure they are learning a ton!
You're right about us not always having time to talk. Maybe we should get our families together. My MIL is visiting in July, but maybe in August? Let me know.
Blessings!
Jen