Multiple Children...Scheduling

[sixtimemomma]

I am just curious....for those of you hsing 4 or more children right now do you find it easier to hs with or without a schedule?

[afeminame]

I have four dc. Age ranging from 8 to 3 years. I do not follow a schedule, but I just implemented a definite start and finish time. It is alot less stressful.

 

I tried following schedule, but I found it to be more stressful because all the kids are working at different paces and levels. I want to make sure that they are learning, not just me going through the curriculum.

[1bassoon]

I've got five I'm schooling - read the siggie ;) - and after 2 years with a more go-with-the-flow schedule, I've reworked my old MOTH schedule. Are you familiar with that? Change of activities every half-hour, older kids play with youngers, and the like.

 

I am in love.

 

Seriously.

 

My school days are going SO much better than they have before. I'm able to fit everything in, each child gets a little "Mom touch" guaranteed every day, and I've even tweaked Fridays to be more fun and projects.

 

I did blog about how I made my schedule, and you can read about it here if you like.

 

After a few years of banging my head against the wall, kids wondering what comes next, and feeling like I never actually "Stopped" for the day, this is a welcome relief. Just my .02.

[Pink Fairy]

I am homeschooling four and have a toddler. I don't use a schedule, per se, but we do have a daily rhythm that we follow. What has made my life easier is using a computer program to plan out my year's assignments over the summer. Each kid gets a checklist, and the three oldest know exactly what to do that day. Certain activities, i.e. waking up, breakfast, laundry, chores, outside play time, etc., are at about the same time every day.

[NancyNellen]

Definitely need a schedule. I find it so much more relaxing when everyone knows what to do next. It's much less pressure on me. Plus, everything gets done (usually!)

 

My kids appreciate the schedule, as well. Days seem smoother, overall.

[BakersDozen]

Absolutely schedule here! Our day is predictable yet flexible, everyone knows what comes next and the stress on me to keep things going is minimal. I love that my younger ones are not wandering solo at all, that the older ones don't need me to direct them in what to do next. I love the blocks of time I have with various dc w/o interruption from either littles or the older ones.

[sixtimemomma]

I just started using MOTH this year. Which for us started on Monday. It's better than the way we previously schooled with no schedule and all of our work is completed in the right time frame. The only problem is if we get off schedule I feel stressed. I spent 2 out of the 5 days this week feeling really stressed out if we went off schedule.

[Leanna Tomlinson]

I have tried MOTH and other hour to hour scheduling ideas, but I always seem to get stressed out when we get behind. So many things can happen to throw us off: someone is sick, someone needed more sleep, someone needs more time with math, I have a migraine, ....any one of these situations can make me want to throw a MOTH schedule in the trash can!

 

I find we do better with a few "pegs" in our day and an allotted school time. I also split everyone's assignments with morning/afternoon designations. My two youngest do their independent assignments in the afternoon. The next two do their independent assignments first thing in the morning. That way, everyone doesn't need me at the same time. My high schoolers can talk to me in the early morning, lunchtime, or late afternoon.

 

Our simple schedule: 9:00 school starts

12:00 -lunchtime

1:00 -resume school until finished

3:00 - afternoon snack and read alouds

 

HTH,

Leanna