athomemom Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 What does your day look like? I used to be a sticker for starting at the same time and always had us on a schedule. But I've found that as my boys have gotten older that my schedule has gone off-track. There is that part of me that wants the schedule and then there is that part of me that feels the beauty of homeschooling is that we can be laid back. Do you have your kids dress, if you are not leaving the house, do you? Part of me wants to have everything rolling like a well-oiled machine and the other part just wants to be! An inquiring mind wants to know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mimm Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 (edited) We have a schedule that starts at 8:30 and goes till 3:00 in the afternoon. This allows a 15 minute snack break in the morning and an hour for lunch. This includes an hour of reading immediately after lunch and half an hour for art every day. I will say that this schedule is almost never followed. Somewhere along the way, someone will spend too long on what they're doing and the schedule is out the window. Or we realize we're out of any and all supplies for lunch and we need to make a morning trip to the grocery store. Or we find that library book that's been missing for two weeks and decide to return it before the darn thing wanders off again. I don't make us work past 3:30 or so (sometimes if we're doing an art project, my kids will work past 4, but I'm off at 3:30 :D). If math took up too much time and we didn't get around to Latin, so be it. Yesterday we did math, memorized our poem, writing (narration for both of them), history and we read. We skipped Latin, spelling, grammar and art. Some days are just like that. The way I see it, we're probably accomplishing more with our day than the average public school classroom anyway. Even if we don't necessarily touch on every subject, every day. Oh and we do school in our pajamas unless we're leaving the house. My kids attended private school till this year and the stressful routine of finding uniforms and looking presentable is something we don't miss. I make them brush their hair and teeth, but that's it. :) Edited January 4, 2011 by Mimm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mejane Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 The only schedule we stick to is the kids' dance schedule, which requires us to be in the car on the way to the studios at 1:00. They go to bed and get up when they want, and their schoolwork is done in their own time. I love to make schedules and budgets; I just don't follow them. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Rat Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 7:00 Boys wake up, shower, dress, and eat. (I'm up at 6) 8:00 We read aloud. 8:30 Ds7 works on reading. Ds10 starts his online science and then reads. 9:00 Seat work with ds7 10:00 History or science with both 10:30 Instruction with ds10 (little man is finished) 12:00 Lunch/I leave for work-Ds10 has his tasks for the afternoon. When he finishes them up, he has free time. That's our school day. In the evenings we have sports or we read more or play games. We used to be a little more laid back until I had to return to work last year. Now, looking back, I wish I had been a lot more laid back. :( Then again, if I had been it would have been harder to adapt to a schedule...so.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsbaby Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 We aren't the scheduling type. We start school somewhere between 9 and 10. Our school day varies from 3-6 hours, just depends on how much time they spend complaining, what types of projects we are doing, etc. I don't make them get dressed if we aren't leaving the house. Heck, I don't get dressed if we're not going anywhere:). We don't go through our subjects in any particular order, though we do have specific subjects to cover each day. Of course we always do our core subjects, but we have our "extras on specific days". For example, Mon. And Wed. Are Latin, Thursday is music, and Friday is geography. Tuesday is tutorial day. All that to pretty much say, we are really laid back about scheduling:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NanceXToo Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 We do not have a strict schedule. We're more laid back, and I like it being that way. Like you said, that's part of the beauty of homeschooling. I do usually have them get dressed at some point even if we're not leaving the house. But that might not happen til just before lunch. I don't wake them up at the same exact time every day, we don't start school at the same exact time every day, and we stop school if there's something interesting or fun we want to do or someplace we want to go, and then we pick it up later. So sometimes we're all done in the morning, other times it's broken up into morning and afternoon, sometimes we are sitting at the table after dinner doing school... We mainly just go with the flow. It works for me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SailorMom Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 We're pretty laid back. DS takes a shower, dresses and eats breakfast. We usually start school with me in my robe, and after I get him on something he doesn't need help with, I shower and get dressed. As for times, we usually go from about 9-3-ish, and usually do math first - but that's about as scheduled as we get :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nono Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 School starts at 9:15 M, T, Th, F. School starts at 7:30 on W (so we can leave for dance at 9:30). That's our schedule. :D Yep, if I don't get up early enough so that I can finish a scheduled run before 9, I don't run until later. If the kids haven't dressed before school (which for my younger means playing trains in the schoolroom), then they dress after. Etc. etc. School is our number 1 priority. It has a set schedule. Everything else can be relaxed around that priority. It's working, but my kids are very young. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anneofalamo Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 school days up at 7, school at 8 breakfast and am chores grammar math break history/science vocab/spelling alek (math part 2) Spanish lunch and lunch chores writing reading independent work or computer work (typing or computer skills) after school chores done by 3 latest, because I am empty about 1pm! ha ha and fake it for a few hours we school Monday thru Thursday during regular school year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelaNYC Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 Academics start around 10am and we're finished by around 1pm. We are very laid back. Sometimes we'll stay in our pajamas. Ds likes to get up and get dressed, though. We use Ambleside Online (CM) Year 2-3 for 9 y/o ds in 4th grade. Mondays Read out loud Artist Composer Dictation Spanish Nature Tues, Thu, & Fridays Math Spelling Read out loud 1 AO Reading 1 Free Reading Poetry Copywork Wednesdays 5 AO Readings Spelling Read out loud Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joyofsixreboot Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 We have a general progression but are not sticklers for being on the dot. 7:30-8:00~7yo drags out her books which shames 9yo into starting too 9:30-10:00~snack and 15 minutes outside unless the neighbor is building an ark or an igloo 11:00-11:30~lunch after lunch they read or play and I break until 12:00 to eat 'cause I read while they eat M-spanish at 1:00, W-piano at 1:00, Th~PE at 2:00 T&F~finish up anything not done and do art M~3:30 Daisies T,W,Th~Boys&Girls club 3:30-5:00-they get to play, I get an hour to clean up around here or veg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 We are on our way to starting a new schedule. We didn't quite make it today because neither of us heard the alarm go off at 8a. Essentially we are working on starting our day at 7a instead 9:30. We will start with a 30 minute wake up period, breakfast, then move on to our daily exercise and running. We started C25K yesterday. After exercise will be shower and then school. I'm still working on getting chores into the mix. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcconnellboys Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 I have always tried to start at 8. I fought with fatigue when I was hsing my older son and we would often sleep later if we could (i.e., nothing out of the house that day), and then make it up by doing school later in the day to finish, catching up the next day, etc. I don't have that problem any more and my younger son has always tended to wake very early. So now that he's getting to be a teen, his "sleeping in" still easily gets us up to start at 8. I like for him to be dressed with teeth brushed before 8 so that we don't have to interrupt school work for him to get dressed. We have things out of the house most days. That said, we don't have anything out of the house on Wednesday until mid-afternoon this year. So if he sleeps right up until 8 then I will certainly let him get up and start (we virtually never eat breakfast; none of us has ever liked to, so I don't force it....). Since it takes him all of 5 minutes to put on his clothes and brush his teeth and hair, it's really not that big a deal to me and generally just comes out of our lunch hour, anyway. He is in a pretty good habit of tidying his bed when he gets out of it, so that's generally not an issue. As I do laundry throughout the week, he folds and puts away all towels, washcloths, cleaning rags, placemats, etc. for me. He also hangs his clothing and puts it in his closet. He has a hamper in his room which he is in a pretty good habit of using (save for socks, lately, for some reason....) He generally does this work after school or in the evening, before bed, so there's really not ever a mess in the way of clothes that he needs to pick up, etc. My schedule for this year looks like this: 8-9 Do a variety of things related to Bible/religion studies; do a geography related activity, generally a workbook page of some type or mapwork; do a page or two from a chemistry workbook; read things related to our history and/or science studies for the week. 9-10 Math work 10-11 Language arts work (grammar; writing/lit; vocab study) 11-12 work on languages - Latin/Greek on M,W,F and Spanish on T,R 12-1 lunch 1-1:30 - logic (which I've been ignoring for a while now because I'm just not thrilled with it this year....) 1:30-3:30 history/lit and science, alternating days, if we're not getting interrupted by outside classes. When we do get interrupted, then I'm squeezing in reading time around other activities whenever I get the chance, putting readings on tape so that he can listen while we're in the car, or he's reading the thing himself, etc., etc..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5wolfcubs Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 Part of me wants to have everything rolling like a well-oiled machine and the other part just wants to be! . I know how you feel! I go back and forth on the schedule/laid back issue myself. First semester of this year was very laid back. Everything got done (checklists) but when/where/in what order was...random. I'd like to try for a little more structure this semester because I want to add some more activities (both at home and out of the house) to the day. I have two girls doing high school work (DD16 & DD14) and three boys in 5th, 2nd & K (DS10, DS8, DS5), and a one year wild card...I mean, baby girl. My current plan for days when we're home is looking like this: 7:00 breakfast, then dress & brush teeth 8:00 Work with DS5 8:30 Work with DS8 9:15 American History with DD16, DD14, DS10 9:45 Snack break 10:00 Work with DS10 11:00 Monthly Theme Subject with DS10, DS8, DS5 11:30 Free time until lunch (OR finish school!) 12:00 Lunch 12:30 Boys clean kitchen with Mom 1:00 Work with DD14 (Boys silent reading!) 2:00 Work with DD16 (Boys free play) 3:00 Snack & chores 4:00 Boys computer time, start dinner The girls get up when they want (8-9am), do their work as they wish throughout the day, and go to bed about 11pm. We work together for about an hour in the evening after the boys go to bed. Nance's blog Life without School is great for seeing how much can be accomplished without a set schedule! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
athomemom Posted January 4, 2011 Author Share Posted January 4, 2011 I admire the schedules you've shared so much. Maybe I just need more discipline! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirstin Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 My Favorite Subject. :lol: Routines and Goals ( Whether or not ever actually followed......shhhhhh! ) I've decided that I want to raise men who are accustomed to discipline and work ethic to a healthy degree....and since I'm naturally VERY procrastinating and verging on lazy/too dreamy....I have to have a routine we constantly work at. I was homeschooled. We never had to get up at a consistent decent time, do a certain amount of tasks, get dressed, and diligently do anything much less school. I'd rather my boys be driven differently in their adulthood. So..... The routine I'm ever working toward has always been some variation of this: Rise and Shine! 5:00 - I excercise, shower, read and get some alone time. THEN - an hour and a half or so later - the boys get up, make beds, do chores, get dressed, etc. We shoot for a breakfast and bible study around 6:30ish. School Time 7:00 - Math 8:00 - Language Arts Stuff 9:00 - Hist./ Geo./ S.S. Stuff 10:00 - Science or Art (we rotate days) 11:00 - Spanish or ASL (rotate days) 11:30 Lunch, (Review Classical Conversations with CD), Brush Teeth 12:00 Music theory and instrument with boy #1(Rotating other boys to Edu-Software or Other Drills) 12:30 Music theory and instrument with boy #2(Rotating other boys to Edu-Software or Other Drills) 1:00 Music theory and instrument with boy #3(Rotating other boys to Edu-Software or Other Drills) 1:30 FINISHED!!!!! I have to go to work every day from 2:30ish (travel time) to 6:30 (when I arrive home) to teach music lessons. (An interruption I hope to be rid of next year). Evening & Night 5:00 - Family eats supper without me, cleans up dishes (yes, it's a dream) 6:00 - Kids shower and brush teeth 6:30 - I get home, "Family Play Time" (X-Box Kinnect (Christmas gift from grandparents), Board Game, Draw, Other Project) 7:30 - Sometimes dad reads to the boys and they play chess... Mom - gets personal time on the piano / guitar for my own skills / lesson prep. 8:30 - Boys to bed. I read a chapter of something to them, we quickly review our CC Memory work (with the cards), say a prayer and lights out. 9:00 - I study my spanish or something, read a book, plan things, get sucked into the computer....etc. 10:00ish Light Out for me and hubby. Whew! I'd say we get some portions of this right about 2 times a week, and the WHOLE thing (loosely) maybe 1 time every couple of weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angela in ohio Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 I am concerned with building habits, so we do dress no matter what, and we do have certain things that need to be done each day. Other than that, there is a lot of flexibility in our days. I kept a pretty strict schedule when dc were little, which put that habit in them to manage time well, so now they can be trusted to get everything done without me needing to schedule or remind them. :001_smile: I think it does and should change as dc get older. My older girls are on what looks like a block schedule, so they have assignments that are due either weekly or twice weekly in each area. They have freedom to choose what to do as long as those deadlines are met. So they might do a bit of everything one day, or they might just work on one subject for a long time. I think they will be well-prepared for college and life because of that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
athomemom Posted January 5, 2011 Author Share Posted January 5, 2011 I am concerned with building habits, so we do dress no matter what, and we do have certain things that need to be done each day. Other than that, there is a lot of flexibility in our days. I think this is us. Except we do not always get dressed in clothes to go out. We would rather be more comfy. I kept a pretty strict schedule when dc were little, which put that habit in them to manage time well, so now they can be trusted to get everything done without me needing to schedule or remind them. :001_smile: I did the same when the boys were little. And lots of things DO get done without my reminding them. However, they are still boys...and need more prodding. :tongue_smilie: I think it does and should change as dc get older. My older girls are on what looks like a block schedule, so they have assignments that are due either weekly or twice weekly in each area. They have freedom to choose what to do as long as those deadlines are met. So they might do a bit of everything one day, or they might just work on one subject for a long time. I think they will be well-prepared for college and life because of that. My guys have a list and know what to do without me as well. I think I'm missing the younger days when *I* scheduled everything. At this point, I let them decided what to do first....Maybe I'm missing elementary school? I really appreciate everyone sharing how they do things. One would think in our 7th year of schooling we'd have it all down! (NOT!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiegirl Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 We do not have a set schedule for ever day. Every day is different depending on the kids' activities. Some days we start at 9, other days it isn't until after lunch. Some weeks we have to do school on Sat. It changes up constantly. I am not good with a set-in-stone schedule. I like variety. I figure what does it matter when it gets done as long as it gets done. That form of thinking might bite me as my children get older but it is how we carry out life for right now. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thescrappyhomeschooler Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 My aspie son needs a routine and schedule, so even though it's difficult for me some days to get going, this is basically what we do: 8:00- 9:00- get up, eat breakfast, get dressed, wash face, brush teeth, etc. 9:00- 11:00- school - every day we put up magnets of each subject we are doing in the order in which we will do them 11:00- 12:00- exercise and playtime 12:00-1:00- lunch, relaxing 1:00-2:30- more school 2:30-6:00- chores, playtime, misc. errands, etc. 6:00-7:00- dinner 8:30- read aloud 9:30- bed time This is for the days we are completely at home. They both have cub scouts and other activities on Monday and Tuesday evenings. We used to leave Wednesday open for library, errands, etc. We are switching to Mondays for this because they are taking a homeschool theatre class on Mondays, so we will go to the library and do errands after that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peela Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 I always felt we just wouldnt get our work done and school day over, if we didnt get started at a fixed time each day. Since teh kids often had afternoon activities, we couldnt just take all day. So we had a routine for years- 7am get up, 8.30am school started. However...I am a morning person. I am not good in the afternoons- that made a strong impact on my decision to make sure we got most of our work done in the mornings. If I wasnt like that, I might not have been so rigid about it. I think routines are good, but everyone is unique and i wouldnt say what worked for me would work for everyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2_girls_mommy Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 I recently started a strict schedule. We were just so in the habit of too laid back, that schoolwork was taking all day. We have done this for 2 days now, and so far it is wonderful. Here is a link to the thread where I posted my schedule if you want to see it: http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=234377 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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