Jump to content

Menu

Help with schedule!!! (Large family/homeschooling)


Recommended Posts

I was hoping for some help from other moms on the Hive. I'm getting annoyed at myself for not having a good schedule and and only so-so routine right now. It is difficult because we do have 5 kids ... including a baby and a toddler. The toddler sometimes doesn't take great naps and other times does. I recently tried to wake up earlier than the rest of the group but that doesn't seem to be working well ... for one because I'm breastfeeding and feel like I need to feed baby immediately or I'm uncomfortable. Also, even if I wake up super early the baby will be up with me (because of bfing) and the older kids are usually awake and playing early in the morning.

 

If you have young kids... how many times do you do laundry per week (every day or only 1 day or certain days?)

 

What jobs and chores do your kids do if they are 7 and under (my oldest is developmentally delayed ... more like a 5 yr old in some ways). I've had my kids help with dishes, sweeping, laundry, cleaning up ... but I'm not consistent and haven't been enforcing anything lately as I feel like I'm in survival mode for myself to just keep up with everything and keep the house somewhat clean (not nearly like I would like it to look like!)

 

We have set snack times and meal times. We have a set school time which has recently changed because I realized that trying to school the older kids when my toddler is present is not working any more. Maybe in a few months he'll be a little less wild but right now he gets into everything!!! So in the past few weeks I've started my school day at 10:30 (unless I get the kids to do independent work before then) with lessons starting around then and going for a few hours and then more independent work while toddler plays.

 

I just need help with my own routine, kids chores, and if it is better to do scheduled days (one day is laundry day, one day is baking day, etc) or just have set times throughout every day for things that need to be done.

 

I appreciate any new perspectives and help I can get. I know it is hard whenever we add a new baby and especially with such young kids ... I would just like to feel a sense of normalcy in my routine and like it is working ... right now I just don't feel that ... I feel that I'm running around like crazy.

 

If you read all of this - thank you!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've only got four, but they are all close. I've worked hard to make sure my olders pitch in around the house. The three olders wake, eat breakfast, dress, clean their rooms and empty a portion of the dishwasher. While they do that, I look over last minute school pieces, check my email and get into a mood where I can be congenial. I'm not a morning person. In the AM, we do math and language for my older and reading for #2. Then we do a quick tidy and then lunch. After lunch is quiet time and nap time. I LOVE quiet time! Then I send them all outside to play. We complete our content subject after that. Our deal after all of that is they need to clean the living room within 15 minutes and they can watch a television show while I cook dinner. My husband loads the dishwasher before we go to bed to do it all over again.

 

My advice would be to add in a bit at a time. First aim for being up in the morning with happy attitudes and breakfast done. Don't beat yourself up if you don't do gourmet breakfast. My kids happily have Cheerios every morning. As long as they're fed, you've met your goal. Slow and steady!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you have young kids... how many times do you do laundry per week (every day or only 1 day or certain days?)
I aim for one load a day. On weekends when I have people change sheets (in theory...they are SUPPOSED to change sheets but they usually don't - sigh) it might be a load or two more.

 

What jobs and chores do your kids do if they are 7 and under (my oldest is developmentally delayed ... more like a 5 yr old in some ways). I've had my kids help with dishes, sweeping, laundry, cleaning up ... but I'm not consistent and haven't been enforcing anything lately as I feel like I'm in survival mode for myself to just keep up with everything and keep the house somewhat clean (not nearly like I would like it to look like!)
This is just off the top of my head based on memory...

mopping

sweeping

my oldest was cleaning the bathroom at age 7

general picking up

my current 7yo cleans out the microwave and LOOOOOOOOOOOVES it LOL

cleaning windows

putting away laundry

 

One thing that helps here with school and a toddler is I assign times for my olders to occupy the youngers. Even if it's just 30 minutes at a time, it can help a little.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was hoping for some help from other moms on the Hive. I'm getting annoyed at myself for not having a good schedule and and only so-so routine right now. It is difficult because we do have 5 kids ... including a baby and a toddler. The toddler sometimes doesn't take great naps and other times does. I recently tried to wake up earlier than the rest of the group but that doesn't seem to be working well ... for one because I'm breastfeeding and feel like I need to feed baby immediately or I'm uncomfortable. Also, even if I wake up super early the baby will be up with me (because of bfing) and the older kids are usually awake and playing early in the morning.

 

If you have young kids... how many times do you do laundry per week (every day or only 1 day or certain days?)

 

What jobs and chores do your kids do if they are 7 and under (my oldest is developmentally delayed ... more like a 5 yr old in some ways). I've had my kids help with dishes, sweeping, laundry, cleaning up ... but I'm not consistent and haven't been enforcing anything lately as I feel like I'm in survival mode for myself to just keep up with everything and keep the house somewhat clean (not nearly like I would like it to look like!)

 

We have set snack times and meal times. We have a set school time which has recently changed because I realized that trying to school the older kids when my toddler is present is not working any more. Maybe in a few months he'll be a little less wild but right now he gets into everything!!! So in the past few weeks I've started my school day at 10:30 (unless I get the kids to do independent work before then) with lessons starting around then and going for a few hours and then more independent work while toddler plays.

 

I just need help with my own routine, kids chores, and if it is better to do scheduled days (one day is laundry day, one day is baking day, etc) or just have set times throughout every day for things that need to be done.

 

I appreciate any new perspectives and help I can get. I know it is hard whenever we add a new baby and especially with such young kids ... I would just like to feel a sense of normalcy in my routine and like it is working ... right now I just don't feel that ... I feel that I'm running around like crazy.

 

If you read all of this - thank you!

 

I can sooo sympathize with this. I have 6 that are 9 and under. . .4 of whom are 4 and under (I had 4 that were 3 and under when the babies were born). How old is your baby? Mine are 7 months. . .3 months ago I was so physically and emotionall exhausted that I just. couldn't. function. I promise it gets better.

 

My older 2 (7 and 9) do some chores. Basics like unloading the dishwasher and picking up supper. They also put away their own laundry. DD 7 puts away the 2 year old's laundry away as well. DS 9 puts away the 4 year old's laundry. Laundry is done every day. . .or I get behind.

 

Toy clean up 2 times a day (ideally): naptime and bedtime. My infants naps don't line up with toddler naps, so that's challenging. If that's something you can do, it would probably help.

 

I really like things clean, tidy, and organized, but I've had to let a lot go. I focus on the kitchen and the laundry. Those are the two things that cannot be left to get behind.

 

Do the best that you can. Enjoy your little ones despite all that you would like to get done. (I'm talking to myself here too;))

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was hoping for some help from other moms on the Hive. I'm getting annoyed at myself for not having a good schedule and and only so-so routine right now. It is difficult because we do have 5 kids ... including a baby and a toddler. The toddler sometimes doesn't take great naps and other times does. I recently tried to wake up earlier than the rest of the group but that doesn't seem to be working well ... for one because I'm breastfeeding and feel like I need to feed baby immediately or I'm uncomfortable. Also, even if I wake up super early the baby will be up with me (because of bfing) and the older kids are usually awake and playing early in the morning. If you have young kids... how many times do you do laundry per week (every day or only 1 day or certain days?) What jobs and chores do your kids do if they are 7 and under (my oldest is developmentally delayed ... more like a 5 yr old in some ways). I've had my kids help with dishes, sweeping, laundry, cleaning up ... but I'm not consistent and haven't been enforcing anything lately as I feel like I'm in survival mode for myself to just keep up with everything and keep the house somewhat clean (not nearly like I would like it to look like!) We have set snack times and meal times. We have a set school time which has recently changed because I realized that trying to school the older kids when my toddler is present is not working any more. Maybe in a few months he'll be a little less wild but right now he gets into everything!!! So in the past few weeks I've started my school day at 10:30 (unless I get the kids to do independent work before then) with lessons starting around then and going for a few hours and then more independent work while toddler plays. I just need help with my own routine, kids chores, and if it is better to do scheduled days (one day is laundry day, one day is baking day, etc) or just have set times throughout every day for things that need to be done. I appreciate any new perspectives and help I can get. I know it is hard whenever we add a new baby and especially with such young kids ... I would just like to feel a sense of normalcy in my routine and like it is working ... right now I just don't feel that ... I feel that I'm running around like crazy. If you read all of this - thank you!

 

If you have set meal times and snack times then that is a great start. Maybe instead of having a set school time block it may work better to tag different subjects to something you already have established. For example.. have breakfast, do a chore (have a simple one for each child), then do a math lesson. Later, snack time then phonics or handwriting. This way it's not a whole new schedule but just an extra added to the eating schedule you've already got happening.

 

Another thing, I've learned to use my early morning breastfeeding time as my quiet time. I have my kindle and/or other books etc I want to read near my bed and I feed there. It is actually quite restful and gets me ready for the day. My two year old often just stays in her cot until I'm ready;) .

 

Also... I don't know how old your toddler is but I trained my toddler to have 'blanket time'. I put a blanket down on the floor and placed her there with toys. She would spend quite awhile there while we got some work done. Now she's two I still give her blanket time if she's needing some focused time with boundaries and it still works ;)

 

HTH :001_smile:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

All I can say is that I am glad to be out of the baby and toddler stage! I feel so stressed when I read the posts of the people with new babies, toddlers, and kid to homeschool.

Anyway, I do laundry probably 5 days per week and I start at about 6am with the first load. I never do it after 3 pm because I lose my steam and life gets busy with after school activities. When my youngest was smaller I would just rotate who played with him so that I could grab 30 minutes with someone else. On nice days I would take school out on the deck so that the younger ones could play while I did some stuff with the others. That has been a lifesaver.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you for all the help and suggestions! This really helps! My baby just turned 5 months and the toddler is not quite 2 and is a challenging little one! We've been dealing with a slight speech delay and bad tantrums lately, too. I do have a set meal time/snack time ... so I could break up the school work to tag along with that. I could also get the kids to help play with the toddler so that we can do school ... that is a good idea. I probably should aim for 1 load a day and I do have the 2 middle kids put away their own clothes most of the time ... I need to have more chores, though, to follow through on. The blanket thing sounds like a great idea but I don't know how hard that would be to implement. I like the idea of doing my quiet time during morning bfing ... that would probably work!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was hoping for some help from other moms on the Hive. I'm getting annoyed at myself for not having a good schedule and and only so-so routine right now. It is difficult because we do have 5 kids ... including a baby and a toddler. The toddler sometimes doesn't take great naps and other times does. I recently tried to wake up earlier than the rest of the group but that doesn't seem to be working well ... for one because I'm breastfeeding and feel like I need to feed baby immediately or I'm uncomfortable. Also, even if I wake up super early the baby will be up with me (because of bfing) and the older kids are usually awake and playing early in the morning.

 

:grouphug: Maintaining a "normal" schedule is very very difficult with a toddler and baby.

 

If you have young kids... how many times do you do laundry per week (every day or only 1 day or certain days?)

 

We have 8 people in 4 bedrooms. Each bedroom has their own laundry day. Laundry goes in the washer and dryer one morning and the next morning it is put away.

 

What jobs and chores do your kids do if they are 7 and under (my oldest is developmentally delayed ... more like a 5 yr old in some ways). I've had my kids help with dishes, sweeping, laundry, cleaning up ... but I'm not consistent and haven't been enforcing anything lately as I feel like I'm in survival mode for myself to just keep up with everything and keep the house somewhat clean (not nearly like I would like it to look like!)

 

Its a job in itself to monitor everyone else's jobs :tongue_smilie:. Everyone helps (ideally) clearing the table after meals. My younger kids dry mop the floors, wash the table and chairs, empty the dishwasher, tidy up their toys, tidy the bathroom, give the chickens water, put away their laundry, and get a snack for their siblings.

 

We have set snack times and meal times. We have a set school time which has recently changed because I realized that trying to school the older kids when my toddler is present is not working any more. Maybe in a few months he'll be a little less wild but right now he gets into everything!!! So in the past few weeks I've started my school day at 10:30 (unless I get the kids to do independent work before then) with lessons starting around then and going for a few hours and then more independent work while toddler plays.

 

I hear you about the toddler issue - it's hard to get anything done that requires more than 3 minutes of your focused time! Is there any way your kids could take turns having "toddler/baby" playtime (20 minutes or so) to give YOU time to work with others in their lessons? Sometimes that works.

 

I just need help with my own routine, kids chores, and if it is better to do scheduled days (one day is laundry day, one day is baking day, etc) or just have set times throughout every day for things that need to be done.

 

We schedule chores around meals. After breakfast chores, after lunch chores, before dinner chores. Sometimes after dinner the whole family does a 15 minute cleaning blitz to get things in order. I tend to do better if I do a little at a time (cleaning projects, laundry, etc.) than trying to get a whole boatload done at once - everything else gets shoved aside.

 

I appreciate any new perspectives and help I can get. I know it is hard whenever we add a new baby and especially with such young kids ... I would just like to feel a sense of normalcy in my routine and like it is working ... right now I just don't feel that ... I feel that I'm running around like crazy.

 

If you read all of this - thank you!

 

:grouphug:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...