Those who school in the morning, what do your afternoons look like?

[rafiki]

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[MIch elle]

1:00 - IEW Ancient History Writing (w/ some help)

1:45 - IEW Spelling (independent)

2:00 - reading (The Phantom Toll Booth - Calvert)

2:45 - science or geography (Calvert 6) read aloud together

All done independently:

3:15 - piano

3:30 - guitar

Vocabulary Cartoons

Daily Paragraph Edit

finish math (if not finished in AM)

[Pata]

We don't always finish school in the morning since my dd is a late riser and we don't always start right away, but that's the plan. That said I do sometimes save projects, art and music for after lunch. That way there is no time limit on them. Once a week we do nature study in the afternoons and once a week we visit the library in the afternoon. The only other structure I add is rest time, she has to play quietly in her room by herself for an hour everyday. Hope that helps!

[kewb]

Our afternoons look something like this:

Mon: 1:30-2:15 -Swimming

2:30-3:15 -Gym Class

Go home and play with friends who are now home from school

 

Tues: Sometimes a scheduled activity (today we are going to a local wildlife center) or errands i.e. I need to go grocery shopping

3:45 - 5:45-Hebrew School

 

Wed: Sometimes a scheduled activity (such as the library)/errands and independent play/reading until friends get home from school.

 

Thurs: Sometimes a scheduled activity or errands.

3:45 - 5:45-Hebrew School

 

Fri: Field Trip/and independent play/reading until friends get home from school.

 

Afternoons are usually left up to them once household chores are done. Sometimes they play together, sometimes they do there own thing. My two are 8 and 10 if that makes a difference.

[Guest 4boys]

We are a little less structured. After lunch the two youngest nap and the two oldest either have quiet time or go outside to play. At around 3 pm everyone is awake and we usually have a snack. Then we often read our read-aloud and the kids play until supper, unless I have things (chores) I need them to help me with.

[chai]

I used to do a structured art project. Now, I let dd do her own thing.

 

We finish school at 12:00. DD has lunch and usually reads. (She always has a book in her hands.) She is required to practice piano for at least 30 minutes. I intended to require another 30 minutes of something school-related, but it has happened. All other time is her own.

 

Monday, she has a piano lesson; Tuesday is choir; Thursday is an equestrian lesson; and Friday, she has co-op classes.

[Karen in CO]

Right now we aren't doing any gymnastics or things like that so we are don't have places to go in the afternoons. My dd goes to a ps enrichment school on Thursday (this is when I do errands), I work on Friday 2pm-2am. So we really only have three afternoons. I make sure we get all of our school work done before lunch - even if we get a late start because I sleep late on Monday so somedays lunch isn't until after 1pm.

 

We eat lunch together and chat then I get them busy for at least a half hour of chores each. After school, lunch and chores, I send them outside to play. Anyone that doesn't want to play outside is welcome to help me finish cleaning up inside. I take a break and play with them for a little while (or a long while), then start dinner. They clean up again before dinner. After dinner is cleaned up is baths and playing with Dad time. The young ones have an early bedtime. The older one either hangs out with us or friends.

 

I try to keep afternoons relaxed. They are allowed to watch tv or play on the computer after they play outside, but often they don't come back in the house at all.

[Matryoshka]

We have things going on almost every afternoon, ugh.

 

Monday - 1:30 4H

3:30-5:30 I teach two different levels of Spanish (with other kids)

 

Tues - 4:00 - ballet for dd1

4:35 - skating for dd2 and dd3

 

Weds - 1-3 Chorus

When we get home, usually do writing homework

 

Thurs - This is technically free, but often we end up cramming in stuff we didn't get to on all those busy days! Sometimes we have a playdate.

 

Fri - 1-3 Writing class

3-6:30 dd1 has two ballet classes. In the hour inbetween, she does her German homework. Other two dds do their German homework at home.

 

Hate to say it, but Sun. afternoon is usually full of catch-up work too.

 

After 5:30 the kids are allowed to watch an educational video or do something educational on the computer. On the weekend I'll allow some less educational screen time, but still after 5:30.

[Colleen in NS]

1-3 p.m. "naptime" in rooms - finish any independent work (math problems, Latin exercises, etc.) from the morning, misc. assigned reading (lit., sci., hist.), play in room. I read, post, study ahead on Latin/grammar/math, sleep.

 

3-4 p.m. ideally, we all go for a walk - or else the kids go outside to play

 

4-5:30 play and free time for kids or finish any schoolwork that needs me from the morning (which I try really hard to eliminate!) - me, catchup or play with kids or start supper.

 

So, yes, I plan the afternoon, but in big, general chunks of time. They know what happens during these times. If their required schoolwork is done, they get to choose free time activities. If anyone starts getting antsy to the point of getting into trouble, they have to go outside (or I make them do jumping jacks or something silly to get them laughing and calmed down, til they can think of something else to do that will absorb them). I find that scheduling general big blocks of time is more productive for us than scheduling 15 and 30 min. blocks of time. I have done that before, a lot, and it drove us all crazy.

Edited December 9, 2008 by Colleen in NS

[Haiku]

We school from 8:30 to between 11:30 and 12. (The first 45 minutes are me reading reading to the kids, and we take a 15-minute break at 10:30, so it's not like my young kids are sitting at the table for 3-3 1/2 hours).

 

After that, we have lunch, the kids play for a bit, and from 1:30-3:00 we all have rest.

 

After that, the kids are on their own while I do housework. Usually, before I start dinner, I read to them or play a game with them, and we usually all do something together as a family in the evening.

 

I don't worry about scheduling or structuring their free time. My kids do fine with less structure as long as we have structure to the mornings. If the kids start to seem aimless, I tell them "You need to find something to do." If they can't, then I have them help me with housework. Most of the time they entertain themselves just fine. It's been a work in progress, though, and the "entertain themselves" has improved as they have gotten older.

 

I don't view it as my role to entertain my kids, so I try to avoid doing that if they seem at loose ends. I want them to use their "bored" time to figure out how to occupy themselves. I only step in to direct them if their loose ends are hampering me.

 

Tara

[KAM]

We're usually done with lessons/lunch/reading to the 3 y.o. by 1 pm. I try to get everyone, including the baby outside for an hour if it isn't too cold. After that, I try to leave them pretty much on their own if we aren't going out. I had planned to do an afternoon devoted to nature study but that hasn't happened yet, I feel like they need the free time to decompress. During this time, I do household stuff/cooking/play with the baby etc.

 

If there is squabbling or boredom I'll usually say "if you can't get along/entertain yourself, come with me and help with the laundry". They'll usually occupy themselves pretty quick! We do go out somewhere three afternoons also, usually for lessons and other activities.

[Narrow Gate Academy]

Our schedule for the afternoon is:

 

1:00-3:00 DD9 finishes school work and reads, DD7 read and quiet activities, DS4 naps, DS7mo naps part of the time, Mom does computer work and some housework

3:00-3:30 Snack and read together

3:30 - 4:00 Clean up and chores

4:00 - 5:00 Free play

5:00 - 5:30 Help with dinner or entertain the baby

 

I'm not as strict at following the afternoon schedule. How much time I spend with the older kids ends up depending on the mood of the youngest and how well he napped that day. HTH

[tinkgumby]

We don't have an afternoon schedule. At all. I'm so very much not a schedule person that it's hard enough for me to get through school, let alone try to schedule their free time! They usually play outside, play with Legos, have a playdate, read, play some games . . . whatever. Once in a while I'll have them clean their room or do some extra chores if needed.

[Mallory]

We are often done with school lunch and chores by around 12:00.

 

About 12:00- 3:30, they have free time, I might run errands, but the two big boys often stayhome. If they are having problems (arguing), or occasionally if I need help with one of the babies, I will tell them what to do, otherwise they are on thier own. Video games, outside, legos, ect.

 

The around 3:30 they are usually scrambling around to get thier last chores or schoolwork done so they can play when their friends get home from school.

 

From about 4:00-6:00 this time of year they play outside (it is much longer when the sun is up later).

 

When they come back in, we eat, do guitar/recorder practice, and history and other read alouds, before going to bed.

[Ferdie]

My kids afternoons look something like this:

 

12:30 lunch and break

1:00 group history, read aloud, make corrections from morning

2:00 quiet reading time and chores

3:00 play with friends/neighbors/each other or errands

6:00 dinner

[MerryAtHope]

When my kids were the ages of yours, I didn't plan a lot. My kids had an hour or more to play outside if the weather was nice, and usually 1-2 hours for rest time (they played quietly, listened to stories on tape--they did all kinds of things from legos to dolls to art, etc...). When they were very young I structured their time more because after 30 minutes of freetime they got into trouble, LOL! but by this age they were fairly self-directed. Sometimes we also played games together, or went on field trips or to a friend's house, etc...

 

HTH, Merry :-)

[iquilt]

Mon. - free time/errands

Tues. - finishing school since we have music classes in the am

Wed. - music class for youngest and choir at church

Thurs. - free time/errands

Fri. - playgroup and/or library

 

We try to preserve our free time, especially when the weather is nice out.

[Stacy in NJ]

My children are older than yours, 10 and 11, so YMMV.

 

We usually finish school between 1 and 2. On Mon, Wed, and Thurs we have activities outside the house at 4ish. Tuesday afternoons we usually do extra house chores or visit with friends.

 

So, really, we have from 2-4 as free time. My boys play outside, play with neighbors, do homework, work on lego type projects, watch Animal Planet or read.

 

I like having a loose structure to my days from morning to bedtime. I find we're better able to keep occupied in a purposefully way.

[alpidarkomama]

My kids are 5, 3, 2, and 1. We pretty much learn 10:00-1:00, year-round on the days DH is at work. We take a week off here and there as we need it (like when the weather gets really nice!!!).

 

Monday afternoons I teach a music and art class (2:30-5:00) to my daughter (and her younger sibs) and two of her friends (Kindergarten). It's GREAT! One of the friends usually stays for extra playtime and/or dinner and/or slumber party.

 

Tuesday and Thursday afternoons we have swimming lessons. I teach 2.25 hours of piano lessons on Tuesdays and DH takes them to swimming.

 

Wednesdays I leave open. We take the whole day for a field trip if I feel we've been pretty industrious.

 

Friday afternoons they get to watch a "treat movie" (the rest of the week when I'm fixing dinner they watch "protein movies" AKA science, reading, Hebrew, torah dvds) while I get ready for shabbat (Jewish sabbath).

 

We also have playdates here and there. Our schedule feels pleasant and relaxed, and I love learning year-round.

[mamaof2andtwins]

My children are older now, but we are still done at noon. When they were younger we would have lunch and then quiet time would be from about 1-2 PM. Sometimes I took it to 2:30 when everyone was still napping. Then they had free play. This was their grand opportunity to go outside or free play with each other.

 

Nowadays, my oldest dd is at the horse barn M-W from about 1:30 to 3:30. On Wednesdays, I am there as well because she and her younger sister have riding lessons. On Thursdays, we have our gym and swim program. Fridays is about the only day that I am home anymore.

 

Honestly, I miss those afternoon quite times. :sad:

 

Jennie

[Closeacademy]

Most afternoons are filled with play. But sometimes we do other things:

 

go to the library once a week

park days

field trips

baking

painting

art

singing

stories

 

 

I find that unstructured play leads to lots of creativity. For instance this week my oldest has made herself and the other children each their own paper doll complete with clothes and accessories.

 

They spend a lot of time stretching the imagination in the afternoon. :001_smile:

[sgilli3]

How do you balance structure and free time?

 

Do you guide your children to a certain task if they seem to be wandering?

 

How much of your afternoon is spent doing something directly with the kids?

 

Do you plan your afternoons?

 

I need to tweak our routine and am look for a peek into what is working for others. Thanks in advance for sharing.

 

My boys are 8.5, just turned 7 and almost 5.

 

We have very relaxed afternoons.

We have generally finished schooling by 12.30 - 1pm.

The afternoon is theirs to play, read, run around etc.

The youngest goes down for a nap from 1.30 - 5.30, so those 4 hrs, the elder 2 ( 11 + 9 1/2), can do as they wish. Its a good time for them to use their computers or play with things they dont want their toddler sister to touch.

During this time, I play scrabble on the computer, catch up on emails, I moderate on another site, I tidy up a little, and prepare dinner.

 

When the toddler wakes, older 2 will play with her.

I cook dinner, then its showers/baths and either TV or a board game before bed.

 

I like the kids to have an unstructured afternoon- its more relaxing for us all.

[SophiaH]

We finish the bulk of our schooling by 11:30, then pick up the house and have lunch.

 

The kids go to "rest time" in their rooms around 12:45. My eldest will listen to audiobooks while coloring or organizing her rock collection or playing. My son will play 'quietly'.;) My youngest will play with the older two until about I put her down for a nap around 1:30 or 2:00. This is my time to clean, catch up on the computer, and do a lesson in Henle.

 

2:45: Dd6 does computer math drills and math games

Ds4 finishes cleaning up his room

3:00: Dd6 reads aloud to ds and I (a different reader every day, i.e. McGuffey, Pathway, CLE, etc.)

3:30: Afternoon chores

3:45: Dd6 practices piano (SimplyMusic); I play with ds or help him with his chores

4:00: TEA TIME!! (Our favorite time of the day, and a holdover from our days living in Ireland. The kids get to drink out of 'real' mugs, we have our afternoon snack, and mom or dad read aloud--poetry, Eggleston's history books, Burgess nature stories, Stories from the Millers, etc...)

4:45: Kids play with daddy, usually going for a hike, riding bikes, etc. until dinner around 6:00.

Edited December 11, 2008 by mommahawk
added info