I completed planning our daily schedule for the coming year last week, and we’ll start to ease into it now, with the plan being that within a month, our days will be running along the timeline that I’ve scheduled. I’ve found that a gradual transition from the summer schedule of late mornings, late nights, and days that are wide open smooths the way, instead of making abrupt changes from one week to the next at the end of August. The hardest transition is going to be for me, not the kids, because the success of the schedule depends on me getting up early enough, which depends on me getting to sleep at a decent hour, something I continue to struggle with.

Here’s the basic schedule for Monday through Thursday (Sunday and Fridays have a number of differences, and those are addressed on the academic schedule, that I still have to finish):

7:30 am – wake up, get dressed, clean room

8 am – morning prayers

8:30 am – breakast

9 am – chores (according to what’s listed on chore chart on fridge)

9:30 – 1:30 – academics

1:30 pm – lunch

2 – 3 – independent reading

3 – 5:30 pm – free play

5:30 – clean up of main living area

6 pm – dinner

7 pm – readaloud

8 pm – bedtime – baby, toddler, 6, 7, 9 year olds

9 pm – bedtime – 12 and 13 year olds

9:30 pm – bedtime  15 year old (he gets us earlier than the rest of us)

10:30 – bedtime for me (I had to write this in for myself to make me feel more committed!)

When I look at this schedule, it looks so sterile to me! I know how many things go on every single day, with each of the kids being busy with their own activities, but it looks cut and dried and dull as it’s written, doesn’t it?

When I write the schedule, I allow more time than I think necessary for everything, because it’s better to have extra time left over than to not have enough time and then be feeling like I’m running behind the entire day.  I know, though, that almost all of the kids will finish everything they have to do academically, including their mandatory daily reading, by lunchtime.  My daughter who is entering 9th grade is the one most likely to need some of the extra time after lunch to complete her reading, which is why I officially scheduled reading time, so she doesn’t feel like she has to keep working and working when everyone officially has free time.  I think I’ll probably encourage the others to do free reading then or to listen to an audio presentation, something the 7 and 9 year olds love. (Somehow the six year old doesn’t enjoy them…maybe I need to look for more simple presentations for him, as his listening skills aren’t as advanced as theirs and he gets bored by their selections.) Those who are finished all of their work have the option to use any of the time left before lunch however they want, which usually means playing outside. 

My 9, 12, 13, and 15 year olds all have daily mandatory reading.  I have a shelf of books that they can choose books from, each on their level.  These books usually correspond to the historical period that I want to cover, but not always.  I’m still wavering about how long to have them each read for on a daily basis.  Last year they all had to read for an hour (that didn’t include their own reading that they chose to do later on), and I’ve been thinking about if there’s any benefit to increasing it two hours for the older ones, which I told them a while back was what they should expect this year.  But now I don’t think the benefits justify making the change, so I’ve written this schedule for only an hour of daily reading. 

During the morning academic hours, I’m available to help the older kids with their work when they have questions, but this past year have shifted the emphasis to be more actively involved with the younger kids (ages 7 and down).  Part of this time we have a read aloud that is different from our evening read aloud, and it’s geared towards the 6, 7, and 9 year olds.  Right now we’re reading the Little House on the Prairie series, again.  I read it with my oldest three, and now it’s time for the next three children to enjoy it!  The two year old often snuggles up with us, and the baby is either taking a nap, playing on the floor, or in my lap. (I love Little House on the Prarie, and my kids are relating to it differently this year than their siblings did when we read it in the past, since they relate to things that we do which are similar to what we’re reading about, things we either didn’t do in the past, or didn’t talk about so the kids weren’t conscious of it.)   

So that’s the basic schedule of our days!  I find that as basic as it is, it gives a feeling of structure to even the most relaxed of days, and that is reassuring to everyone. I already know that there are a number of things that may shift throughout the year, but the general outline will remain the same.

Avivah