I have been poking around trying to figure out how to work this blogger thing and I think I have it at last! I have made lots of changes to my blog over the last few weeks and am pleased with the overall results. While I will continue to tweak here and there, I think I can officially say I am done with the layout. YAY! I am, however, still working on the content. (And if anyone can tell me why my spacing is so strange in this post, please let me know! I can't fix it!)
And not a moment too soon.
We have started school again. (Yes, these things are inevitable and must be faced eventually.) This year I decided to move beyond formulated homeschooling schedules and plans and actually try something completely on my own. **gasp!** Yes, I know we are approaching some frightening territory here, but something had to be done or we will once again be schooling all through the summer. And who needs that? The children and I want to have a little fun with the rest of the country!
So while the kids still have their lesson planners (and thanks to MODG, these have been written out for me! Yippee!) and their daily overall schedules (6am Rosary, 6:30 dressed and Math with Dad, etc) I have changed my organization quite a bit.
In the past, I have struggled with the fact that while the schedule says that at 8:30 Child 1 will be working on a paper independently, Child 2 will need 30 minutes of science time with Mom while Child 3 will be doing religion reading on her own as Child 4 works on building a 3D cathedral model, what usually happens is Child 2 will actually be done in 15 minutes while Child 3 is struggling with a doctrine that requires Mom's undivided attention while Child 4 spends most of his time chasing Child 5 who has stolen a handful of carefully painted and detailed Popsicle sticks and thrown them outside to the dogs. And, by the way, where is Child 1?
Mom then has to console the frustrated architect and then retrieve whatever was left of the sticks as Child 5 scribbles pencil marks on the freshly painted wall. While redirecting the creative energies of Child 5, the other children either get frustrated or wander off out of boredom. By then Mom has completely lost her train of thought (and perhaps her mind) and has to go around to everyone's separate planners and see what they are supposed to be doing, and what they have coming up next so she can make adjustments. And has anyone seen Child 1?
I am so deeply and profoundly sorry from the depths of my heart if you have any idea what I am talking about.
But perhaps this might help.
What I have done is this:
- I covered a bunch of index cards with clear contact paper to make them durable and clean (I learned my lesson the hard way when I spilled raw chicken juice on my first stack last week)
- I wrote times on the backs of them starting at 6am up to 3:30pm in 30 minute increments
- On the lined side I wrote each child's initials and what general class they were to be doing for that time slot. (English, math, phone into classes, etc)
- I punched a hole through the cards and put them on a key ring
- I wrote each child's assignment for each half hour time slot and stuck them to the appropriate cards
- I secured the stickies with a paperclip as a backup in case they came loose
- I attached the ring to a string
- I hung the card/schedule around my neck
- Every time a child finished early, I can see in an instant what is coming up next and adjust seamlessly
Also, (and this was key) I assigned my 3 oldest one hour each with Fulton (26 months)
I have also had the kids work with Fulton on various 2 year old projects and at nighttime, when all the other kids have "Daddy time", Fulton also has a folder of accomplishments to be proud of. Here is what he has in his folder today -
A colorful rendition of Edvard Munch's "The Scream" (which Mommy unwittingly modeled for him two weeks ago as she witnessed the scribblings on the wall. It was a turning point for us all. Really)
An oak leaf
Another leaf
An acorn
A snail shell
Which is much better than having to show Daddy this kind of accomplishment
The result: All of the children are finishing what they need to every day. Happily. And with a sense of accomplishment and pride. The baby is getting wonderful, structured time (hours outside playing a plus a tubby before lunch!) and he naps like a rock when I need him to because the kids keep him so active.
Dinners are prepared on time and the house gets 90 minutes of attention each day. Everyone's Dad time is joyful and anticipated (as in "Look at what I did!" and "Guess how sand is made!") instead of dreaded (as in, "oh no, we have to explain why we didn't get x,y and z done again")
And now I know exactly where Child 1 is.
Most of the time...
Welcome back to my blog, and have a blessed New School Year!
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