For the sake of posterity, here's a look at a "normal" day of homeschool for us.
6:10 Mom and Dad get up. Dad walks the dog, and Mom starts her day with coffee and prayers in a quiet living room.
7:00 I hear the rustling of children upstairs as their feet hit the floor and drawers open and close as they get dressed for the day.
7:15-7:30 Breakfast. Usually cereal, sometimes biscuits and eggs. Sorry, guys. Mom doesn't love cooking breakfast. John and the dog are back from their walk around this time.
7:45 After the boys have grudgingly made beds and brushed teeth, we gather in the living room for family prayers. This is something we started at the beginning of Covid, and it's one of those small blessings that has come out of the pandemic.
7:50-8:00 The boys make a beeline outside for swings and backyard play.
8:00 John heads to his work from home office in our guest room, and I holler outside that it's time for school. Everyone starts with Math. I make sure that the big three are set for their lessons, and then my youngest and I do calendar, weather, and sight word practice. Then he and I get to work on his math. It's just a page or two a day.
8:15 Usually by now someone, or everyone, is stuck on something. This is the tricky part: how Mom can patiently appease four young boys who need four different things at the same time. I'm trying to encourage them to move on to a different problem until I can help, but if they're stuck it takes the wind out of their sails. I've also noticed it takes us a solid 20-30 minutes in the morning to get into a groove. Until the groove, someone is usually chatting or humming or staring aimlessly out the big picture window. (Side note- the mail's arrival is a huge distraction every morning.)
9:00 By now, 1st and 3rd grader are finishing up their work for the entire day. I grade as they finish their work so I know that they are understanding the subjects. As soon as I give the word that they are officially done, they are OUT OF THERE. For now, they've been pretty content to play outside, build with Legos, or draw. I have some things set aside for those days when they need more direction, but I hope to save those as long as I can.
9:00 Big two boys are usually annoyed that the little two are done, so they head to the kitchen for a snack and a break. 15 minutes of play or free reading, and they come back in much better moods.
9:15-10:00 Now that the youngest two are out of the room, the big two can really dive into their remaining subjects without too many interruptions. Unless the dog comes in, and then it's all bets off. George is our 3 year old yellow lab mix/school mascot, and he moseys in occasionally to sniff and beg for attention. Boys are happy to oblige.
10:30 We are in the middle of the first quarter as I write this post, so the majority of the boys' work is review. From what I've researched, their work will become much more time-consuming as we progress, but for now, my hard-working kids are usually done by this time of day. Once I've graded all subjects (this doesn't take long since each subject is just a page or two and I have all the answer keys- HALLELUJAH), I give the all clear and they watch some TV before lunch.
11:00 Lunch- Over the years I've discovered that the best way to have a peaceful lunch is for everyone to bring reading material to the table. They read nonfiction books, chapter books, or even Calvin and Hobbes.
12:00-3:00 Outside play, daily chores, and 20 minutes of screen time per kid. I rest some during this time.
3:00 This is the time of day when boys are bored and restless. Once a week or so we'll head to a park to get out some wiggles. I'm praying for a mild winter!
4:15 The fun parent is usually off work by now. I work on dinner while John hangs out with the boys.
5:00-8:00 Normal family stuff: dinner, dishes, play, showers, TV, prayers, bed.
9:30 Mom is usually dead asleep by this time of night. I'm so thankful for these days together.
No comments:
Post a Comment