Sunday, August 9, 2009

September Routine

This blog entry actually began as a post on the Well Trained Mind board. Seeing various people post about their plans for their fall schedules, got me thinking too.


This is kind of our last week with slow summer days. This Saturday we leave for Boston. And the following week Hannah goes to the University of Dallas. I am hoping though that the first week of September we can began this routine:


6:45 Mom up, load laundry, unload dishwasher, tea and e-mail, walk dog, shower.

(I gave up on Curves for now. I've decided it would be better to be at home and try to work in more exercise along with the kids instead of it being something that takes me from home and excludes them. We'll see.)


8:30 Kids can get up anytime earlier, of course, but they must be up and dressed by 8:30 a.m.

(I think this is a good compromise between the ones in the family who like to get up early (Sean and I and sometimes Josh) and the ones in the family who like to sleep in later).


8:45 leave for daily Mass
(Josh and Will are supposed to be going to one daily Mass for their CLC group. And I like the idea of having an external force to help get us up and going in the morning. And I love going to daily Mass! I just am often too lazy!).

9:00 Mass plus socialize for a few minutes with other homeschoolers
(I think seeing other homeschoolers for a few minutes in the a.m. is great for the kids. When we went to daily Mass back when Becky was first born, I remember how much the older kids enjoyed seeing friends, even if it is just to say hi!).

9:45 or 10 Easy breakfast
(all quick stuff from Trader Joe's; instant oatmeal, cold cereal and milk, fruit and yogurt, toast, bagels, cheese, hard boiled eggs (I'm so lazy I buy them that way!)
Over breakfast I'll read aloud Religion geared to 5th and 3rd graders (Saints stories, Bible Stories, Faith and Life catechism) Teens(12th and 9th graders) may munch and listen in or go off and start their studies on their own.

Right after breakfast - quick 2 minute kitchen tidy up and then Vision Therapy homework for about 15 minutes.

Learning Centers time - rest of morning is spent working at learning centers. I have a Math/Science center, Religion/Arts and Crafts center, Reading/History center, Writing/Latin/Greek center. I would like to get math and Latin done before lunch.

(Will and Josh will work on their own. I'd like Josh to tackle Math, Science and Writing in the morning and then work on his History and Lit reading in the afternoons or evenings. but I'll leave it up to him how he wants to structure his day. Will isn't doing any Math or Science but he does have Writing, Music Theory and lots of reading to do.)

12:30 or 1:00 - Lunch - I may read history aloud to younger ones if we didn't get to it during the morning. Check up on what teens have done in a.m. (Lunch is soup and/or sandwiches, quesadillas, leftovers, frozen pizzas)

After lunch -5 minute tidy up. Writing and reading, if we didn't get to it in the morning. Otherwise catch up or continuation of anything the kids didn't finish or got really into during the morning session.

2 or 3 - Music lessons, clubs, gymnastics (depends on the activities slated for the afternoon),or free time, Mom may squeeze in some housework, kids help with chores as Mom directs. Check in/work with teens.
(Mondays teens and I will work on our Latin homework. At least two other afternoons of the week I'd like to meet with them to study Scripture and to discuss our Ancient Lit and History readings and writing.)

5:30 or so - Mom starts dinner, kids do 15/20 minute tidy up of general living quarters.
(Wednesdays Sean, Becky and I might be out at this time for a drawing class I've yet to sign us up for, but intend to do so soon!)

6:30 or 7 - dinner - after dinner, kitchen clean up, Mom checks with teens on their work, teens do more schoolwork as necessary or they can have free time.
(Mondays I'm teaching RE at our parish, so I need to think about getting the kitchen cleaned up BEFORE I leave.)

8:00 Read alouds to youngers.

8:30 prayers, showers (if not taken in a.m.)

9 or 9:30 younger kids go to bed and read; teens hang out until 11:00 or so.

I've bolded the times or pegs when specific things should happen every day.
I've italicized household stuff that I am prone to forget to do!
I've bolded and italicized the academic things I'd like to get done every day: Religion, Math, Latin, History, Writing, Reading.

Tuesday mornings will be different. Will, Josh and I have Latin and have to leave the house at 10 a.m. I foresee us doing last minute homework and review before we leave, so I don't think we'll get to Mass that morning. I'm just not that organized! Becky and Sean are tagging along and doing Catholic Heritage workbook stuff during class. Then if they are good we'll eat at Chick-fil-a.

I've typed permutations of this several times before. Have I already posted about this? Anyway, this is the version I'm going with in a couple of weeks!


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