Seton Magazine Catholic Homeschool Articles, Advice & Resources
Summary
With a schedule, you can stay on track by simply looking at the clock, see where you’re supposed to be, and start there. It helps a lot.Keeping on track is difficult when everyone is home every day, and the house never seems to get picked up.
It’s easy to lose track of who did what for school. The kids are spread all over the house and in and out of the kitchen, looking for snacks all day. Add in a bout of bickering or two, and mom is overwhelmed. At least, that is what often happened to me.
My husband, at one point, had enough and asked me to come up with a schedule that made sense for the day. A schedule to help me get all the things done and keep the children busy most of the time.
I’m sharing with you the first schedule I ever made. At the time I was homeschooling five, had two-year-old twins, and was pregnant. It was crazy. This schedule gave me a framework to create a rhythm for our days.
All these things did not happen at their allotted times. But if I found myself off track, I would look at the clock, see where I was supposed to be, and start there. It helped a lot.
That schedule changed many times over the years, and now with only three big kids at home, I haven’t any need for such a thing. It’s just a table I made in Word (Pages in Mac) and colored it pretty because that’s my way. Please take it and make it your own.
The Essential Cleaning Schedule
That said, the schedule most important to my peace of mind these days is the cleaning schedule. We still have a lot of people living here, and it is essential that everyone be responsible for the upkeep of the house. I cannot do it all by myself, nor should I expect to. I cribbed this from a friend years ago. Again, it’s just a table in Word, and I fill it out every week or so, changing the jobs as I see fit.
Having an ordered household helps keep me from being completely overwhelmed. It also teaches the children how to keep a house. They can all cook, clean, and do laundry. These are essential life skills that, much like cursive handwriting, are not being taught anywhere. Call it Home Ec., and make sure the kids have time to do chores, preferably before their free time. You will all benefit from the experience.
