This week there’s another blogging chicks carnival. The theme is either a story about Christmas or your plans for the future. The closest thing to a New Year’s resolution I’ve made this year is a plan to get a little more organized with school. Fall semester I was pretty relaxed…got the basics done, but not much else. So over Christmas break I took some time and put together a better schedule for the day between 9 and 3. For years I have used the Managers of Their Homes scheduling plan to stay on top of things. But for some reason I didn’t do this at the start of the fall semester and really felt the lack of it.
Basically I’ve blocked out those 6 hours in 1/2-hour to 1-hour increments for each person, including the littlest kids. Besides all the various subjects, piano practice, reading and mealtime, each of the big kids has a half-hour block of time to play with the two little girls, which really helps me get things done. I’ve even fit in half an hour to go walking with the little kids every afternoon! We’ve only been back in the swing of it for four days, and already I feel so much more productive!
I'm Mary, wife to John, and mom to 10 kids ages 3-20. Six of them were adopted, from Ethiopia and Korea. I spend my days applying Bandaids, reminding kids to use their inside voices, persuading kids fractions are useful, cooking spicy ethnic food, and snapping gig after gig of pictures. Very late at night, I write about it all.
Sounds like you starting the year of great! I don’t think I could ever be that organized! Bravo to you!
I got the Managers of the Home book awhile back but havent sit down and really read through it yet, that is on my list of things to do in the new year, then implement it.
Wow! Sounds like you really made some great progress. Isn’t that the best feeling? I haven’t heard of that planning book. Could’ve used it last year when I was still homeschooling. May still take a look at it!
Oops!! No more typing so early- that should say, “Sounds like you are starting the new year off great!”
I love that you scheduled in time for the older kids to play with the younger ones. Sounds like such a win win !
I am planning on homeschoooling my son after he is finished with first grade and have been looking all over for a good planner. I’m so scared that I’m not going to do this right, or I’m going to miss out on teaching him some major important thing (oh, he needs to learn how to count? Whoops!) so THANK YOU. I’m off to order the book! Any other fantastic products that I just can’t live without?
Hope you carry on for the whole year, lol ! I never do resolutions. I just decide from day to day that’s why I wrote about New Years Eve in Egypt.
I use MOTH as well. This year I’ve been trying to change things around a bit to make it more workable for me. I REALLY like the idea of using it to schedule the hours between 9-3. I find we have another routine that works best for us during the other hours of the day. But the MOTH might work well for us used in this way.
Thanks for the tip!
If you can’t tell, my New Year’s Improvements include better time organization of myself and my family life.
I have a question for you, MAry. I have tried scheduling things here mainly for schoolwork. What do you do if they finish ahead of schedule? Do they move on to the next thing? Do they sit quietly and twiddle their thumbs (yeah, right
)? And if they decide to move on to the next subject what if they need your help but you are busy with someone else?
DO you schedule blogging in there too?
Ca you tell we are trying to get back into the swing of schooling here.
Chris,
If they get done sooner, they move on to the next subject. That way they have incentive to get done quicker–more free time in the afternoon. Also, if someone gets stuck and needs help from me when I am occupied, I’ll have them move on to another section of math (that hopefuly they understand) or I’ll enlist an older one to explain something to a younger one.
Blogging fits before breakfast (if I get up in time), and after kids go to bed. I;ve schedules 1-1/2 hrs of ’serious’ writing during my toddler’s nap. Occasionally I’ll blog-surf at the table during math time (& Sesame Street for my two littlest.)–my 8 year olds need me frequently but not constantly, so I sneak a little blog reading in then ….
Mary
I just wrote tonight about scheduling!! Very funny. Anyway, I too use Managers of their Homes, but I am (as usual) inconsistent about it. WHEN I am using it, everything runs so smoothly, but I seem to be bent towards destruction b/c I too easily drop it and run with the chaos.
Keep up the great mom work!
I hope you enjoy your organization.
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