Home schooling brings about unique challenges to home keeping. Schooling has to be done along with laundry and dishes, and don’t forget time with hubby! Whew! How does one do it all?! With a schedule. Anyone can benefit from a schedule, but for home school families I believe it is a must! Without a schedule you can easily become overwhelmed, frustrated, and burned out.
There are many programs and resources available on the market to help you get on a schedule. But, it has been my experience that most are expensive, too restricting, and rarely work. You do not have to spend money to set up a schedule that will work for you and your family, and I will show you how.
Even if you don’t have a schedule that is written down, chances are you have some routines already in place. When you usually eat your meals, bedtimes, certain activities, etc.. You can make your schedule from these routines. Here’s how:
* Write down your family’s typical daily routine. Write down everything, meals, bedtimes, wake times, etc… You may have to write down different days for all week if you have certain activities for different days.
* Evaluate. Decide what changes you need or want to make, if any. For example, earlier bed times, or earlier wake times. Be cautious in any changes that you do make. Do not set up a schedule for you to wake up at 6 a.m. if you usually get up at 10 a.m.. You will be setting yourself up for failure and more frustration. If you desire to make that change, start small. Wake up 30mins earlier each week till you are where you want to be.
* Write a schedule based on those changes in your routines. Keep your family’s unique needs in mind. Don’t be unrealistic. Make small changes first. This is not set in stone, and it never should be. It should be flexible. Remember when making your schedule to include your quiet time with God, and time with hubby. These are very important! Never neglect them.
Now that you have a basic schedule in place there are a some things that you can do to help keep it going smoothly. Get a large family calendar for appointments and activities. Not a wipe off! Use pencils so you can edit easily. Make a habit of checking your calendar every night and making a to-do list for the next day. Your day will go so much smoother.
When you finally get a schedule that fits your needs, you will see how much easier your life is. More rest, more productive time, and more importantly time with family. You can do this, and you will be so glad you did.
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Donna Scott is a Christian, wife, mother, and writer living in beautiful north Georgia with her husband and their six children. She writes to encourage women Everywhere to be all God has called them to be.
Copyright Donna Scott 2007
http://www.Donna-Scott.com
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