Scheduling and Delays
We have discovered that things tend to go more smoothly – to some degree – when we have a schedule that we are attempting (and usually failing) to follow. Therefore, we have once again set up a schedule.
It started out well. We got up at the prescribed time, and got through the first five items listed. The sixth was in progress. Two of the boys finished that one, and I took the younger of them and the two-year-old in to my room to keep them occupied. Sarah was acting sleepy, so I decided that 9:30am was a good time for her to nap (we got up at 6am).
That’s where it broke down. Sarah did fall asleep, and so did JL, but so did I. Since I was not supervising the schedule, the remaining three did not finish the sixth item on the list, but instead took advantage of my inattention to nap themselves.
I had not planned ahead for lunch, so when I woke up without a plan, my husband ended up having to go get something, which made lunch late.
While it is true that more has gotten accomplished so far today than usually does in a morning, it is also true that we are going to have to really work at this to make it happen.
Why is it, do you suppose, that good things always take so much work? Nothing is ever easy.
Dawn, this year I gave 4 of my kids planners, sat down with them and planned a week’s worth of school. That week went SO smoothly. That first Sunday, we all sat down and planned out the next week. I think we are on week 5 of planners, and school has never gone so well! I’m amazed. They come to me when they are stuck/need help. I have check-ins with them. When I was running a schedule, it would fall apart by one month. It was just too much for me to keep together. Now, we sit together and they do their own planner for the week! Polly inspired me to try this, and it’s working.
I hope your schedule works for you, but if not, you might give the older ones their own planners.