Realistic Homeschool Schedule

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February 10, 2020 By Jennifer Lambert 8 Comments

I struggled with *getting it all done* when the kids were young.

I thought I had to get up before the crack of dawn and read Bible devotionals and do high impact workouts before the kids woke up.

I wondered why I was so stressed and tired all the time.

My kids are 19, 14, 13, and 10 this year.

I would love to say that life’s a breeze now but that would be a lie.

I could paint a rosy picture of everyone being super independent and getting along 100% with all chores and work completed to excellence and in a timely manner all day, every day.

But that’s not reality for anyone.

Our schedules have evolved over the years:

I update my philosophy for homeschooling and living priorities frequently. I prefer relaxed, streamlined, stress-free to busy, rushing, and cluttered. I thrive with a slow schedule.

If a chore or assignment doesn’t get completed today, there’s always tomorrow. My kids don’t need harsh deadlines right now.

We clean what needs to be cleaned without a strict chore chart. We all live here and we all pitch in when we can. Some things get tidied almost daily and others weekly. Some things get forgotten until it’s embarrassing. I’ve made sure to encourage my kids to be helpers from a very young age and they almost always have great attitudes when asked to help with a task.

We all live here all day, every day. I won’t apologize when it seems most people who work full time and have their kids go to school have spotless homes because they’re never there and/or hire maids.

I like getting up when my body is ready and feeding the birds while I wait for my coffee. I enjoy the ease of snuggles on the sofa during read alouds every day. I don’t mind postponing dinner to look at sunset or the moon or because they don’t want to come inside just yet.

This is my mission field. This is my church.

I am raising life givers, world changers, lovers of nature and humanity, laughers at the impossible, greeters of the birdsong.

Our Realistic Schedule:

My eldest works a part time job at a local bank typically Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturday mornings. I drive her and sometimes pick her up for her lunch break and my husband or I pick her up when her shift is over.

She shares our VW Beetle, and my husband drives it to work Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. We also have a minivan for the family.

She takes college courses Tuesdays and Thursdays. She drives herself to class in the VW and my husband takes the minivan to work those days.

I don’t have access to a car those days. It works fine for us for now. I just schedule appointments and make sure to run errands and go grocery shopping Monday, Wednesday, or Friday.

Every weekday

My son and I usually get up around 8 AM.

I make a hot breakfast for my younger three kids.

I get the middle girls up.

My youngest daughter never wants to get out of bed. Her breakfast is usually cold by the time she comes downstairs, no matter how proactive my planning might be.

I unload the dishwasher and usually start a load of laundry. Doing a load of laundry every day keeps me on top of it. It’s mostly pajamas, loungewear, workout clothes, and my husband’s uniforms. I really don’t wash the towels and bedding as often as I should.

I plan dinner if it’s not already thought out and thawed.

After breakfast, I do read alouds – religion, history, literature, science, and Life of Fred math.

Then the kids individually work on their science, vocabulary workbooks, foreign language, notebooking pages.

I switch the laundry to the dryer. I catch up on writing and social media.

Lunchtime is usually leftovers or something quick and easy.

Afternoons (usually Monday, Wednesday, Friday) are reserved for errands, shopping, or finishing up school work. I help the kids with notebooking or maps.

When Dad gets home from work, he does the math lessons and reviews science and completes any demonstrations or experiments with the kids.

I often go on a walk (about 1.5 miles) in the evenings, before dark, so earlier in winter and later in summer. The kids and my husband sometimes accompany me.

We all eat a hot dinner together every night.

When it’s nice out, the kids play, ride bikes, roller blade, scooter, go to their friends’ houses in the neighborhood, play catch or scoops in the front yard. Otherwise and in addition to that, the kids read, play video games, watch shows after dinner.

Almost every night, I take an Epsom salt bath before bed – with chamomile tea. It’s me time.

Bedtime is usually around 10 PM. iPads are plugged in to charge in my bedroom and wifi is turned off at midnight so we sleep better.

Sundays

These are usually easy days. I have little responsibility on Sundays. We have a big breakfast and usually a nice relaxing dinner. When it’s nice out, we go on nature hikes. Some seasons, there are soccer or baseball games.

Mondays

I feel most productive on Mondays. I clear away the stress and mess of the weekend.

Tuesdays

This is our boring day. Nothing special and I’m ok with that.

Wednesdays

My husband takes our son to ninja lessons. Dinner is after that.

Thursdays

The two oldest girls have aerial gymnastics. Dinner is after that.

Fridays

Homemade pizza and movie night!

Saturdays

We don’t really have a weekend schedule. Saturdays are for yard work and big chores. Relaxing with movies if it’s rainy or very cold. Catching up with math and science and projects. There are sometimes baseball or soccer games during those seasons. We often like to grill and have a relaxed dinner.

I keep our schedule flexible so we don’t get overwhelmed.

I like having a lot of free time to be spontaneous like hiking in the woods near our backyard creek or baking brownies. We can go for a walk or watch a movie together.

I do not limit screentime or food. I make suggestions. I try to model healthy behavior. Some days, it’s a down day because someone doesn’t feel well or whatever. If someone tries to get a lot of junk food right before a meal time or bedtime, I ask if they think that’s a good idea. I also don’t buy a lot of junk food except on special occasions. If someone doesn’t like a meal or misses it due to an event, she is free to eat whatever they like afterwards.

We don’t stress over any academics because they will always get done one way or another. Academics aren’t the most important thing to me. I am not striving for my kids to get perfect scores on standardized tests or into the best college. Since we don’t follow a public school schedule, we don’t do grades or levels or testing, and my kids are happy.

I prefer to focus on guiding my kids in their critical thinking and being kind and loving to everyone.

We flow along with the seasons and I love watching my children grow and change as I guide them along with life and learning.

Linking up: Little Cottage, Kippi at Home, Create with Joy, Home Stories, Confessions, April Harris, LouLou Girls, Maryandering Creatively, Our Home, Mary Geisen, InstEncouragements, Purposeful Faith, Ducks in a Row, Grandmas Ideas, OMHGW, Worth Beyond Rubies, Soaring with Him, Welcome Heart, Gingersnap Crafts, Fluster Buster, Girlish Whims, Penny’s Passion, Katherine’s Corner, Apron Strings, Crystal Storms, Debbie Kitterman, CKK, Marilyn’s Treats, Try it Like it, Chic on a Shoestring, Answer is Choco, Simply Sweet Home, Della Devoted, Momfessionals, Pieced Pastimes, Fireman’s Wife, OMHGF, CWJ, Being a Wordsmith, Mostly Blogging,

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Homeschool Schedule with Teens

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July 23, 2019 By Jennifer Lambert 10 Comments

Life has seemed to slow down lots now that my kids are older.

When the kids were little, it seemed like I constantly ran, was perpetually exhausted.

It’s so much easier now. But sometimes, it seems so difficult too.

We protect our time and space for peace.

Each child has only one or two activities so we’re not overscheduled.

My eldest daughter is starting college and does private art lessons.

My middle daughter practices aerial gymnastics and makes jewelry.

My youngest daughter does fall soccer and art lessons.

My son does fall and spring baseball and weekly ninja classes. He’s not quite a teen yet, but he’s sure not my little boy anymore.

They’re all so independent now. Time slips through my fingers.

I try to wake up early to make a hot breakfast, clean the kitchen, start laundry, get my writing completed for the day.

Bedtime is often haphazard. There is seldom snuggling, stories, and prayers anymore. Often, we still do reading and devotions after dinner on the sofas after evenings walks and before wind down. But something definitely is lost and I miss it.

I try really hard to do tuck-ins but it’s often spurned these days. I’m often ready for bedtime and sleeptime before they are.

The best times are when we gather to listen to owls or tree frogs, watch for backyard bats, notice the moon and stars and clouds, have a heron sighting, taste a fresh tomato and herbs that we grew, go giddy over first snowflakes, rolling thunder, the smell of rain on a hot summer day, the intricacies of a perfectly formed veiny golden leaf or butterfly.

I refuse to curate perfection for social media or have a showroom house.

I refuse to give up ties to Nature.

We cycle with the seasons.

We seldom set alarm clocks. We’re not rushed. We flow.

There are some things we do year-round for continuity.

It’s just good to be flexible.

Our Schedule with Teens:

In summer, we’re at play.

We sleep late, stay up late with the sunshine.

We eat breakfast or brunch whenever we get up, usually between 8 and 9. The kids pack themselves picnic lunches and hike into the woods. We have family dinners outside on the deck if it’s cool enough.

We catch up on Netflix shows.

We enjoy observing the hummingbirds and woodpeckers and other critters that come to our backyard feeders.

The kids often swim down the street with their friend at his pool. We play with water balloons and water guns.

They go on bike rides or rollerblading.

Boredom is a good thing and sparks imagination and creativity.

We look at the night sky. We watch thunderstorms.

I want to teach them a lifetime of wonder.

In fall, we begin a new school cycle.

We read together every morning after breakfast.

They complete their lessons and have the afternoons mostly to themselves to do what they want.

We cook more with cooler weather. It’s fun trying new recipes.

We go on nature hikes to look at leaves.

Learning is a lifestyle for us, but we are more focused and scheduled in fall and winter.

Family dinners are often rushed, later, or on the go with soccer and baseball season.

We enjoy celebrating the harvest festivals. Fall is a magical time.

In winter, we’re at rest.

While the world seems to go to sleep and become dormant, we snuggle up indoors with candles and blankets.

We read more and watch educational shows.

We practice Hygge.

We still go outside on walks to look at nature changes.

We make soups and stews and bake a lot.

Family dinners are more of an event. We have the time to be more elaborate.

We celebrate feasts and festivals.

In spring, we awaken.

We stretch towards the warm sun like flowers blooming after the winter.

We’re finishing up our school lessons for the year.

We look forward to summer while we watch the world wake up and be reborn.

We greet each new bud and shade of green with awe and joy.

We’re ready for playtime again.

How does your family flow?

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What Do We Do All Day?

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August 18, 2016 By Jennifer Lambert 21 Comments

I really hate this question: “What do you do all day?”

It implies that my time isn’t as valuable as someone else’s or that I goof off since I have no authority to report to nor do I make a salary.

It often makes me want to reply all snarky: “Yes, we actually do sit around in our pajamas and watch Netflix all day, every day.”

While I am not a Type-A personality with a creative color-coded Washi-tape bullet journal schedule planner nor a timer to limit our binge-reading of Shakespeare, we actually do important stuff.

We’re not homeschoolers who count leaves for upper level math and call it a day.

We learn a lot of real life skills like cooking and cleaning and helping and reading and exploring the world around us.

We are actively preparing our teen for the SAT and real life, unlike some we’ve known who let those things slide. She begins a drivers ed course next spring!

And we watch plenty of Netflix, so don’t worry about that.

I’m not a morning person at all, but I usually wake up before 0800 M-F and always make a hot breakfast for the kids. It’s usually just scrambled eggs and bacon, but sometimes, I break out of a rut with muffins, biscuits, sausage egg casserole, oatmeal or porridge, even egg variations like spinach Parmesan omelets and ham and cheese scrambles. If the kids wake up super early, they get themselves some cereal and watch cartoons and wait for me to rise. Sometimes, Katie even makes a lovely breakfast cake or muffins. Breakfast is super important.

We don’t waste time nor do we rush around. We like our home and homeschool to be restful and peaceful.

I’ve found that everyone gets along much better this way. Stress causes nerves to fray and tempers to flare, so when we limit our activities and focus on the most important tasks, we are much happier. We seldom have negative behavior to deal with because we actively work on relationships and learn together. We have very little conflict and I like it that way.

We don’t do busy work or worthless activities. We’re not into coloring books or Bible journaling or crafts with no value or purpose.

We’re always learning, year-round too! – so there’s no real way I can say our academic work takes 2 or 4.5 hours each day. We do a lot in the mornings and sometimes more in the afternoons or evenings. And the kids are always finding something to explore or learn through play and life skills.

We do what needs to be done when it needs to be done. I wash bedding every other week or so. We sweep and mop when the floors are dirty. We clear clutter off windowsills, counters, tables…wherever they pile up.

I don’t do planners or artsy journaling. I don’t waste time on activities that don’t enrich me. I am always reading a parenting or education book, along with novels, both classic and popular.

I love having a clear schedule so we can plan trips or be spontaneous for any opportunities that comes up.

Here’s a rough weekly schedule:

Mondays

My teen daughter goes to the gym with Dad in the morning and completes a lesson of physics and math before work. She works all day long as a Red Cross volunteer at the maternity ward of our local hospital.

After breakfast, I do read-alouds with the other three kids and we complete notebooking journals with science. The girls complete a DVD Latin lesson. They all complete math, spelling, and Bible workbook lessons.

We clean up and organize from the weekend. We do a load of laundry and load the dishwasher.

Lunch is usually leftovers.

They go to the park or ride bikes after lunch. Sometimes, they hike into our forest or play at the creek if it’s warm enough. They bring home leaves or dead birds (yes, really) to study and draw. If the weather is bad, they play Legos, dolls, or do art projects. We play games or watch Netflix in the afternoon and evening.

The girls often like to just lie around, reading for fun:

I try to complete the bulk of my writing and social media scheduling on Monday afternoons so I’m freer (and stress-free) the rest of the week.

Monday dinner is often super simple. Leftovers or sandwiches or something quick and easy. Sometimes, we even eat on trays in the living room with a video or Netflix.

After dinner, we have more read alouds and Bible time before bedtime by about 10.

Tuesdays

Breakfast and clean-up by about 8:30.

I do lots of read-alouds with my teen and the other children. The girls complete math, spelling, Bible, and Greek workbook lessons and we do history together.

My teen completes her notebooking for history and literature. I do government and philosophy reading/discussion with my teen.

We often experiment in the kitchen with baking a treat or bread. We clean up. More dishes and laundry.

We like to be outside for as much as possible in the afternoons, then play video games or Netflix until dinner.

Dinner is usually grilled meat with rice or potatoes and vegetables and salad.

Lately, we play trivia at dinner or listen to music on Spotify.

After dinner, we have more read alouds and Bible time before bedtime by about 10 in summer and by about 9 in winter.

Wednesdays

Breakfast and clean up.

We don’t do much “school” on Wednesdays.

We have our morning read alouds and sometimes work on French and German together.

The teen works on her notebooking for history and literature.

We have a simple lunch and clean up.

We run errands and do all the weekly grocery shopping.

We put away the groceries and then the kids usually play outside all afternoon if the weather is agreeable. Otherwise, it’s play time with Legos or dolls or art.

I’m often surprised by emails from my girls with attachments like this, made with an iPad app:

After dinner, we have more read alouds and Bible time before bedtime by 10.

Thursdays

Mostly a repeat of Mondays.

Dinner is usually grilled or roasted meat with rice or potatoes and vegetables and salad.

After dinner, we have more read alouds and Bible time before bedtime by 10.

Fridays

Breakfast and clean up.

Morning read alouds.

We finish up whatever is left to be completed from our history and science and literature reading and notebooking. The three younger kids complete their workbook lessons.

We eat lunch and clean up.

We play a lot outside, inside, games, whatever.

We usually have homemade pizza for dinner with Netflix or a video.

Bedtime is usually after the movie. We don’t usually have the bedtime read alouds because it’s late.

Saturdays

Dad makes breakfast – usually pancakes or waffles or hash.

We often go out to visit a castle or park or zoo. We pack a picnic lunch. Sometimes, we just have a lazy day to rest and play.

Dad makes dinner.

Sundays

Dad makes Scottish oatmeal for breakfast.

We have church at 0830 and then Sunday school.

We have lunch together, usually leftovers or sandwiches.

My teen and I go to the gym, then grocery shopping or to a movie.

Dad makes dinner.

School work just kinda flows with the seasons.

We do fewer organized academics in summer, when we try to enjoy the outdoors more. We do more art when the weather isn’t pleasant to be outdoors. The kids all love to read, so there’s plenty of time for that – living books aligning with our school units and fun reading based on interests. We take time to explore topics in history and science that aren’t on the assignments list sometimes. We travel frequently, usually to see places we’re learning about in history.

We like having a peaceful home.

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Having More Free Time

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June 29, 2015 By Jennifer Lambert 8 Comments

I wanted an easier, more old-fashioned summer.

I didn’t want to overschedule every minute with adorable but stressful Pinterest-inspired arts, crafts, and games.

So, I’m kinda doing nothing at all.

How I freed up my time to enjoy life:

This is what I did:

I removed Facebook and all other social media apps from my iPhone and iPad (except Instagram – let’s not get crazy, k?)
No blogging – I quit writing for other blogs and sites. I left all my online groups. I deleted an entire email account. I unsubscribed from every email list. It’s refreshing not worrying about Facebook groups, Google+ communities, liking pages, sharing on social media if I don’t want to. I’m still online, just much less and more naturally – posting things I find funny, interesting, relevant, important. I don’t have an agenda. I’m still writing a blog post about once a week. You know? Most bloggers are kinda shallow and unprofessional. I’m just tired of it all. I don’t want to play games. I’m updating older posts with better images or deleting posts that aren’t any good at all. I may take a longer break from being online when that’s completed.
Time off from sports and extracurricular activities. It’s nice to relax and play with no schedule.

What I’m doing with all my time:

Reading more
Bible study
Natural living education courses
Playing with my kids more
Listening to my kids
Evening time with my husband
Exercising more
Healthier eating
Outside time to soak up the sun and fresh air

Good benefits:

Better mood
Sleeping more soundly
Less stress
Better digestion
Clearer skin!

My husband commented at dinner the other night that I’ve been in a such great mood, more cheerful lately and he likes it. I know I have neglected my family with striving to do more online and it’s just not worth it.

We have the freedom to travel whenever we want. Having fewer commitments during the week and evenings makes everything easier to plan. I love looking at my empty calendar. Weekends are for fun trips to see castles, churches, hiking, picnics, parks. The kids haven’t had to ask me once to put my phone down or walk away from the computer to do something with them. I am available and willing.

The first few days were really hard.
My mornings were almost panic-attack-worthy when I didn’t have any emails to check and there were no notifications to investigate on social media. I felt unneeded.
And that is kinda the whole point.

My family needs me more than strangers online.

What our easy summer schedule looks like:

7:30 Wake up
Breakfast
Clean up
Bible, History, Science, Latin lessons
12:00 Lunch
Clean up
Arts and crafts or indoor playtime
Outside playtime
6:00 Dinner
Clean up
Family time
Read aloud and Bible study time
9ish Bedtime

Results:

I’m focusing on what’s most important.
We’re all cheerful, well rested, eager to learn and explore. Our attitudes are just generally great the last couple weeks.

I like having fewer responsibilities and not having to rush anywhere.

I don’t think this has to be just for summer either!

Linking up: Rich Faith Rising, Burlap and Babies, A Life in Balance, Mommy Crusader, xoxoRebecca, ABC Creative Learning, Simple Life of a Fire Wife, A Bowl Full of Lemons, WonderMom Wannabe, Happy and Blessed Home, Suzanne Eller,

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A Day in Our Life

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February 11, 2015 By Jennifer Lambert 2 Comments

Want a peek into our day? I’m always curious about other people’s schedules and how they fit in homeschool, work, chores, and whatever.

I aim at a 2 for 3 kinda day.

I can focus on our homeschool. I can focus on housework and chores. I can focus on my blogging and home business.

On any given day, I can’t get it all done well.

I can successfully get homeschool and chores accomplished or chores and work or homeschool and work. But never all three.

A day in our life.

Here’s a typical Monday for us.

I have a 15 year old girl, two girls almost 9 and 8, and an almost 5 year old boy.

Morning

Alex wakes me up at

6:40.

He demands bacon and eggs. We read his Bible storybook and I do my Bible study. Kate soon comes down. They watch X-Men on Netflix while I make breakfast. I clean up the kitchen from last night’s dishes.

We eat. They demand a sip of coffee. We clear the table. I load and start the dishwasher.

I take my supplements.

I begin a load of laundry.

8:14

Liz comes downstairs and doesn’t want anything to eat. Tori soon follows and also doesn’t want anything to eat yet.

I encourage Tori to eat something. I think she snags some bacon and cereal.

(This is not going at all like I planned! The idyllic family breakfast just isn’t happening.)

Kate and Tori sweep the dining room.

Liz reads her Bible study.

I give the kids their supplements.

I tell the girls to sweep again and actually move the chairs and sweep the entire dining room area, baseboards and all.

Tori and Kate read their Sword Fighting Bible devotional. They fight over who reads what. I intervene.

I remind Liz to go make her bed and take her supplements. She finally decides to eat a tangerine.

We apply our daily essential oils.

Kate practices piano and Tori practices guitar. They’re doing so well! We just began music lessons this month.

School Time

8:50

We start with our read alouds. Today is Anne of Green Gables, Winnie-the-Pooh, Harlem Stomp!, and World Wars.

Halfway through Anne, Tori accidently bumped Alex’s nose. After comforting him and asking her through clenched teeth to sit on the other sofa, we finish a chapter of Anne.

I remind them all to brush their teeth. Why must I remind them to brush their teeth every single day?

Then we finish reading Pooh, World Wars, and Harlem Stomp.

9:42

Alex has a tantrum that he’s starving, but he won’t tell me what he wants to eat. He doesn’t want a banana. He runs to his room in despair.

The girls and I head to our school room.

Alex decides to eat a carrot.

I help Alex with reading printables and Singapore K math.

This kid kills me. Apparently, he didn’t feel challenged enough, so he wrote the beginning letter over each picture also:

Tori and Kate work independently on their Spelling Workout and a winter fun pack.

Liz works on Latin Form 2, VideoText algebra, and Apologia physical science independently. I check those later.

I do some money math with Alex. He refuses to read or be read to. sigh

11:18

I put frozen mini pizzas in the oven for lunch. Because, sometimes, it’s just easier, y’all. I do cut up some and onion, red bell pepper, and pepperoni for toppings. Semi-homemade, right?

Afternoon

12:23

Liz and I watch a couple episodes of Downton Abbey with our lunch. The littles watch the iPad – Wild Kratts.

They stack their plates on the counter and go play.

1:13

I help Liz organize her math notebook and write out her agenda for the week. We discuss history and literature and what she learned last week.

I realize I never finished school with Tori and Kate. sigh

We school year-round, so this isn’t a problem. We usually alternate science and history every day. We’re so ahead in math that it’s not an issue.

3:24

I hang up the laundry to dry. I print out eMeals.com recipes for the week. Liz wants a cool notebook cover for math. I find some funny math eCards and print a collage of those. She’s delighted.

Tori and Kate are playing so nicely with dolls and/or Legos upstairs. Alex watches his shows on his iPad.

3:57

I link up some blog posts and do some research.

We have to leave the house at 5:00 to take Liz to Civil Air Patrol for PT at 6:00. It’s already dark. I drop Liz off at the gym and stop by the library to check out a stack of civil rights leaders’ biographies.

Dinner time

We get back home about 6:15.

I make a quick dinner – sautéed pecan chicken, couscous, and salad. I unload the dishwasher so we can easily load our plates. I tell the kids to go ahead and get in pajamas so it’s an easy night. After dinner, they run to brush their teeth.

Evening

It’s now 7:09 PM.

We have family reading – currently Pollyanna and Bible stories. We put our bedtime essential oils on. We have a prayer circle, holding hands (and the cats always snuggle in too!). I sing lullabies.

8:00

Bedtime!

Liz and Aaron come home about 9:00 or so, eat leftover dinner, clean up, and it’s lights out for all.

I usually stay up until 11 or so, reading and working.

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Homeschool High School Schedule

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August 25, 2014 By Jennifer Lambert Leave a Comment

We’ve gotten more relaxed in our schedule with moving and settling in Germany but still having no Internet.

I’m sure this schedule will change more after I don’t have to leave the house for Wi-Fi and can adjust to a healthier rhythm at home.

Trying to explain to Liz that high school level work requires more time and effort than the level the girls are doing. I know it’s hard and it’s often unpleasant. We need to work on balance and time management.

Homeschool High School Schedule

7ish:

I wake and prepare breakfast, we all help clean up, we often get dressed

8ish:

Read-aloud time with Bible, literature, history, science, Life of Fred math

9:30ish:

Liz goes off to do her own thing
supervised lessons and seat work for Tori, Kate – math, reading, science and history notebooking
Alex – All About Reading Level 2, math printables and manipulatives at his desk or on the floor

12ish:

Lunchtime (usually leftovers or something quick…sometimes with read alouds or a quick educational video), clean up

1ish:

Tori and Kate finish up their work or do arts and crafts or science experiments or history crafts. Alex plays. Liz continues her work.

2ish:

Outside play if the weather’s nice or indoor quiet time with games or fun reading or arts and crafts. This is when I get work done.

Evenings:

Mondays, Liz has Civil Air Patrol. Tuesdays, beginning this week, Tori will have gymnastics and Alex will have soccer practice. Of course, Kate has soccer practice on Wednesdays and games on Saturdays!

Dinner is usually at 6 and bedtime has been running as late as 9 since the sun is still well up.

Check out more:

our curriculum choices!
our school space

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New Routine

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June 18, 2014 By Jennifer Lambert 2 Comments

Our first Monday in our new house in Germany.

I have the school room unpacked but not organized.

I have no desk. My desk items are in a pile in the corner.

For breakfast, I made French toast with the cool griddle we got Aaron for Father’s Day.

Homeschooling is legal for us in Germany because we are an American family on SOFA status since my husband works for the Air Force. He works at Landstuhl Hospital.

We began with Bible reading in my sitting room. Then the kids went off to their desks to complete their Bible notebooking.

They got distracted and had to play an art game. Of course.

I herded them back. We completed our other read alouds.

They completed their math lessons.

We had ham sandwiches and fruit for lunch. The ham is from the backerei on the corner. And somehow, there was Nutella too. Because I think Nutella is mandatory in all of Europe.

Liz set up The Lion King as recommended from our Bible lesson. We watched up to the point when Rafiki exclaims “Simba is alive!”

Then the kids walked down to the darling village park with all their sand toys. They met two new friends – one German boy and one American boy.

It’s a cool, cloudy day. The birds sing. We live in the middle of a forest.

So far, I am pleased with our lifestyle changes.

How is it different?

The kids have no closets. The bathrooms have no cabinets. There is nowhere to put coats. There is no storage!

Luckily, we get seven wardrobes allotted and they will be delivered this week with our washer and dryer. Just to find the space to put them…

We have no microwave (I chose not to have one and well I did since there is no counter space). I am eliminating our use of plastic in the kitchen (the kids are desperately hanging onto a few cups).

We have no crackers or junk food or American snacky things. The money I save from buying those things makes up for the higher cost of the amazingly better quality food I want to buy for meals.

Even though we have a German refrigerator in the kitchen and honking huge American fridge/freezer combo in the dining room, I am loving shopping and eating like the locals do. Every couple days, we go to the store to shop for the next couple days. We eat everything fresh. There’s no room to stockpile or store extra anything! On the odd days, we eat leftovers or the few items I have in the freezer “just in case.”

On Saturdays, we have a little farmers market directly across the street – year round! We bought grapes, a watermelon, fresh peas, and white asparagus. I could have bought so much more, but there was no way we could eat it all in a couple days.

The kids were ecstatic to get fresh peas.

Just look at that pork chop. I am so loving the food.

Every afternoon during the week and on Saturday mornings, there is a little drink shop open by our house, in our same building.

The shop owner is kind and gave my kids Italian ices the day we moved in.

I baked muffins our first morning and took the shopkeeper and our downstairs neighbor some with our names on a card.

I love the simplicity of no waste and everything in its place.

So, what do I dislike?

The tile floors (while super easy to keep clean) bruise my feet so I must wear slippers for padding. And they’re cold.

The lack of storage. We don’t have a garage or carport, just two parking spaces across the street. We have a cellar and shed that we piled all our stuff into.

No garden! We have no front yard, just a courtyard shared with the shopkeeper and the house next door – that is vacant and for sale. Our back yard is teeny tiny.

The garbage situation is confusing. There is a book to help us make sense of it. A BOOK. We must separate paper and glass from other recyclables that go in the gold bags. Organic compost waste from rubbish. Paper is picked up monthly. Rubbish is every two weeks. And they’re picky. We could be fined for making a mistake. We get Euro credit for most bottle returns. Non-exchange bottles go in marked containers depending on the color of the glass: green, brown, or white. We’re lucky that we have a compartmented garbage can built in under the kitchen sink. And all the waste cans are in a little shed across the street.

But these are small inconveniences for the lovely experience of living here.

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5 Days of Homeschooling Essentials {Day 2: Know Yourself}

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January 21, 2014 By Jennifer Lambert 7 Comments

Sure, we need to plan.

We also need to know our strengths and weaknesses.

All the mamas and the papas and the babies have different personalities and that makes for fun-filled days with all those dynamics at work. How do you cope?

We need to know ourselves.

We need to constantly reevaluate ourselves and our purpose and homeschool.

We need to know what our recipe for success is. For ourselves personally, and for each of our children. We need to know what sets us on edge and do our best to eliminate those triggers.

Pray. Always. Unceasingly.

Run a smooth(er) homeschool.

Consider learning styles for each child and how that works with your teaching style, mamas. I have to force myself out of my comfort zone to teach my children the way they best learn and that’s often difficult for me. Is it more important that I check off that box or that my child has a great learning experience?

Check out my post on learning styles.

Create a learning space for each child and a sanctuary for mama. Small spaces make this tough, but you can make or buy a privacy shield to allow children to work independently behind a barrier and that helps many focus. I often work alongside my kids and this is comforting for all.

Consider the flow and dynamics of a typical school day. How could it go more smoothly? Do the kids need an outdoor recess or vigorous indoor activity to get the wiggles out midmorning? Do you need to reinforce a rest or quiet time in the afternoons for the evenings to play out more calmly? Does the schedule need to be revamped to be more successful? I alternate days with history and science since it’s a lot of reading and notebooking.

Homemaking Helps.

What can you do to improve the ebb and flow of your home? Be proactive.

I recently subscribed to eMeals to help me with meal planning because I.am.terrible.about.meal.planning. Too many afternoons have passed me by and nothing made its way out of the freezer to thaw for dinner and we had to scramble or grab takeout or rush to the store. We like to eat and we often have a freezer and fridge full of lovely food, but I’ve been lazy lately about getting it prepared and on the table on time.

Set up a cleaning schedule or chore chart for the kids – and for you. Lots of moms use Fly Lady or zone cleaning. Find something that works for your family. Tori is my cleaner. I can just let her go and she does whatever it is above and beyond my standards. Alex and Kate are pretty cheerful about helping but Liz really doesn’t care to help. It’s not optional. Teach the kids to help early on. Servant leadership and great life skills!

Have only littles? Find a family with an older child in training to be a mama helper. This can be for pay or on a barter. This older child can help with laundry or cleaning up or watching the kids to give you a little breather.

Ask your husband what can be let go. My husband is pretty laid back but it drives him nuts to have toys all over the floor. The laundry piling up? He’d pick his clothes out of a basket forever with no complaint. He helps with cooking. He cares for the lawn and snow shoveling. He’ll vacuum or steam clean if I ask. Most everything else he overlooks. Awesome.

We need to maintain our health as best we can.

Sleep is important.

We make sure the little kids are in bed by 8 PM. Our eldest typically goes to bed by 9. Generally, they all wake up naturally between 6:30-8 in the morning. If we have a rare appointment in the morning and have to get up early, it’s grumpiness all around. Sleep and rest are important and I am happy to allow for their growing bodies to regenerate and grow and heal.

Eat well.

I get up every morning and make a hot breakfast. It took me too many years to get that this is important. I never used to eat breakfast. Even still, I often don’t get anything after the kids have swooped down. I either have a smoothie or hardboiled egg (I keep a supply of HB eggs in the fridge and I make twice as much smoothie as I need so there are leftovers of that as well). I have noticed since feeding my kids a good breakfast, their behavior is much improved and our days run more smoothly.

Exercise.

We need to stay fit to be healthy. The kids and I play the Wii, shovel snow, take hikes or walks, do Family Time Fitness or Fit2Be or yoga together. My husband frequents the gym almost every day. Liz has to take a physical training test monthly for Civil Air Patrol. I get to the gym when I can. Fresh air and exercise are great mood elevators and keep our bodies working properly.

Natural care.

We use essential oils and cod liver oil and drink lots of water to keep our immune systems healthy. We don’t use OTC or prescription meds. We also diffuse focusing oils to help our brains function at their best. We’ve limited microwave use and I would get rid of the thing altogether, but we’re not quite there yet. We use less plastic and Thieves® Household Cleaner to clean, well, everything.

The point is, we all have strengths and weaknesses. We’re all different. We have different personality traits and it’s not worth trying to overhaul that and be someone we’re not. Find something that works to help streamline your life so everyone is at peace with it.

The whole series:

Day 1: Planning

Day 2: Know Yourself

Day 3: Know Your Enemy

Day 4: Supplies

Day 5: Let Go

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Our Typical Day With a Schedule for Success

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August 27, 2013 By Jennifer Lambert 18 Comments

Our ideal homeschool day begins the night before.

God said it best: A new day begins in the evening.

And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day. And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day. And the evening and the morning were the third day. And the evening and the morning were the fourth day. And the evening and the morning were the fifth day. And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day. ~Genesis 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31

If I want to have a successful morning, I need to plan for it the evening before.

I need to love on my babes by praying with them, singing lullabies, snuggling, and discussing the highs and lows of the day past.

I need to be intentional.

When I’d rather just be done for the day and send them up to bed alone and have me time ASAP, I know in my heart that I should remain the discipling mommy a few moments more.

I struggle with this. And I’m not always successful.

It’s often hard being a mom to small kids with so many needs.

I have to be flexible and let go of some of my expectations.

My house isn’t as clean as I want. My hair is doing that thing again. The van needs an oil change. The cat just puked under the table. The grass needs cut and edged before the HOA sends another notice.

It’s tough being a homeschooling mom with four kids 24/7 – with no breaks ever.

I take little breathers when and where I can.

I pray for my kids while scrambling eggs and folding clothes.

I hum-sing to my toddler while changing his diaper.

I do not roll my eyes while explaining fractions to my daughter. Again.

I actually look at the ordinary rock my preschooler is dying to show me at the park.

How to Have a More Successful Day

Plan Meals Ahead

Planning for the next morning means I need a clean kitchen and at least an idea of breakfast. Having a good meal in the morning helps the kids learn better.

Prepping the coffee is a good idea too. Programming or at least setting it to the point I just have to touch the start button makes my morning go smoother.

My eldest daughter, Elizabeth, usually cleans the kitchen after dinner. Bless her!

Planning dinner ahead helps too. I’ve really slacked on my meal planning this summer. I need to thaw out meat the night before so we have dinner ready to grill or make a casserole or slow cooker meal.

When the weather gets cooler, I use the oven and slow cooker more. Especially on sports practice nights.

Daily Schedule

So, the schedule? That’s what you came for, right?

I’m trying to get up earlier {that’d be 0700 for me} to get my morning VA work finished, breakfast ready, kitchen cleaned up again, so we can begin our homeschool by about 8 AM.

Liz often gets up at 0630 and is ever so much more cheerful to have a few minutes of alone time to start her Bible or drink some tea before Alex and I come downstairs.

My youngest, Alex, demands the iPad immediately and often has cereal on the sofa if I need the time to work or make breakfast for everyone.

My middles, Tori and Kate, come down usually last to eat. Alex often joins them for second breakfast.

I am so not a morning person.

Some of our favorite breakfasts:

soaked steel-cut oatmeal with bacon and sausage links
egg scramble with cheese and ham or bacon chunks
these muffins that Liz loves to make (in four flavors)
this breakfast casserole, with variations
leftover pancakes or waffles when Dad makes a big weekend batch (love him!)

During breakfast, I read the day’s lesson aloud from The Dig for Kids and we pray together, and pray for our Seed Company tribe.

After breakfast, I send Alex, Tori, and Kate upstairs to dress, brush their teeth, and clean up their rooms. They often play for about an hour. And that’s fine.

I use that time to help Elizabeth get motivated on her school work. She’s got a heavy load this year as a tween. See our curriculum here. She still needs a bit of hand-holding and if I get her to finish the bulk of her work before lunch, it’s a good day.

After Liz completed Bible and math…I leave her to complete Latin, science, and history on her own.

I work with Tori and Kate on their workbooks. We do science and history read alouds on the sofa.

Somehow, in between all that, Alex gets some preschool work done. Most days. He plays a lot and interrupts and wants snacks.

I try to complete as much as possible before lunchtime. Because after that, no one really wants to do much of anything productive. Including me.

Somewhere in all this, we try to accomplish chores. I do laundry almost every day and we have 4 color-coded baskets for the kids that tend to sit until I have a tantrum about putting it away. I’m a big believer in chores. Many hands make light work.

I do have a chore schedule:

Monday: empty all trash cans and put big can at the curb
Tuesday: dust all the furniture
Wednesday: clean all the bathrooms
Thursday: sweep and mop or vacuum the floors (we alternate the 3 levels each week)
Friday: scrub down the kitchen and put all laundry away
Weekends: whatever needs to be done or was forgotten

Some afternoons, we run errands. The girls are all too big for the library story time now and Alex just isn’t that interested. But it doesn’t start up again until September, so we’ll see. Sometimes, I just send the kids to play outside or with their toys in the basement so I can work.

Staying Healthy

We like to be proactive with our health. We eat well, drink lots of water, and prevent most illnesses with essential oils and supplements. We get plenty of fresh air and exercise.

We take cod liver oil (we like the Cinnamon Tingle!) and liquid kids multivitamin for the littles. We anoint with essential oils to help us balance mood and attitude. Liz and I also take supplements.

We start our days with a hearty breakfast and plenty of water, juice, and tea.

We eat lunch together – usually leftovers or something that will mostly hold us over until dinner. Water, and sometimes lemonade to drink.

I make dinner for our family every evening – meat and veggies, sometimes fruit, often salad. Water to drink.

We seldom do snacks. Sometimes, I will cut up fruits and veggies. I’ll provide granola or nuts. A couple kids like yogurt sometimes. I prefer my kids to eat their meals and we seldom have sugary snacks or junk food in the house.

Evening Routine

Our school area needs to be ready for the morning too. Often, after school and play time in the evening, I have the kids do a quick cleanup so it makes for a smoother beginning to our school day.

We often go on a walk around the block to wind down.

We don’t do baths every day. It dries the skin and strips away natural oils. Babies, toddlers, and preschoolers certainly don’t need full baths every day. They get a bath every few days unless they get very messy or dirty somehow. We wash hands frequently with gentle soap. We wash faces and brush teeth twice a day or more.

We have evening read alouds, snuggling on the sofa.

We sing and say prayers as a family.

I tuck the little ones into their beds and sing a lullaby, and oftentimes, I sit beside them until their eyes finally close and their breathing evens out.

With four children, sometimes bedtime takes a little longer than I would wish. I often long for alone time or a bubble bath to read my own books.

Being organized and proactive helps us be efficient and happier during the day.

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Victorious

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January 9, 2013 By Jennifer Lambert Leave a Comment

Most days, I certainly don’t feel like I have the upper hand.

On good days, I get up before the kids (or just with Alex and it’s still rather quiet) and I can read my Bible and drink my coffee in peace. I can start a load of laundry and look through my emails and social media before the girls wreak havoc on my morning.

On bad days, I grumble hallelujah as I waken to shrieks of laughter and/or offended sobs and drag myself from my bed haven and pour liquid life into my red mug and try to ignore the squabbles over that last packet of Dinosaur Eggs oatmeal.

God is in control.

But it often seems like I am a leaf on the wind of my children’s whims.

Pulled in four different directions all day every day.

And then my husband tells me he’s out of soap. How can he be out of soap?! And we must make cupcakes for our monthly church dinner…which is now a weekly dinner. that we’re in charge of and must organize. I have to plan our Sunday school lesson for the marriage and parenting class my husband and I teach. I have to plan the Wednesday night lesson for the kiddies. And I have to call my mother as I cringe, remembering that it’s been four days since I last called.

And…

There’s always another and.

So…

To embrace Calm, I know…

I have to make some changes.

I must get in bed earlier to rise earlier to ensure I am at least awake before the kids tumble down the stairs to fight over iPads and computer games.

Today, I woke at 6:40 AM. It was still quite dark outside.

I made my bed. I applied my essential oils. I read my Bible app while preparing steel cut oatmeal (6 servings for 4 kids and myself and I barely got a 1/2 ladle-full!), bacon, sausage…

I ran the coffee pot twice because for some reason, it is hydrophobic. If it starts talking to me in that HAL voice, I swear I will will take an axe to it. Then I can get that dual espresso coffee machine with a water line I’ve always wanted.

But I digress.

Elizabeth scowled and snapped at Katie and I sent her out of the room to regroup herself and her attitude.

She came back a few minutes later, not quite contrite, but better.

I must keep to a schedule.

Mornings tend to run away from me. I need to encourage everyone to finish eating, clean up, get dressed, brush teeth, bring dirty clothes to the laundry room before 9 AM so we can begin schooling then. No iPads during school unless used specifically for school reserach or relevant learning videos. I need to plan better to transition between lessons and subjects so the day doesn’t flow into chaos. This includes meal time and cleanup. I need to set up a blog schedule and keep to it.

I must limit my online time.

I need to write and do the social media thang when the kids are either occupied, asleep, or away from the house (which is just about never). I cannot neglect God, the kids, house, or husband for online time. It cannot be an escape from the world. I’ve been doing better!

Although my husband asked me last night: What do these moms do during Twitter parties – do they just put mothering on hold?! That cut deep as he got the kids ready for bed. I could hear the frustration in his voice as he clenched his teeth and snipped at too-tired babes arguing that they were not, indeed, tired enough to go to bed at bedtime. I usually do the bedtime routine.

My two little girls were struggling to stay awake when I finished the Twitter party when I went upstairs to check on them. I prayed sweet prayers with them. Katie prayed earnestly that she wouldn’t argue and that she would remember to do what she’s told. Yes, Lord. Let us all remember that. She’s learning!

Liz got upset with me that after she finished her evening chores, it was her bedtime and we couldn’t read the first scene of Hamlet together. It wasn’t my fault that she took so long to complete the cleanup (what was she doing to help Dad during my Twitter party?!)…but I still felt guilty from not being available even though it was after 9.

I need to utilize my time well.

I can write while the littles are in gymnastics. I can either sit in the waiting room or car and type on my laptop (if it’s charged!). There is no Internet available so there are no distractions. If I get up before the kids, then I can work. I can get schooling completed in the mornings and have my afternoons free to do what I want while the kids play. Then, most evenings should be free to spend with my husband for the few minutes after the kids are in bed and he goes to bed by 9. He wakes up very early every day to go to the gym. He’s crabby if he stays up late.

I can be victorious.

I can fight the devil’s lies when he tries to convince me I’m not good enough. I will not listen. I can do this. God will help me succeed.

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