Well well, where do I begin? So you want to know how in the world is it even possible with having that many kids and homeschooling on top of the daily agenda that needs to get done? Well quite honestly… not always how I would have hoped.
We all have these amazing plans and how we want to get things done in a day right? We have our "to do lists" on the fridge, our cozi app on our phones (which is awesome by the way), we have sticky notes just plastered everywhere (maybe), or just a mental note (that’s if you still have some sort of a brain left)!
So I am going to give you a recap of our day the way it was intended anyway, but just remember…. it doesn’t always go so smoothly.
5:30 – 6:30 – Usually when I get up (because one of the littles loves to get up right at the crack of dawn)!
7:00 – this is when I tell the kids that they are allowed to get up and come downstairs. Although sometimes we have at least one that just has to see the sunrise.
8:00 – breakfast (if my kids have the patience to just hold off a little bit) this is usually the time that they are telling me that they are starving and just can’t wait
8:30 – clean up and morning chores. (Including toothpaste left in the sink and the crumbs on the floor that could probably feed another 2 kids)!
9:00 – 12:00 – school time! Now I know what your thinking?.. Do they sit there and just do what they have to get done?… sometimes!
but they need to get done a certain amount and certain things in a day for it to be qualified as a productive day.
We separate the older ones and the littles. The older ones (anyone 12+ has to do their work independently and the littles have more one on one time with mom). Not to mention the preschooler and the baby!
So 9:00 the bigs head up and they know exactly what they have to do. (I will let you know what our curriculum is at the end) The preschooler has his activities planned so that he stays busy and not getting into things because let me tell you ….the age of 3 can be very challenging! The baby is in for his early nap with hopes that he will sleep for a while.
I sit with the littles to complete their math, spelling, handwriting and certain days we do science and geography. The reading tends to be later when things are most quiet as we have one that has a lot of difficulty reading.
10:00 – We do break for snack for about 15 minutes ( because my kids love to eat)! and then right back at our school work until 12:00
12:00 – lunch time!!!!
12:30 – 1:00 – cleanup time
1:00 – 2:00 – quiet time and baby’s second nap. This is a time where everyone has to do something quiet (legos, boardgame, reading, drawing, etc.) so that Mom can gather herself back together. LOL
2:00 – 3:00 – outside time (if the weather is nice) and if not then they get some FREE time! (Bigs help with the littles, and do such a great job)! ( we also will do cooking or baking at this time, science projects, etc.)
3:00 – 4:00 – this is CRAZY time at our house!! Kids are getting hangry and usually someone needs a ride to work, swim lessons, store trips (this is where the taxi van comes in)! So they may need a little snack to hold them over.
4:00 – 5:00 – prepping dinner and trying to catch some time with my husband in the kitchen.
5:30 – usual dinner time ( and yes……we all sit together! Always have and always will)!!! unless we are talking about the 3 year old that can’t sit still and asking for something before we even get to the table.
6:00 – Clean up the kitchen (which can happen pretty quick if we all help out) Lots of hands!
6:30- 7:00 – showers and baths for all the littles
7:30 – bedtime for the preschooler and the baby with story time and cuddles
8:00 – bedtime for the 5 & 6 year old
8:00 – extra reading time with one of our sons who struggles but we are making huge improvements this year! 🙂
8:30 – bedtime for the bigs ages 8 & 9
9:00 – whenever I start falling asleep at my laptop ( this is true) I am on blogging and doing research of some sort.
The older ones go to bed usually by 10:00 – 10:30
Now…. I do have long days but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Somedays are much easier then others for sure but we are all learning each and everyday to be the BEST that we can! So keep your heads up and just smile. 🙂
The curriculum that we use for this school year 2017-2018
* AOP Monarch (for all the kids 8th grade and up)
* Apologia Science
* Apologia Who is God? bible curriculum
* Singapore Math
* Blast Off To Reading (for our son with Dyslexia)
* Horizons Reading
* Horizons Phonics
* Handwriting Without Tears
* Teach Your Child To Read in 100 Easy Lessons
* We also use a lot of different supplemental items as well. Homeschooling can be taught with additional books and resources all the time. (We love to be able to want to learn about something and we have the world to explore it)
Pumpkin Playdough Recipe:
* 1 cup salt
* 2 cups flour
* 2 cups water
* 1 Tablespoon cream of tarter
* 2 Tablespoons vegtable or canola oil
* Food Coloring
* 1 1/2 Tablespoons or Pumpkin Pie Spice (to bring out the fall smell).
* OPTIONAL : Leaves, bottle lid, cinnamon stick, pipe cleaners, cloves& other fun tools!
* We love the Little Man on the Map (this is fun geography)!
But just like I have said before we may have and amazing plan, but doesn’t mean that it will always work out the way the we want it to. We try our best and that’s all any of us parents can do right?
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