Reorganizing
Aug 27th, 2007 by Tana
I am trying to review our schedules and find ideas online and come up a new routines that incorporate Ben more into what I’m doing so he isn’t so bored all the time. When I tell people that sometimes it seems like he’s bored, the suggestion is always to send him to preschool. But say I did that? That would take care of a few hours each morning, not the rest of the day. I would still have the same problem. And if my intention is to homeschool him, I am going to have to figure out a rhythm for our day that involves learning along with fun at some point – why not start now and begin working toward the type of routine we will have when we’re doing serious schooling?
I got that book last week and I’ve been reading it again and jotting down ideas that would work for us as I go. Somehow I came across as website that is similar to FlyLady except it is done by a SAHM with a large family and she talks about her routines and how she involves her children in daily life – Large Family Logistics. That, too, has been immensely helpful.
I’ve made a list of the things I need to do every day – from fixing my hair to cleaning up the kitchen after supper – and I’ve divided things into solitary and joint activities. For instance, fixing my hair is something I need to do without help (though I supposed he could stand next to me and comb his own hair if he wanted to). Cleaning up the kitchen is something where Ben can be directly involved in what I am doing. Basically, tidying, cleaning, laundry and cooking can all be activities where Ben can participate in what I am doing. Not only can he help, he can also learn as we go about our daily activities.
But may I say that involving your child in what you are doing doubles the energy required to complete the task? The day is not even half over and I’m exhausted.
We got up. We got dressed. We made our beds and tidied the house. No walk today – I walked the three previous days and the rest of the week is supposed to be cooler and nicer than today so today is my day off.
We started the laundry. Ben helped me sort the clothes from the laundry hamper (learning light from dark). Then he helped me fold and put away the clothes that were in the dryer (he folded the wash cloths which get folded in half twice – aka mathematics, specifically fractions). [See? You can learn all sorts of things without having to do worksheets from a workbook (which is the type of busywork I found so boring and hope to spare my children from…one of my prime motivations to homeschool, in case you were wondering…). I mean worksheets can be fun, and I’m sure Ben will do his share of worksheets. But there are other more fun ways you can learn the same things.]
I read to him while he ate breakfast. My goal is to get him hooked on being read aloud to. The few times I’ve done it, he’s just messed around and hasn’t listened much, so I decided I’d start while he was a captive audience so it would be easier for him to pay attention and learn how fun it was. We read one Psalm and then I read him the first chapter of Stuart Little and he made comments on the reading, which tells me he was actually listening.
Then we went to the park. The year my mom homeschooled me was the same year the neighbor girl was going to kindergarten (her first year of school). My mom was so worried that I would be disappointed that I didn’t get to go and feel left out. She explained to me what we were going to be doing and how I would be staying home and doing special school things at home. I remember the conversation and listening patiently to everything she told me. When she was done, she asked me if I had any questions. I did have one burning question: Were we going to have recess? She told me, Yes, and that was all I needed to hear to be happy staying at home instead of going to kindergarten. Today, though, we went to the park because Steve planted grass this weekend and Ben needs to stay off those areas so the grass can grow.
We made banana bread. One of my plans is to increase the amount of time I spend in the kitchen. When you first become a mom, it seems what once was a quick and easy meal is now gourmet. But now that I have Ben to entertain, I think it’s time to get the old cookbooks back out and start cooking again like I used to. I mean, they have the Food Channel where you can watch people cook all day if you want to – helping me cook should be a great activity for Ben, and cooking is one of my seemingly “former” hobbies. I measured things and told him what I was doing, and then he emptied the measuring cups into the bowl. I also let him “stir” the batter as we added various ingredients. This afternoon we’ll be making Chicken Pot Pie for supper, one of my favorites.
Making out this schedule (albeit flexible schedule) has helped me see why either I get nothing done or I get things done and basic stuff like making the beds doesn’t get done. Really, I just have three opportunities to do actual stuff besides routine stuff – a few hours in the morning, in the afternoon, and then in the evening. I need to make the most of those times by knowing what I need to get done and doing it. Perhaps this realization will help stop the floundering between being productive and having a well-functioning household that is comfortable to live in. But my schedule still include open, unstructured times, which are key to my keeping my sanity – I hate having to follow a moment-by-moment schedule all the time.
But now Joey is awake, and Ben is wanting some lunch. Back to the routine…
It sounds like you managed to keep busy!
Don’t you have any errands to run? When I’ve got an entire day with the boys, I try to get out at least once to a store, even if it’s just to pick up a prescription at the pharmacy or get bananas at the grocery. We can always find something interesting to look at, and lately I’ve been letting Drew pay and then count the amount of change (coin only). If he gets it correct he can keep it for his bank. And often while we’re out and about we’ll stop at the playground, or for ice cream, or to visit a friend. One little errand can break up lots of otherwise dull hours at home.