Routine

Introduction

Although I have lots of "good intentions" on paper or in my head, I never seem to be able to put them into practice. A friend of mine recently suggested this very simple but effectively revolutionary idea of throwing away the timed schedule in favour of a routine! (She actually called it "pegging" learning times to routine activities).

In other words, if I don't manage to get up and jump straight on into the time-table at exactly the time I had planned (which I have to admit, hasn't actually *ever* occured so far!....update! This does actually occur on rare occasions!), I needn't feel that the whole plan has to fall apart, (I tend to end up feeling very down, discouraged and demoralised when the day starts off badly, and I tend to conclude that the whole day is ruined).

Okay, so we might not actually manage to have breakfast until 10 o'clock, but that doesn't mean that we need to miss everything on the time-table up to that point, we just follow the routine that, after breakfast comes "this" ("this" is "pegged" to Breakfast), and after "this" comes "that". Simple! However, I have re-introduced my own times to aim for in this revision.

The other thing, of course, is that because home education is so much more effective than school education, ("more achieved by coffee-time at home than in a whole day at school") you need not feel it necessary to get an hour or even half an hour on each subject, so you need not feel tied to a time-table.

Little Bears' Revised Week-day
Routine

Rise & shine (from around 6:00 am on), Quiet-time, shower,
Prepare breakfast, lay table, make any preparations now for Dinner later on,

Say or Sing Grace, Breakfast (aiming for 7:30 am), washing up
go up to make beds & tidy upstairs, children's baths if required, help children to dress,
aiming to get down by 8:00 am, bring down dirty laundry, put washing on
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Devotions
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Music, Bible-story, Literature
Then, come back and empty washer, hang out/ set to tumble, prepare for lessons
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Reading, Writing
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Break for
Physical Education (Games/ exercises & sports, indoors or out)
[Wednesdays = a longer 'Nature Walk']

Elevenses optional snack, around 11:00 am, washing up

Maths (except Wednesdays), followed by:
Mon: History, Tue: Geography, Wed: Maths, Thur: French, Fri: Art, craft & design, followed by:
Mon: Swedish, Tue: Home. ec., Wed: Science, Thur: Home Ec., followed by:
Mon: ICT, Tue: Survival, Wed: Science experiments

Lunch around 12:30 - 1:00 pm, Washing up

optional: Project work or Badge work c. 1 hour from 1:00 pm
depending upon whether or not we are currently doing a project or working towards a badge
FREE-TIME up to 3 hours from 1:00 pm on for children to play/ follow own interests

EXCEPT: Thursdays = Story-time at the library at 2:00 pm, Friday = Swimming

Tea-time optional, around 3:30- 4:00 pm: Prepare snack tea, washing up

Story-time up to 1 hour from around 4:00 pm followed by Free-time
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Aim to start Preparing Dinner around 4:30 pm
& prepare table in time for Daddy to come home from work

Dinner around 5:30 pm, washing up, clearing up, hoovering, general tidying/ sorting/ cleaning

FAMILY TIME around 1-2 hours from 5:30 on to 7:30
(except Mondays: Weekly shopping trip)

aim for 6:30 Bath-time (if required), 7:00 Story-time & Prayers, 7:30 Bed-time for children

Supper, if required, around 7:00 - 7:30, washing up, drying, putting away
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Mummy's Quiet-time
From 8:00 - 10:00 pm on, Any other housework, make Daddy's lunches, cleaning, ironing
Computer/ Planning/ reading/ other leisure pursuits/time for Mummy & Daddy
Setting out books etc. ready for lessons tomorrow
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Bed-time

Feel free to use or amend this Routine for your own use.

"This is the day that the LORD has made...
...We will rejoice and be glad in it" Psalm 113:24