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Our Summer Schedule

I love schedules. There's just something about them that helps me feel a little more control over my life by setting aside a time for everything that needs to be done. I won't say I rigidly follow them because life just happens sometimes--okay, all the time--and trying to stick with them too tightly can make you crazy. And sometimes I just want to do something different. But schedules generally help me stay on track.

My summer schedule is my coping strategy that helps me teach my children important life skills that we don't have time for in the regular school year, helps us take care of things that really need to be done, and hopefully helps me enjoy them more. The schedule is actually more of a suggestion because several of my children will be busy with summer jobs (lawnmowing, etc.).  One of my children opted not to do summer swim team, so he's doing tennis instead which meets at a different time. So they'll just have to get their stuff done at different times. But this schedule gives them a basic structure.

When I make the schedule, I try to be generous with how long everything takes. The extra job should only take 30-45 minutes but I allow an hour. The daily job takes about 5 minutes and they have tons of time to get ready for the day. So if they're really motivated, they can get done a lot sooner.

The most important consideration when I make the schedule is what times I will be available to help them with extra jobs and practicing. In addition to having a reward for finishing, that's really the best way to make it happen. Things just don't happen as well if Mom isn't home or busy with something else. It can be chaotic at times when I'm trying to help everyone; fortunately the older children don't need as much help.  But the supervision helps it to happen.  I also reward the kids with computer time and time with friends when they're done.

As far as the extra jobs go, the cleaning assignment is a deep cleaning job. Every week I will try to focus on an area of the house that needs more cleaning. For example, one week we'll focus on cleaning all the blinds. Another week maybe we'll work on the kitchen cupboards, etc. The outdoor assignment involves watering, weeding, sweeping the patio, etc. The cooking assignment is something they would like to make or something we need for dinner like cookies, bread, muffins, etc. The youngest cooks start with making jello and they love it.

So here's the schedule and the extra job chart:

6:45am     Do daily job
7:00          Breakfast
7:15          Family scriptures
7:30          Get ready for the day, exercise
8:30          Extra job
9:30          Practice musical instruments
10:30        Snack, get ready for swim team
11:00        Swim team
12:30        Lunch
1:00          Read for 30 minutes, do math or writing
2:00          Free for the day!


Extra JobsMon.Tues.Wed.Thurs.Fri.
Make breakfast at 6:30, do dishesELMTS
Help Cam for 45 minutesSELMT
Outdoor assignmentTSELM
Cleaning assignmentMTSEL
Cooking assignmentLMTSE

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