Good morning! Today we are getting back to our routines and we are soooo ready! I say routines and not schedules...I don't do good with schedules. they are rigid and I can never adhere to them! But routines are much more flexible and and give me set goals...not set times!
It's a fact that children do better when they know what to expect! (I do , too!) We have used many different types of schedules and routines over the years....and I have learned not to be afraid to change things up if it's not working!

One thing that really helped me to set order to my day was Managers of their Homes and Managers of their Chores. You can check out these resources and many other great ones like them at The Maxwells site Titus2
(another great book they have is Homeschooling with a meek and quiet spirit...but that is another post)
For my big family this type of scheduling worked great....block scheduling. I have taken and tweaked this over the years and we now schedule blocks of time for certain things...not really giving a certain subject a set time but more a broader sense of what we hope to accomplish.
We also are pretty relaxed schoolers and so believe learning happens all the time and not everything fits in a schedule box. So we arrived at our loosely structured day....(which I will share at the end of the post)

Today we are easing into our routines....I have found that starting back in after a break goes better if we add in one or 2 activites at a time. So this week it is table time with phonics and math for my little ones. And the olders are setting up their notebooks and organizing their materials. I let them set their own pace. This is what homeschooling is about...teaching them how to learn and then stepping back and letting them do it! My 3 older girls are mostly independant now and tht frees me up to be with the littles.

So right now our routine looks something like this...(remember this is mostly for my younger ones)

Block one approx. 8am -9am get up, am chores, breakfast

Block two approx. 9am-10am table time- which may include devotions, phonics, math, copywork

Block three approx. 11am-12pm read alouds - we read aloud for many subjects- history, science, literature

Block four approx. 12pm-1pm lunch, free time, mid day cleanup

Block five approx. 1pm-2pm quiet time- this includes nap time for youngest and quiet reading or play for others

Block six approx. 2pm-on free time, art time, play time, more reading, nature walks, fun stuff!

Now truthfully our day rarely looks like this....but this is what we strive for....it is a loose routine that gives us goals to get done most of the things we want to!
We always start our day with devotions! This year we are using Character Sketches and I am looking forward to it! The day is always better when we start it with God and His word!
A couple of notes...our table time is the time of day when I (Mom) am available and right there to help with what ever they need. I can guide teach and listen during table time. I have 4 boys doing table time right now and it can be a bit crazy!! I am hoping the workboxes will be a way to organize that time better! I will keep you posted on how that goes!
And the quiet time hour is something I learned about many years ago when my kids were all little....we put that in place and have used it ever since! It is a way for Mom to get a break too and a good habit to instill in us all!
Speaking of habits....that is an important part of homeschooling. Get your kids into good habits from the beginning and your day will be much easier!
Well I am off to get the kids and get our day started! Many blessings as you plan and schedule your days!