Routines -- article from 2 years ago

(Another old article follows, from 2005. I'm posting it because I just rewrote my own daily routine. Nothing spectacularly new in this article, but it doesn't hurt to have a reminder, especially this time of year when daily rhythms usually seem to benefit from a bit of revision. What worked in September does not always work in December. If I don't pay attention to that I end up getting demoralized and letting important things slip.

The "anchors" idea in the article is from Leonie's "pegs", which have been wonderfully described by Lissa at Here in the Bonny Glen.)

ADJUSTING YOUR HOMESCHOOL SCHEDULE

Probably by this time in the year you have some sort of daily homeschool routine, but perhaps it is beginning to seem a little boring by now, or you are having trouble getting back on track after the holidays. If that is true, you are not alone! It might be a good time to think about why and how we schedule our homeschool days.

First, briefly, WHY. A routine, no matter how loose and informal, is extremely useful when more than one person is working together. In families, it helps kids to know what is expected at different times of the day, and helps a mother pace herself so as not to become exhausted or let too much time slip by in less important things. It provides security and a sense of rhythm so things do not drift or get too hurried and frantic.

Secondly, HOW. In all I've heard about homeschool routines, there seems to be two approaches. One is top-down -- to start by listing all the things that need to be done in a day, and then find places for each thing to fit. The second approach starts from the other end -- you start by looking at how the day already flows in your household, and then find places to fit the extra things you need to do.

Many homeschoolers use a combination of the approaches in planning or revising their schedule. One homeschool mom uses a system of attaching things to "anchors" in her family's day. For example, knowing that your family already eats breakfast every day, you might "anchor" chores to breakfast -- the children might make their beds, say their morning offering and tidy their rooms before they come to breakfast, and brush their teeth and get out their books right after breakfast. So a natural inevitable activity becomes associated with something else. For years I read aloud while the kids ate breakfast and then it was easy to work from there into handwriting or religious education. Other moms put on a music CD at lunchtime, or have math right before morning Mass.

These days, we are using a card system to remind the kids what to do in the morning hours. Each kid has a set of cards with instructions like "make bed"; "do math"; "bring in firewood". When they are done with their AM (morning cards), they put them in the "DONE" envelope and put it on my desk and when I have checked them, they are free to take a break. They have a similar set of cards for their evening chores. When the kids were younger, I had a poster with drawings of their various morning chores to remind them of what they were supposed to do. I find that if the first couple of hours in a day are used constructively, then the rest of the day goes easier because the important things have been covered already.

(Update 2007: I actually don't do this anymore because they don't need the cards; they remember without the reminder. This illustrates how "unnecessary" can actually be a proof of success -- the training wheels on the bike get put away because the kid can do without them. This seems to be true of a lot of things; the corollary is that unnecessary things kept in just because they were once useful can actually hinder effectiveness. Think of those same training wheels -- they would definitely slow down my teenager)

One priority in homeschooling is helping my children get going on their school subjects every day. I get my 4th and 7th graders started with their schoolwork in the morning, and then work with my 2 high-schoolers in the later morning or early afternoon. The kindergartner and preschooler get to have some one on one time before breakfast, later in the afternoon, and after supper. This way, everyone has a time when they know I will be attending to them; the older kids are able to save their questions and discussion until then, and the younger ones get a start to their day with my help.

Have you heard of the 80/20 Rule? This principle states that 20 percent of what you do in the day has 80 percent of the importance. The other 80 percent of the things you do add up to only 20 percent of the value. Periodically I stop and reflect what the crucial 20 percent in my life is right now. Prayer is always first. Relationships with my family are way up there too. Of all the academic subjects, religious formation, math, reading and writing are key; mastery in those areas leads to better understanding in the important, but less crucial academic subjects.

St Maximilian Kolbe stated a principle of activity as follows: Preparation -- Action -- Conclusion. This reminds me how to approach my day. I start preparing the day before by laying things out that I know I will need ready; this avoids too much rushing early the next day. In the morning, I try to get up in time to spend a few minutes praying, reflecting and planning ahead. This gives me momentum during the day so I can accomplish what I need to and have some "down time" when I need it. In the evening, I spend some time thinking over what has happened and what I could have improved on, before turning my thoughts to the next day.

Of course, a routine is a servant, not a master. When I am getting frustrated by days when things are not going according to plan, it helps me to remember Jesus in His ministry. Sometimes He intended to withdraw to pray or rest and people would come after Him, begging for help or wanting to argue or ask questions. These interruptions became opportunities for Him to demonstrate God's glory, and He accepted them in that spirit. Our routines are a way to ensure we are "doing the next thing" and not spinning our wheels, but they do not have to go perfectly in order to be effective and pleasing to God.

Related post: Age Quod Agis