my hows and whys

it's been on my mind quite a bit lately, the way we homeschool. lots of mommas that i stalk follow have a much more relaxed approach than i do. and i'm so happy it works for them. it doesn't work for us, however.

{ ^typical table scene in the mornings}

we have a semi-schedule. we get up and school is to be started at 8:30am everyday. they have two to four things that they do on their own, depending on the day and the kid. then we start in on english and spelling. if the kids are feeling like working quickly, we can even squeeze in nearly all the subjects before lunch, and be done for the day around 1. usually, though, we're getting done around three (let's just say we've had some issues keeping on task). i would rather finish up early, because there are actually things i'd like to do. and lately, it is not possible to do anything during our school time, (but that's another rant for another day).

so when the boys wake up, they eat, make their beds, get dressed down to socks, brush their teeth, then start school. no, i don't let them spend all day in pj's. typically, they wake around seven. so an hour and half is more than enough time to do all those things, although, they are excellent time wasters and i have no idea what they're doing sometimes. we also have a bedtime we adhere to every night, unless it's a special occasion. they are all down by 8:15, latest.

i get up between 6:00 and 6:20 to have quiet time and a warm cup of tea (sometimes coffee if it's been a long night). if i have time, i start unloading dishes and i may try and do laundry. usually, though, i only have enough time for my quiet time and journaling before the kidlets start trickling in. so once they are up, i finish my hair and make up and take care of the baby if he's awake. i also have a bedtime, i try to be in bed, covered up, ready for sleep by 11. but, honestly, i'm trying to up that time to about 10 or so, so i can get up earlier in the mornings.

so why do i have a schedule of sorts? because, i want to set my kids up for success in the real world. i want them to not be lazy all because i let them dictate their schedule. yes, i want them to have fun and they get to work at their own pace, and they pick the what order they want to do the subjects in, but i still make sure they are doing their work instead of staring off into space. my fear is that i will cause them to be lazy people if i don't show them how to get up and take care of yourself and your business in the mornings, and go to bed at a descent hour at night. i want them to be productive humans when they grow up.

my kids also have chores to do. our new system is for them to pick two chores to do for an entire month, each month we rotate chores and they have to go through all the chores before they can go back to one they've already done. they also have to clean their rooms every day, make their beds each morning, and keep their bathroom maintained after showers. i'm not sure how they get the bathroom so messy. i can go clean it and the next day it's a disaster again, so i just avoid their bathroom. and i keep them in charge of picking up the floors. i mean, they are shorter, so they're closer to the floor, so, you know, it's easier for them to pick up stuff.

so basically, i'm worried they will be lazy if i don't maintain some kind of schedule and structure. and lazy men are not men anyone wants to be around, let's just be honest here.

and that is basically how we do school. not everyone will agree that it's the best way, and that is a-ok. because it is what is best for us. and others will do what is best for them and that is just dandy in my book. i'm all about doing your own research and figuring out what is best for you in every situation, including school.

and of course, weekends are totally different, you've probably seen those dumb e-cards saying "yay, it's friday. oh wait, i'm a mom," or something. well. i do say yay! it's friday, because yay! no school on the weekends! and i get to do the things i was dreaming of doing during the week. well sometimes.