We are currently in our 6th week of stay at home orders. That’s 6 weeks of cyber learning, 6 weeks of staying home and 6 weeks of being nonstop with my kids!
So, we quickly had to figure out a daily schedule that worked for everyone and get everything done. I have three kids, all at different school levels. My oldest is a first year university students, my youngest daughter is in her last year in middle school and my youngest is in 4th grade.
We have scheduled zoom calls and classes each week, all at different times and days. We have too many assignments to keep up with and lots of emails from lots of teachers. It is a bit overwhelming if you allow it to be.
I thought I would share with you how we are getting through each day and go to bed happy and successful. I warn you, my schedule may not work for you, but it may help you find yours.
No ALARMS!
We don’t set an alarm! I know, kind of scandalous! But we don’t. My oldest does one day a week for a schedule class on zoom but that it. My husband is still working everyday since he is essential and he has his alarm, but the rest of us, nope!
We wake up when our bodies tell us it’s time. Part of staying healthy is making sure your body is well rested, and this is the best time to catch up on the sleep.
Completing Schoolwork
My youngest is the earliest to get up each and every day. He wakes up and right away jumps on his computer and starts his lessons for the day. We working on being independent (which he really already was) so this is great time to work even more on that. He knows what is required each day and does the assignments, turns them in and has even had to email his teacher to ask questions. He completes his work and gets it done by 11 everyday!
My youngest daughter likes to sleep! She usually strolls out of her room about the time my youngest is done with school work. She is not a fan of school to begin with, so I let her pick her own schedule. She likes to do her school work in the afternoon, when she’s awake and has finished her chores for the day.
My oldest is on her own. She does work throughout the day, around her class schedule. She has also chosen a lot of times to wait and do some of her work late at night. Let’s be honest, she is a college student and their sleep schedule is way different then ours to begin with. But she also likes that the house is quiet during this time and finds that she can get more done.
It took us some time to find a daily schedule that works for us. Since my husband is still working every day outside the house, it is all on me to make sure the kids are getting their schoolwork done each day. Having the kids do their work at different times helps me, as well. I am not running from one child to another answer questions, or stressing over their work.
And since I too am still working during this time (from home) I need to have time to get my work done as well. This allows me to have my own time in between as well as during their school time.
Keeping a schedule and chores
We are also making sure the kids keep a daily schedule during our time at home. Each day the kids are required to do chores. I have their daily chores written on our chalkboard wall in the kitchen and they must have the list done before bedtime.
I have found that this is great to get tasks done around the house that normally wouldn’t get done. The bathroom sink doesn’t need to be cleaned everyday, so I have added smaller tasks to their list.
This week the kids cleaned out and organized their clothes drawers, a different drawer each day. My daughter was also in charge of cleaning out the art supply basket. It’s two – fold, they have chores to keep responsible and I need things done off my to-do list!
Evenings and bedtimes
Our evening schedule is also a little different since we don’t have sports and activities to run around to every day. We have always had family dinners, even before this time, it has always been a priority in our family. We have continued with this throughout this time, more homemade dinners than normal, which is great!
We have been watching more tv together in the evenings, playing games, and hanging out. It’s been a great time to bond and do more activities together since we have the time, when before we were always running from one place to another.
We don’t have set bedtimes anymore. We have suggested times when our youngest should go to bed. He use to be in bed by 8:30, but now he can stay up until at least 9:30 if he wants. Our youngest daughter likes to sleep and we don’t ever have to worry about her staying up too late, she usually gets herself in bed.
Try and keep weekend schedules the same
I have also tried to keep our weekends on track as well. Our Saturdays are filled with a lot more fun, no running from here to there. But the kids still have chores and things to get done.
Sundays I make the kids get up for church. It’s a bit different, they don’t have to get ready, they literally roll out of the bed and move to the couch. But I believe keeping God and their faith life strong during this time is a priority.
They still have to attend their youth meetings (my youngest daughter is required since that’s my job!) and children’s meetings and even my oldest is still meeting with her group! I really love technology and how it is keeping us all connected, maybe differently, but still connected at this time.
Keep schedules lose
I have tried really hard to stay away from those daily schedules that designate activities based on the time on the clock. I feel like there are days when we need to all lay down and watch TV, or color, or just be lazy! This is an unprecedented time in our lives, one no one has been through before and we need to give ourselves and our kids grace!
I also tried to keep our summer daily schedule because let’s be honest, we are all dreaming of summer right now. The next time we get to venture outside, it will be summer. So keeping the same daily schedule as our summer days will make everything easier in the end.
Life is different right now, and it takes trial and error before you find something that works for you. In addition, it’s OK to change things when it’s not working. Be patient with yourselves and your kids! Make sure you schedule down time, as well as relaxing time for you and them. I have a post about some tips on ways to relax as a busy mom, you can find here.
I would love to hear what works with y’all during this time! Please comment or share with me what y’all have been doing. And if you have some chore ideas, please share! Soon my house is going to organized and clean and I will need some new ideas!
If you would like to check out some of our must have items while being at home, I’ve shared them here. From games, to my planner, to necessities.
