Our 168

Recently, Carrie of The Parenting Passageway (one of the few blogs I still read and follow consistently) wrote about her family's use of the 168 hours in a week. I have written 'day in the life' posts before and I have privately recorded, hour by hour, my use of time (eye-opening), but I thought I would join her and share here, our current 168 from our homeschool perspective.

 Morning read aloud is an important part of our rhythm. Some of our current or recently completed books. So so good.

Our kids are in 8th and 5th grades. We have some unique needs, which I mention only because I know from years of parenting now, that these differences deeply affect how, why, and when we do or do not do things in our family. M works full time plus has a rough commute and conference calls in different time zones, so while he is fully engaged and supportive of our family life and homeschooling, he isn't available to relieve me easily for personal appointments, classes, or evenings off/out. We are doing our best to meet all the needs, but it is tricky right now. It feels nearly impossible to give our kids, ourselves, our families, and our marriage each the time and focus they need and deserve.

I try to begin every day with quiet time for myself for journaling and exercise. Our family meal is breakfast. We have daily 'house help' tasks to address basic cleaning, cooking, laundry, and pet. Everyone helps and these tasks and emotional/mental health are taking the lead in our schooling right now.

I am a gentle planner. A couple of us in our family do much better when we have a strong rhythm, consistency, and a sense of what is coming, so I like to prepare, because it helps me be more flexible in the moment. While we don't have a daily dinner theme, I always plan meals for the week ahead, based on what we have, what is in season, an what our schedule is. The meal plan for the week is then put on the fridge. We have a range of food sensitivities, so preparing is important, but we also keep it simple. We do have a daily breakfast plan that everyone can expect.

Below is roughly how we are using our 168 hours right now. This will change once we hit U.S. Thanksgiving and the holiday season and I have had to work very hard to keep some open days, although those days have been getting filled with atypical, but necessary, appointments this fall. When we have home days, we do a read-aloud, house help, main lessons, play time, independent reading, additional lesson work, and other projects (group or independent).


Monday:

• Nature study/hike
• 4-H project
• Occupational Therapy
• Soccer practice

Tuesday:

• Optional drop-in soccer class (The kids have been part of this group for several years, but having a morning class really makes it hard to do main lesson work, so right now, since they are also on soccer teams, we do drop-in occasionally.)
• Home day for lesson work and projects

Wednesday:

• Charter school class or activities day
• Errands
• Library 
• Soccer practice

Thursday:

• Home day for lesson work and projects
• (Homeschool group has park day or other activities. We only occasionally attend.)
• Once per month 4-H project
• Shakespeare book club for kids, MNO for me

Friday:

• Home day for lesson work and projects
• Once per month 4-H project

Weekend:

• Soccer games
• Family time/outing
• One on one time with the kids if we can
• preparing for the week ahead
• Project work on/in our home (DIY fixer upper)
• Time with extended family
• M likes to hike on his own, in addition to family hikes

How are you spending your days?

 

Late October nature table