A day ON

Well last week I told you about my Day Off

So this week I thought I would fill you in on a typical 'Day On'. One thing to remember is this is a day in the past 2 months, not a guarantee of a day next week. I might decide to redo the whole schedule tomorrow. Nothing is set in stone, nothing is so important we can't skip it for a walk, or trip to the zoo, or reorganizing the closets.

7ish am I awoke to sunshine streaming in my window, birds were distantly chirping. A beautiful start! So I rolled over and went back to sleep. (I have never been a morning person!)

Slightly later I heard soft padding of feet, and pages of a book turning. That would be Princess, the only early bird in the house. I stretched, yawned, and fell back asleep watching Baby girl breath softly beside me. (honest I meant to get up)

8ish am I actually seem to be awake. So I shuffle off to the kitchen to find Little Man already up reading with Princess. We get started with breakfast and chores. Well make that I grab food, and point them to the toaster, I am not a pleasant person in the morning. Over the next hour the rest of the house wakes up and joins us. After fortification with two breakfasts, plus a peek at facebook I am even willing to speak to them.

Sometime later At various times the children finish their chores and start some worksheets. Generally I let them choose from the shelf anything that is around their level. Some days I get a 'bee in my bonnet' and insist on a certain subject, or type of work. Little man still needs help reading the directions, Princess needs reminded diligent work is rewarded, and Dude just needs his stuff checked Maybe a reminder about capitalization, or periods, or paying attention to positive vs negative, or to listen to a story the work reminded him of.

Baby Girl comes and sits on my lap insisting on joining the worksheet fun every day so we will draw some shapes, and write the names of family. Or we will get some colors and play with those. Whichever it is, it is a lovely excuse for me to sit still and cuddle her.

Piano practice is part of chores/worksheets for Dude and Princess, at least 15 minutes a day. Little man and Baby Girl tend to want to goof off on the keyboard for a few minutes as well.

around 10 or 10:30 Little man is beyond done and heads outside, Dude will join him shortly. If it is nice, and if I am in the mood, Baby Girl and I will go out as well. Or they will go with Daddy someplace fun (no Princess has not made it outside before lunch or to a trip with Daddy yet. I recall when Dude couldn't so I have hope she will outgrow it)

before noon Lunchtime! To be followed by more chores (that table doesn't clean itself) and then reading. Some days we read a lot, others we barely crack the book. This is when I fit in any 'lessons' on history or geography, or whatever 'lecture' type info I need to do. Some days Little man reads to me, others to Daddy, still others to himself. Most days Baby Girl falls asleep while we read or shortly after looking at our playlist on youtube. When the educational list runs out, I might play the composer of the 'week' (month, day, whatever I am in the mood for) Or I might play a list for the country co-op is studying. Or I might play some Pandora for me. Some days I pick a specific playlist, like geography to listen to. Or any old combination I feel like. So long as there is background noise while Baby Girl sleeps. The older two read to themselves after my reading is done for a bit, and goof off for a bit.

Around 2pm I kick out the older ones. So long as it isn't raining they get to goof off outside.

After that our day depends on what activity is planned for evening, scouts, music, leaders meetings, or games night mean we have to gather them back in for showers and packing and the like around 3pm. An evening off means we skip the cleaning and let them play till dinnertime.

I am sure that looks like a total lack of schooling, one might be asking where the education is, and how they possible learn if all I have them do is a couple worksheets and a smidgen of reading.

Not sure, but they all pass the local tests with flying colors so it must be working!

In truth, breakfast is often eaten around an educational conversation (I couldn't plan lessons half so helpful as they tend to come up with). Whatever they are reading on their own is generally educational (Cam Jansen, or a science book), though not always (Princess books, Harry Potter). And the general skills of taking care of themselves, amusing themselves, and getting to know the world around them are far more useful than anything I might plan to fill the time.

Plus evening activities are generally educational, car rides often have interesting conversations, lessons. The walk might have a discussion of dandelions birds, physics, trees, recycling, or whatever else floats their fancy.

Their attempt to make a catapult or bridge outside is far more useful than a prepackaged one could be. And time spent drawing, or creating stories, or games is far more educational than folk give it credit for. It also isn't something I could plan or force them to do.

God designed children to learn. We see this in the infinite curiosity of most babies. Their desire to learn to get around, their frustration when they cannot get their hands on whatever nifty object has caught their eye, and their insistence on communicating with their family. Never assume that drive is lost once a child learns to walk, and talk.

On the contrary, the world is so BIG and there is so much to learn, older children can head in any old direction and find something interesting to learn about. I only insist that mine attempt to master a few basics. Reading, wRiting, and aRithmetic, plus peRsonal care. Things one can learn in literally minutes a day. The rest of the world is an open book, you never know what page will catch their fancy.