School Daze

How can the soft, slow pace of Summer be coming to an end so soon?
It seems like we just said “good-bye” to books, pencils, backpacks and notebooks, and here we are, back in the “school supply” aisle of the local big box with a cart full of items that need to find a place in our homes, or in a new class room.
As a homeschooling mom, I look at these days with a mix of excitement and a longing for a few more weeks of relaxation. I love getting the new books and all the supplies. We put a new face on the school room this summer and I am ready to begin a fresh new year, but it is always hard to let go of the gentle, rambling days of summer, when we have less structure and we learn more by experience and observation than by text.
Now, for most families, time management has an added element of responsibility. It’s not just getting to work on time, it’s also getting the kids out the door and onto the bus or into the classroom.
Now, afternoons and evenings are complicated with team practice and homework.
Now, someone has to keep track of papers and materials that have to make it back to school the next day.
It’s so important to think ahead and plan each week to meet the level of detail that is going to be necessary.
A family meeting on Sunday evening is a good idea.
Sit down with everyone and put the week’s activities on a large calendar. It might even be a good idea to choose a different color for each person.
Think about who has to be where and when. Ask the kids about events coming up at school, and talk about who can drive them to and from practice or lessons. Talk about all the additional responsibilities, meetings that will keep Mom or Dad late at work, Church activities, Clubs, or time with friends. Where do the preschool children fit in to all this?
Thinking and planning ahead will make the flow of each morning so much easier. One look at the calendar will help prioritize the day, and everyone has had a chance to discuss their needs, so there should be less last minute “negotiating” about responsibilities.
The goal is that at the end of the day, everyone has gotten to and from, done the necessary tasks, and has a good feeling about the way the day went.
Sit down at bedtime and talk over the day. Ask the kids if they felt that things went well. Tweak the week, if plans change, but try to build time into the day so that this doesn’t throw everything off schedule.
Now is the time to set a family strategy that will get your year off to a smooth start!