I'm terribly forgetful. If I didn't have my smartphone with the calender app I don't think I'd show up anywhere I was supposed to be. I have to be really really diligent about putting things in it but once I made it a habit, it seriously changed my life. Adding a structured homeschool program, even just pre-k, puts a serious kink in my routine, or lack thereof. It does take away some time I have to do all the bajillion other things that compete for my attention including, oh yeah, a whole other person who needs me and I do not function well when I fall behind on cleaning or laundry. I get grouchy.
Cleaning. Ugh. There are not enough hours in the day for this and I do not like clutter or mess at all. So for the first time in my life, I'm going to hire a house cleaner. The idea would be for this person to come every 2 weeks and hit a few things really hard so that I can be in maintain mode rather than omgnastythisneedscleanedinstantly mode. That latter mode is awful and makes me feel like I suck at keeping house, which I am not really awesome at but who likes to be reminded? I say this after spending hours today scrubbing things which should have been scrubbed a long time ago. Woops.
I'll write myself a schedule and probably print it out and put it in the kitchen somewhere. I haven't decided whether I really need it in my calender app. We shall see. It will be something like this:
Daily (M-F) : AM School Stuff (calender, recitations) 10-15 minutes, PM School Stuff (45 min- 1 hr), Sweep tile and hardwood floors (kitchen/main living areas mostly), Dishes, Wipe down kitchen countertops & table, 1-2 loads laundry
Monday : Vacuum carpets
Tuesday : Toilets & Sinks
Wednesday : Library story time 11:15, dust
Thursday: Mop tile & hardwoods, Music 6pm
Friday-Sunday: Planning for following week lessons, misc cleaning & laundry
Right now he is also in swim lessons but that ends this Saturday. I am looking into gymnastics so that will probably replace it for the fall/winter. That will be 1-2x per week depending on cost and if they have open gym times.
I have my notebook ready to note what we cover in each lesson and how much time we spent on it. I like the idea of focusing on the time we worked rather than his performance on any particular topic. If there is anything I've learned about parenting, its that things click with kids on their own time and getting frustrated that they aren't mastering a topic is such a waste of time and energy. He'll get it. I just need to trust that he will and keep introducing him to things and eventually circling around and returning to them again.
The only thing I am really nervous about right now time-wise is giving the baby all the attention she needs from me. I am trying to remember that even though she isn't talking or walking, I need to be engaged in play with her and talking TO her as much as possible. As long as I am mindful of it, I think I do ok. I do feel guilty that she just won't have the 1 on 1 that my son had but she does have a really cool older brother that she can follow around. I hope he will challenge her by having her play on his level as she grows.
This post is just everywhere. I'm sorry.
Still on the agenda: Chore chart & House rules. Also would like to make a master list of major themes that I want to integrate throughout the year somehow (like our last few weeks on Ancient Egypt). And I'll do a trial run starting next Monday of my schedule!
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