Is it possible to be a dedicated homeschooling mom while still making time for myself as an individual (a girlie girl who likes cute shoes)? I like to think so. Follow along, and I'll let you know for sure.

Trust me . . . it's not ALL about the shoes.

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Time-Saving Sunday - Finding a Routine

We love our weekend family time, but Sunday often becomes my day to prepare for the upcoming week. This will be the day I’ll call upon some fabulous mama friends to share their expertise on how to keep our homes running smoothly and our families well fed while still leaving plenty of time for school. 

We've started something new in our house recently - and it works so well I can't believe we didn't do it sooner. The idea came from my friend Regina (wish she had her blog up so I could link to her - hint, hint!) She is full of great ideas and teaches classes on couponing, home management and much more.

As part of our homework from our first home management class, we had to establish morning and evening routines for our house. Now of course I have an idea of the things that need to be done to start and end our day, but having them in my head means there's only one person who knows how/when to do them - ME!

Getting them down on paper (with pictures so Ava can follow along) has been fantastic. The kids run through the list, checking back when the finish one item to see what is next. It's amazing to see them dressed, teeth brushed, animals fed, etc. without me having to remind them 10 times!

The morning routine is so helpful in getting us into the classroom on time, prepared and with housework (dishes and a load of laundry) underway. I made sure the end the list with something fun (reading time with Mommy) to keep them moving through it, and it also serves as a nice transition into school time.
 
Now if I could just get things running that smoothly in the classroom . . . maybe I need a written routine for that, too!

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