Making sure your plan is realistic is tricky! Sometimes you just don’t know til you try it out!! What do you think of the schedule for different weeks approach??
I plan out 3 regular school days (Mon, Tues, Thurs.) and two half days (Wed, Fri). My oldest two are in band at the local high school first thing in the morning. We do morning time, group subjects and then break for lunch. After lunch they have about an hour or two of independent work. Wednesday is shopping and errand day so I keep it super light. Friday is a catch-up and project day. Keeping the afternoons 'school' free is a huge priority for our family so I try to be very conscious about that. My oldest loves tinkering, building, designing, and crafting stuff. He learns so much history and science through all of his various projects. I don't want to interfere with that learning. So his school work load looks very different from what most teenagers do for high school. My middle child likes to fix appliances and computers. I'm setting aside a portion of the budget this year for thrift store shopping so he can have various things to take apart, rebuild, fix, and resell.
You are so organized. I just keep trucking and expect the unexpected. No plans other than we have plenty to do because I overbought at one point in time.
Thank you! There was a point in my homeschool life where I didn't do much planning either! You may change your mind and give it a try when its absolutely necessary!😜
Impressed with your schedule! Looks like a lot of great learning opportunities! My schedule was super full until I got chronically sick. That forced me to slow down and do less. I now have guilt and fomo. Would love to have the energy to do more but I am learning to trust in the Lord as He carries me in this season.
FOMO is a tricky trap, for sure, bc each family’s circumstances are different. I can’t imagine doing my schedule if I had to deal with a chronic illness. So you absolutely have to consider what your reality is. 😉
Your planning videos inspired me to plan more than I have ever done before! Before last year, I was a next lesson homeschool mom, and I always lost track of my year. We ended up using the summers to “catch up.” Now I have a plan! We’ll see how well it goes this year!
Excellent video! I don’t plan out my whole school year any more. I only plan out one month at a time. I do have and “ Idea” notebook that I refer to. Homeschooling is hard, I’ve learned to be flexible and if the curriculum has to change, I change it. I do blocks of time for our schedule. Online block and book block. I use to schedule everything in like lunch, breaks etc, but now my daughter just asks for a break after doing 3 subjects. During that time she finds something to nibble on for lunch. If I went by grades, I have an 8/ 9 th grader.. We love Campfire curriculum! I hope y’all have a spectacular school year! I watch you the most! Take care! 💜🌻💜🌻💜🌻
Thank you!!! Blocks of time is probably how I think about it in my head too! Before lunch and after lunch! Lol! 😂 If we’re on a roll, I will wait for lunch until my kids start complaining. We’ve definitely eaten later than 12. I’d rather accomplish as much as possible in the morning. Sometimes if you take a break, you never come back! 😂 Good for you for being able to plan each month. That definitely helps you stay flexible! 😉
I put together a timed spreadsheet as well, so I didn't over-plan. I still think I over-planned a little bit, but I'm making it work. I don't follow the times perfectly either.
Thank you for being so honest. It makes sense that you are being more practical. I have done the same things that you have. I am trying to be more realistic this year too.
It’s a whole lot easier to add things in than feel the guilt of having to ditch something!! So having realistic expectations is a great way to start the year!! Good for you!!! 😉
This excites me! I love planning. I’m trying to figure out how to put my course of study on a spreadsheet like this. My weakness of follow-through on the “fun days.” I need to actually do the fun stuff I have planned instead of just not having school that day. Thanks to your family co-op idea, I’m going to try one myself.
I can relate to your fund day dilemma. That’s why I quit trying to do a “fun Friday” bc so many Fridays, the fun was “let’s just take a day off!” Homeschool is hard, especially on the parent trying to balance all of the things with very little “free” time. So going 5 days a week doesn’t work for everybody every time. I hope the Co-op idea works for you!!
Mission Impossible, lol. I love how much more simple this plan is compared to last year. And that you made it all fit into a routine. I find that’s the easiest way. If it doesn’t fit the routine, we don’t do it. I like seeing how that works with older kids with more in their school days. 👍🏻
Thank you!!! Experience definitely informs the plan, but man…..it’s amazing how every year has new challenges. No matter how many years you’ve homeschooled, there will always be something new you have to figure out! 😉 (I suppose until you begin graduating kids off….but I don’t want to think about that!!!! 😢)
@@OurHOMEschoolPlan I already wonder what I will do with myself when they graduate and we’ve only just begun. Praying these two year are filled with great memories for you all 🙏🏻
@@Homeschooling_with_the_Riveras awe, thank you so much!!! ❤️❤️❤️ fortunately, I’m pretty sure Drew will stick around. Even if he goes to college, he’ll stay local. He’s not in a hurry to get out of the house which is SUCH A HUGE BLESSING, bc Mama wants her babies close by. When he moved out, it better be bc he’s getting married and grandbabies will be on the way soon! 😂
In relation to the forensic science, you can check with your sheriff’s office and sometimes they will give tours of how the crime lab and operations run.
My older kids are mainly independent and I find it hard so I try to make sure I include them and do stuff with them!!! We are doing church history this year!!! I can’t do routines as things change often with 2 in classes and a teenager who is in love with his bed and my teenager in training would love her bed if she could!!! Her classes doesn’t allow her to get up late!!! I plan family subjects with my older kids in mind as my youngest is 5!!! We love masterbooks science but we haven’t looked at that science even though I have kids into it!!! I’m refuseing it for a 12 year old boy!!! This year we have started a 2nd co op!!!
My teenage daughter loves her bed too! 😂 but I need her to get up and get going since she needs my help. Otherwise she’d do her work at night. If she were on her own, that’s one thing. But I can’t do school that late. 🤪
hahahaha! That's exactly what I said planning this school year. THIS will be the perfect planning year. Have I changed anything yet?? OF COURSE I HAVE. 🤣😂🤣
😂 glad I’m not the only one! We still haven’t started yet. But I’m sure within the first couple weeks I’ll be saying, “what was I thinking?!?!” It almost always happens!! But we’ll see!! THIS YEAR IS GONNA BE THE YEAR! 😜