*Update: A couple of notes...
This morning, while going over the new schedule with the children, I found a couple of errors (we decided that it would be pretty difficult for Isaiah to have time with the little ones while being in school with Mommy at the same time :) ), so I fixed those and uploaded the "corrected" version here.
And I will be happy to answer all your questions so just ask them here in the comments section; I'll write a new post addressing them in a few days.
__________________________
Okay...I finally finished typing out our schedule...and I saved it on a thumb drive too so hopefully I won't have to type it out again until next summer :)
For those of you who do not know, in 2003 while I was pregnant with Josiah (our 7th) and just beginning home schooling, a friend of ours gave us a book written by Steve and Teri Maxwell. This book led me to their website ( www.titus2.com) where I ordered MOTH (Managers of Their Homes), a guide to daily scheduling written especially for Christian home schooling families. What a blessing that book was (and still is)!
I have written a schedule for my and the children's days for almost 7 years now. A common question I get asked is, "How do you get it all done?" My first thought is that I don't get it ALL done; but through much prayer, my husband's leading, and planning, I am able to accomplish what the Lord wants me to do each day.
I know the first thing people say when they think of scheduling is, "I could never be that structured or rigid." Others have told me, "I have tried a schedule, but we can't stay on it". But I tell you, our days have been far more calm and enjoyable having a schedule than when we are just "winging" it.
Our schedule is a valuble tool we use to guide our days. There is a lot to do and a lot more that can/could be done. But the Lord has given us 24 hours each day. Some of those we need to sleep. And so what are we to do with the remaining hours?
That's why I always start with praying and asking the Lord for wisdom and seek Daniel's counsel as well. I write down the goals I have for myself and each child as well as the things I know we need to do each day (sleep, eat, bathe, school etc...), determine what other things to add that help us accomplish the goals we have, and determine how much time we need to /should spend on each of those things.
And from that I make our schedule :)
With so many little (yes Timothy...and "big" :) ) blessing running around here, and the task of feeding, clothing, training, schooling etc... each one as well as the other work of the home, it is a blessing to not have to try to remember everything! It's written out for me.
Things that I never had time for before, if we feel they are something the Lord would have us invest our time in, they now get accomplished. You would be amazed what just 15-30 minutes a day adds up to! This past month, I only had a handful of days where I had that sewing time and it added up to 3 simple summer nightgowns :)
Do we stay perfectly on schedule every day? No...I don't think I've actually ever had a day where everything or even 75% of things have gone just as we have it written out.
We have days when things run "according to plan", but those are NOT the norm. We usually have days where we get unexpected visits, someone gets sick, the baby is fussy from teething, I feel the entire day I've spent just working on character/disciplining/training, etc...
But does this defeat me? Not at all! I just stay on schedule those days as best I can, know the Lord has other plans for us those days, and know we continue to make progress towards the goals we have for our family.
I do have to make a choice each day whether to follow our schedule or not. Sometimes the choice is made for me (Daniel asks us to do something else, all the children wake up sick, etc...). Other times I have to decided if the "interruption" is one that should take me off our schedule or not (a phone call, time on the computer, discipline or comfort for a child, taking a break, doing a project etc...). Sometimes the answer is yes and other times the thing can wait.
Well, all that to say, here is our schedule :) Any questions? ;)
School Schedule 2009-2010
I see your children have little free time...maybe thats why they are so wonderful:) I'll have to think on that a bit.....I don't homeschool so it's a little different for me but since its summer I sure see a need to keep um busy:) I'll look your schedule over some more....
ReplyDeleteJust a question.......do you ever get totally overwhelmed with the amount of things you need to do and oversee?...
What a busy schedule! It obviously works for you, though, and it was interesting to hear how you managed to make time to sew. ☺
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Jillian
<><
Wonderful! Thank you so much for posting your schedule! It looks great. It just goes to prove that many hands make light work.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Dawn
Awesome schedule.
ReplyDeleteThanks fro sharing.
Im going to use this as a guide to make my own for my 4 kids.
Jaynee,
ReplyDeleteThank you, thank you for posting that. I own and have read the MOTH book, but I also have many excuses why that wouldn't work for me. I tend to burn out quickly with schedules (I prefer relaxed routines), but you've inspired me.
Since I've set aside this entire month to get our home and life reorganized, your timing is perfect. I need to start going room by room and cleaning out all of the "stuff" that doesn't belong there. It is so much easier for a child to clean when there are fewer things and they are in place (or have a place). Then I need to wrap my head around all of this information and get it on paper like you have. I hope you don't mind, but I've printed your schedule to guide me and give me ideas. Your info is safe with me. ;)
Once again, thanks for sharing. May God bless you with a wonderful day!
Love, Amy
Thank you Thank you Thank you :-) It's almost like being in your adorable yellow house and seeing it all take place.
ReplyDeleteTwo questions:
I remember you talking about what the kids do for "time with the Lord". Since it's early in the morning how do you keep them from falling back asleep? and can you go over what they do at different ages, younger/older?
I see everyone is up nice and early....how do you combat all the kids sleepiness, not wanting to get up, bad attitudes?
I appreciate you taking the time to put this up. It really does help to see a large family operate :-)
hugs~ Cinnamon
I have followed your blog for a while now (a friend of mine had told me of the cfhusband site, and on there your blog was mentioned when your husband was sick). I am your sister in Christ and a wife and mom of two small ones. This post about the daily schedule (and your sharing your personal schedule) was so helpful to me today that I had to leave a comment and thank you! :) -Sandra in NC
ReplyDeleteI can't view the schedule. :( I don't know what's wrong with my computer!
ReplyDeleteI think this is great! I'll be doing part homeschoool in the AM and the kids will go to school in the PM. great insight. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteHeather
Wow, what a wonderful schedule! I used to homeschool (we're on our second set of kids, did it with the first). I made schedules like that and it was so helpful. We used mostly Abeka books. I'm a new reader so I don't know what curriculum you guys are using. I saw piano lessons on the schedule. Are you the piano teacher? You guys are doing a great job. Keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteHi Jaynee,
ReplyDeleteThank you sooo much for sharing this. I am in the process of working on mine for next school year so this was a huge help. I was wondering what kind of sandwiches you have for lunch? Also, what do you make for your Sunday lunches?
Thank you so much!
Gracias! This is so very helpful! - and what a blessing that you have children of all ages - it makes it so easy to match mine up and get some great ideas! (and I like that you are all set now...here in MN we mark the end of summer with the big state fair and in my mind that is still several (all right - a few!) weeks off!:) - The Wilson Family
ReplyDeletePS - I just love tile floors too (they are so pretty and little children and carpeting are sometimes and interesting mix)! - now if only MN had a climate that would make them a little friendlier!:)
I really love the last chart. As a mature (ing) Christian, it's "easy" to know what the causes of offenses can be and how to deal with them, but I appreciate being able to SEE it on paper, for my children's sakes. And, the ideas for consequences. I think it would/could help them, too, to be able to see it, and keep Mom and Dad consistent. I find that consistency is the hardest thing when managing children and a household, but it's the most important.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your many helps!
Sheila,
Mama to nearly six :)
Hey Jaynee~ I had one more question. What program do you use to type up your schedule?
ReplyDelete~Cinnamon
I love the offense/cause/consequence sheet. I have been wanting to make up something like that for years! This gives me a good rough draft to work on with my husband. I appreciate your williness to share with us. :)
ReplyDeleteLOL, I thought I was *organized* w/ my time! Great schedule! Thanks for sharing! Now if only I could get my littles to fall asleep at a reasonable hour, and stay that way through the night...my schedule might stay on track...
ReplyDelete~Sheri
Thanks for sharing. I have a question, that I hope doesn't sound negative, I am just curious, as we have tried schedules like this before with our family & it didn't work, how/why do you make a schedule, knowing that you WILL get off base, that things will go wrong most days, and that you're going to end up re-grouping anyway? Maybe it's just my personality, I was feeling like I had "messed up" and not done a good job if I get too far off, which inevitably happened, then I was trying to make things up, etc. So I guess my question is how you handle disturbances, not getting things done. Thanks so much for sharing!! PS-this is our first year of homeschooling :)
ReplyDeleteJaynee- Bravo to you!!! This is a good tool and it is good to have order huh? So you just started homeschooling your children when you had your 7th or did I read wrong? I skimmed through managers of their homes and it was good. It can get overwhelming as mine are all so little but I can imagine when they are older and I have a dozen what a blessing this would be. You are doing a great job and it is a good testimony of what the Lord is doing in a large family. Oh... where did you get the 'discipline chart?" I did not see it in the book?
ReplyDeleteJessica
I don't care what you say...you're amazing! I can only hope to do 1/3 of what you do and I only have 1 at home now.
ReplyDeleteWe loved the maxwells' book! I read it years ago and it deeply impacted our lives! We have been scheduling ever since. Indepsensable with a large family!
ReplyDeleteGod bless,
gloria
<><
john 3:16
ps. thank you so much for your prayers for my husband's salvation!! It means the world to me.
Thoroughly enjoyed reading over your schedule. I struggle with being organized and are on the small side with only 6 kiddos at home (#7 on the way) *wink*.
ReplyDeleteWhat types of snacks do you serve? My older kiddos just started taking over meal prep/cooking and I would love to have my younger ones handle snacks.
Thanks!
wow you and your family amaze me.. What a blessing you are to your children.
ReplyDeleteDid you grow up like this as far as having a great family schedule? I was an only child and now have 5 blessings but I must admit since I was raised an only and never did any chores I have had a hard time delegating chores to my children. I do it all myself. I know thats wrong for all of us involved but I dont know how to break out of it. Our kids are now 2.5- 14.
anyway, I love to read your blog. I would also love to come live with you for a week to learn your super mommy skills! LOL!
Thanks for sharing,
Erica
Thanks for sharing again! I also liked the idea of a standard breakfast/lunch menu.
ReplyDeleteHow much time do you spend on lesson plans? How detailed do you get with each of the children? Do you create general plans for the entire year before the year starts? I'm a teacher and can't imagine trying to prepare the number that you have to do when it looks like you only spend a part of Friday working on them for the week.
The amount you accomplish is amazing!!!
One last thing - a few comments referred to a discipline chart, but I didn't see it. Would you be able to point me in the right direction?
God definitely uses your life to bless me!
Stacy
Oh hi again, did you take the consequence chart off? I was gonna copy it and can not find it. If you did I am sure I know why :) Well thought it was helpful. Blessings.
ReplyDeleteJessica
The discipline chart is gone, I saw it yesterday and this morning I wanted to print it. Can you please re-post it? Thank you!
ReplyDeleteLove the schedule, I have heard nothing but good about MOTH - gonna need to get it for me soon!
ReplyDeleteOne quick question - it looks like bedtime is 8:30 for the littles and 9 for the olders and everyone is up around 6:30. Do you have any bedtime routine and do the kids sleep till 6:30 or have you convinced the littles to stay in bed till you get them.....
Hi Jaynee,
ReplyDeleteI was wondering if you could share what you do for Preschool time with your littles. Also, what is preschool/activity time and what kind of worksheets do Noah and Susannah do. I would also love to see the consequence chart.
Thank you soo much!!
wow! that is an amazing schedule! I could never follow a schedule, but I only have 2 children, so life is much more manageable, if I had a dozen, I would DEFINATELY need this chart! It would be so hard to stay on task though!
ReplyDeletegood for you! your kids are BEAUTIFUL!
tara
Hello! I would also love to know what curriculum you use - Thank you! - Sonya
ReplyDeleteJanee,
ReplyDeleteWe all love to read your blog and read up on what you and your husband are doing for the work of the kingdom. Seeing you serve at home with the children while your husband is out ministering to the lost is wonderful!
We have been reading since you found out that you were pregnant with Samuel. ( I just didn't have time to create a name to leave a comment here or there). We still pray for him!
We too have used MOTH. I would love to know how did you put your schedule on that site?
Blessings and more blessings to you, Brenda P.
How can I possibly tell you how truly grateful I am that you have posted your schedule. Like so many others I am struggling to know how to be a better manager of my home. Schedules help bring peace and order. Yet, it's very difficult to know how to order ones day especially as so many in our generation have grown up without at home mother's guiding us. You put so much heart and time into this and by putting it out here for us it's as if you have given us shoulders to stand upon. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU - This will make a difference in our home. These are the type of things that older women are to be sharing with younger and each other. So, while your husband is the one God desires to be preching on the streets your willingness to learn and grow as a manager in your own home and then share with us this fruit is a missionary endeavor that will have far reaching benefits. Thank You!
ReplyDeleteI am just wondering how you do laundry. Do you find it best to do it daily. I am dreaming of a family closet (if we ever stop traveling ;-) ) Also, do you use alarms to keep you moving.... Living in a third world relational culture we tend to be like that too and so meal times stretch on for a loooooooooooong time. It is so wise that your children do not have mostly free time. The Bible is true when it says that a "child left to himself will bring his mother shame. "
Would you share what your non readers do for quiet time with the Lord. Also, could you share about the way you teach basics like reading and writting and math.
I have observed families whose children know what to expect and there is a calmness that comes from order.
Thank you,
Sj
Jaynee,
ReplyDeleteI read your post on Wednesday and came back today to print the consequence chart, but it is gone. I really thought you had some great ideas for consequenced that we had not ever thought about using. I would be so appreciative if you would post it again.
I read the Maxwells book and thought it was great. But, my biggest stumbling block was when we got "off" the schedule; many times "way off" the schedule. How do you recover from that? Do you scrap the schedule for the day?
Thanks so much for sharing your insight.
Jennifer in TX
Like someone else asked I also would like to know how/why you make a detailed schedule like this if you ralrely can follow it properly. The reason I'm asing is because I tried in the past as well and burned out totally by day 3:):):)~I tried several times thinking there was just something wrong with me:)~same result... but you've been doing it for years so I thought I'd ask and maybe you could address this in a future post??
ReplyDeleteThanks so much! Please post or email the discipline / consequence sheet if you can. Just what our family is needing to specialize for ourselves.
ReplyDeleteSweet BLessings
darci
Too too TOO amazing!!! You are truly the manager of your home! I am the list making queen (so my family says), and now I see how God could use that when I'm mother to a dozen. Getting good experience now directing 20 staff members in their work with 41 young ones...
ReplyDeleteI would also be interested in any discipline/training/consequences ideas as we're always looking for better ways to train the kids in our care.
Bendiciones desde Bolivia,
Jennifer
Sharing your family schedule with all of us out here in "blog world" is an amazing gift! I'm sure it makes you very vulnerable for the world to see how your home ticks, but for others like myself, it brings insight, encouragement, and inspiration. It is something the Lord uses to reveal areas in my home/family that need order and a different standard. Thank you very much, Jayne.
ReplyDeleteI saw the chart on consequenses and was so excited! With children in ages from 7 - 14, I often struggle with appropiate consequenses that deal with the heart of the matter. I just started to look at it when my husband needed the computer for business. When I came back, the chart was gone! I am praying you can re-post it.
Thank you again for blessing my home as you do. It is a joy to keep your family lifted before the Lord in prayer and see His faithfulness. Your blog is a precious treasure to me.
Sincerely,
MariNelle
Thanks for sharing. We only have six children but I too did the MOTH for years... my two youngest are 17 months apart and so at one point I was hs-ing 4 children w/ a toddler and an infant... and the next year two toddlers. It worked well... we were not enslaved to the schedule and I would tweak it often...
ReplyDeleteMy boys are bigger now... doing school themselves. One going into 1st and the other 2nd. I have a daughter who is going into the 6th and a son going into 11th... one daughter in college and one son married. As I was cleaning out our school room getting ready for the this year... to kick off.. I found our MOTH schedule.. all the kids came around... "oh mom, remember when we would take Wyatt, while you nursed Wes and read with Alyssa...." "oh mom, remember this????" Such sweet memories. God is so good. I miss those babies days. I am an older mom... almost 48. I had my youngest when I was almost 42. I kept praying the Lord would give us more but He didn't... so I rest in Him.
Grab hold of each moment... they are gone tooooooo soon. I love being with mine and seeing the little things... such blessings
I am anxiously awaiting being a grandma.... we miss having a baby around :)
blessings,
Teena
Thank you so much for posting your schedule!
ReplyDeleteI have a couple of questions, too. What do you do for preschool time, and what does Rebekah do? Also, what do Noah and Susannah do during their activity time at 11? What do your children do during their personal Bible time? Who do your children write letters to during their letter writing time?
I know I have 100 questions....sorry! This is all so helpful!
Ü~Kelly
This schedule is amazing:-) I have had the MOTH book for a few years and have yet to have a successful schedule -- I keep hoping! One of the things I struggle with is training all the littles to follow a schedule. I have two older kiddos who do fine but I have a younger set (5,4,3,1 & baby to come)that are challenging. It seems I spend all my time trying to teach them to follow the schedule. How long does it typically take you to train your little ones to follow the schedule? How do you handle littles who require constant redirection? Thanks so much for sharing your life/home with us!!
ReplyDeleteThe Millers in TX
Well, this is my first time to you blog. I didn´t realize you were in Mexico. Coming to you from Amy @ daily pleasures. She is from my home area even though we never met.
ReplyDeleteWe are Homeschool missionaries as well to the Country of Spain. I have been homeschooling since the boys were 3,2,and 1. I don´t have nearly the crew but want to be more organized. I have heard of MOTH. Have their other homeschool book, too.
I would like to print this as a guide. Really praying for "stick to itivness" this year. my oldest two will be in 5th grade and I am a little nervous I won´t get everything done. We do ABEKA and I like to get it all done. I love it as it really prepares them well but it´s rigorous.
I would be interested in any other charts you use as well. I make a smile chart for chores so they can keep track of what they do get done. Then they get privaleges based on this. but there are holes in the theory behind my chart but it´s been working for the most part.
Your family is beautiful. Thank you for taking the time to post this. God bless you as you endevour to Serve our King faithfully.
Un Abrazo!
I have to admit I have been 'peeking' at your schedule for days now as I work on mine. I have found few schedules that embrace the same ideas I have about what to do around here. Granted I have 2 children as of yet, so mine does look a ton different, but it was nice to see yours and help guide me! Thank you so much for posting it.
ReplyDeleteI Thank you for all you post. It is such a blessing to read them. Not only to keep up with your mission work and family life but as an inspiration to serve the Lord the way your family does.
Faith Cannon
P.S. I look forward to your q/a on for this post.
I noticed that you do not have scheduled teaching time with your two oldest, Timothy and Elijah. Are they working completely on their own?
ReplyDeleteI am about to start homeschooling my daughter aged 13, and so wondered about the amount of input and supervision your oldest boys need.
What a great schedule. Although I did not purchase the MOTH book, I was in desperate need of a family schedule. I do not homeschool, but both my husband and I work full time, and we have 4 young children. We were overwhelmed and struggling with the chaos. I made my chart with a roll of paper and post-it notes. Thank you so much for sharing your schedule. Also, in reading the comments, I saw a mention of a consequence/offense/cause chart. Would you share that as well?
ReplyDeleteJaynee
ReplyDeleteFor some reason I can't see your charts could you email them to me.
ghkrll4230@bellsouth.net Thanks Jaynee. Your family is so precious.