We don’t follow a schedule every day. But even doing some of it every few days brings smiles to faces around here. I don’t know whether success should be measured in smiles, but that’s the way it happens here – not the fleeting “I just got a new truck” kind of smile, but the “I feel pretty good about what I can do and how people feel about me” smiles.

Our schedule is centered on stations, or locations around the house. A very ambitious, scheduled day looks like this:

Breakfast and Bible – We start the morning with breakfast, reading a Bible story and working on memory verses.
School Table – We move to the school table for several activities: 1) putting a new date on the calendar, 2) workbook pages, and 3) special toys (difficult puzzles, number games, etc.).

Sofa Time – This is a break for me, while I throw in another load of wash or run the dishwasher. They get to sit on the sofa and play with toys that have lots of small pieces, usually Playmobil.
Cleaning – They help me with chores: wiping windows with Windex, wiping cabinets with Clorox wipes, putting their clothes away in drawers.

Reading – I read a book to the kids that has to do with whatever topic we’re studying. Then they “read” a simple book to me from memory.
Easel – At this point, our time at the easel includes 1) phonics with magnet letters, 2) felt board stories or science charts, and 3) pocket chart exercises such as categorizing and story sequencing.
Large Motor – I send the kids onto the deck or let them ride bikes through the house (yes, they ride in the house…) while I change out laundry and make lunch.
Lunch and Memory – We work on nursery rhymes during lunch.
Cozy Down – This is cuddle time with songs and finger plays. This may be their favorite time. My daughter likes the “Here is the Hive” fingerplay as her fingers get to be the tickling bees. One, two, three, four, five! They’re alive! Bzzzz…

Naps – Aaaaah…. The end of the schedule.

Sometimes the order gets a little mixed up, or not everything happens. That’s ok. As long as they’re getting the basic rhythm of the day, they seem to feel like they’re being purposeful. When we’ve been away from the schedule for a while, it’s fun to watch their attitudes improve over the course of a few days as we get back into it. They even start being deliberately nice to each other. It’s amazing.

I think the key is that they feel loved and important. That makes sense. Those feelings tend to put a smile on my face, too.