Pages

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Day Plans and Routines


School is starting in two weeks for my children and I am excited because they are starting a new wonderful Montessori school. Both will attend school from 8:30am - 11:30am. I am not excited about our lazy mornings coming to an end!

We all know how important routines and schedules are to children. My husband and I do not work in the summers so the routines go out the window. We are lazy, we travel, and spend lots of time at pools and water parks and with family. So today we began our morning routine and evening routine needed for us to get to school on time and live in peace and harmony. This gives the kids two full weeks to get used to being back in a routine.

I found a morning and evening routine chart from Our Montessori Story Blog and modified them for our style. Here is my version of the morning routine chart and evening routine chart. My son who will turn 6 in November can do the routines all by himself. My daughter who will turn 4 in November needs my help in some areas right now. I'll let you know what happens in the next 2 weeks. The kids share the same room so I hope that she will see her brother doing everything and do it herself.

Here is our day plans.
8:30-11:30 School
12:00-12:30 Lunch at home
12:30-1:00 Read a story to the kids and get Bella to wind down for nap time
1:00-3:00 Bella naps and sweet boy and I will work together (more on my work plans later)
If Bella does not nap or gets up early then she will work with us.
3:00-3:30 TV Time (Spanish Cartoon)
3:30-5:30 This will be spontaneous activities. It could be the kids playing outside, going to the park with our playgroup, play date, some music/art activity I come up with, etc. I also begin dinner at 5pm every day since my husband usually gets home at 5:30pm and the kids some times help with dinner.

I am planning on enrolling the kids on a one day a week afternoon class at the zoo on Tuesdays, if they still have openings. This would be one day a week 1pm - 3:30pm. I hate it that Bella will not take a nap but sweet boy wants to attend and I do not have anyone that can stay home with Bella while she naps or take sweet boy to the class. So both will attend!

3 comments:

Annicles said...

I cannot believe that you have your nearly six year old at home with you that much. In the UK we send our kids to full time school education from the age of four/five depending on birthday. My eldest was 4 and 3 months when she started full time. I am very jealous!!

Gigi said...

Here in the US it is becoming a tradition that kids go to school full days starting in Kinder (age 5). Most public schools only offer full day for 5 year olds.

Most Montessori Private and Private schools in general also only have full-day for 5 year olds. I was very happy to see that I could choose half days at this school.

Annicles said...

It's the law here. I don't want to home school - I don't see the value for my family and me and my husband but I would love for education to be voluntary for another year!!!