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Organization and scheduling

Organization and scheduling

So, by the time your kids graduate, what are your expectations regarding organizing and scheduling their own stuff? I am trying to figure out what are reasonable goals to have on this area so I can work on it with my oldest for the next three years.

This year, we are going to work on study skills, test taking and following a syllabus. Where should we go from there? Should he be able to take a week's worth of work and schedule it out himself in a planner and make his own daily plans? I should probably make some deadlines for him so he practices pacing himself and handing things on on time. Anything else?

re: Organization and scheduling

We just do the next page or lesson each day(they read the book and /or watch an instructional video for some classes or know that for literature they just read the books one after another and I put in some speed bumps of discussion and paper writing in their path.)

My kids know what we do each day and for the year, so they just do it. When they have trouble along the way they find me for help.

Because they take ownership of their work, sometimes, when the work comes easily they will even double up in the spring in order to get school done early for the year(which is a reward in itself). There are times when the work is confusing so by keeping an eye on their homework or on their class work time I can see that they need help and I give it to them.

I guess my kids are really independent. It happened on accident though when many years ago they realized that if they buckled down, they could get their school year done quicker, of course we don't want to skimp on quality, but as long as they did the task well enough I let them go ahead.

But we are not perfect, this year for example a couple kids, one who was not buckling down so well, and the other who was struggling, did their math well into summer.

The kiddo who didn't buckle down, now day dreams about getting it done early this year so that this kiddo can have a longer summer. (The natural consequence taught this child well.)

Mean while the other kiddo felt badly and I had to keep reminding that sometimes it takes longer. Now I made this kid finish a very demanding math program that I know full well most schools would consider done if they did only 80% of the book (and it is rumored now that schools are lucky if they even get through half of the book.) Knowing full well that I was being very demanding, and that this kiddo felt punished, I made the kidod just do a couple problems from each lesson for the last two chapters of the book(This child was diligently doing the normal required work so I had to lighten the load.) so kiddo would feel lucky and not punished.

I type all of this out in case there is something that is helpful.

I think it is reasonable for you kiddo to be organized and manage the schedule once your kiddo knows what that schedule is, it may take practice however if your kiddo is not used to that responsibility/freedom , and I personally am not above bribing (making it pleasant in someway by using incentives, I mean dad gets paid each week after he works hard on the job... )and also allow for natural consequences to occur as they often teach better than nagging.

This post was edited on Aug 23, 2017 04:22 PM

re: Organization and scheduling


This is basically how I run my homeschool, too. They all know what to do, and they do it. Same as your kids, they know the more efficiently they get it done, the more free time they have.

I guess the thing is, I am still the one writing out the week's plans in everyone's planner, and I'm wondering if I should transition over to the kid planning his own week, and other things like that.

re: Organization and scheduling

You know...I have a planner this year, and I've bought them before, and I've never once actually used them as intended. This year I've been using mine as more of a log of what we DID do, not what the future weeks plans are.

I, too, just have them do one lesson or the next section, or whatever each day. Ironically, we often double up to get done earlier too.

I was in a coma for a month last year. My kids were, at that time, in 8th and 12th grade. They kept up with all their schoolwork the whole time, plus learned how to keep house and pay bills and buy groceries without Mom making a list, dealt with taking a sick cat to the vet, everything. I'm the only adult in the house, so I was shockingly impressed when I woke up and realized how much time had passed.

Dd18 still laughs because the first words out of my mouth to them were, "you're so beautiful" , and the second words out of my mouth were, "did you get your English paper written?"

Point being, had I not been out of this world for a month, I'd have never thought to give my kids a chance to do everything on their own, but when it came down to it,they did an incredible job. (Including oldest daughter signing me up for Medicaid to cover my $763,000 Bill.)

So I say, try it and see how they do. You'll still be there to keep an eye on things and intervene if needed.

re: Organization and scheduling

That's an amazing story, Bec-rockz!

re: Organization and scheduling

My kids help choose their courses and we discuss and come up with a plan together as to how we will divide and conquer those courses. I still write down daily lesson plans but they are very brief and stand as a check list for my kids to mark off as they go. They determine the order of their subjects. My plans double as our educational log which we are required to keep in Florida.

I'm not really concerned about progressing past this level of independent study in high school. I know many moms put a lot of stock in giving their kids weekly plans and having them figure out their own schedules. My thoughts are that if you have a big family and you need your kids to be that independent, than do it! However, if it is working for you to give your kids a daily check list, than stick with what works for your family.

Our kids are already working more independently than those in public or private schools. I don't think they will have a problem transitioning to the independence needed in college.

re: Organization and scheduling

We have a check list for each kid, that I laminated.

I don't write out lesson plans.

So on their list they see their daily work listed...

Cook supper on Tuesdays

They just refer to that to help keep organized and sometimes to remind me of things specific to that child for the year, but as they got older they rarely use the list.

I might make a note on their list from time to time, or in my school calendar to remind me of something important, but that's it, it's very simple and generic and there if they or I need it.

re: Organization and scheduling

That is interesting, Melanie32. I would LIKE to think that giving him a check list is enough and he'll be fine, but I didn't know if that was realistic enough, which is why I asked.

But I guess, in college, you either follow a syllabus, or your instructor gives you specific assignments or homework to do... am I right? So then it seems like being able to meet deadlines and pace yourself would be the most valuable skills. Yes/no?


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