I know no one is asking for this and, frankly, there are a lot better/more creative and interesting Mom bloggers out there doing the same thing I hope to do: help out any parents who suddenly find themselves home with their kids. The same parents who are being expected to “work” remotely while their children are used to being in a school setting. I can only imagine the upheaval those changes can bring! If your kids are used to being on a schedule at school or daycare, they will thrive much better at home with a schedule too – even if you usually don’t have one on weekends (or whatever your days off are). Take your cues from them and follow the same schedule at home or at least something similar.
So, for my part, I thought I’d share our schedule as a stay at home, homeschooling mom of two along with suggestions for activities that I’ve found helpful in the past.
6:30am – Mom’s alarm goes off. Sometimes I skip it, but most days I get up and get dressed, make coffee and generally have a few minutes to myself before my darlings awaken
7am – Both kids are up for the day. This is our normal wake up time and my kids are generally early risers. If your kids are used to having to get up early for school/daycare and would prefer to sleep in, let them! Adjust times of other activities accordingly but I would view this as a chance to catch up on some rest if that’s what your family needs.
7:30am – Breakfast. We have a set breakfast schedule during the week which helps prevent whining and me making three different breakfasts each day. We also do assigned lunch days for the same reason. While the kids eat, I usually do some light tidying in the kitchen and living room since I’ve already eaten.
8am – Get dressed/brush teeth. Most of the time we are done with breakfast by this point but it’s definitely been known to take longer (see aforementioned homeschool life). Once breakfast dishes have been cleared, everyone is sent to get dressed and get ready for the day. Now, there is nothing wrong with staying in pajamas all day but I find that my kids do better, and so do I, when we get dressed. This will be helpful as they “do school” and you work.
8:30 – School Time. My oldest is a kindergartener but if you have younger preschoolers and toddlers I HIGHLY recommend checking out Busy Toddler on Instagram! She has a ton of simple, fun activities that you can call “school”. I’ve found that by spending time doing these intentional activities in the morning with a younger child, they play independently more easily later in the day when I need to get other things done! For older kids, if they have schoolwork online this when you would help them get set up. Having a set “school start time” will tremendously reduce the arguments you will have later about “doing it later” and then, before you know it, it’s the end of the day and the schoolwork hasn’t been touched. This is also a great time to do a read-a-loud with your child. Sitting and reading a book together IS school and it can give them some much wanted attention before your attention needs to be diverted elsewhere. Check out ReadAloudRevival.com for some great suggestions, especially while libraries are still open!
For very little kids who may not take a morning nap anymore, you can practice Independent Playtime. Basically, set up your baby in their crib or Pack ‘N Play with some special toys and set a timer, 15 minutes isn’t a bad time to start with and you can add a little more at a time (maybe 5 minutes a day or so). This is something best established as a routine over time so it offer a great reward in just a few weeks but it has been a lifesaver for us when babies drop their morning nap but aren’t big enough for “school” yet!
10am – Free Play/Outside Time. We are usually done with school by this time and the kids are sent outside to play if it is a nice and they typically do not need much guidance to “go play” since most of their morning has been so structured, they are ready to do what they want! This is when I typically do my “work.” Being a full time SAHM, this means various housework chores but it would also be a good time slot to get some work done if you are being asked to work remotely.
**If you have older kids, they may not be finished with their school work yet. Hopefully they can work more independently and as they are working, so can you!
11:30am – Lunch. We follow our set daily lunch schedule and I eat with the kids. This is a great time to reconnect and if you and your spouse are both being asked to work from home, it’s a chance to visit with each other that you don’t normally have during the day!
12:15 – 12:30pm – Walk. We try to go for a short walk in our neighborhood everyday after lunch. Even if the weather has been too bad to banish the children to outside play, it’s almost never so bad we can’t go for a 15 minute walk. It helps us get some much needed fresh air and exercise.
12:30pm – 1:00pm – Ella’s TV time. With an almost 3yo and 5yo who like different shows, I’ve assigned two different TV times to minimize fighting. No matter the age of your kids, if you don’t want the fights and the whole time off to be spent in front of a screen, it is crucial to establish boundaries up front about when those times will be and for how long. I love what Susie at Busy Toddler repeatedly says: “Screen time is a tool for the parent.” In our daily life, it helps wind everyone down for afternoon rest time. I know other moms who use it in the morning while they have their coffee and others who use it in the early evening when they need to make dinner. Find what’s best for you.
1:00pm – 3:00pm – Rest time. Even if you have a teenager, this block of time will save. your. sanity. I promise. My 2yo naps while my 5yo looks at books, listens to an audio book, or builds quietly with LEGO. Audiobooks, independent reading or writing time, or basically any other quiet activity can be used here. This is a great time for everyone to reset and can be another chunk of time to get work done undisturbed.
3:00 – 3:30pm – Judah’s Screen Time. Sometimes it’s a show, sometimes it’s video games.
3:30pm – 5:30pm – Free play. I usually do more housework here and prep dinner. Often times one or both kids want to help. This is another time of day where a semi-structured activity can be helpful – I’ll pull out the play-doh or rice bin in the kitchen and they can play while I fix dinner. If your older kids haven’t finished with schoolwork, I would have them do it here so everyone is done with work by supper.
5:30pm – Dinner. Dinner usually takes my kids a loooooonnng time. They can be picky. They can be stubborn. They can just be chatty. But usually by the time dinner is over it’s time to get ready for bed. If not, this is where “play time with Dad” happens.
6:45pm – Begin bedtime routine. Jammies, bath (if needed), read a loud.
7:00pm – Bedtime.
Adventures with the Morgans 