The Homeschool Schedule - Yearly, Weekly, Daily

Our yearly schedule:

School is year-round. Three days a week we do homeschool. Once a week we have tutors (music, math, art). And once a week we have a Field Trip day (beach, museums, etc). On field trip day we don't do any real school work, so it's a very fun, hands-on-learning day.

Over the last two years we went on many ski trips throughout the winter. So we cut out most of the field trip days and did school four days a week instead of three (plus the day of tutors). That way we didn't have to do school during our trips. 

We do not take a break during the summer. I tried it once, and it's horrible for so many reasons. However, I cut out most of their school work and focus on the most important subjects (math, reading, religion, music). 

Here are a few of the reasons we don't like summer break:

#1- The kids forget everything they had learned in April & May. The entire month of September is a complete waste-of-time review. Or you could say the entire months of April & May are a complete waste-of-time because you'll be re-learning it in September.

#2- My kids' independent play time ability falls apart without our regular school routine going on. All of a sudden they're given a big chunk of free time that they're not used to having. Even though my kids are really great at coming up with things to do, for some reason it works a lot better when it fits into our regular school routine (ie. school in the am, lunch at noon, free time from 1-3pm). They become whiny, dependent, and they constantly ask to play on screens (tv, computer, ipads, etc).

#3- I ignore my kids too much. When we don't have our school routine going on, I get busy doing my own projects that I usually don't have time for. Which is AWESOME. However, I could go days and weeks without giving my kids any real attention. And then I start feeling guilty for it, our relationships suffer, and my kids start acting out because of lack of attention.

Our weekly schedule:

Monday- Thursday - homeschool days (plus one of those days is tutors)

Friday- Fun day/Field trip day. This is our favorite day, and we are so very lucky to have it. Our kids play a lot of sports, which take up most of our Saturdays. Sundays are reserved for rest/family activities. So having this free day allows us to do all the things we would normally want to do on Saturday, and do it on a day when there are no crowds! We go on outings like the museum and the fair, we go to the beach, we relax at the pool, we learn new skills or do projects around the house. I feel very lucky and blessed that we still get a free day plus my kids can still do the kinds of sports that have games on Saturdays.
Saturday- sports, play with friends, etc.

Sunday- church, family activities, etc.

Our daily schedule:

6-9 ish - I work out, do scripture study, meal prep for the entire day. Or sleep in if I need to.

9-1 ish School (with a break for lunch)
1 ish - Once the kids are done with all their school and jobs, they have free time (and so do I!) By this time they are tired of being told what to do and happily go off and play independently or together. This is also my productive time. I can get caught up on my to-do list, work on projects, etc. I occasionally join them in their play. 

3 ish- Sports. Every day every child has something (except my youngest). Swim team, water polo, basketball, volleyball, etc. I use this time to work out if I haven't yet, or be productive. Plus of course shuttling them around (with the help of carpools).

6 ish -  Dinner. We probably only sit down all together twice a week because we're all over the place with sports. 

9-10 ish - Bedtime. I hate how long bedtime takes (brushing teeth is the worst). We try to lay with each child every night (although this never happens with the teenagers anymore). It's great for one-on-one time, it has helped keep our relationships solid, and it has led to some deep conversations about moral issues. We're now trying to find other times to have one-on-one time with our teens. My husband takes one kid to Costco with him every week, which they all love.