About Rhythm
Rhythm and repetition are especially helpful and comforting for children because they provide regular and expected anchors for the day. Rhythm provides significant support for adults as well, in particular when working with children. Rhythm allows caregivers and educators to move from activity to activity with fewer battles and more flow - because kids known what is coming next, they are able to meet each task with autonomy and ownership.
Start with the basics - what are the big moments in your day that cannot be compromised? These usually include meals, snacks and rest time. Build the rest of your day around these key moments. Consider what each day might bring that's different from the one before - you may have a slightly different schedule for each day of the week, with rotating activities at a certain time each day (e.g. baking on Monday, a nature hike on Tuesday, story writing on Wednesday, etc.). Be cognizant of the natural "breathing in" and "breathing out" needs of children - allow for rambunctious, energy-filled "breath out" times spent playing wildly, as well as for focused, internal "breath in" times when more mental work is accomplished .
Consider some of the sample paths below, but don't get caught up in matching exactly what someone else is doing or holding yourself to schedules and standards you know you cannot meet. Perhaps you do better with a detailed itinerary marked by exact times, or perhaps you flourish with big ideas grouped into a morning/afternoon/evening flow. Get your children involved in the planning. Include topics they are interested in learning more about and expertise that you want to share.
Make it personal, make it realistic, make it enjoyable!
About Rhythm
Rhythm and repetition are especially helpful and comforting for children because they provide regular and expected anchors for the day. Rhythm provides significant support for adults as well, in particular when working with children. Rhythm allows caregivers and educators to move from activity to activity with fewer battles and more flow - because kids known what is coming next, they are able to meet each task with autonomy and ownership.
Start with the basics - what are the big moments in your day that cannot be compromised? These usually include meals, snacks and rest time. Build the rest of your day around these key moments. Consider what each day might bring that's different from the one before - you may have a slightly different schedule for each day of the week, with rotating activities at a certain time each day (e.g. baking on Monday, a nature hike on Tuesday, story writing on Wednesday, etc.). Be cognizant of the natural "breathing in" and "breathing out" needs of children - allow for rambunctious, energy-filled "breath out" times spent playing wildly, as well as for focused, internal "breath in" times when more mental work is accomplished .
Consider some of the sample paths below, but don't get caught up in matching exactly what someone else is doing or holding yourself to schedules and standards you know you cannot meet. Perhaps you do better with a detailed itinerary marked by exact times, or perhaps you flourish with big ideas grouped into a morning/afternoon/evening flow. Get your children involved in the planning. Include topics they are interested in learning more about and expertise that you want to share.
Make it personal, make it realistic, make it enjoyable!
"For most of us, life feels anything but normal right now with the COVID-19 pandemic, schools closed and working from home. But you can create a new normal for your family by having consistent routines."
~ Suzanne Bouffard, writer, developmental psychologist, and author of The Most Important Year: Pre-Kindergarten and the Future of Our Children Visit the PBS for Parents page for more resources and tips, including a children's video on how to adapt to change, activity ideas and daily planners. |
SCHEDULE AND RHYTHM SAMPLES
Kindergartner Daily Schedule
"I really liked the schedule because it allowed me to embrace whatever activity for 30-60 min. For learning time, my son wrote and mailed a letter to himself, just like Mr Edwards did when he was courting the Widow Snyder." ~ Jennifer | Minneapolis, MN |
2nd Grader Daily Rhythm
"You need a plan to be ahead of the the kids. You can't just hope that you figure it out as you go. That's how you end up with too much screen time because all of a sudden you're scrambling and lost and feel like a failure and the kids are off the rails and all you want is calm and control.... which definitely comes from TV time, but at a cost." ~ Peter | Buffalo, NY |
1st Grader Weekly Schedule
"While each day can bring on a chaos of its own, we do have a basic routine that we try to stick to. Obviously things don’t always run smoothly around here, and some days are crazier than others. But I like to at least have a basic guideline to get me through the day." ~ Erica, author of Homeschooling 101 Visit Confessions of a Homeschooler for more grade level samples and other tips. |
Let Your Day Breathe
Here are some suggestions as a starting point for creating a rhythm in your days at home. You can tweak this rhythm as needed. Visit LifeWays.com for helpful advice from Jerilyn Burke on using transitions to help your days with young children go more smoothly. |
Tips for Fun & Flexible Schedules
"Provide broad and flexible learning blocks, rather than limiting yourself to 45 or 60-minute time slots. This alleviates the pressure and anxiety that comes with time constraints, and gives the freedom to learn at your own pace."
~ Molly | Buffalo, NY Read Molly's blog post for suggestions based on International Baccalaureate (IB) education to make your schedule flexible and fun, and how to give your child ownership over the schedule-making process. |
1st & 4th Graders Daily Schedules
"Having a schedule is very important to me and my children. I feel that everyone works better with structure and organization. This way, when kids go back to school in the near future they will continue where they left off... although they will have to change out of pajamas!" ~ Amanda | Rochester, NY Read Amanda's blog post about how she juggles working from home and homeschooling with her two kids...including how they get the family dog involved! |
Sample Schedules from Homeschooling-ideas
Planning will help reduce the stress and anxiety. Even if your daily homeschool schedule is very loose, organizing things will give a framework to your day. Visit Homeschooling-ideas.com for more samples and tips. |
Buffalo State College | School of Education | Buffalo, NY | schoolofeducation.buffalostate.edu/