Every morning my kids wake up to this COMMAND CENTER that reminds them what they need to today. If there is a special occasion or event I write that on the blackboard. The prayer and list is laminated for longevity and to check off with a dry erase marker. The lists I have can be modified for one person with days of the week, or a family with initials above the column. It's right outside the shared bathroom, so I know they have time to mull it over while they are waiting for their turn.
I found that adding the morning offering or other prayers in places my children frequent has helped with memorization. I have kids that are forgetful about glasses, deodorant, and making their beds. For them, I have adapted this list to include those items. I even changed it up to say "Make Someone Else's Bed" to teach charity and working together to make our house a home. When we get to the afternoon, I get some wanderers back upstairs by the bedrooms. I hope this list reminds them what they needed to accomplish today. Our children have developed great habits in self care and accountability using this list.
Because we HOME EDUCATE our children with a Charlotte Mason philosophy, it is important that we add structure to our day to introduce the children to a wealth of information and activities. However, we are flexible knowing that we set the pace and this tool is to help, not to rule, our home. If you home educate your children, you are the boss and learning can happen in so many ways! If you can't comprehend a busy day today, slow it down and read a good book out loud, visit a friend or relative, or take a spontaneous field trip. We only have today. They're only kids once. It's going to be okay.
"When we remember that planning is guessing, we keep our plans in their place. We remember that curriculum and lesson plans are only meant to be tools, wielded by us but not to rule over us." - Sarah Mackenzie {article here}
If you're not familiar with CREATING SPREADSHEETS, I highly recommend it. It's my sanity, making it easy to edit and reprint as needed. Each child receives a copy in their planners. Many of the scheduled subjects are enriched with time for reading living books, educational activities, and paired student projects. We have short spurts to keep everyone energized, rotating reading and hands on lessons. This schedule includes my 2 high schoolers, 2 middle schoolers, and 2 kindergartners. The baby will have our full attention in the morning with group time, and will nap in the afternoon when I'm needed by the others.
NORMALIZE FAMILY PRAYER TIME: You may notice I did add in family prayer time, because if you don't schedule it or set an alarm, you'll probably forget in the midst of a busy day. We have an alarm for 3pm Divine Mercy Chaplet and 8pm for Family Rosary. My tip is to use the Relevant Radio app for the 7 minute chaplet, and turn on a favorite YouTube reciting of the rosary with images that help your children focus. If it is not part of your routine now, start with one day a week or one decade a day. Small efforts are better than none.
After lunch we each have CHORES TO COMPLETE. This chart helps us know what is expected of us every day. The tasks I've set are what I think to be the essentials of keeping a tidy home. With a large family, we pair older kids with younger kids on similar chores for training and support. However, if there is conflict between two children, we will pair them up for a week to teach the skills of working together and getting along peacefully. This "punishment" has been an immense blessing in our home. It's the year round responsibility of the parents to instill virtues, discipline, self control and a sense of natural consequences. I've included a blank version for you to print and jot down what load you feel is necessary to share with the family. I include tasks for everyone ages 2+.
There are days that no matter how we've planned, prepared, and discussed expectations - CHAOS DOES BREAK LOOSE, children refuse to help, someone gets sick, etc. When the crabbiness, laziness or defiance increases, more often than removing a privilege, we tend to add chores for that person's week. That may be doing the chore they did poorly for the entire week, taking over someone's chore, or adding something not on the list.
Another big question people ask me is HOW DO I FEED MY LARGE FAMILY? The simple answer is that I MEAL PLAN. It's just a few simple steps.
1. Write down what food you have in every fridge, pantry, freezer. I've often taken a picture for my smartphone so I can refer to it when planning and shopping.
2. Pull out the recipe box or old lists, open your food Pinterest board, then decide what meals are possible with what you already have. This will help you avoid wastefulness.
3. Write a list of what you need to complete a meal, and any ingredients to make more meals to last a week or two (as you prefer). I find that I shop for fresh food meals on week one, then week two is usually things from the freezer. More than two weeks is crazy, because you WILL end up with something in the garbage. If you can last longer, you might want to take a closer look at what kind of food your putting into those precious tummies.
I like my reminder app for making checklists. My grocery list is all items I buy, and I simply check or uncheck as needed. A reliable and reusable list. I uncheck when I make my menu, and I check it as I put it in my cart. I organize it based on where it is in the store.
4. Type or write a menu either by the day you plan to eat it, or categorized by meal time. I find it SO much easier to sort by meal type. Then it's a list to choose from, with the make ASAP items starred and at the top. Sometimes we're just not in the mood for Tacos on Tuesday. ;-)
5. Post the Menu for everyone to see. Everyone will know what is available or "What's for Dinner?"
*KIDS IN THE KITCHEN: Our family has decided that they want to learn more about cooking. Each child is assigned a kitchen day (on the chore chart) for helping me. They learn to make a part or all of the meals. It has been very successful. Consider that my 10 year old Jonathan's day is Thursdays, so he'll probably be making PB & J sandwiches for breakfast, chicken nuggets and fries for lunch, and something else simple for supper. Little Molly and David are learning to chop, measure, spread, stir and mix so they help when they want to help. Our 12 year old Sabrina wants to own a bakery, so dessert night is all hers. While 15 year old Stanley might make manly food like scrambled eggs, tacos, and burgers on the grill. Then 17 year old Mikayla who is taking a Kitchen Chemistry & Culinary Arts Class will make a Eggs Benedict, Hawaiian Salad, and Korean BBQ Pork Chops with green beans and rice. It is really fun to see what they create and how much you DON'T have to do!
*THEMED FOOD DAYS: Taco Tuesday, Fish Friday, Slowcooker Saturday. Some families find it helpful to have certain themes or ethnic foods on certain days. Many Catholic families adhere to the tradition of not eating flesh meats on Fridays year round. Find your groove and refine it!
*BUDGET, well... I can't help you with that. It's a weekly struggle for us too because we have food sensitivities, food allergies, picky eaters, and special diets for almost everyone. It can be costly buying in bulk for 9, buying organic, finding substitutes, etc. The best suggestion is to set a budget with your spouse for groceries, eating out, and special treats. Sometimes you have to give a little and reevaluate to make it work. We found by giving up flavored drinks, we could save a few thousand a year! Stick to the essentials: Water, Meat, Vegetables, and possibly some fruit and grains for a treat.
@--}----
I hope this post has been inspiring as you plan out your family life. Before I got into the thick of motherhood and homeschooling, I wished I could peer into the life of other families to gather all the best tips. It has been such a blessing to witness to and inspire others through this Homegrown Catholics blog and Facebook posts over the years. I've enjoyed reading so many I've found. It's been a window into the reality that we're all doing our best. Sometimes the window is smudged with fingerprints, sometimes the curtains are closed, and we often skip sharing the hard days. Don't forget, it is what you make it, and God WILL take care of the rest.
For those days it feels like you're not sure you can handle what comes your way:
This is when they choose from THE CHORE JAR.
Our children have daily chores, but if they misbehave they grab a bonus chore from The Chore Jar. It's a win-win, either I get kids more inclined to behave and participate, or I get a tidy house. The jar is filled with popsicle sticks that have all those things that no one wants to do, or maybe happen a few times a year. I am so grateful to my friend who introduced this to me.
Another big question people ask me is HOW DO I FEED MY LARGE FAMILY? The simple answer is that I MEAL PLAN. It's just a few simple steps.
2. Pull out the recipe box or old lists, open your food Pinterest board, then decide what meals are possible with what you already have. This will help you avoid wastefulness.
3. Write a list of what you need to complete a meal, and any ingredients to make more meals to last a week or two (as you prefer). I find that I shop for fresh food meals on week one, then week two is usually things from the freezer. More than two weeks is crazy, because you WILL end up with something in the garbage. If you can last longer, you might want to take a closer look at what kind of food your putting into those precious tummies.
I like my reminder app for making checklists. My grocery list is all items I buy, and I simply check or uncheck as needed. A reliable and reusable list. I uncheck when I make my menu, and I check it as I put it in my cart. I organize it based on where it is in the store.
4. Type or write a menu either by the day you plan to eat it, or categorized by meal time. I find it SO much easier to sort by meal type. Then it's a list to choose from, with the make ASAP items starred and at the top. Sometimes we're just not in the mood for Tacos on Tuesday. ;-)
5. Post the Menu for everyone to see. Everyone will know what is available or "What's for Dinner?"
*THEMED FOOD DAYS: Taco Tuesday, Fish Friday, Slowcooker Saturday. Some families find it helpful to have certain themes or ethnic foods on certain days. Many Catholic families adhere to the tradition of not eating flesh meats on Fridays year round. Find your groove and refine it!
*BUDGET, well... I can't help you with that. It's a weekly struggle for us too because we have food sensitivities, food allergies, picky eaters, and special diets for almost everyone. It can be costly buying in bulk for 9, buying organic, finding substitutes, etc. The best suggestion is to set a budget with your spouse for groceries, eating out, and special treats. Sometimes you have to give a little and reevaluate to make it work. We found by giving up flavored drinks, we could save a few thousand a year! Stick to the essentials: Water, Meat, Vegetables, and possibly some fruit and grains for a treat.
@--}----
I hope this post has been inspiring as you plan out your family life. Before I got into the thick of motherhood and homeschooling, I wished I could peer into the life of other families to gather all the best tips. It has been such a blessing to witness to and inspire others through this Homegrown Catholics blog and Facebook posts over the years. I've enjoyed reading so many I've found. It's been a window into the reality that we're all doing our best. Sometimes the window is smudged with fingerprints, sometimes the curtains are closed, and we often skip sharing the hard days. Don't forget, it is what you make it, and God WILL take care of the rest.
For those days it feels like you're not sure you can handle what comes your way:
Jesus, help me come to you in all decisions. Build my courage to trust in you completely. Show me how to do your will and let go of mine. Help me sort through ways I approach my life's choices so I can better live for you. Remind me that even in my difficulties, you are there sanctifying me. Amen
Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me. “Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!" Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and will glorify it again." - John 12"23-27