I have written two of these before, but the kids are a little older, so it seems like a good time for another one.

Schedule when the kids were 3 months, 2 years, and 3 years
Schedule when the kids were 2 years, 4 years, and 5 years

I have learned to be more attached to the rhythm of the day than to the schedule itself, and there are many days when the rhythm gets thrown out entirely.

• One day a few months ago, the kids opened a new box of Legos. They built, took apart, and rebuilt the blocks all day in all different parts of the house. Their minds were hard at work, and there was no reason to interrupt their meaningful connections in order to provide “formal lessons,” from which they were likely to glean far fewer long term benefits.
• We also have “fairy tale days.” I spend the week before hand getting multiple versions of the same fairy tale from the library. We start the morning reading the original (or as close as I can find), and then we read the different versions throughout the day. In the afternoon, the kids get to illustrate and dictate their own version of the story, and we watch the movie together in the evening. No math, history, or science on these days. Just fairy tale immersion. These are some of our favorite days.

But, in general, I find a rhythm helps us get through the day. We all know what to expect next, and it provides just enough structure that the days flow a little more smoothly.

5am – 7am: Mommy Time

• This time is sacred to me, and Afa tries to help me protect it. Four days a week I run from 5am to 6am, and three days a week I write. Both of these activities allow me organize my thoughts for the day. Running is one of the most effective methods for handling my anxiety. I would run even if there were no physical benefits because the benefits to my mental heath are immeasurable.
• At 6am, I have my time with God. I spend about 30 minutes in the Bible and about 30 minutes in prayer. I have found that I have a more effective quiet time if it is the second block of time during my day. After spending an hour either running or writing, I can focus on what the Bible says. Otherwise, my thoughts are spinning inside my head, and I struggle to concentrate on the verses or on my prayers.

7am – 8am: Morning Starts

• I sign in for work at 7, and the kids start to wake up. Afa oversees breakfast as I start my workday.
• My overall approach to food is for the kids to eat what they want in the quantities that make sense for them. Breakfast especially is becoming almost completely independent for the 5 and 6 year olds, which makes the mornings run much more smoothly.

8am – 10am: Free Play

• The kids spend this time doing what small children are supposed to do: playing. If they want to put on some YouTube kids exercise videos, they do it here, but usually they are running around, making messes, dressing up, putting on plays, dancing to music. There is no reason or pattern to these times, and that is intentional.

10am – 10:45am: Formal Lessons 1

• The starting time for this one varies widely, although we do spend about 45 minutes in this block. It happens anytime from 8:30am to 11am, depending on when I have work meetings and how the kids are doing with free play. When arguments break out, I take that as my cue that they need something else to do, and I will start our school music.
• At the moment, we are doing Memory Scriptures, Math, and Bible/History/Geography during this period. Our call-to-arms right now is “Happy” by Pharrell Williams, and the kids almost always come without resistance. You may think that 45 minutes is a long time for a children these ages to focus, but we don’t do worksheets. Memory Scriptures is very active, and math includes manipulatives and whiteboards. We do geography at our wall map and Bible interactively. They do not sit at the table and listen to me talk for 45 minutes – none of us would enjoy that very much.
• Because they so often are excited to start lessons, if they do show some resistance I consider what could be causing it. If they want to continue the activity they were doing, that’s usually fine. If it’s hunger (my children eat like Hobbits), we will address that before starting lessons.

10:45am – 1pm: Ice Cream and Free Play

• I have no idea how we got into this habit, but after morning lessons are done we have ice cream. It brings joy, and the kids don’t usually eat a traditional dinner so there’s not always an opportunity for dessert in the evenings. It fits perfectly in our day around 11am.
• This is another period with no structure. These free play periods have innumerable benefits for children

1pm-3pm – Nap and Formal Lessons 2

• The 3 year old usually goes down for a nap around 1 in the afternoon. This is the best time for us to do reading because it has to be done individually, where we do all our other subjects as a family. I can focus if the toddler isn’t demanding attention or “his turn.”
• After reading lessons with each child, we do a variety of subjects in the afternoon including science, artist studies, composer studies, hymn studies, habit training, handicrafts, poetry, handwriting, and nature studies. We have a rotating schedule and do each of these once or twice a week. The kids love these subjects, and at least one of them is the highlight of our day.

3pm-5:30pm – Outside Time

• I love to spend time at a variety of parks around this area. I’m usually willing to drive about 30 minutes to get to a park. For us, parks are the best place to spend the afternoons. The kids get plenty of time outdoors and physically moving. I can make phone calls, respond to messages, and read my current book while they play. It’s a little more down time for all of us.
• By this point, they have had at least six hours in the day of free play. This allows their days to be unrushed. The manic pace of our lives today is the opposite of what I want for my children, and I try to structure our days so that they don’t feel hurried from one activity to the next only to do it all again tomorrow.

5:30pm-7:30pm – Daddy Time

• Afa is home by this point and spends most of this time with the kids, depending on what our evening activities look like. If we have a meeting to go to, we are getting out the door. My kids group most of their eating into the morning and have a large meal in the afternoon around 2 or 3. So we don’t have a formal dinner in the evening.
• If I haven’t gotten all my work done during the day, I will go to the bedroom and finish it during this time too.

7:30pm-9:30pm – Watch Time

• Our kids watch TV to fall asleep. It gives Afa and I some time to study and connect in the evenings or to get some things done kid-free if the other person is out for night. They usually fall asleep between 9:30-10.
• Unless there is a reason to stay up – midweek, Bible study, etc. (watching TV does not qualify in my mind), I also go to bed at 10pm. I am a better disciple, wife, and mom when I get enough sleep, so staying up late just to do it is not a wise choice for me.

For us, right now, this schedule allows us to live life to the fullest. We all get our needs met, and I am able to spend quality time with the children every day. It lets us all know what to expect next without stringently tying us to specific times.