My world has changed so much in the past few years, but especially in the past two years. I went from homeschooling mom to full time self-employed mom.

I have worked at least half time for fifteen years. We put in the super (and I mean super) hard work of doing practically nothing but parenting for fifteen years. Then I was able to start writing curriculum for one publisher, speaking, etc., some while we finished homeschooling/raising our seven children. (Squeezed it in here and there like all working homeschooling mamas do!)

But the past two years (including this, my last official year of homeschooling), I only had one in school—and he was either taught by his brother, sister, or dad or taking college classes. (This year it is all college classes except for Geometry on his own.)

But that isn’t all that has changed. With full time working, my to do list has drastically changed as well. So weird. So different. Some days I just say out loud (over and over), “My life is weird.”

It was somewhat of a seamless change since I had been writing, speaking, etc., part time for over a dozen years, but occasionally, I will look around and realize just how different my life is now. It is fun (most of the time!). But I still long for the days of six kids in school…seriously….long for those days.

Back to my to do list. We always had what we “affectionately” called BIG WORK DAYS. They were days (often Saturdays) that we would set aside for a household project that everybody would work on—planting garden, harvesting produce, mega cooking, garage cleaning. Things we all do all the time.

But now my BIG WORK DAYS are based on my writing, speaking, and curriculum projects. And it sometimes isn’t quite so clear as to what do to first, which things to put off til the next work time, etc.

For these reasons, I go back to my block scheduling that I used with homeschooling. (I never did the 8:15-8:45 math approach. I broke the day into blocks of time (early morning, late morning, noon hours, early afternoon, late afternoon, dinner hours, evening), and I planned what would go into each block.)

It also works for any big work day that you might be having (school-related or work-related). Here is how I set mine up.

When I get a *big* work day (as in nobody needs anything; non teaching day; just get to work), I like to divide my day into blocks (based on how much time I have–two hour blocks, three hours blocks, etc.).

1. Decide on the number of different blocks I am going to have (three four-hour ones for a twelve hour; four three-hour ones for a twelve; three three-hour ones for a nine, etc.) based on the number of areas I want to work in. Today I chose four three-hour blocks: (1) Blog posts/blog in general; (2) Podcasts/podcast handouts; (3) Meaningful Composition re-writes/new lessons; (4) Recipe sorting and typing for the blog (of recipes I have been trying and tweaking.

2. Make my “sure would love to get all of this done” list for each block. (It can be totally nutso, unrealistic, etc., at this point…which mine always is!).

3. Place an A, B, or C before each task. A means I really want to do this/need to do this today, and I will do these things first. B is I would like to, but A’s come first. C’s will go on another work day’s list! 🙂  (See my article “As Easy As ABC’s, 123, Do-Re-Mi.”)

4. Set timer for first block of work time. (Three hours for me today.) And start on the A’s from that block’s list.

5. When timer goes off, give myself five to ten minutes to wrap up and move on to the next block. (I will transfer undone things to my other lists later…otherwise I get bogged down in list making rather than doing.)

That’s it!

How do you handle big work days? Or even work periods…to be the most efficient/effective? I would love some tips! )

The post Using a Block Time Approach to Big Work Days appeared first on Character Ink.

Opening Thoughts
 
(1) “Unusually” because preschoolers are high need by nature (and we wouldn’t want it any other way!)
 
(2) Preschool indicates ages three to five (or even six in some cases)*
 
(3) Behavior Absolutes—set in place first and foremost for ALL of the time (don’t just work on during the day)
 

*I have tons of toddler information (see links list) and even some kindergarten/pre-reading things (also see links!). Don’t disregard the toddler info as being too immature or the kindergarten material as being only for the future.

Listen to the podcast here, and click here to see links of my favorite tools to use with preschoolers, as well as ‘Age Appropriate Chore Charts’!

Start the Day Out Right

(1) Teach getting up after child asks only. Other options: (a) Call for someone to start an audio story. (b) Call for Mom to come give books/toys and set timer. (c) Clock on wall that shows when child can get up. (See links here.)

a. Something about kids running wild—gets them started on wrong foot
b. Not good for Mom either! 🙂

 
(2) Littles need Mom first thing (do not assign to olders when they first get up)
 
(3) Never too young to start in morning chore sessions (see podcast and blog post links as well as Age-Appropriate Chores charts)
 
(4) Consistency in sleep and eating and schedule blocks is key at these ags—predictability in schedule helps littles more than we think it does (but you will see results!)
 
(5) Start audios early—age two or so. If not, will become so tech-dependent that he will not enjoy them, will not make “pictures in his head” as well, etc.

More Structure=More Peace

(1) Days are long to littles—breaks in action, differing activities, etc., help this age a lot
 
(2) Think in terms of blocks of time of day (not necessarily rigid time schedules)—and even call them names

a. Morning routine
b. Morning reading
c. Content reading
d. Bible time
e. Morning chore session
f. Play time
g. Room time
h. Listen time
i. Lunch chore time
j. Lunch time
k. Story time
l. Free time

 
(3) When not “free” all the time, children play better, are more creative, do not waste time as much, plan their schedule/time, etc.
 
(4) Stage some things for them
 
(5) Not full access to electronics (they don’t know what is best for them; sometimes they do not even know what it is that they want)
 
(6) Involve child in olders’ day as much as possible
 
(7) Use alone time to teach focusing skills

Blog Posts and Podcasts

  1) Podcast Episode: What to Do With a Kindergartener
  2) Podcast Episode: Five Homeschooling Problems and Solutions
  3) Podcast Episode: How to Prepare a Child to Learn to Read
  4) Blog Post: Expectations for a Five Year Old
  5) Podcast Episode: Toddler Trouble
  6) Podcast Episode: Story Time With Littles and Very Young Preschoolers
  7) Podcast Episode: When to Give Your Child a Mulligan
  8) Blog Post: What To Do With A Wonderful One Year Old
  9) Blog Post: Q Is for Quit Fighting (Behavior Absolutes in Your Family)
10) Blog Post: Morning Routines for Littles
11) Blog Post: Character Training for Toddlers and Preschoolers—Boundaries, Simple Tastes, and More
12) Podcast Episode: Children and Chores
13) Podcast Episode: How to Get Children On Board With Family Work
14) Blog Post: Room, Groom, Dress, and Mess
15) Blog Post: Suggested Room Time Activities
16) Podcast Episode: Raising Kids With Character Terms and Concepts
17) Blog Post: 4 D’s of Behavior

Listen to the podcast here!

The post Podcast Handout for “Turning Unusually High-Need Preschoolers Into the Darling Angels They Were Meant to Be appeared first on Character Ink.

Click here to download the printable handout.

Subscribe to our Wondering Wednesday podcasts in iTunes.

 
Click here to see our previous podcasts!

My favorite tools to use with preschoolers:

(affiliate links 🙂 )

(1) Audios for younger children (olders enjoy too, but these can be used with two to three year olds also):

a.  The Pond audio stories
b.  Patch the Pirate (look for audio story ones, not just music ones)
c.   Jungle Jam audio stories
d.  Your Story Hour Bible stories (others are a little bit harder to comprehend/older themes)
e.  Adventures in Odyssey audio stories/radio dramas for four to six year olds and up (start with Bible ones as others can be scary/have mysteries, etc.)  Use Audios not videos to start with!
f. Best first chapter books on audios, the Boxcar Children

(2)  Wake up clocks for children

a.  Pre-made
b.  Do-It-Yourself

(3)  Tools and equipment for chores

a.  Safety knives
b.  Safety scissors
c.   Children’s cleaning tools
d.  Children’s garden tools
e.  Boogie Boards

Click on the images below to see full lists of chores you can teach your Toddler, Preschooler, and Pre K/Kindergartner!

The post Podcast: Turning “Unusually” High-Need Preschoolers Into the Darling Angels They Were Meant to Be appeared first on Character Ink.