A Change in Schedule

The new July 1st schedule is posted.  Yes, it is a Sunday and we'll change chores on that day.  The next day, however, will be the first day of the 2012-2013 school year.

The more I thought and prayed about it, the more I felt such a pull to go to my husband and discuss this change with him.  I love his face when I ask him things like this, "Dear, would you be opposed to starting school on July 2nd instead of the 16th?"  [Insert startled/happy/understanding/accepting grin]  "Why's that?" he asks.  I reply, "Well, the more I've thought about it, the more convinced I am that starting the 2nd would do all of us well."  He replies, "Uh-huh..."  [listening while reading the news]  "Plus, the kids are displaying all sorts of signs of boredom and it's just going to get worse, and I'll end up yelling, and they don't have anything scheduled for them to accomplish and it will drive me insane.  Plus it will give us 3 weeks of school before VBS starts and we can take that week off."  Without hesitating he says, "Ok, sounds good!"

So there you have it!  They have plenty of time to look at the new schedule and get acclimated to the idea of it.  They know what is expected of them when the time comes and what to do.  We've done this for a very long time, so getting back in to the somewhat old routine will be a thing that brings them peace.  Right?

I printed off the schedule, posted it and mentioned it to them at lunch time.  I told them that it is much like the one we once had up there, but it has new chore assignments, work is already worked in to the schedule as well.  That way they can still pick berries for our friends.  The afternoon, when it is hottest, is when we'll do school work.  I don't plan to do bucket loads of work, just enough.  Enough is defined differently for each child.  I definitely plan to go to the river more, do things with Mr. G on his days off and enjoy the summer.  Those days we'll not have a schedule.

For now, though, we wait, plan, and prepare.  It helps to prepare the children just simply by having them begin [again] the simple "tidy up before bed" chores that we should do.  That way our home looks presentable when Mr. G gets home.  Schedules and routines are a good thing. =0)