We’re a schedule-driven family. We always have been. For us, schedules bring ease to our weekdays. Giving a guiding post of expectations that we can shape our weeks around. For us, the schedule is a comfort. It gets us from A-Z, Monday through Friday.

There’s no handbook for how to handle what’s happening in the world right now. How does one maintain a schedule when you’re bound to a place that functions as school, work, home, and recreation? You don’t. Schedules, long and short, have been thrown out the window. In a very short period of time, we went from being a Schedule Family to a Routine Family.

What’s the Difference Between a Schedule and a Routine?

A schedule is built around set start and end times for specific activities; the bus arrives at 8:05 am, the school bell rings at 8:45 am, and 9:00 am is circle time. This helps everyone to be exactly where they need to be when they need to be there. A routine is a pattern of behaviors/actions that are regularly followed. A schedule is coloring within the lines. A routine expands those lines, making them less specific and detailed. It’s less of coloring outside of the lines and more giving ourselves more space to color.

As we settle into the 3rd week of no school, we’ve learned to embrace the flow. The flow has been much kinder to us than trying to adhere to a schedule like we maintained before. Routines give you space to breathe while also ensuring that you have crafted some semblance of a structure during an unstable time.

What A Typical Weekday Routine for Kids Looks Like

8 am | Family Walk

  • This is the only hard and fast time rule in our house. It’s important to have a signal that the day had started. Everyone needs to be dressed and ready by 8am. Having that marker ensures that the weekends and weekdays days don’t blur together, even if the setting does.

9 am-3 pm | School/Work

  • For us, the morning is by far the most productive period of the day and we try to make the most of it.
  • We’ve worked with our teachers to craft a checklist of work that should be completed on a daily basis: 15 minutes of reading aloud, 1 writing assignment, 30 minutes of art, etc. When exactly those things happen can vary, they just need to be done. We have a list on the wall that can be checked off as they’re completed. Schools are also starting to add virtual learning aspects that fit into this window.
  • Depending on how strict our work schedules are on a given day, we’ll set specific times to help with any school work that is needed. Kind of like mom/dad open office hours.

Embracing a loose school/work routine for the bulk of the day has been a game-changer. During the first week of homeschool, we clung to the schedule and tried to match the schedule of the classroom. We told ourselves it would bring comfort and stability to the situation. It didn’t go well. It brought a lot of unnecessary stress into an already stressful picture. I mean, who cares if “gym class” takes place exactly at 10 am?

3-8 pm | Free Time

  • This is the block of time we’ve tried to keep the most flexible. Giving ourselves the freedom to do what is needed most on any given day. On the days we really have it together, that might look like working while the kid quietly plays with dolls. On other days, that might mean everyone plops in front of the TV for “brain breaks.”
  • This is also the space where we’ve called in some virtual help. Depending on the day, this can take shape a couple of different ways: playdates with friends (legos and dolls are things that translate well via virtual hangouts), Grandparent FaceTimes, or even a professional to play some games for an hour or two. Outsourcing some playtime in the afternoon gives us more time to focus on our work

8pm | Kiddo Bedtime

  • During the week, we keep our strict bedtime. Once the kid is in bed, we adults can finish any work we’ve missed throughout the day that needs immediate attention or we can unplug and recharge for another day in the home/work school gauntlet.

This is our new daily weekday routine. Our new normal in extraordinary times. What the coming weeks have in store is still largely unknown. But for now, this is our world. Every day we test new things and adapt. Little by little, we’re making it work and settling into a flow.

The beauty of a routine is that you can shape it to work for your specific needs. Ours is specific to us (we know we’re privileged to be able to continue our work from home) but, it’s possible for everyone to find their new routine and settle into the flow.

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