Help with overall scheduling?

[Collinsky]

I'm trying to figure out how to keep track of things... I have two girls in "outside" activities, and my son is getting there, and then I've got the toddler and baby on the way who will eventually be DOING things outside the house. And my girls are loving the schoolwork we do, and wanting to do more. Which is great, but all this involves juggling, mostly by me. Plus I work part-time (when Dh is home), Dh has his classes that he teaches (in addition to his regular job) and with penciling in even our minimal school stuff, the scratched-on-paper master schedule is looking quite confusing. I need color coding. I need stream-lined, at a glance, simple. My kids aren't overscheduled, by any means... I'm just needing a better way to keep track, organize our days, and plan ahead. (And yes, I'm going to be making sure *mama* doesn't get overscheduled, either!!)

I am seriously thinking about getting the MOTH system, I'm assuming that it can be used in a secular way. Any tips on juggling increasingly different schedules in the same home? Or creating some kind of color-coded individual/family master schedule?

[theretohere]

I don't use them, but I think you'd benefit from workboxes, maybe? Annettemarie on here uses them and posted some really great pictures.

[elizawill]

can you schedule activites on certain days only...or perhaps a certain block of time only? for example, tuesdays and thursdays can be set aside for field trips, activites, outings, co-op...etc. or if you need more flexibility and can't schedule specific days, then perhaps you try & not schedule anything until after 12:30 or 1:00. that way you have the morning to do "school" work and even a little R&R. is your job flexible? if not, i would work your schedule around that. also, how much time would you like set aside for schoolwork? do you do it M-F only? an hour a day? do your girls focus best in the AM or PM? those are other factors i'd consider. perhaps getting a daytimer that you can loosely pencil in your schedule would help. it does me anyway! hth.

[atreyyena]

here are some sites that have some pretty neat planners, they include things for multiple kids and even other things like menu planning and cleaning up.

http://www.design-your-homeschool.co...r-options.html

http://www.rocksolidinc.com/catalog/...egg-harris.htm

http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Homes.../dp/1891400010

Hopefully one of those help, or at least give you a jumping off point.
Good luck!
Mandy

[pigpokey]

I put two things on the fridge. One is the weekly sched. This is the general schedule for each day of the week. I just keep and modify it in Word or whatever.

The second is the monthly calendar. I use a program called Calendar Creator. It ends up being full of very tiny print. I generally have to re-print it halfway through. This has both the standing sched (modified with deletions and substitutions particular to the month -- like if dance class is cancelled for MLK day, it won't be on the monthly calendar) and one-time things like birthdays. I also make a mark on this calendar for days we complete our lessons and use it to fill out my hs attendance sheets. As you are hs'ing more than one kid legally, if you have to do an attendance sheet you could just use a different mark (x, o, v, etc) coded for each child if they did their legal lessons (if your state even has that) or a different color dot. I'll also change it in pencil if I'm on the phone and need to add an appointment; then I'll change it in the computer later. I like this because if I get a notice from a class that something is happening several months from now, I can go ahead and enter it and throw away the paper or email notice. But I do have to sit down at the beginning of each month and spend a good bit of time getting it in shape before the first monthly print.

[Momma Aimee]

subbing

[meetoo]

I used that homeschool skedtracker site and I set myself up on it. We are starting it next week so we will see how it works.