"So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom." (Psalms 90:12)
A schedule is something that I knew I needed for school, but we just never did. This past spring, I used a scribbled down schedule and found some benefits from it. But this fall, I began the school year with a schedule. It is not written down, but printed out in ink. It is in a protected sleeve, unchangeable. The kids know they cannot write on it and change it. Are we flexible with it? Yes, but the kids are less likely to argue and complain. The schedule is our law and we follow it.
It is amazing the difference in our school days! The kids are finishing subjects by lunch and eager to be on 'track' by lunch. Previously, they had spent hours on one subject – to much vexation to their mother and teacher. Lack of a schedule did not work for us, but having one makes all the difference! We are even able to add in an additional Bible reading together. The kids and I read from Proverbs. Most days there is time in the schedule (when they are ahead of schedule) for me to say, “Take a break and read our chapter of Proverbs for the day.” They are happy and eager to comply. And let me just say that reading the Proverbs each day has really helped attitude and behavior – both in them and in me! There's so much in there for daily living.
If you homeschool and don't use a schedule, I highly recommend that you make one up, print it out and stick to it! If you don't homeschool, schedule your time around school and you be amazed that you have time to study the Bible together – daily! Remember to be flexible – life happens. The other day something came up that was a good life lesson for the kids and only set their schedule off by ten minutes. Don't stress about it – the life lessons learned are much more important than book learning.
Simply a Christian. "Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ." (1 Corinthians 11:1) "Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing." (1 Thessalonians 5:11)