I have Issues With Schedules and Lesson Plans

I have made posts here before about my planning process and systems.  The problem is I change it once or twice a year.  I don't know if it is really a problem, or if change just goes with the territory. 


I have also resisted an actual schedule since our first year of homeschooling, because it went horribly awry.  Our first year I had a schedule with times on it and by golly we were going to follow it. School was from 8 am to 3 pm Monday through Friday.  By the end of the first week I was exhausted and Bear hated my guts.  By Wednesday he had said, "I think I want to go back to public school."  My answer was something along the line of, "You mean the place you begged me to take you out of so you could be homeschooled?  The place where the daily test practicing was driving you to tears? The place where you got recess once a week, and weren't allowed to talk to friends during lunch hour?  Oh no Mister - I just spent over $1000 on school books and supplies and we are homeschooling! Deal with it!!!"  Or something like that. 



I remember going online to find some advice about how to improve what we were doing.  I was bombarded with, "Don't do school at home! Textbooks are HORRIBLE! Let him de-school for a few months. Go to the library!"  You know what I mean, we have all heard it and probably have all said some of it at one time or another.  As a new homeschooler, I really couldn't hear any of it. I couldn't fathom the idea of "de-schooling" for a few months! What? NO SCHOOL FOR THREE MONTHS? Are you insane?  I also couldn't understand the "no textbooks" thing because I had gone to school, and I was pretty sure we used textbooks! 



Sometime after going on line and going to our local support group,  crying all over the meeting room, I did manage to figure out that I didn't have to be so rigid with a time schedule,and for goodness sake I didn't need to do EVERY subject, EVERY day! A couple of my friends from our homeschool group can still laugh about how I fell apart, blubbering about really not liking this homeschool thing and really not liking my son very much!!  My story seems to be the story to tell when new homeschool moms come to the meeting feeling overwhelmed.  It was painful at the time, but I have come a long way (I think) and it is sort of funny now I guess!

Now, if I have a point to all this....oh yeah....I have now come full circle.  I just made up a schedule WITH TIMES on it, for Noodle, who seems to need rules and structure to get through the day without arguments or meltdowns. When the rules are CLEAR he functions well.  When it is willy nilly, fly by the seat of our pants, it just isn't good.  Bear on the other hand, thrives on variety and making his own schedule. He knows what is required of him and he does it at his leisure.  There are times he sleeps in until 10 am, but at 7:30 pm he is diligently working on school work. Other days he rolls down the stairs at 7 am ready to work and is done by 2pm. Go figure.


Today is the roll out of the new schedule, and we will see how it goes.  I am hoping that the time frames and schedule breaks will cut down on Noodle's need to ask for breaks and spending long amounts of time in the bathroom.  I am also implementing a checklist all his own so he doesn't have to ask, "How much more do I have to do?"  Instead, he can look at his list and know.

How long will this schedule be in place?  Only time will tell!