Last week, we began working our way into a more structured routine in preparation for our Fall Season of schooling. To say that getting the kids to stay on task and diligent was a challenge is vastly understating things. I found myself getting frustrated often, and it would take all day to do their morning responsibilities. Even then they weren’t necessarily complete. Something had to change.
In a moment of inspiration, and maybe leading from the Holy Spirit, I came up with Fixed Points of Time in the Silva House. The title is a play on Doctor Who for those of you who are non-Whovians.
In our home, we have certain things that happen about the same time each day: wake up at 6:30, breakfast soon after, morning snack at 9:30, and so on. You can see the other times on the chart. These are not hard and fast times, but we usually hit pretty close. We are still working on getting up on time. Even mama. I think the drastic drop in temperatures (90s down to 50s or cooler at night) has us a bit sluggish.
I gave the chart a fun feel by making it so that they have to “unlock” their snacks and meals by completing certain requirements. I’m giving a little grace this first week of Fall, but whoa to those who dilly dally next week! I imagine not unlocking a snack/meal or two might make them rethink goofing off a little.
So how did they respond to this chart? Well, the older two picked up on the Doctor Who reference right away, and the younger ones loved the playful idea of unlocking their meals. They jumped into the chart immediately, and for the first half of the week, they loved it. They flew through their responsibilities, and we got a fair amount of school done. The days were much smoother.
The irony is that today, the day I chose to write about this chart, is the first day they have dragged their feet. I have given grace today, but they know that come Monday, the consequences will stand. If they don’t unlock a snack or meal before the kitchen closes, they will have to wait for the next one.
My favorite part of the chart are the scriptures which totally back me up on this. Plus, they are good ones to learn in regards to work. In case you can’t read the references, the ones I chose are Colossians 3:23 (and yes, I spelled it wrong on the chart), Proverbs 13:4, and 2 Thessalonians 3:10-12.
I love that it takes me out of the equation more. The kids know what their responsibilities are and what will happen if they decide to avoid them. All I have to do is point to the chart, and encourage them to do better next time.
If you decide to do this, don’t get hung up on perfection. I misspelled a word, and even though I drew lines in pencil, I still managed to get them a bit crooked. But the kids didn’t care. They like this chart even though they know they might get caught occasionally with a negative consequence. It eliminates the daily tussle which helps us better focus on enjoying each other more.
Now to solve the other daily dilemmas of motherhood…