A Schedule of Rest
Yesterday I mentioned that if an activity would interrupt our schedule of rest, we would probably pass on that opportunity. While that schedule is a bit fluid, I’ve noticed a few patterns since we start more formal homeschool lessons that have informed this schedule.
Fridays off. At least until later in the afternoon. Four days a week I rally the kids to start school. The weekends include morning swim lessons one day and church in the morning on the other. Friday is generally the only day that I don’t have to get some sort of a show on the road, and I need it that way. When we have a busy Friday, I am tired on Monday. And it takes time to catch up.
Bank Holiday Mondays don’t exist in term time. Because of the above, if we have a holiday on a Monday (meaning my husband is off work), we usually do school anyway – or compress four days of school into three which can be done. Schooling Tuesday-Friday one week and Monday-Thursday the following week is rough.
Sabbath on a Sunday. Sundays don’t always feel restful with all of the hullabaloo it takes to get out of the house. And we’ve started cycling to and from church which adds a different sort of tired into the mix. But apart from this, Sunday is free of activities, and available for gardening, hosting friends, a walk, resting and reading at home, or, now that it’s summer, heading to the beach.
Empty space most days. We have weekly places of rest in our schedule, but we also have it daily. The activities we do have on our plate mostly take place in the late afternoon, 4pm at the earliest. This means that, even with lessons in the morning, we have a couple of hours of downtime before we need to be anywhere. Honestly, I think this time is as important as school lessons. It’s also the time when we would schedule playdates. As an extrovert, spending time with my friends is restorative!
Homeschooling specifically and parenting in general are marathons, not sprints. And I can really tell a difference when I am pacing myself well and when I start to sprint. Keeping the space for rest, protecting it, is a huge part of getting that pacing right.