How can I have a review you ask, when we’ve only been working with the routine for one week.  As Josh often reminds us, the only thing routine about our house is how often we change our routine!!

 

The purpose for a routine is to have boundaries around how we use our time; it helps parents focus on the things that need training,  it helps children know what is happening in their day, and it helps everyone to manage their time wisely.  If these things are not happening then the tool is broke!  That is what is happening with our study break routine.

 

It is working for Josh, Jess and Nomi but Daniel is struggling with so much free time.  His mind immediately wanders towards screen time and all the things that he can’t do!

 

Today we used the timer to help him get through his afternoon.  He had to choose an activity, and if he couldn’t I would choose it for him, and we would set the timer for 20minutes and he had to stay focused on that one activity for 20minutes.  One activity he did over two blocks of time but generally speaking 20 minutes was a good time slot for him.  He then packed away and chose again. 

This not only helped him stay focused but it gave me 20minute time slots to do my tasks, and then I’d help him keep on track with packing up and starting over again.  Then I’d have another 20 minutes.  It worked reasonably well.

 

Tomorrow the older children will each spend ½ hour time slots with him, once in the morning and once in the afternoon. 

 

Josh will play chess and cricket

Jess will read a story in the morning and help him with a connected art activity in the afternoon (Notebook page)

Nomi will do a science experiment and a nature walk

I will do his phonics lesson and help him put together his latest FIAR lapbook.

 

Daniel will also have Room time after lunch.

 

With this schedule of events he will have about 1-2 hours morning and afternoon to occupy himself.  This is about what he can cope with successfully.

 

The idea of boundaries is to keep our children in a place where they do right.  Daniel needs tight boundaries and since it is my responsibility to help him do right – tight boundaries we are going to have to have!