A Family Schedule That Works! (free printables)

As a homeschooling mom of four it always seems there are not enough hours in the day. Having a routine and a plan is essential for any productivity. I know some of you may already be feeling the knot in your stomach with the dread of planning because you are a “go with the flow” type of gal and if you’re honest, a scheduled life is not your thing…girl, I know how you feel. I am not a natural planner…it just wasn’t “my thing.” That is until I realized it NEEDED to be my thing!

“An Hour Of Planning Can Save You 10 Hours of Doing.”
Dale Carnegie

Frustration became the theme in our house. Interruptions collided with chores that bumped into work, children, and personal time. Everything was on my plate yet nothing was getting done. And goals, those were the first to get thrown to the curb. Simply surviving was how I could describe the chaos abounding in our home. And maybe that’s why you are here too. The need for structure and the longing for simplistic knowledge on how to piece the puzzle that is life together into a peaceful place of expectation and routine. I’m so glad we met. I’d love to help you be able to breathe a little deeper and sleep a little better at the end of your accomplished day!

So, how do I start creating a schedule for a family of six? The same method I use can be applied to any family no matter the size. Also, it’s vital to keep in mind repetition is key. Your schedule may need some adjusting but working out the kinks and sticking to the pattern in your daily life will allow your house to start functioning like a well-oiled machine.

“Plans are nothing; planning is everything.”
Dwight D. Eisenhower

Hold A Family Meaning

After dinner would be a good time. Take this opportunity to talk through everyone’s schedules and goals. USE PENCIL and have everyone create a tentative schedule starting with Monday. It’s best to get everyone involved or the bored faces and lack of enthusiasm will only spark aggravation, trust me on this one. Hand everyone a piece of paper and have them list items on their agenda each day of the week. For example, my oldest son’s schedule for Monday would look like this:

Monday

Workout

Work on the farm

School

Homework

Jiu-Jitsu

Tuesday

Workout

School

Homework

Art Class

Etc.

Questions to ask

What is on the agenda that cannot be negotiated with time? (school, work, etc.)

What are your priorities? (homework, extracurricular activities)

What are your goals? (Eating healthier may mean allotting time for meal preparation. Getting in shape may mean blocking out time for working out.)

Next is linking the family schedules together. I like to have one schedule where I can see everyone’s plans for the day on one sheet. My older boys only really care about what is on the agenda for themselves. My free downloadable printables have the option for each. You may like to create a family schedule to hang on the fridge and individual schedules for each child to have in their room.

As the household manager, we moms have to make sure the schedule works for us. We have had to work through conflicting morning routines that worked for my teen boys but left no time for things I had prioritized that my sons were unaware of. As we talk through our days together while we are writing down our schedules helps iron out the wrinkles in the plan. Again, I emphasize… use a pencil, at least until the routine is repeated enough that the whole operation works!

Creating a schedule also highlighted the fact that I needed to delegate some household chores to my able-bodied children. We also created a chore chart for each person in the house (don’t forget to allot time for household duties). For free printable chore charts and a plan of action to get everyone on board stay tuned to my page for an up-and-coming post on just that!

This Just Sounds Like Too Much Work. I’m Suppose To Be Saving Time Not Spending It All Planning!

I remember looking at my good friend’s planner and thinking “ain’t nobody got time for that” but the truth of the matter was that “ain’t nobody got time” NOT to plan. It may take an hour to work out a schedule for your family but it saves you hours upon hours of wasted moments throughout your week. It’s time well spent and an investment into a more productive and less stressed life!