First set school hours for yourself, such as from 9am to 3pm. Next list all the subjects you’re working through. This may be math, history, science, English, and German.

When you sit down to work, set a buzzer for 20 or 25 minutes. During this time concentrate the subject you’re studying. When the buzzer goes off, take a 5 minute break before setting the buzzer for another study period. Every two hours take a 15 minute break.

At 3pm stop working for the day. The next day begin where you left off.

I hope this helps, Sanchita!

Mrs.Momof7, homeschooling a bunch of kids at such different stages is difficult. I have a couple of suggestions.
1. Can you combine your 10, 8, and 7 year olds for language arts and/or math? For instance run through Rod & Staff English 3 or First Language Lessons 3/4 as a group?
2. I sit down for 30 minutes with each child. We run through subjects such as phonics, math, writing, grammar, and spelling. We also touch base on other subjects as needed. I’d even sit down with your 9th grader. Daily accountability is great for early teenagers. 🙂
3. Have you considered a 4-day week? This will give you one day for catch-up, extra projects, field trips, and discussions.
4. Think about letting your three girls work through the lower grammar or upper grammar books on their own and do the Lapbook. My 4th child (in 4th and 5th grade) spent the week reading his TOG history and literature. On Fridays we sat down together, discussed the literature worksheet and completed the lapbook together. You could do something similar with your 3/4 grade daughters.
5. Another option would be to begin a morning time together. Read the lower grammar selections aloud to your daughters while alternating with science. You can add poetry, art, and read-alouds to this time. That would be more than enough history and science for your younger children, although you can encourage your daughters to read from the upper grammar books on their own. You could also do the lapbooks during morning time as well. 🙂 The sit down with either groups or children individually to cover the core skills.
6. Teenagers change dramatically between 13 and 18, almost as much as babies change from newborn to 6. I’ve found my 13 and 14 year olds are more child than adult. By the time you’re dealing with juniors and seniors, you’re dealing with teenagers who are more adult than child. I’d sit down with your son daily for 30 minutes to answer questions and give accountability to his day.
7. For paperwork, can you set up a spot for kids to turn in work? This can simply be a corner of the desk, or have them turn in the work during your sit-down period with the child and grade it on the spot. I then keep a color-coded portfolio for each child. This is a large 3-ring binder with subject dividers. Any work I want to keep (essays, reports, tests, experiments, artwork, pictures of projects) goes into this binder. At the end of the year you can go through the binder and calculate grades for your high school teen. 🙂

I hope some of these suggestions help. 🙂

I’m all over the board, and feeling very torn. Like being drawn and quartered. The girls are not yet fully independent. In fact the 7yo, even though she is in third grade and loves school, often needs attention. Same with the 8yo.

My 9th grader isn’t mature enough to be completely self-accountable… I am drowning in paperwork, questions, hand holding and phonics. I use Tapestry, but can’t seem to get it to actually unify the homeschooling. I can’t keep up with all the grading, most of the stuff doesn’t get graded. 🙁 I’m rather praying that the Lord will make it all turn out alright in the end, because I’m pretty sure I am making a mess of the whole thing.

You sound relaxed. I want to be relaxed too… Have any thoughts that might help me out?

Thanks!

I’ve found schedules, or routines, are still needed when the kids are in high school. They help all of us know what to do when. 🙂

I bet. mine are teens now so it is something that can be done. most likely will give my day the much need structurecit needs. something to think about for sure.

Office hours work well, especially for kids in between needing daily tutoring hours and a weekly check-in. 🙂