A Super Easy Flexible Schedule for Your Kids

We have all heard it before. If you are a mom you are painfully aware that keeping your kids on a regular schedule is important if you are to keep your head up high in the mommy circles. But for most of us, daily life isn’t so easily scheduled as to write it in erasable marker on a board in the kitchen and “so be it.”

My solution is the “Flex” Schedule. Here is how it works.
There are different activity times in the schedule for which you should allot 30 minutes each.

Story Time - read a story or look at picture books
Music Time - singing songs, dancing, making music or playing with musical toys
Art Time - painting, coloring, drawing, sculpting
Craft Time - making something by cutting, gluing, decorating
Outdoor Time - games for the great outdoors
Indoor Time - structured play for inside

These are the main activity times which will account for 3 hours a day with your kids. The order they are in does not matter. What does matter is that you are consistent in the order. So, if you set up your schedule in the order listed above, you would always follow up Story Time with Music Time. Now, does this mean if your kid is having a crank monster day and has absolutely no interest in doing your planned Music Time activity with you that you force the aforementioned crank monster to comply to your will? Absolutely not. That is the beauty of the flexible schedule. Maybe they have their own idea of what to do for Music Time. Maybe they just need some Free Time first and then they will be happy to participate in your planned activity. Or maybe you just need to skip music time for the day and move on to Art Time.

Which brings us to the whole ‘flexible’ concept. I know at my house I don’t want to be tied to doing activities at particular times. I might need to go shopping, meet up with some other moms for a play date, or go to the dentist. Whenever there is an activity that will create a break in your schedule, simply pick up with the next activity time once you are back home. Again, if they are used to Music Time following Story Time, then that is what you do upon returning.

Now, how to pick the order of your schedule. Since other life activities will often reduce the amount of time you have for your planned activity time, determine which activities are most important to you for your children. Personally, I love to read, so I want to instill the love of books in my children. That makes Story Time as the first activity on my schedule. It’s the one thing I definitely want to do with my kids everyday. Maybe you are just not a crafty person. Put Craft Time at the bottom of your schedule. Chances are good that many days you may not even get around to craft time - even when you stay home all day with the kids.

What?? How can that be? We already added up our activity time and it was only 3 hours, correct? So, how could we not get to all the activities everyday? The rest of the day is filled up with snacks, naps, baths, meals, and free time. You can see the day is suddenly very full!

Most kids will need some free time after spending time interacting with you. Usually after 30-60 minutes of parent interaction, kids will want some time to play by themselves. This is the time you get, to take care of your own personal schedule - chat with your girlfriend while supervising the little ones, pay bills, do some laundry…you don’t need my help figuring out what to do when your kids are happily playing. (but if you want my help, I have a cleaning schedule you can use to fill up that free time!) Kids can burn up a lot of the day with their free time play, and isn’t that what we want? Ultimately, we want to stimulate their imagination and curiosity.

Now that you have decided how to order your schedule, here is how to implement it. First you need to put it in writing somewhere you can see it. I suggest the refrigerator door - goodness knows you probably spend a lot of time in the kitchen - I know I do! You can do something as simple as writing it up like it is a grocery list or you can be creative. It does make an excellent project for your kids to do during Craft Time. :) Try cutting circles or squares out of construction paper and write an activity on each circle. Glue the shapes on another sheet of paper and tape to the fridge. Use a magnet to mark the current activity time. This way you have created a visual reminder that the kids are actually following a schedule and it gives them that comfortable ‘routine’ feeling they desperately crave.

Second, remember that it can be difficult for kids to make transitions quickly. Be sure to give your kids some ample notice that you are going to be doing something else soon. Not giving them proper notice is a sure fire way to rouse that sleeping crank monster.

Third, be sure to have your kids help clean up before moving on to the next activity or free time. It is never too soon for them to learn to put their things away. Have them help even if you have to literally take them by the hand and show them how. (I.e. very young toddlers)

There you go. You have a schedule for your kids, a newfound sanity, and it wasn’t even painful. Now go enjoy your kids!