The Latest Daily Lists

I am ever in search of a good daily or weekly list of school assignments. The weekly list I had been using for a couple months just wasn't working as well as I'd like, so this week I decided to try writing a daily list in a simple spiral notebook, as suggested by Amongst Lovely Things.

I didn't write my lists each night, as she does, but wrote out the week's lists on Sunday . . . but I used pencil, anticipating being able to make changes throughout the week.

Changes almost always cause distress and Mondays are without a doubt challenging regardless, so the result of the list on the first day was what one might call rebellion, as evidenced below:

Everything is crossed out not because it was completed but because Mary (6) was negating my entire list of tasks. The mean face says, "I don't like school or John and Margaret." But later, "am sorry mom" appeared on the list.

The next day went better and on Wednesday, the 'light bulb went off' for my 8-year-old John. He ate breakfast quickly and I noticed that he dashed off to the school room. There, he told me that he had decided he wanted to do all his independent work now, so that he could end his school day early.

It was as if angels began singing to me! I have been trying to teach that concept for a long time: that the kids can do independent work on their own nice and early, even if I'm still washing dishes or nursing a baby or setting up preschoolers with activities.

Indeed, by the time I showed up in the school room at 9:30, John had only three lessons to do with me and he was done with school within the hour. (And Mary did much better with her lists too.)

Maybe my new lists are working!