The Flexibility of Homeschooling

Right before we begin homeschooling after Christmas break, my husband will begin his new job.  This is going to mean some big schedule changes for us.  My husband will be on twelve hour shifts three days a week and one six hour shift.  His days off will be Thursdays and Fridays.  Sadly, this is going to change a lot of things that we have gotten used to, like weekends and evenings together. 

It hit me today when I was looking at the calendar that this is probably going to change the way we homeschool.  We have been changing things a bit anyway, but I hadn't thought of it changing our hours.  I think this might.  If Daddy is home on Thursdays and Fridays, those days will need to have a lighter work load.  This may mean bulking up our load on other days or just totally scheduling things differently.

Bible will continue to be a daily thing.  We are switching the way we do our Bible studies.  Both of the younger girls are going to do their Bible with me.  Laura and I will be using a Bible program that has us reading out of the Bible together every morning.  I will probably do the entire lesson with her before she reads her Stars New Testament reading on her own.  It will be more like a devotion.  With Megan, Bible stories are a large part of the preschool curriculum I am designing for her. (More on that when I have it finished.) With both girls, Daddy can jump in and participate if he desires on his days off.  While on layoff, Bible studies and Bible stories were one of his favorite things to be a part of with his daughters.

I want the girls to have time on Daddy's days off to spend with their father.  Homeschooling will give them that flexibility.  The schedule looks like time with Dad will be very limited Sundays thru Wednesdays.  It looks as if they will get to see him Wednesday evenings and go to church with us, but with all the kids in different classes and Daddy usually helping in the Youth, only the teenagers will get to see him that evening.  Thursdays and Fridays look like they are going to be our time together.  I want to limit our schooling on those days to mornings so they can have the rest of the day with him. 

Of course, this means changing the schedule I had already planned and finished.  A part of me doesn't mind, however, if it will mean making things easier for my husband.  Working nights is tough.  It's exhausting, especially when your family is on an entirely different schedule.  I know that God will help us through.  I am praying that this schedule isn't a permanent thing, but just a temporary thing we have to deal with for a bit until God brings better into our lives.