We have three kids that are all in different orbits. The girl is almost eight: so think multiplication tables, maps of Africa, and Harry Potter. The boy is just four and is learning the alphabet and how to count to ten. The baby is… well, a baby. It’s a bit like trying to juggle a chainsaw, a flaming torch, and a bag full of poopy diapers.

My wife has done a fantastic job of it. She would have made a great teacher. But, as HD Thoreau said, “Being a teacher is like being in jail; once it’s on your record, you can never get rid of it.” The first thing she did to set up our homeschool is to post a daily schedule, down to fifteen-minute increments– breakfast, brushing teeth/hair, Art, Spanish, baby naps– it’s all on there in glory, some in rotating fashion based on the days of the week.

While malaise has inevitably creeped into our moods intermittently, this schedule, posted in colorful awesomeness, has been life-saving. We would all spin out of control without its regiment. If you haven’t already created something like this and stuck with it (and returned to it!) religiously, I highly recommend it. Happy homeschooling, teachers!