Just a Little Structure Please

We have been homeschooling for about 2 weeks now. The first week was spent figuring out how our days would go for the remainder of the school year.

Keep in mind, the girls were in an alternative school...there was little or no structure in the classroom. It was VERY laid back - to a fault. I also suspect there wasn't a real authority figure. Sure they had a teacher, but the kids called her by her first name. Is that really teaching kids to respect the leader of the classroom? I don't think so, I think it puts the kids and the teacher on the same level.

So, our first week I created a "schedule" and a list of "rules". I had the girls each review them with me, agree to them, and sign them. Then we hung the lists on their walls. This week we stuck to the lists like glue. They have to be up by 8am, be dressed, eat breakfast, have their teeth brushed, and rooms clean by 9:15.

This morning, Jenna woke up early...they are supposed to wake up by 8am and homeschool is supposed to start at 9:15. Jenna had completed every task on her daily list by 8am and asked if she could help me clean the kitchen.

I'm in shock. Jenna is my child that has always had the messiest room in the world. It has always been a challenge to get her to clean her room, get dressed, brush her teeth, or do anything! She has always been one of the most un-structured kids I have ever seen.

I am amazed at what a little structure for two weeks has done. Her room is not only clean in the morning, many times she cleans it on her own before bed! I didn't realize how the unstructured day at school was so drastically affecting the way she functioned in her home life.