Customer Reviews

Managers of their homes: A practical guide to daily scheduling for Christian home-school families

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I am a homeschooling mom of 4 [so far]and I got this book because I felt like our family would benefit from a schedule to help us get everything done we have to do in the average day.

There were some good ideas in the book. The idea to schedule the older children to have playtimes with the younger children while mom is making dinner or teaching another child is something I had never thought of but I think it might make a big difference. I also agreed with what the author said about order being important in running a Godly household. She has some good information on how to manage chores and teaching children how to handle their chores.

But there were some really bad ideas in the book too. Her ideas on infant training and only feeding a newborn baby every 3-4 hours [6 feeds a day she had scheduled] are just scary. She says she never had problems with supply or sick babies, but I work in a hospital in the mother/baby area and we see a lot of babies on a 3 hour schedule that come in with failure to thrive or even die. 4 hours between feeds for a 2 week old [which is what she does to try to encourage a longer afternoon nap!] is just plain dangerous - a lot of babies would literally die on that kind of schedule. I did like the idea of scheduling the baby's day and nap times and such, but the breastfeeding advice was scary in my opinion.

I also thought she was a little over the top on how to create the schedule - while I did [and do] pray about my schedule, I just couldn't imagine taking a week or two or three of just praying about it before I even start trying to do it. The idea of every single year spending an entire day away with my husband just to discuss the schedule also struck me as a little... um... odd. I want to get it done and jump in and then make changes as I need them.

I also did not enjoy the "tiny little pieces of paper" thing she includes where you are supposed to cut out little pieces of colored paper representing half hour time blocks for every moment of every family member's day... that made me feel neurotic just thinking of dealing with all those scraps of paper everywhere. :) Instead I got on my computer and used MS Word to come up with a schedule that I can change easily and update/revise as necessary without having to manage a zillion teeny papers everywhere. But maybe that's just me - a really visual person might find the little papers more helpful.

The other objection I have to this book is that it is relatively "lean" on content - its really a very short book that is heavily padded with dozens of pages of copies of other people's schedules and a running commentary from her test mothers going on and on through the whole book about how great the book is. [I get the point already ...sheesh!]. The actual "content" is less than 100 pages and those pages have huge margins filled with other people's comments and gushing about the book - not actual content. So, quiet honestly, for the hefty price tag attached to this book, I felt a bit ripped off. Its a paperback spiral bound with less than 100 pages of real content - for me, I would say that was worth something more like $9.99 or so - not the hefty price I paid for it.

Overall, this is a book with some good ideas and it is written with absolute good intentions on the author's part. But I think it is also lacking in several areas and light on content. I wish I'd borrowed it from a friend rather than buying it myself.

For those looking for help organizing your homeschool day(or non-homeschool day), don't let the other reviews scare you. They are washed down with a lot of opinions and personal views of raising children (babies mostly). That's unfortunate because this book can really be a tremendous help organizing chaos or just simply helping you get more done in a day than you otherwise would. Keep in mind the book is not called: Schedule Your Baby. That is one teeny part of the book and can be easily overlooked as you see fit (and it's certainly not the first book that suggests the idea!)
Whether or not you are the type of person that can sit down and tackle the cutting and sticky tacking the little stips of paper used on the main chart is a personal choice. My mother uses this system, but never actually cut them out. (She only has one homeschool child.) I did. It was a long process, but worth the effort. I can move only a couple squares around as need be. I think I adjusted it 3 times the first week before we had a great working schedule. This in now the second full year I've used it and will continue using it every school year until my kids are gone because it really works!

I do not use the summer schedule at all because I love summers off! But you can if you prefer and there are examples of summer schedules included. I also should mention here that there are lots of sample schedules for the regular school year as well. Each schedule shows the # of children and their ages which is helpful in finding a family that is similar to yours. I found them really helpful and fun to read. They gave me ideas and helped me see how other people do things at their house.

The Maxwells certainly stress flexibility and not letting the schedule control you (some of the other reviews would suggest otherwise). Plus the book is filled with lots of great tips and advice from this seasoned mother. My kids love the schedule. Even my 6 yr old 1st grader knows to get her phonics/reading out right after she finishes her math, for example. My 2 year old (last year) began asking "Is it play-pen-play-time yet?" He always asked at close to the right time because he knew it was coming and actaully grew to love that time (though he wasn't a huge fan at first). But it sure worked well while I was helping my daughter read. My kids also look forward to "play time with mom" and "play time with [various siblings]" I even added my husband on at the continuous promting of my children. (I don't think he's ever done much on the schedule, but the kids like to see his row there. HA!) It's really wonderful when everyone knows exactly what they should be doing, and when. That is what this book is about, getting your home to run smoothly and accomplishing more in a day by doing so than you otherwise would. And that is exactly what happened in our home.

One more thing you may/may not find helpful is I was always one to organize by the day (M,T,W,R,etc). This schedule is set up for consistency each day (same schedule M-F) for the most part, but they do give you a little info in the book on scheduling in laundry days, etc. I found it helpful to keep the rotating activities at the same time slot and just changing activity based on the day.(For example: At 1:00> Mon-art Tues/Thurs-history and Wed./Fri-science) We also did this for some chores and 1 or 2 other things. For scheduling activities such as gymnastics, I simply have a row (purple row on front cover of book) used specifically for those "extras" and that works well.

I must admit I've never really stuck exactly with the schedule after 3:00 (except for dinner routine). By then I'm wiped out and just let everyone have free time the rest of the day. No harm in that, remember the authors do stress the schedule is YOURS. I also schedule nothing on weekends. I hope this helped and good luck with your scheduling!!!!

First, my situation:
I am a mother of five children ages, 12, 10, 5, 2, and 1. I just pulled the oldest two out of school two weeks ago to prepare for homeschooling (which I have never done in my life.) We are all living in a home that has been in its renovation state since we bought it in 2004. We have NUMEROUS DIY unfinished jobs that are slowly seeing completion (with the aid of professionals--alas, we had to succumb). We conduct life around tools, building materials, and stacks of sheetrock (among other things) needing to be installed. My husband works nights always, and although makes an excellent living at his professional job, picks up extra weeks of work in the month to defray the costs of home improvements and to get us out of debt. I have no friends (no time or energy at the present) and no family network nearby. This leaves me with my five kids and three cats at home all the time.
I know that this seems a bit unrelated, but I wanted to describe my situation so that I could give a review that would reflect how this book has helped me thus far. Up until now, the family day was conducted based solely on what I thought I needed to do. We went about the day "winging" it without really getting the things that I needed and truly wanted to get done accomplished. I have tried lists, calendars, organizers, other methods, books, timers, alarms--you name it, all in the attempt to become organized....of course, prayer too...
I found this book and considered it based on the single fact that this woman had a large family consisting of children of varying ages and I was desperate for change. Reading on, I was somewhat impressed when I learned (in the book reviews on another site) that she had put this together and gave it to several women to try in their homes so that she could offer it to the masses.
I was convinced that I wanted to buy this book when I learned that she had homeschooled her children and did so successfully. I truly wanted to know what on earth she was doing to get anything done in her day.
I have always been somewhat relaxed in the way that I ran my home. I addressed issues only when they came up, cleaned when something was dirty, fed when someone was hungry, and complained to my husband that I needed a nanny because I was still only sleeping two to three hours EVERY DAY.
The underlying theme (in my opinion, of course) of this book is:--if you REALLY want it done, schedule it, do it when scheduled for the time alloted, and then re-evaluate if needed.
Hey, that's really nothing new. But, I have never picked up a book on organization that tells you step by step, exactly what you need to do to accomplish this. This is what I NEED. I don't need theories, or pleasant visualizations of how a simplified life would be like once I got organized, or books on how to make scads of containers look decorative to hold all my junk...all repetitions on the same theme. (Tell me something that I don't know!)
I NEED, step one..., step two..., and a serious reality check.
If you have a lot of kids like I do, time IS money. I have deduced that with every task that I have left undone or incomplete, I have had to spend money, money, money.
Fast food chains know me by name as I seem to always never have enough time for cooking dinner or lunch for that matter. Winging it...that's what happens when you are not scheduled.
I admit that to some, Teri's method may be too rigid. But if you have a large family and you have no direction, then your children will have none as well. We are just starting to really see how things are getting done 1, 2, 3 around this house. We all wake knowing what is expected of us because it is printed on the schedule. I never thought to schedule in half hour increments before and more importantly never truly realized that I am not the only one who needs to be scheduled, but the kids too. As to the whole nursing on schedule, I think that it is safe to say that common sense should prevail here. You know your baby and you love your baby so you will ensure her well-being and make sure that her needs are met. This does not mean that you cannot put her on a schedule that will work with the family schedule knowing that she takes top priority when she needs you. This means, yeah--schedule her feedings sure. It looks great on the calendar (kind of makes it look more complete), but come on-- you know that what baby needs, she gets--and she gets right now.
What Teri offers is practical advice on what will get things done. I love the points in the book that gently, but logically explains to the reader that if you are feeling bad or torn about having to cut some other activity short due to scheduling something else that you really want or need to accomplish, then you should re-evaluate how badly you want that particular something done........pretty straightforward- and wise.
This book is not meant to make you feel "normal" or 'just like everybody else in this country' because of your idleness or lack of organization. It doesn't seek to overly sympathize with you and your harried life. Those letters from readers that are spread throughout the book are supposed to do that.
The book assumes that you have come to it in the hope to create change and instill order in your home.....and to do so while still getting more than a few hours of sleep!

I came so close to not ordering this book because of the reviews. But this was a recommended book from a women's conference I'd gone to, and I really wanted to check it out, but I put it off.

After venturing to another's website (a woman I greatly admire who has lots of kids and homeschools), I noticed SHE used this system and again I thought, a try can't hurt...there's always resale, right?

I'm sooooo glad I bought this manual! It's been great so far! Very well written, easy to read, and downright practical! One of the BEST organizational books out there for homeschool families! (And I'm picky!)

I'll definitely put this book up there with my favorites, right next to my "FlyLady" collection--another great book for organization, even if you're NOT a homeschooler.

Really though, even if you're not a homeschooling family, this manual is great! Give it a try...as I mentioned earlier, if you don't like it, there's always resale!

I have to agree with several other reviewers here. This book is a lot of hype for the $$. The most flattering thing I can say about it is that it's very well marketed (which is why it retails for so much). Several 'high profile' homeschooling websites and moms with large families have endorsed it. Their endorsements aside it's really not that spectacular.

In their defense, it's not as bad as some other reviewers have made it sound. The book recognize the need for some flexibility, differences of opinion about scheduling babies, and how to deal with challenges and interruptions (almost 10 pages on this!). It just doesn't focus on it.

I didn't see "a lot of good ideas for keeping little ones occupied". They don't offer ideas on different ways to keep them busy - they just say to do it in general (i.e. "give them crafts" but not any specific activities). This isn't an indictment - the book is about scheduling not crafts or children's activities. I just wanted to clarify what some other reviewers have said about 'lots of good ideas'.

The information presented is pretty basic - create a comprehensive list of family activities, figure out how much time everyone needs to do each activity, then put it in a grid. (In this case it's post-it notes on several legal sheets). As others have said; the same results can be achieved using spreadsheets.

EXTRANEOUS MATERIAL - My biggest beef is that there really is alot of "Fluff" - yes it's inspirational but not worth the extra cost. The book is a total of 180 pages(8.5 x 11), 17 chapters - Each chapter is preceded by a full page letter praising the book and how it's changed the writers life (that's 17 pages). 3" at the side of nearly every page is also dedicated to testimonials; that's another 1/3 of the book. Another 7 full pages are dedicated to 'example schedules' as well as many more partial pages. The entire appendix (40 pages)is examples of peoples schedules and chore lists using the Maxwell's method. The last 6 pages of the book are dedicated to marketing other resources that the Maxwell's have produced. So a little math shows us that (178-17-7-40-6=108 x .6 (due to the extraneous commentaries) = about 65 pages of actual material (and that's generous since there are more 'example' charts plugged in all over). THAT'S ALOT OF MONEY FOR A BOOK THAT SHORT ($25 RETAIL). My suggestion to the Maxwell's - cut the self congratulatory excess, make the price more reasonable and charge a membership fee for the web content.

STRICT SCHEDULING OF BABIES - Either you think this is OK or you don't. If you don't you will find this distasteful and the information on pages 27-40 will not be of any use to you. Terri mentions this fact right at the beginning of the chapter though. Ditto for those who nurse on demand, adhere to AP principles, or consider themselves 'relaxed' home schoolers. If you have a relaxed personality this book is NOT for you.

I have a used copy of the book so I did not get access to the website. For those of you who don't understand - each new book comes with a registration number that can only be used once. That registration number gives you access to the website/forum and the right to order replacement forms - no registration number? no access and no replacement forms! (Kudos to the Maxwells for this creative idea) Again this is part of the well set up marketing. You don't know what's there unless you pay for it so there's no way to compare programs.

Bottom line - this is one of those books that either works for you or really grates on you. It's worth reading but I'd advise buying it secondhand (even without the forms and web access)and deciding if you want to invest in the "whole" program rather than spending the full $25 then feeling you paid too much.

This book is a very easy read. It is full of a lot of useful knowledge for the homeschooling family with more than a few children. I found a lot of great ideas to implement in my day.

I liked the authors emphasis on making the study of the Word and prayer the most important part of your daily schedule. She points out that it is better to have a few minutes each day in study and prayer than to keep waiting until you have a free hour to do a real indepth study.

I also liked her instruction to parents to include the children in the daily tasks around the home. Even in homeschooling families I find this is a rare ocurrance and it is really a necessity. When children have chores they know they are a part of the family not just some guest who has come to be entertained by the parents.

My biggest problem with the book, and the reason I could not justify even four stars, is the idea of scheduling infants. This book is rather old and was written before a lot of evidence started to come out about how scheduling feeds can end up causing a child to have Failure to Thrive (FTT) and other problems so I will try to forgive her for her lack of knowledge in this area.

It is never a good idea to schedule an infant under the age of six months. (I have used a schedule with an infant before so I am not without knowledge of this or the "rationale" behind it.) The demand feeding of an infant does not require that much of the parent that the entire days work is interrupted because of it.

There has been a lot written lately on this subject due to the Ezzo's and their following. When I came to the chapter where this is discussed I expected her to be more reasonable than they but found that she adhered to a three to four hour scheduling even at two weeks of age.

If that chapter is skipped I think this book has a lot to offer.

MOTH, as it's sometimes referred to, is a spiral-bound, 180 page manual on the why and how-to of scheduling a large (or small) Christian homeschooling family. Many books are written from a Christian worldview that can be read, enjoyed and used by non-Christians. MOTH, however, is not. After convincing you why scheduling is important (but you already knew that, if you're already searching for a scheduling system), the Maxwells give you "The Key to Successful Scheduling" (drum roll): it is for mom to have daily quiet time with the Lord.

Teri and Steve Maxwell are homeschool veterans, and they understand that homeschoolers have different needs than may be adequately covered by other scheduling methods. With this in mind, they have 5 chapters that address topics like interruptions and challenges to a schedule; they account for how a homeschool family's schedule can change from school year to summer-time; and they have a unique view on how to schedule in "Priorities." What qualifies as a "priority," you wonder... it is sewing, reading to your preschoolers, painting, scrapbooking. This is one thing I had never considered, that I am grateful for the Maxwells for pointing out. Their philosophy is this: If you always wait for a four-hour, child-free block of time to do what you think is fun, or a task you must do (such as taxes), then you may never get around to it. But if each day you schedule a half-hour dedicated to that task, you will do it much sooner. Such time is well-spent if it helps a housebound (sorry, homeschooling) mother do things that rejuvinate her spirit.

Another thing that the Maxwells thought of is scheduling time for everyone who is involved in an activity. If Jackson has swimming at 5 p.m., what am I doing? What are the other kids doing? This system makes you account for everyone, each hour. It helps you consciously decide to do math with your fourth-grader while the baby naps.

One thing that was a totally new idea was having older siblings watch the younger siblings while you work one-on-one with a school-age child. It fosters sibling relationships, independence, care-taking, and responsibility!

Features that I found to be helpful included a Q & A section at the back, in which Teri Maxwell gives advice based on her family's successful use of the system. Also encouraging were letters at the front of each chapter from one of the 24 families that "tested" MOTH before it was published.

On the down side, this book has 40 pages of sample schedules of the "test families." I found these to be of very little value when I made my own schedule. In addition, on every page of instruction, there are two-inch sidebars which are filled up with comments from the families who did the "testing" of the scheduling system. I found them to be distracting unless I focused on them at the end of each chapter, so they didn't break up my train of thought as much.

Also, there is a lot of focus on the final presentation of the schedule: cutting up different colors of paper for each child or parent, using sticky-tac to adhere the squares to the final paper. I think it's a lot less work and mess to just write each person in a different color pen.

Well, after using the scheduling system for about a month, all I have to say (ha!) is one word: discipline. Let me rephrase that: DISCIPLINE!!

Like any other scheduling system, it falls onto the shoulders of one person: the discipline of the mother to follow it. If you slack off, the kids wander off to the t.v. and the work doesn't get done. I felt at times exhausted just thinking of following my schedule for another 10 hours. It can be overwhelming to see all you have to do and are responsible for in one place! It is important to leave time to transition from activity to activity, to schedule free time. It makes it so much sweeter after you've had a day of productivity!

Managers of Their Homes by Steve and Teri Maxwell is a great resource for those trying to homeschool many children. There are really helpful ideas to keep younger children successfully occupied while older children are being taught by mom. The book also provides guidance for ways to keep the rest of the home (housekeeping, cooking, chores) running smoothly as well. Though I am the homeschooling mom of 5 children ages 8 and under, many of the ideas were new and helpful to me.The Maxwell's system does take prayer, time and commitment to implement. I suspect that those with one or two children or those who don't have a strong desire for a regular schedule would find this book less useful.

I purchased this book in the hope of getting some scheduling ideas and found just what I hoped for and more. My kid's are 7 and under so I really didn't know if these ideas would work, but they're great. I love the idea of changing activities every 1/2 hour and assigning siblings to play together. It's amazing the difference in our household just by using the schedule. If we don't, we can see a huge (negative) difference in our day. (I'm planning to come up with a Saturday schedule so it's not so chaotic.)

I admit to not cutting out the paper pieces. Also, while I did pray as I read the book, I didn't pray extensively and I immediately worked on a schedule when I finished the book. (I was actually formulating it in my head as I was reading.) I work part-time and have a varied schedule (i.e., M & W one week, T & Th, the next- 1pm -5pm one day, 5:30-9pm another), but even with this wrinkle, I found using this book, and especially the worksheets included, extremely helpful. I just figured out a general schedule so that our 'meat' is accomplished by lunch time, and the rest will work out depending upon my schedule.

Along with the others, I disagree with scheduling breastfeeding, but since I will not be having any more children, I just skimmed over this section.

I have read several other books on organization and scheduling and truly feel this one speaks directly to the needs of the homeschooling family.

I put off buying this book because of some negative reviews I read here on Amazon. Eventually I had the opportunity to browse through it in person at a local homeschool conference. Seeing it made all the difference! I believe the negative reviews are unfair:
a. The authors do not tell all mothers to nurse their babies on schedules (I'm an "on demand" nurser).
b. The authors most definitely do advocate enough flexibility to allow for real life.
c. I found the Scriptural quotes and prayer reminders to be appropriate and inspiring.
d. The sample schedules at the end are very helpful. Seeing the sample schedules helped me with some key areas of my schedule that were hard for me to work out.
e. The "testimonials" include tips and ideas that enhance--they do not waste time or space in the book.

I have read many, many time management books, but none of them were as effective as this one at helping us make a schedule that works for our particular family. I am enjoying the schedule making and keeping process for the first time. My children are enjoying it, too.

I highly recommend this book and the included schedule kit.