How do I Plan

I plan differently almost every year it seems. This year I am going to plan loosely by month with a checklist for the older kids to get done so much of each subject. I haven't planned a daily plan or even weekly in years, because I know myself well enough now that it will only last a month or two. I simply sit down with my goals for each child (I have short term and long term goals that I want for them and also, goals that they have told me at our interviews), I then look at each subject and start selecting products, classes, projects, experiences, stories, movies, tapes, field trips etc. that I think might help reach the goals in each subject area and that I think would best fit with that child. If I have selected a book I will then say about how many chapters should be accomplished each month and then I try to subtract a few to give us space, and if it is a month I know we will be crazy busy (performance months, usually) I might subtract a few more-I have to do this because I tend to want to plan the kids to death. If it is something I want to do with the kids I will put it on the kids list, because they will then hold me accountable-"You need to do a manners puppet show for me, Mom." I go through every subject and every child-this takes a good week at least. Then this year I will be creating a simple excel spreadsheet with a place for them to x off each item within the month. We did this this summer and it worked really well. My kids woke up motivated and I could not believe how easy it is to get them to do some things if they know they would be able to check it off after "Mom, can I learn to take out the garbages this week?" "Mom, I need to learn to make a new type of bread today." "Mom, can we look up how to tune pianos on youtube today?" etc. I loved it.