Homeschool Planning the Peaceful Way
Long ago I requested feedback for a planner cover, and now can show you some finished planners. The Peaceful Planning System is a unique, small-booklet based system that is quick and easy to use, portable enough for military or missionary families, and flexible enough for any style of schooling, from Charlotte Mason to traditional textbooks. The small size of recordkeeping spaces helps to remind you that recordkeeping can be simple—you don’t need to write a book!
Peaceful Planning helps you focus on things that matter.
Many years of homeschooling taught me that planning and record-keeping tools had to be simple and streamlined, and preferably, easy to carry. The Peaceful Planning system closely resembles the simple records I created when we were homeschooling, except that the original versions were hand drawn in a notebook. I hope you’ll find these little booklets a helpful tool for peaceful planning.
So far, the available planners include:
- 12-Year Planner booklet (Need only one.)
- K-8 Student Record (One for each student.)
- High School Student Record (One for each student.)
- Lifetime Reading List (As desired.)
The Peaceful Planning System also uses:
1 expandable pocket folder (2” size works well)
1 large 3-ring binder with tabs (the 12-year cumulative record)
1” binder (for your yearly paperwork)
Calendar or personal planner
You can read an overview of how it works and how to use each piece at The Peaceful Planning System at Everyday-Education.com.
I like the top cover the best.
I LOVE “Children at Sea”!!
Janice, the second two covers have a clearer visual beauty than the first, I think, with the third being the most beautiful of all. However, something about the second one exudes a sense of helping one another as a family, which suggests to me how much we need to work together as a family in order to have a more peaceful year. Perhaps the color blue brings a touch of peace to the cover, too.
As for the contents of the planner, it sounds to me as if you’ve covered everything! Thanks.
I am partial to the middle one, done in blue. I find it very soothing and the title seems easier to read. That’s the book I’d pick up to browse through. All three are lovely, though!
I like the sea cover best. One thing that I need in a planner (that is hard to find) is a space each week to make notes. Things like what day I called and who I talked to when calling to resolve an issue such as a bill that is incorrect. Or a tracking number for an item returned, etc.
My favorite color is blue, and I love the ocean, so the middle cover is my vote. I would second a daily spot for notes like what’s for dinner or exercise routine for the day – something that people can tailor to their specific needs. I don’t need an hour-by-hour calendar. I prefer a free form planner that allows me to outline goals for the day.
I look forward to seeing the finished product. I’m a planner junkie, although not always as organized as I’d like to be 🙂
Merry Christmas to you and yours,
Christina
The middle one by far. It’s the most eye-catching.
I like the bottom one the best, because when it is summer time the kids go outside and we relax on the patio and they catch fireflies. By far the most peaceful time of the day for me. So, that is why I like the bottom cover the best.
I like the middle one 🙂 Seems like you have your winner!
I really like the colors in the first option, but the images of family and togetherness on the second one with Children of the Sea is really sweet. So I would have to say the second one.
One thing that would be great is an area for a weekly menu plan to go with the shopping list.
Merry Christmas to you and your family.
Michelle
I like the children at sea the best.
I like the last 2. I am partial to the ocean one as we live by the ocean and spend a lot of time there. I agree with Wendee that a place for notes in a planner would be great.
I prefer “Children by the Sea”. I must admit that my planner fits in my purse (maybe 8×5) and I love that it can go everywhere with me. I think your packing list space and grocery list space is great! I need a housekeeping schedule but I need one that I can stick to and that might be difficult, but I love the idea for having it in the planner. I will have to get back to you on the request for over scheduling difficulties. I feel like the queen of over scheduling and a planner is most helpful with that. I do live by my planner. I have often said if a robber took my things from my house it would be bad, but if he took my planner I would be very upset because I wouldn’t know which way to go!
I too am drawn to the Children at the Sea
Children of the Sea is definitely my favorite. It is so calm and I love the family image depicted. I really like the sound of this planner.
I love the children Of the Sea also. I love blue and everyone seems to be producing planners in autumn colors! I would love the days to be segmented into one larger section on the top, with 4 smaller sections below, each a different shade (so each family member gets a place for their activities). I am a planner junkie, still searching for the perfect one. Merry Christmas!
Children of the Sea! If something looks beachy, I’ll buy it whether I need it or not. Sometimes I’ll even buy 2. 🙂
As for planner contents, I use a Daytimer that I can personalize. It contains monthly & daily calendars, and sections for shopping lists, menu planning, budget, notes, to-do’s, school (current week’s lesson plans only,) writing group (I lead it & I have kids’ contact info & lesson plan notes,) holidays (this section gets removed & put back in as necessary,) crafts, business (notes about my husband’s home based business,) directions (a lifesaver! I never know the names of roads, just that I turn at the pink house or the large tree…. this section has come in handy so many times when I’ve had an emergency & haven’t been able to pick up the kids. I can easily give someone else directions. Not to mention it’s handy for those places I only visit once every 2 years and can’t quite remember where to turn.) And of course, there’s an address section.
Yes, I need a suitcase to carry my calendar. But it is also my life. I wouldn’t know how to find the bathroom without it. LOL
I really like the Children of the Sea painting. I do have one suggestion to improve on it, however. The blue bar with the title covers up the reflections of the family in the water. Reflection is an important part of taking time, and this can be nicely represented here. I would imprint the title directly on the image in the sky area, and put “Life Planner” and the year in the bottom right in a smaller blue box.
I love the shopping list idea, we all need plenty of those, along with a “what’s for dinner” spot. How about a monthly books list, maybe books I want to read with a check box for those I’ve read. I always write these down in my calendar notes pages.
Your choices are lovely. I am a fan of Mary Cassatt and there are many more choices among her works for the future. It may be interesting to feature a father and son: “Portrait of Mr. Alexander J. Cassatt and His Son Robert Kelso” (1884, The Philadelpia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, PA.) I don’t know if you would need to secure repro rights to her work.
Another thought would be to find works by an artist who features families of color. We are a mixed-race family and I always appreciate seeing books and art not focused only on white European ancestry.
I have one suggestion for the planner: number the favorite menu lists, that way you need only put the menu number on that day of the week and can refer back to the master list, which should include a code for cookbook name, page, crockpot, etc. This makes menu planning easier with less copying.
I really like the children by the sea. It’s sunny and bright, relaxing. I just like it the best. It captures a family vacation moment, reminding me to make time for what is the most important in life . . .
I am really appreciating the comments! It’s been helpful to see what everyone’s thinking. The more feedback the merrier;-).
There will definitely be space for notes–that’s one thing I’ve missed in most planners I’ve used, and I love the ideas for menus, directions, books and other things. I’m a pretty free-form planner, so it will probably reflect that. I’m hoping it will be flexible enough so that you can tailor it to your needs.
@Michelle- Good thoughts on the reflection on the blue cover, and I may try to play with it a bit. However, the reason the blue bar crosses right there is because the painting is wide, but not tall. It’s pieced across there and across the sky so that the image could extend to the top and bottom.
@KSR- I love the idea of featuring paintings with families of different backgrounds. I’ll definitely try to find some– the challenge is to find art in the public domain. Many things created before 1923 are, so that’s a good benchmark. If you discover an artist that might have something wonderful and usable, please let me know. I will probably do it in a variety of covers so that people can change from year to year. Love that Cassatt painting too– it definitely might be an option.
@Jeannie- It sounds as if you need a wheelbarrow for your planner! I had one like that, and it finally got so stuffed I couldn’t stand it. Kind of like a closet right before a cleaning binge!
@Mary- I’ve been pretty paranoid about my planner too. Of course Donald pointed out that a planner would be about the last thing a robber would be interested in, but still….
I like the middle one; it seems more fitting to the title. I also like it because it is less like the covers Catholic Heritage Curricula uses for its planners.
I like the “Children at the Sea” cover the best for it appears serene and the colors are pleasing to the eye. Also,(for me) the simpler the planner the better.
I like the third one, the the white flowers. It’s peaceful and calming, feelings I need to refresh myself sometimes.
Definitely Children of the Sea.
I like the ocean one best.
Neither one really. I would love to see parents AND children spending time together doing things like that.
Tough choice between the sea and the first countryside one – but I think I like the sea best because it involves the children plus a parent.