My 5 year old son is so energetic and demanding and busy and intense and noisy and ..... wow. I don't remember my other boys being quite this intense. Maybe it's being the youngest so he's used to being with people all the time. Maybe it's that I'm in my 40's and dealing with perimenopause

I realized yesterday that at least 50% of the chaos of the school day is this kiddo. His schooling doesn't take a terribly long time (he LOVES it) and I need to design a structured morning for him. I am going to give him a freer afternoon (with the exception of a Quiet Hour) but need to make a block schedule routine for him in the morning. He's moving away from the typical pre-K stuff and I'm struggling with IDEAS as to how to block out his time. A few that I have on my list (and I am going to purchase a few new items to help us along initially so that the newness will encourage his focus):
1. Audiobooks
2. Legos in his room (with audios perhaps)
3. Screen time (either a show or games like Curious George) - I'd love a recommendation for a GOOD quality educational show or game option for him that he can do mostly independently. I'm willing to purchase something!!
4. Puzzles (he still enjoys these but IDK if I could ask it of him daily)
5. Piano playing with headphones
6. Hands on with play dough or foam or water play in kitchen sink (this wouldn't work every day as he'd lose interest)
7. Jump on Mini Tramp
8. School (LHTH, math and FMS workbooks, The Reading Lesson) - I might give him two blocks here and have his 10 year old brother work with him for 15 minutes. We tried that yesterday and it was good.
9. Possibly include sibling play time (this WILL require training. This little boy doesn't listen well to siblings and we've been battling this awhile. I'm willing to though .... )
The trouble I think I'm having is that he's in that stage of extreme creativity and he has tons of ideas about how he'd like to play. He is also quite confident and tends to decide for himself (ahem) what he can do and makes messes. We're working on this! I am more than willing to require structure for him in the morning hours (about 8:30-Lunch Time) and then give him a looser afternoon structure. But it's doesn't work anymore to tell him to go look at books. He does that a lot on his own .... and he's VERY active so I need ACTIVE options mixed in with the table time or listening time. I want to create some activity boxes for him or maybe purchase some easy to do prepared crafts .... I'm willing to do anything in this season to help him and to help me manage his days joyfully.
WHAT do you do with your 5+ boy who is moving past pre school activities but still needs loads of structure to help the day flow? I need fresh ideas. Being the youngest of four kids he's played with all of these toys and things for a long time. He feels "bored" by many of them now and I want to change some things up.


By the way, I have NO regrets in moving to HOD. It's been a crazy few years and I have always wanted to move to HOD. I'd back away (the reasons elude me). We are here now and as I am working with my oldest in RTR I keep thinking, "Why on earth did I wait soooooooo long to do what I've always KNOWN would work for us?" I've been dabbling in HOD for YEARS (used Bigger, LHTH) .... I am perhaps the most stubborn woman on the planet!


