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myheaven1967
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Yesterday I took my little crew to morning Mass for the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. They did really well! (I was in shock!  ) On our way home, my oldest asked if we could go again the next day. (Future Priest??)
So my question is, how do others fit in Morning Mass with homeschooling? I had written out my schedule and plan to start school at 9. But if I am to get everything done, I would have to move that around, and other things A LOT, I would think. But who wants to deny my son morning Mass??
So how do others do it? I already get up at 5:45, I say my prayers, do my meditation work, get in a shower, make hubby's breakfast, get him up and going then the kids start to filter down.
I don't know how to make this work but I don't want to make it not work either. I could plan Mass in a few days a week maybe?
Thoughts? Ideas?
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Jill: Wife to Kurt, mother to 1 dd and 4 ds
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Mackfam
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We try to go to morning Mass at least once/week. Twice if it's a week with a First Friday. I schedule it right into the day so that the kids have a lighter load on Mass days and the work is spread out reasonably through the rest of the week.
Anytime we get out of the house, it's challenging to settle back into routine and get the little folks working productively again, so it's really important to brainstorm some transition activities in there to help them along.
Here's how we do Mass once a week. (Keep in mind that this means a 20 minute drive into town, 20 minutes back home, and Mass. So, it's about half of our day...which is fine because this is a priority for us! I just have to plan for it and organize accordingly.) **NOTE** I delegate a lot of these chores to the kids (big and medium). I just do an evening check to make sure it's all in place.
Night before...- All church clothes clean, ironed and set out - find belts, shoes, check socks for matching to pants, girls hair accoutrements
- Find Mass books and Missals and make sure they're in Mass bags in the van
- All little kids in shower
- Kitchen TOTALLY clean!
- Set out basket for assembling drinks and snack/lunch
- Make lemonade or other special drink IF we're going to bring something besides water
- Set out all the drink bottles on the counter next to our basket
- Locate and place in travel bag any audio CD we'll listen to in the van (Latin, History, Hymns, Story on CD)
In the morning...- Breakfast and clean-up (clean-up completed by clean-up team assigned on chore chart)
- During kitchen clean-up, the kids that are not assigned to breakfast clean-up are to help prepare snacks/drinks/lunch.
- Transport lunch and drink basket to van.
- All morning chores completed (animal chores: eggs washed, dogs groomed, beds made, quick tidy downstairs) - this takes about 30 min.
- Kids upstairs to dress. Big kids help littles with hair and accoutrement.
- Check baby bag for diaper/clothes
- Morning Basket of work - either an abbreviated version of the Morning Basket, or just a read-aloud, or if there's time a full morning basket - but SOME simple morning work.
On the way...- Because we have a 20 - 25 minute drive to Mass we use that time to read the Mass readings for the day's Mass. One of the big kids reads from the Missal. Then we have a short discussion of the day's readings. This is actually really helpful for all of us - it serves to prepare us for the Mass and helps me tremendously since I may not be able to pay as close attention during Mass if the baby needs more of my attention.
After Mass...- Since we're in town, we may run a couple of simple errands
- While driving, listen to CD (Latin, History, story on CD)
- Empty van - we start "passing it forward" about 5 min from home - the kids in the back pass trash forward and the big kid in the front seat has a small trash bag for containing. All shoes back on
 . Everyone gathers their "stuff" in their laps. Unload the van when we get home - all hands on deck. We have "practice drills" for this so that each child knows what they're responsible for (someone unloads the baby, someone is responsible for back seat, someone for middle, someone for the front seats, everything unloaded to specific place in kitchen - drop zone...otherwise the ENTIRE kitchen becomes a disaster area!!) - All change clothes and hang up church clothes on hooks in rooms
Transition into the Ordinary Activities...- Free play time! Super important that the kids get some unstructured time to run around or play outside! I usually give them about 45 min - 1 hour to do this while I swish some laundry and spend some time sitting down!
- Afternoon chore time (slowly moving toward more structure and quiet...) - gather eggs, check animal water, garden chores.
- Inside chores - empty lunch basket, empty drink bottles, tidy kitchen drop zone, clear work tables in learning rooms, quick tidy downstairs.
- While kids are doing chores I am freshening the learning room - checking lesson plans, setting out materials, quick skim for background if I'm going to read aloud or teach something, prep for dictation lessons, etc. I set out materials on my desk and straighten it quickly - even if that means I have to swish a big pile to the side so that it "feels" tidier!
 I also usually turn on classical music during this time because it has the effect of quieting and setting a pleasant tone/atmosphere in the home. **NOTE to self:** use quieter and quieter voice when correcting/instructing the kids during this time - this helps quiet them. - While doing inside chores Mom announces lesson time begins in "x" minutes. This lets the kids begin adjusting to "lesson mode" which requires more quiet.
- Set out independent work for the littles if I'm going to work with the biggers for a bit...or just check my daily schedule to see how I can set us up for success when we start lesson time.
- Usually by 1:00 or 2:00 ISH the crew is quieter, has had time to play and run off some steam, has tidied the house from our morning out, and can sit down and do a little work. We probably only spend a couple of hours on formal work for the day (not a solid 2 hours for the littles...juggling between activities which are more "sit-down" and some which are hands on game-type activities) which is enough with my Morning Basket time to count for a legal day. It's plenty for the littles, but the biggers lesson plans have been adjusted to accommodate the shorter day. My high schooler may work longer, but independently.
In case of meltdown/long errand day/total dissolution of plans...- Some weeks are like that...and sometimes you never know when a day will just unravel around you! In that case, I keep a nice collection of educational games on hand and if we have an awful day I just scratch the plans and call it a game-day! I'll ask the big kids to get a little reading done, but that's it!
That's it! That's how we do a morning Mass on a regular basis! 
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Jen Mackintosh
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myheaven1967
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| Posted: June 08 2013 at 11:15am | IP Logged
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Wow - I really want to thank you!!!!!
We walk to Mass, as we are a one car family and dh takes that to get to work. BUT we turn the walk into a lesson too. We take the camera with us nearly everywhere we go and find nature book pictures. Sadly sometimes we forget it, but the things we see are at times magical! We walked down Friday and it had been misting, as we walked over a bridge there was a spider web, I am not a fan of spiders but the web, covered in mist was amazing! (And we didn't have our camera!!!)
But even though they have that time to walk, yes, the do need a bit of down time afterwards.
I do need to plan to do this weekly, you are right.
I am taking your ideas and running with them!
Thank you!
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Jill: Wife to Kurt, mother to 1 dd and 4 ds
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AmandaV
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Jen, thanks for such a helpful how-to post! I too have been thinking about getting to daily mass. A few weeks ago we went three times I was hoping to keep that up but then a bug hit us and we haven't gotten back.
I'm curious, from your description, what time your mass is? Ours is at 8 so I can't see us getting a morning read-aloud or any school work done - at the best I imagine beds made, rooms slightly tidied, me getting dishes unloaded and loaded and everyone fed a decent breakfast. (we don't keep cereal around so eggs or oatmeal, generally). Now we are only 7 minutes from our parish, so we are not making a day of it so I'm betting that plays in. I don't have to add on our errands unless we have library books due or groceries to get and want to do that while everyone is already dressed and in car. We can be home by 9, but the transition after still holds true, though there needn't be extra stuff for this ride. (Filing away all of those great ideas/routines though for other outings! Great advice!)
There is a noon mass about 20 minutes from us, and I've thought of doing that instead once per week or more because it is at a natural break in the day, maybe after an early lunch at 11, but I really like the idea of
1- starting the day with mass
2- being at our parish with our pastor whose homilies are amazing, our associate, and the visiting seminarian as the kids enjoyed saying hello after and chatting, which makes the twins more excited about being there on Sundays.
Any thoughts? There is also a 6:30 at the nearby convent (10 min?) but I'm not sure I'm capable of that..
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knowloveserve
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This is probably not helpful for 90% of you, but daily Mass is such a priority for me that we literally bought a house and moved to live on the same block as our parish. The act of getting kids in and out of the vehicle was just way too daunting for Mass to happen if we had to drive every day.
But this decision has changed our lives. The dream of living on acreage and homesteading was financially out of reach. Now we embrace our postage stamp yard in an urban area because our world revolves around the Church. It helps having a large, active parish with lots of stuff going on at all times. There is no distinction between "the real world" and church like there was for me growing up. Our ten year old even has his own Holy Hour. All our socializing happens at parish events and in different groups there. We are truly, truly blessed to have this lifestyle.
That said, getting to 8 am Mass is the one thing I can count on doing right for my kids. If I'm an epic homeschooling failure, at least they will be immersed in the Word of God, influenced by good people and great homilies, and nourished daily by the Holy Eucharist. My son is a terrible speller and MAYBE a mediocre student overall... but he's at least in the presence of the Almighty every day.
On a practical note, we come home and eat breakfast and do morning chores, then start morning basket readings around 9:30. I keep wanting to incorporate the daily readings or antiphons into our copy work/narrations but haven't pulled that together yet. Maybe next fall.
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myheaven1967
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This is beautiful!!
Thank you for sharing. I never had this, I never had the immersion into the Church, and I am now giving that to my boys. I feel horrible that it didn't happen with my daughter and I am not sure what she believes in. 
I know she is not Christian.
Don't get lost, stick with the Church.
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Jill: Wife to Kurt, mother to 1 dd and 4 ds
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stellamaris
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Oh, my, Jen! Your morning sounds so orderly. We also try to go to Mass once a week and I do plan the time into the schedule, as you do. We have about a 20 minute drive to a nearby town, but our morning goes something like this  :
7:30 a.m. OK, kids, SHOES!!! Here, let me brush your hair. Did you brush your teeth? No, don't eat anything--we'll eat after Mass. GET IN THE CAR!! RIGHT NOW!! HURRY UP!!!
7:35 a.m. (In the car) Phew! Everyone buckled? No talking...I haven't had any coffee. No, I'm not turning on the radio, please be quiet. Morning is a quiet time...silence reigns....
7:45 (still driving) Mom, can you guess which Australian lizard is an omnivore (said by my special son--who has three topics of conversation: lizards, whales, and Pokemon)? Me: groan...trying to remember to offer it up!
8:00 Arrive at Mass, jostle quietly into pew, smile at all the older people who love to see the kids. Kneel down to pray...Peace.
9:00 Arrive back at home after Mass. Eat a crockpot breakfast of baked apples and yogurt that I started the night before. While we eat, I read a nature book (last year: The Living Year). Then on to the scheduled (lighter load) school day.
Always a bit crazy at our house, but so worth it!
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Caroline
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Betsy
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AmandaV wrote:
There is a noon mass about 20 minutes from us, and I've thought of doing that instead once per week or more because it is at a natural break in the day, |
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Our Church as a 12:10 Mass and I. LOVE. IT! It motivates me to get a bunch of work done in the morning! Plus, I don't feel guilty if we run errands after, it is by my favorite coffee shop and I usually drink my coffee in the afternoon. and I don't feel like a failure if no work happens after Mass, which, after we leave the house most things just fall apart.
FWIW, I love the goal of going to daily Mass as often as possible or once a week. But, at some seasons in our life it is best to be realistic with what our daily obligations are. The Lord LOVES spirtiual communions very much, which is a very good alternative to Daily Mass if it is not possible for any given reason. Here is a good article that sums up some of St. Gertrudes and St. Catherines quotes Spiritual Communion
I also wanted to throw out staring with First Friday, once a Month, and building from there. This is a beautiful devotion and has been a good way to get my family use to attending daily Mass.
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myheaven1967
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Caroline - I REALLY laughed at your post! LOVED IT! Thank you for such honesty!
The family went to Mass today at the 4:30 Mass and the oldest boy came to me afterwards and asked if him and I could go again in the morning......! 
I said of course, but this time we would leave Daddy and the little people at home. Mass was such a struggle today with the two little ones that I nearly burst into tears. They were terrible. Yes, I did remember to offer it up to Mary. I also wanted to apologize to everyone in Church! The two kept bickering and the littlest one brought with him a toy screw driver which kept making a clinking noise every time he tried to "fix" the pew. The second youngest got hold of the bulletin and crinkled it up until it did not resemble a bulletin at all... I don't know what got into them. Yuck. My only explanation - Dad was with?
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Mackfam
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| Posted: June 08 2013 at 9:02pm | IP Logged
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AmandaV wrote:
| I'm curious, from your description, what time your mass is? |
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9 am.
We can get so much done because my kids are very early risers.
AmandaV wrote:
| Ours is at 8 so I can't see us getting a morning read-aloud or any school work done - at the best I imagine beds made, rooms slightly tidied, me getting dishes unloaded and loaded and everyone fed a decent breakfast. |
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That sounds great! You're home earlier than me, so you can probably settle in, have lunch and then have a full half day to complete any lesson time.
AmandaV wrote:
There is a noon mass about 20 minutes from us, and I've thought of doing that instead once per week or more because it is at a natural break in the day, maybe after an early lunch at 11, but I really like the idea of
1- starting the day with mass
2- being at our parish with our pastor whose homilies are amazing, our associate, and the visiting seminarian as the kids enjoyed saying hello after and chatting, which makes the twins more excited about being there on Sundays.
Any thoughts? There is also a 6:30 at the nearby convent (10 min?) but I'm not sure I'm capable of that.. |
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This may be just me, but I'd rather go to Mass in the mornings rather than mid-day. I like starting the day with Mass and then being home for the rest of the day. Your 8 am routine sounds fantastic! And then home again by 9 means that you really do have most of your day in front of you!! Such a short drive sounds wonderful!
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Jen Mackintosh
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kristacecilia
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What an inspiring thread! I would love to attend daily mass once a week with the kids. Our trek would be similar to Jen's, and I admit I let the distance/time/gas requirements convince me that we shouldn't go when we really should!
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SuzanneG
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BUMP....for anyone trying to get to Mass during the week during Lent!
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Suzanne in ID
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Becky Parker
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Thanks for the bump Suzanne. This was a great thread! I think I need to create a schedule similar to Jen's if we're going to accomplish our goal of getting to daily Mass more often!
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Becky
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SuzanneG
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I worked on our "plan" last night, and went through it with my three olders this morning. I have a couple little things to brainstorm, but, for the most part, I think we're ready to be able to do this.
We live 30 min away from church now, and our Mass is at 12:15 instead of 8:00 am, like in Seattle. And, more kids....but also more older kids! So, easier in some ways, harder in others....just takes some adjusting.
Here we come.....LENT weekday Mass! (Which will, hopefully, continue!)
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Suzanne in ID
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MarilynW
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For the last few years we have attended daily 12.15 Mass during Lent - was doable and my husband even joined us in his lunch break from work. It was a real blessing. I was organized about having lunch ready for when we got back - and everyone had mid-morning snacks during morning read alouds.
We are in a new parish - no lunch time Mass - we have a choice of 6.45 (leave home at 6.15) or 8.30 (leave home at 8) - I still want to try and do it. I would prefer the earlier one because we could get down to school earlier. But it might be too ambitious...
In any case with the absolutely awful cold here - I will wait for daily until the temps are over freezing. We will do Ash Wednesday whatever, and Fridays, but hopefully things will be warmer soon and we can aim for daily...
Let's pray for all of us trying to get to Mass on weekdays - it an be a challenge..but I so think it is one of best things to do.
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Marilyn
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amarytbc
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One of the first Catholic homeschool debates I read, back on aol when the internet first became easily accessible to the average person, was whether to take the kids to daily Mass or not. We've been doing it for 20 years now; no regrets. It is by far the best part of all of our lives. The older kids, who have moved out and started their own lives all go to daily Mass and those still at home feel out of sorts if we don't go.
It can be an inconvenience and stressful, but God can't be outdone in generosity. Just do it, don't over think it and watch what happens.
Our best arrangement was the 8:30 Mass, with the children getting up at 7:15, nibbling on something healthy while they did their math. We left the house at 8:10 and had our official breakfast after Mass. By 9:30 the kids were fresh and it felt like our school day had just begun, but they already had their math done.
We've gone to a 12:10, 7:15 and a 6:30. It took some readjustment whenever we made the change, but it was well worth it and a natural part of our day. I'm not organized like Jenn and never had a plan, but the girls always had a few day dresses that were just for early morning and Mass, so I knew they would always look clean. Just for morning Mass pants for boys, and they all changed into everyday clothes after Mass. It took them 5 minutes tops.
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JennGM
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I remember that debate. No one should feel pressure to go to daily Mass just because others are doing it. Each family needs to evaluate what is right in their lives. There are different seasons (and closeness of parish, ages and health of children and health of parents) that all play a determining role.
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Jennifer G. Miller
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SuzanneG
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Love that there are different times in our family-life that we have been able to do or not-do certain things! It keeps it interesting!!!
I really like this thread for the ideas for how to make it work!!!! when you decide that it IS that season to attend during the week.
Keep the ideas coming, if you have more of them!
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Suzanne in ID
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St. Ann
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I have never felt pressure to take the kids to daily Mass because others do it. I want to make it work for the family, just because of my own desire to attend with them. When the girls attend daily Mass it is a Blessing for our family. But it doesn't happen that often.
This Lent we will try to attend an evening Mass together once a week, plus 1st Fridays.
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Stephanie
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MarilynW
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The post that Mary linked to is valuable for this thread.
Re practical ideas, we too keep a set of clothes for daily Mass (separate from Sunday Mass) and the kids get up,have a snack and drink, do morning chores and then we leave. We have breakfast at 9.45 when we get back. My other alternative is to have everyone have breakfast at 7am (Mass in at 8.30) and then have a snack when we get back. My husband is also changing jobs - and we try to have breakfast as a family, so I have to figure this out in our Lent schedule.
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Marilyn
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4Real Forums : Domestic Church
Topic: Morning Mass and the school day
