Our Workbox system

My sweetie asked my last night how this system has been working for me since we implemented it last year.  I can’t say enough how much it has saved my life! 
Long ago (really, it was just a few months ago), I remember the boys asking me,

• “How many more assignments?”
• “Do we really have to do this?”
• “How much longer is school?”
• “Ahhh mom, do we have to do this one too?”

When I learned about this workbox system, my mind started racing.  This might be the answer to all my problems (It doesn’t take the crying out of homeschooling though LOL)!  With this system, I insert their work each morning in their folders (ideally you would do this at night but there is so much going on, there is no way I would be able to do that).  I know what to put in them each day because I plan out the school year and use this software to do that.  I bought the software back in 2007 when I officially started homeschooling Lil G and it works great!  The boys then come to their desks each morning and know what is expected of them.  They know that they are not complete with our homeschool day until we complete all the folders.  I set up the system so that I can provide one-on-one help with Lil Dude while Lil G completes his other assignments that he can do on his own (Bible study, vocabulary work, handwriting, reading, etc.).  Then when Lil Dude is finished, I allow him to play educational online games with his netbook while I conduct one-on-one lessons with Lil G (math, spelling, Sonlight, etc.).
Each day they may complete all their work at different times.  Sometimes as early as 1 p.m. and other days as late as 3:30 p.m.  Either way, they know that they school’s not over until they have completed all their assignments so there is no ambiguity or they don’t think that I am making up the assignments as we go along. 
Isn’t it cool?