Hostel Parenting: A Typical Daily-Weekly Schedule

YAOUNDE, CAMEROON (November 9, 2006) – Following is a look at a typical daily/weekly schedule at the UBAC Hostel.

•    5 a.m. – Sheryl is up for personal devotions and to get breakfast ready.
•    6:40 a.m. – Breakfast is served.
•    7:15 a.m. – Paul drives the students the two kilometers to school.
•    8:00 a.m. to 4 p.m. – Schedule varies day to day, based on needs.
•    4 p.m. –  First pick-up to bring kids home.
•    5:30 p.m. –  Second pick-up to bring kids home.
•    6 p.m. – Start supper.
•    7:00 to 7:30 p.m. –  Devotions (or whenever supper dishes are cleaned up)
•    7:30 to 9 p.m. – Quiet study time.
•    9:00 to 10 p.m. –  More study, quiet visiting, or practice time for musical instruments.
•    10:30 p.m. – Students in bed and lights out (Mondays – Thursdays).

Of course, each day is open to changes because of different meetings, sicknesses, etc. With 14 people, many different things can come up and we need to remain flexible.

Monday – This is a day we try to keep free for paperwork and to recuperate from a long weekend.

Tuesday – We often have different chores either at the house or around the community to do.

Wednesday – We grocery shop for our hostel needs for the week. This includes shopping for our kids if they need school or personal supplies. During the afternoon there are different sports games.

Thursday – We have a meeting and prayer time with the other hostel parents and our short-term hostel assistant. This is one place we can share our needs and our questions about things we are observing in our hostel children. It can vary from school problems, discipline, and social events to sporting events and spiritual and physical concerns that we may have.

Friday – We try to keep open as we prepare for another weekend full of activities. Friday is intramural sports day.

Saturday – Different sports events during the morning and afternoon. This also is a time for community service and special tests like SAT. Of course, there are other individual activities and groups of kids getting together to hang out or do some sort of special project.

Sunday – Church in the morning, dinner, and some sports activities.

Everyday is a laundry day, and meals need to be prepared. We do have house help to assist with hanging, folding and ironing clothes, and to help in some of the preparation for meals; but Sheryl is responsible for all of the meal planning, shopping and getting the food to the table. The kids do most of the clean up.

Tuesday night – Worship team practice.

Wednesday night – Chemistry class study group and volleyball for some. Wednesday is also our night off and Rachel or the hostel assistant comes to stay with the kids.

Thursday night – This often can be another study night for something or a fund-raiser preparation night.

Friday night – Usually pizza, company/guests, and a movie.

Sunday night – Youth group and evening worship.

The weekends tend to be much more tiring as the kids are mainly home; however, if they do need to go out, then there are extra rides and supervising to provide.