A Day in the Life at Boys Ranch

Mike is a resident at Cal Farley’s Boys Ranch. Following is a typical day for Mike and for most of our elementary school children. An older resident’s day is usually a little more hectic, especially for those who participate in sports, other extracurricular activities, vocational work jobs and leadership opportunities. The day-to-day schedules also vary from home to home.

 

6:30 a.m.:               I wake up, usually on my own. My house parent has a hot breakfast waiting. We help clean up after breakfast.

8:15 a.m.:              Time for school to begin.

11:00 a.m.:            Lunch in the Dining Hall and recess last about 40 minutes

11:40 a.m.:            Back to class

3:15 p.m.:              School bell rings signaling the end of the school day

3:30 p.m.:              I head back home for snack time. We usually talk about our day at school with our house parents.

3:30 – 5:00 p.m.:   Free time. Sometimes we ride our bikes and play.

5:00 – 5:30 p.m.:   Study time

5:30 p.m.:              Supper time. We go to the dining hall for supper.

6:00 – 6:30 p.m.:   We come back home to do chores. We vacuum the living room, clean windows and sweep and mop the entryways.

6:30 – 7:00 p.m.:   Free time. We either stay at home or go to the Dippel Activity Center to have 30 minutes of exercise. I run around the gym or play basketball or play football. I ride my bike and a scooter.

7:00 – 7:30 p.m.:   We take showers. My house mom wants us smelling good.

7:30 p.m.:              Group meeting with the boys and house parents. We talk about things we need to accomplish in the home. Each boy has a weekly goal and the group discusses how we are doing with our goals. (It’s is an opportunity for positive peer reinforcement where the boys tell others what they did well that day.) We say a prayer after group.

7:45 – 8:00 p.m.:   We eat a healthy snack, like yogurt, fruit, popcorn or a health food bar.

8:00 p.m.:              Each day is different. On laundry day, I help with laundry. On telephone day, I call home to talk to family. I like to get an update on how my family is doing. I usually say if I’m having a good day and if I accomplished a goal. On TV day, we have TV time. I like to watch movies and sometimes watch TV. Sometimes we argue about what we watch.

8:30 p.m.:              Bedtime. My house mom says a prayer with me. I feel comfortable with it. At least I know somebody loves me. I pray on my own and sometimes pray with her. I usually fall asleep in about 10 minutes.

 

On Saturday, I usually get to sleep in. My house mom makes breakfast.

On Sunday, we go to chapel. Sometimes we go to town to see a movie, get a hair cut and eat dinner.