Day in the Life of Parent Charles James III

About Charles “Ant”  James III
Mr. James is currently a fourth-grade Special Education teacher for Milwaukee Public Schools. With his fiancée Shay, he is a parent of seven children, the three oldest being students that attend MAS (7th Grader Nyzhaya Scott-James, 7th Shaniya Woods & 4th Grader Qimora Woods Tolefree). Charles is a tremendous family-oriented man. God, love, family, knowledge, and building positive character are his family’s principles. It’s these exact principles that are helping Charles continue to live by his motto A.N.T. Lyfe which stands for “Ascension is Necessary Throughout Life.” This motto is not only a reminder for Charles and his family during these hard times but also thousands of people who follow him on social media platforms.

Day in a Life…
5:30 am: My alarm on my phone goes off to wake me or my fiancée up. Some days we lay there to see who’s going to get it first. Lately, it has been me.

5:45 am: I wake up and simply say thank you, God. I thank him for yet another day to spread love. I may have a small conversation with my fiancée before I start moving. Clean the room because my fiance is always first in the shower.

6:15 am: I wake up my oldest (Niyah) if she isn’t already awake at her request. Some days I think she is up before us all.

6:20 am: Wash up my one-year-old and get her dressed and sit her in front of some cartoons with something to eat and/or drink.

6:45 am: I get baby Messiah ready for daycare as well if my fiancée hasn’t done so already.

7:00 am: I check in on my three oldest children (Niyah, Shaniyla and Qimora) to ensure they are up and being productive. Say something to inspire, motivate and/or build their confidence for the day. Head outside to pull my fiancée’s car out of the garage and make sure it’s warm enough before she heads to work. Before she leaves I pray for her and walk her out to her car to see her off to work.

7:15 am: Drop Messiah and Sophia off to daycare while listening to my morning gospel playlist. It’s a vibe, and definitely mandatory.

7:30 am: Take a quick shower, get dressed, eat and upload my videos to my platforms. 

8:30 am: Working virtually teaching! Checking in on my girls and making sure they are in classes throughout the day. Assisting them when needed. Making calls to their teachers if needed. 

11:15 am: Lunch Break with Shaniyla, Qimora, and Nyzhaya (Their lunch break is 11:45-12:15 so it’s not the full lunch break.) I call my fiancée and check-in to see how her day is going. 

12:00 pm: Virtually teaching.

2:25 pm: All staff meeting.

3:30 pm: Phone calls to at least 3 of my students’ parents just to give a good report for the day. 

4:20 pm: Assist with homework if needed and spend time with the 2 youngest kids either watching T.V., playing games, or taking a nap if they are tired from a long day at daycare. 

5:30 pm: My fiancée arrives home, I rub her feet for about 5-10 minutes, and then she starts dinner if she’s cooking that day. We all eat together and talk about how our day went. 

7:00 pm: Call my boys to see how their day went on my way to the gym. Work out and head home take a quick shower.

9:00 pm: See the kids off to bed and my daily prayer time starts at nine o’clock. There is no dedicated time. Sometimes it’s thirty minutes, sometimes it’s an hour. It depends on how much I get into my praise and worship. I head to bed with my fiancée and we talk about family, jobs, and growth opportunities until we fall asleep.