How to create a homeschool routine that works for you (& your homeschool kids)?
When you create a homeschool routine that works for you, you have to be clear on these things:
- What do you think an education is anyway,
- Get clear on what your vision for your homeschool is,
- Know how you and your kids function during your days.
How will you make your homeschool routine work for you?
Here are six tips to help you create a homeschool routine that works for your family:
- Set Clear Goals: Define your educational objectives and priorities. Determine what you want your child to achieve academically, socially, and personally. Having clear goals will guide your routine.
- Establish a Consistent Schedule: Consistency is key for a successful routine. Decide on a daily or weekly schedule that fits your family’s rhythm. This helps create a sense of structure and predictability.
- Include Core Subjects: Allocate time for core subjects like math, language arts, science, and history. Plan when these subjects will be taught each day, keeping in mind your child’s peak learning times.
- Incorporate Breaks: Short breaks between subjects or activities can help prevent burnout and maintain focus. Use these breaks for stretching, outdoor time, or a healthy snack.
- Flexibility within Routine: While a routine is important, allow for flexibility. Some days might require more time on a challenging topic, while other days may allow for extended exploration of specific interests.
- Include Enrichment Activities: Integrate hands-on activities, projects, and field trips that align with your child’s interests. These activities not only enhance learning but also make the routine more engaging.
- Review and Adjust: Regularly review how the routine is working for your family. Be open to adjustments based on your child’s progress, interests, and feedback.
Remember, a homeschool routine is a tool to help you achieve your educational goals while also maintaining balance and well-being for your family. It’s important to attempt to include both structure and flexibility to create an environment that supports your child’s growth and learning journey.
Set your day with a morning routine.
One of the most important things we can do is set our day with intentional energy and thoughts.
Listen to yourself before you listen to your kids.
Create a morning routine for us, homeschool moms, to get kick-started before the kids are awake. Yeah, I know that is a real challenge if you have young kids. It might not even be realistic, but it is still the goal. So does that mean you have to get up at 4:00 am? No, I am not suggesting that. I would never have done that myself. My kids would laugh if I even suggested that to you.
Still, the goal is to be up before the kids are awake, especially the younger ones, so you can set your day with intention.
I start the day with a cup of coffee and milk. As I live in the northern hemisphere, I use a UV light in the morning for about 15 minutes.
At the same time, I read my daily morning mama affirmations. This helps us set our minds thinking about the things we want in our homeschool and how we want to engage our children.
Speak kind loving words to yourself before you begin your homeschool day.
There’s no magic bullet in reading daily affirmations, but it does set our minds on the right things. Praying and meditating with intention and asking God for help strengthen my resolve and clarity.
Daily meditation practice and, of course, journaling.
I have been journaling since about Grade two. Since I didn’t have much to say then, I wrote, I woke up, I made my bed, and I brushed my teeth for about the first five years.
And though it was simple, it has been a powerful tool that helps me understand how I’m feeling and what I want to accomplish in my day.
Journaling is a powerful tool to start your morning.
I also write three focus words at the top of my journal. This year I wrote: encourage, expand, and invite. (And if you come over for a cup of coffee, I will tell you why I chose those words. They all relate to relationships, my work, or my intention for this period of my life.)
Choosing focus words sets our mind to approach our day and activities the way we want to.
First and foremost, set up your day with an intentional morning routine.
Create a routine, not a schedule
A schedule is forced confinement, routines are guidelines.
Forced confinement? We’ve done that in the last few months, so no thanks!
Routines include the stuff you want to include, they’re flexible, and routines create predictability. oh, and routines bear out in productivity.
What do you want to include in your day? Write it down.
- Carve out a morning routine. Begin the day alone. Just fifteen minutes.
- Create a morning routine with the kids: a prayer, a lovingkindness meditation, yoga, readalouds, and discussing plans for the day.
- Ask the kids what their hopes and plans are for the day and make sure you let your kids know yours too.
- Include study time or engage in learning opportunities. (Think in subject areas or follow their curiosities).
- Include a post-lunch communal quiet time.
- Get outside and active every day.
- Slot in screen time.
- Include fun every day.
- Include household chores in your weekly routine: everyone helps.
- Include extracurricular activities, co-ops, and part-time jobs in your routine.
- Inject some homeschool hygge in your day!
What activities would you like to include in your life?
What are the most important things to you and what do you value?
Do you see those values in your life?
Don’t do things that aren’t important to you.
Like grammar and sentence diagramming for me.
You get to decide what you want to include in your homeschool day.
What do you want your kids to know in your homeschool?
Time Block: you never know how much time something takes until you time it.
- This provides clarity: how much time does it really take to do each activity?
- If something is important for you, plan for it.
Include the Fun.
- Make fun memories a homeschool goal.
- Include eyeball-ti-eyeball time with your kids. (make sure you get 15 mins each child once a week just having fun)
- Include poetry teatime.
- Include nature study.
- Include readalouds.
- Include special party days: a not-back-to-school picnic with other homeschoolers, the first day of the homeschool party, a 100-day party, the last day of the year party, and family birthdays are days off!
- Include gameschooling.
- Create time to connect with your most important relationships.
- Build space and time in your week to build a supportive homeschool community.
- Include pinschooling.
- Create a time for a chores routine where all of you work together to clean the house. One hour each week.
- Teach your kids to cook!
Create meaningful childhood memories for your kids.
Make your homeschool routine work for you and your homeschool kids.
Crafting a homeschool routine that suits both you and your kids is a transformative journey. It requires aligning your educational beliefs, clarifying your vision, and understanding your family’s dynamics. Opt for a routine over a rigid schedule to balance structure and flexibility.
Set clear goals for academic, social, and personal growth. A consistent schedule provides stability, while breaks and flexibility prevent burnout and encourage deeper exploration.
Mix core subjects, enriching activities, and real-world experiences for a well-rounded education.
Prioritize self-care with a mindful morning routine. Journaling, affirmations, and focus words offer clarity and purpose. Tailor your routine to your values and goals, whether it’s adding fun, fostering connections, or honing life skills.
As you navigate this journey, stay adaptable and patient. With intention and a well-crafted routine, you’re on the path to creating a rewarding homeschool experience for you and your children.
Reimagine your Homeschool Workbook
Introducing the Reimagine Your Homeschool Workbook! Reflect on the past year, assess what worked and what didn’t, and build the homeschool you truly want. Evaluate curriculum, routine, philosophy, and plan for the future. Get renewed inspiration and fresh ideas.
People often ask…
- How do you handle homeschool overwhelm in a regular homeschool year?
- How to Create an Energizing Homeschool Morning Routine
- 6 Game-Changing Ways to Streamline your Homeschool Routines
- How to Create a Simple Homeschool Routine with Kelly Briggs
- 7 Ways to Find Quiet, Build Boundaries & Handle Overwhelm
Teresa Wiedrick
I help overwhelmed homeschool mamas shed what’s not working in their homeschool & life, so they can show up authentically, purposefully, and confidently in their homeschool & life.
