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As homeschoolers, we enjoy the perks of being able to choose what we do, and when we do it.
If a fun opportunity comes up, and we don't do school that day...It's okay! If something throws me off track, and I need to handle it-- I do. If we decide to take a spontaneous vacation or lake day in the middle of the week, we can! It's beautiful!
But this isn't how it has always been for us...
When we first started homeschooling, I struggled to find a rhythm. I was constantly reading blogs about homeschooling, and how others scheduled their time. I thought I needed a routine to stick to...and that all of our time should fit neatly into each day. I (desperately) tried to match how others were doing things, so that we could be "successful." I was trying to make homeschool, like public school. It was the only idea I had of how to teach my children so that they could learn.
I can't tell you how many schedules I wrote out, typed out, and scribbled on marker boards. Probably more than 100. I felt like a big.fat.failure.
Trying to do it like other people, just led me to failure and a lot of frustration.
As time went on, I chilled a little. And soon, I found that we had a natural pull to how we accomplished things. We seemed to have a few good weeks of structured learning, followed by an off week (so I started embracing that off week).
I also realized that we were less distracted when the house was clean... so we started all pitching in to clean up in the mornings.
And perhaps most importantly, I discovered that we all worked better together when we had some time to get outside or do things we enjoyed, before starting book work.
So, I went with it.
I learned when to embrace a break, and that taking a day, week, or even months off- was perfectly fine. I also realized that my kids (and me) are constantly learning.
Now days, we basically just wing each day! Does that freak you out?!
Don't worry, there is some organization and routine to it.
This is how it looks...
- 6-830ish- I wake up-- read my Bible, Journal, Jot down to dos in my Favorite Planner,( very efficient and cheap, perfect for my needs.... I've been using this EXACT planner for going on 3 years now...click the link and check out its awesomeness! ) I also take this time to work for my clients, and maybe squeeze in a 20-30 minute work out.
- 8:30-11ish- Kids wake up, have breakfast, enjoy free time, shower if needed, get dressed, brush teeth, and GET OUTSIDE....if getting outside isn't possible, we just each do our own thing. I don't like the kids to start the day off with TV, but some days, I do allow it... especially if I have work to get done! BUT, one of the biggest factors that add up to us having a productive day, is getting outside and/or doing something meaningful before we start book work.
- 11ish- Clean up together-- School goes much smoother when we start with a clean house! We all pitch in and clean up the bedrooms, straighten the bathrooms, clean the kitchen, and sweep the floors.
- 11:30-1:30- School Time! Throughout the years, I have learned to not put a specific time on school, or try to have a schedule of what subjects will happen when. Basically, we do the subjects that I feel are most important, that day, first. Typically, we start our learning time with me reading aloud to the kids, while they practice handwriting, write poems, color, draw, and sometimes make slime (If I'm in a great mood :D). This time gets them into "learning mode" It allows them to calm down, and ease into the school day. We typically spend about 30 minutes prepping for our more in-depth subjects. :) Once read aloud, draw/write/whatever time is over, we move on to math. Math usually takes about 20-40 minutes... 20 minutes for my son who is 8, and a little longer for my oldest girls who are 13, and 11. After math, we often read the poetry they have written, and work on some sort of Language Arts concept. They do have simple, cheapo workbooks, that we like and use a few days a week, but most of the time, we wing it. The kids write short stories, and we edit them together. Sometimes, we will focus on a main concept, like similes and metaphors, nouns, verbs, or adjectives. Mostly though, we write. :) I'm more concerned with my kids having good writing skills than knowing all the specifics and rules of grammar. This is one subject where simply having common sense, and practicing will do just fine. During this time, my 4 year old plays in her "sandbox," colors, and listens as I read. She also has a dry erase workbook that she LOVES coloring and tracing in. This workbook is one of the BEST purchases I have ever made, and it's less than $10! It keeps her busy for at least 15-20 minutes at a time, and since it's erasable... she can do it over and over again. They are offered for several different skill levels, I recommend them to all busy moms!
- 1:30-2:30- Lunch, Break, Clean up...In that order. After a full morning of chores, playing outside, and 2 hours or so of school, we all need a break! We take at least an hour, sometimes longer before we get back at it.
- 2:30-3:45ish On a good day, we would go on to read out of our Science book, which I love because there is also a lot of history in it.... and again, it's cheap! I use the same book for all of the kids. We notebook interesting facts, and jot down any definitions that we feel we need to remember...and maybe do an experiment. The older girls often do further research on the topic and write a paper on it. We do History the same way. The kids choose a book (or other resource in print) on a time, place, or person of interest... and then either tell me what they learned, or write/type a paper on it. We also love the "Dear America" Diary books for History. All of my kids (ages 4-13) sit and listen to me read these books, and are VERY engaged. They learn a lot from them too.
As you can see, we are flexible, and relaxed. Some days, the kids also practice their DANCEMAT TYPING, (FREE!) or play math games online. Our system is based off of flexibility and an un-uniform approach to learning.
NOTE**. There are a lot of days where we do school later in the day... but we still follow the same flow, doing the subjects I feel are most important that day, first. We change up what we need to focus on...based on what we need to focus on! 😆 Make sense? Some days, we might do math first. If we've been neglecting history and science, we start with those. What we don't get to, we will get to another day...and some days, we get to it all! Either way, it's okay!
- By 3:45ish- Learning time is OVER, we clean up, and I work for a few hours. The kids are free to do what they want for a few hours while I write for my clients, or work on the blog, emails, or whatever I need to do. Before I took screen time away, they would often rush to their phones, tablets, and video games... but lately, they opt to go outside, or play a board game instead. You can read about What Happened When I Took Screen Time Away, here. (It might surprise you!)
- 5:30-7:00- Clean up time again! We all work together, then, I usually start dinner, and the kids watch TV, play outside, or inside with blocks/toys, ride their bikes, or whatev. The older girls often just cut up and do flips and such and bug me a lot. 😒
- 7:00-9:00- Dinner & Family time... we eat together, watch movies, joke around, have dance parties often, play board games occasionally, and just chill together!
- 9:00- Kids get ready for bed! Night night!
- 9:00-Who Knows When- Mom and Dad chill time! We usually don't last past 11, but some nights we make it til 2am (sometimes later) Just depends on what we do. We typically watch tv shows we both enjoy, and pass out on the couch. But sometimes we play Skip Bo or Yhatzee, or just talk. When I'm staying in Arkansas, I often work during this time... and end up staying up super duper late, which means I don't wake up as early as I would like to. But hey, that's one of the perks of being a work-at-home, stay-at-home, homeschool mom. :)
My philosophy, is that we all learn, all the time!
My job is to teach my kids that they are capable of learning anything they want to, and there are many forms of a quality education! Learning doesn't take place under specific circumstances... it happens naturally, all the time. 💓
On Thursdays, I take a work day. If I'm in Texas, I go to a little coffee shop I love and set up shop there for 8-10 hours. I work for my clients, I work on my blog, network...and I check emails, I make new plans, I doodle and dream in my planner, and I sip lots of coffee. If I'm in Arkansas, I lock myself in my bedroom and the kids interrupt a lot, and I don't get near as much done! Life is chaotic...and I try to embrace it-- I'm still learning though.
This is our rhythm. How we do life!
It's nothing fancy, and very flexible...
I still plan and jot down ideas and interesting people, places, and times I want to introduce the kids to. I schedule certain things at certain times...but I give us room to change it... the key to me keeping my sanity...is being FLEXIBLE.
I do love to plan though! I have just realized that to be more productive, the plans are always subject to change. 💓
I hope I have inspired you to find your own natural rhythm. Don't go against what feels natural! Realize that homeschool (and life) don't have to look the same, day after day.
How do you plan your time?
Live your life friends
-L
This post contains affiliate links. If you choose to click to the product from my page and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission and likely spend it on my kids... so they say thanks. 😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆
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