Well, my fellow homeschoolers, we’re well into August, and even if public schools aren’t back yet where you are, I’m sure you’re constantly inundated with back to school commercials and displays at all the stores. One thought always comes to my mind this time of year: how blessed I am to homeschool. Yes, honestly. I don’t have to buy that long list of supplies I see at the stores. I don’t have to carpool or worry about getting my kid on the bus. I don’t have to drag them out of bed at an obscenely early hour, rush to get some breakfast in them, then rush them out the door, hoping they didn’t forget anything. In short, our mornings are our own. We can linger at the breakfast table, talking and laughing. We can have a devotional together to start our day. I can make something like french toast or bacon and eggs without a clock ticking down in the back of my mind. I mean, there’s a reason I saw kids scarfing down protein bars or fast food biscuits as I did carpool duty when I taught. I don’t blame those moms; that would be me in the same situation. Take a minute and read that previous paragraph again. Notice how I didn’t describe our mornings. I didn’t say that everyone sleeps until ten and stays in their pajamas until noon. If that’s how you want to do your homeschool, then this post isn’t for you. I’ll be upfront: I don’t think letting your kids sleep in everyday is the best homeschool plan. For one, it doesn’t teach them the self-discipline that they will need in life. Second, it makes your entire homeschool day start off on the wrong foot. I have had homeschool moms ask me how they can finish the school day earlier, and I always ask this question first: what time do you start? Because, guess what? If you don’t start until 11:00 or later, most likely, you’ll still be doing school at dinner time. You can’t expect to finish by lunch if that time frame is only two hours. I’m not trying to be mean, it’s just math. That doesn’t mean you can’t be flexible. There are times I do let my kids sleep later, or even sleep as long as they need to. It’s usually after we’ve had a late night or I just see that one of them is run down. So yes, as homeschoolers you have the luxury to be flexible. But it’s like what one of my favorite professors in college used to say: you can always loosen up, but it’s almost impossible to tighten up. If the norm in your house is a structured morning, then your kids can handle the occasional loosening of that structure. However, if there is no structure, and you realize that your homeschool is in chaos, it is a lot harder to change course without your kids struggling. What that structure looks like is completely up to you, of course. I’m going to share how our mornings go, but I only do that to give you ideas. What works for me won’t work for everyone, so adjust accordingly. Also, full disclosure: I’m human. Things don’t always go exactly like this. I hit the snooze some mornings just like anyone. I get distracted some mornings by social media. Or I go to make breakfast and realize we’re out of eggs, so I have to run to the store. Life happens. I’m not perfect, and you won’t be either. The routine is a safety guide, not a prison. My alarm goes off at six each morning. I know, I’ve lost some of you already. But, I can’t stress this enough, you really need to be up before your kids. My kids are early risers, so it has to be six for me. For you, it may be later, but having that time to pray, breathe, fully awake, can make a huge difference. For me, I spend about half an hour in prayer and reading my Bible. Then, during the hotter parts of the year, I wake up my daughter for a bike ride. We get back at seven, and I jump in the shower. At seven thirty, I start breakfast, and the kids take turns helping me cook. Usually by eight, we’re sitting down to eat together. Eating meals with my kids has been one of the biggest blessings of homeschooling. I really encourage you to make it a priority. You have the time, so don’t waste it! After we eat, we do what we call “morning school.” (I’ve tried to think of a more clever name, but “morning school” has stuck!) It’s actually really simple and brief. Just enough time for a devotional, prayer, and art appreciation. My next post will be all about this “morning school” time. After morning school, it's time to “do our Bs”: Body (dress it), Bed (make it), and Brush (your teeth). Confession: this is the part where I tend to nag my kids. Why, oh why, do children drag out things that ought to take only minutes? Human nature, I guess. And, yes, I make them get dressed even if we aren’t going anywhere. I feel less alert and productive when I’m in my pjs, so I assume it's the same for my kids. Plus, if we suddenly have to leave the house, we’re all dressed. The times, I confess, vary, but typically by this time it’s nine am, and we’re sitting down to start school. Of course, I’ve already got things to record on their weekly sheets! Bike rides, cooking, Bible, and art appreciation. Not to mention their beds are made (okay, not very neatly, but they’re made). So, that’s mornings in our house. I encourage you to sit down and write out goals for how you’d like mornings to look at your house. Then come up with a plan. I think it will make for a less stressful start to your day.
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AuthorHi, I'm Melanie! I'm a homeschooling mom of three kids ages 13, 11, and 9. I have a BS in English Secondary Education from Asbury University plus 30 hours of gifted certification course work. I've taught in just about every situation you can imagine. Public school, private, homeschool hybrid, and private tutoring. The most important thing I've learned? One on one, individualized instruction can't be beat. Archives
July 2022
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