Autumn Homeschool Routine
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It seems like every autumn, our new homeschool year looks different. This year has been unlike any other, but it has felt much more focused, peaceful, and lighter.
Our routine will look very different from yours. I am a working-at-home mom and homeschooling multiple ages. This is how I am making it work…
I purposely declined to put the younger children in a weekly cooperative program with other homeschooled families, as we have for the past two years, and I’m thankful now that I made that decision. My older high school children still attend a weekly program, but that is the only day we are out of our home during the five-day week.
My two eldest children have jobs/and will be going to college/social lives, so they are in and out of the house. I see them a lot less, but I’m happy to see how well they do through hard work and responsibility.
This year (Monday-Friday) I am teaching first and fourth grade (using Ambleside Online), and I have a curious two-year-old constantly at my feet. I’m devoting much of my day to the same routine: working on my business, cooking meals (we get most of our groceries in bulk monthly from Azure Standard), cleaning, habit training with my two-year-old, reading aloud to the younger children, checking chores and homework, and spending time with my family.
The weekends are different now, but I still work outside on Saturdays unless there is a big work project I’m trying to complete. Outdoor work gets easier after the harvest season is complete. On Saturday evenings I work in my office for about 5 hours, then prepare everything needed for Sunday.
Sunday is the day we observe the Sabbath. To honor God, we treat Sunday differently than any other day, attend church, and spend time with extended family.
Early Morning (Monday-Thursday)
I wake up early, usually at 5-5:30. I say my prayers and then exercise (Pilates) until 6 AM. Sweating in the morning makes me feel better all day. At 6 AM, I get ready for the day. I really believe how you look affects how you feel, so I dress nicely M-F while I am home. I wear aprons if I’m cleaning/cooking and take them off when teaching. My daughter says my style is vintage preppy M-F and a hippie on the weekend-ha! 😊 I love fashion and worked in that industry before I started homeschooling.
After I’m ready for the day, I read whatever devotion/Scripture I am currently reading. Right now, it’s Charlotte Mason’s poetry volume The Savior of the World. (Vol 4)
At 6:30, I start my personal chores, which are: starting laundry (mine and the little ones…my older children do their own laundry), prepping anything I need for meals that day, replying to business messages, posting on social media, looking through lessons we need to finish for that particular day. I write a list for my high school boys divided by schoolwork/chores.
Around 7 am, children start waking up. I start getting them dressed and clean… then we are all set for the day.
At this point, it’s close to 8 Am and breakfast. School day breakfasts are in a rotation of homemade oatmeal, Einkorn pancakes/waffles, yogurt, and fruit, homemade bread, or granola. I never buy cereal because it’s not real food, and my children are always hungry right after they eat it. I make my vanilla extract multiple times yearly and use it in our oatmeal/granola. Once you eat real food, counterfeit is unsatisfying.
Things I buy monthly from Azure Standard:
- Frozen fruit
- Granola
- Einkorn flour
- Cane sugar
- Raisins
- Butter (Vat-Cultured European Style)
- Oats
- Raw cheddar
- Stevia
- Dried fruit
- Rice
- Sea salt
- Chocolate chips for baking
- Epsom Salt
- Buckwheat
(I’ve been asked many times to make a whole post about Azure Standard; I’m planning that post for this winter and added it to my editorial calendar.)
(We also buy a whole grass-fed/finished beef once a year that will last us an entire year.)
8:30 Am – clean up the kitchen quickly
9:00 Am – Specific chores. It depends on what day it is. If it’s Monday, we do laundry and bed linens; each child has a specific area to keep clean. The older boys do the outside farm chores Monday-Thursday. (More here on chores)
Homeschool Lessons
Much of my morning is spent reading books aloud and listening to narrations (retelling).
We also work on maps, cursive, language lessons, and math. I try to take the little ones on a walk before lunch; it depends on how busy the morning has been and if I’m behind. But generally, walks happen 2-3 times per week. If I can’t walk with them, we at least go outside and spend 20 minutes in the garden area.
This is my favorite language lesson book for primary grades:
I have hired an additional tutor to help me this year with my first grader. Throughout my homeschool career, I’ve never hesitated to hire help when needed. Twice a week, my daughter meets via Zoom with her tutor; she has been a massive help to me this year.
My high school boys have their school classes that I mostly have to monitor, check their comprehension of particular topics, and sometimes help them organize their work. On Sunday evenings, I go over their week ahead and see if they have anything late/missing before letting them continue the week’s new work. It’s worked out mostly well for us this year.
Homeschool curriculums/websites I recommend:
We have lunch around 12, then clean up quickly again.
The younger children are generally done with lessons by now and play outside.
Other afternoon occupations for the little children:
- Play instruments
- Handcrafts
- Imaginary play
- Cooking with me
- Reading
- Activities from the Autumn Bundle
Afternoon
My two-year-old takes a nap around 1:30-2 every day. Once she’s asleep, I check on the older boy’s schoolwork progress and work in my office again for an hour. Usually, in that time, I can finish something substantial while she’s asleep.
At 4 or 4:30 (in the summer, we eat later, in the winter, earlier), I start preparing dinner. Usually, a lot of activity is happening in the kitchen. As much work as it is for me, I wouldn’t trade my busy life for anything. We talk in the kitchen about the news or whatever happened to whoever that day.
Evening
After family dinner, we clean up, and there are quick outside chores the boys will complete before it gets dark.
I work every evening on this blog, creating new content, scheduling social media posts, more extensive projects, and some farm work. My children all work together to help as I work in the evenings. I don’t work on my business on Friday or Sunday nights.
The younger children go to bed around 8:30, and the older children stay up, play cards, talk, read…
As busy as my day is, I bathe every night and close my day quietly. I read before I sleep, listen to music, or think silently without anyone asking me questions. 😊
Fridays
Fridays are different for us. The younger children call it “town day” because after lessons/chores, Friday afternoons are when we are out of the house more and shopping or have appointments. The children save any money they earn to spend on Friday afternoon.
Our days are kept simple on purpose. I’ve found the more commitments to outside activities I add, the more stress I have so I strive to keep our days rhythmic and centered around our home life.
