Our Fall Homeschool Routine
This is my 13th year homeschooling… I can hardly believe that! One thing I have found to be the MOST important factor in my success to get it all done is…the way I manage our time.
Homeschooling requires discipline on my part. Looking back, I thought it was the curriculum I bought that measured my success. I spent a lot of money on curriculum and put a lot of thought and effort into my lesson plans, but I didn’t realize how much our routine would make the difference.
I have six children. Two are in high school. Two are in junior high. One is in first grade, then I have a 3 year old. We are in the middle of a very busy season in life. I don’t mind “busy” as long as we are productive and serving. In addition to formal academics, our family manages a 2-acre homestead and the children are involved in different hobbies. My job is to be the master orchestrator and manager. It wasn’t until I embraced this “role” that homeschooling with a large family became more manageable.
We follow the philosophies of Charlotte Mason in our home so homeschool lessons are short but rich. I am constantly working on the habit of attention with my students…even as they get older, it is always something I work to instill.
Before I work on our routine for the upcoming year, I write “vision statements”. These statements are extremely important to everything you do the following year. If you have a vision in place, you can proceed with constructing a Rhythm in your homeschool. This vision will dictate much of how your time is spent this year and bless your family and others. ( I teach this in Daily Rhythms of Home)
In the past, I would just sit down and jot down a strict schedule. By day 3, I would give up and declare my disdain for schedules.
It wasn’t until I understood this difference in rhythm and schedule…and the difference in a routine being your master vs. serving YOU.
Charlotte Mason believed our routine should be our servant…not dictator.
Why should we even have a routine? Routines are needed for structure and productivity…Charlotte Mason’s Union Schools had wonderful routines and vibrant lesson plans.
It is inevitable to have a day without interruptions. For me personally, I have continual interruptions. After I take care of that particular interruption, my routine helps me “jump back in” to where we were.
I use a chalkboard to write our plan for the day out. This visual reminder helps us stay on task and it is motivating to erase what we have finished and see the empty board …. by lunch. Yes! Lessons are done by lunch, following the model of Charlotte Mason’s schools.
Our routine this year looks like this: NOTE: My household priorities change daily but my morning priorities do not.
Our lessons vary depending on the day. Charlotte Mason advises us to have variety in our lessons and give “mental breaks” in between.
In my course/community, Rhythms of Home, I encourage moms to create a vision for their home…and build a workable routine from there. In my time homeschooling, I have witnessed many moms frustrated and even GIVE UP because of overwhelm. I was like that, too.
Daily Rhythms of Home includes SO MUCH to set your feet on the right path! Including bonuses to teach young children to complete “home skills” 👇
AND the complete ROUTINE KIT! (Includes videos!)
Even with the best curriculum, if time isn’t managed, it’s almost impossible to keep up with all the daily demands of managing a home. Rhythms of Home not only helps you set up a routine for your homeschool but also manage your home well.
