Homeschooling is hard work. There are things you can do to make your homeschool day run more smoothly or not as irregular as usual. If you want to consider more than just one of these, they will lead to a happier homeschool vibe.
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6 Tips for A Happier Homeschool
Homeschooling is time-consuming work. There are various things you can do to make your homeschool day run more smoothly or in a very different way than usual. If you can think of more than one of these, they will improve your homeschool life.
Get Up Earlier Momma
Getting a head start on your day works wonders. You don’t necessarily have to get up at 5:30 am, but arising at least one hour before your children do has many advantages. I feel like I breach this a lot, but it is a game changer. I feel the difference when I sleep in.
Meal Plan
Know what you will be serving for dinner. You may like to plan your menus one week, two weeks, or even a month at a time, but make sure that you know what is going to be for supper more than an hour before supper.
If you are like me, an Instant Pot might be your saving grace. I recently gave in and bought one. It’s amazing how quickly I can get frozen food on the table for my family.
Create a Routine for a Happier Homeschool
Doing the same things in the same order each day gives both you and your children a sense of security. The more tasks that are routine, the less you have to stress about.
In our home, our school day routine goes like this:
- breakfast
- morning chores
- math lessons
- language arts
- lunch
- FREEDOM!
Off-Line Time
Stay offline during lesson time. I check email, read blogs, and write to my own blogs before school begins and once we are finished.
Avoid getting back online until all of your schoolwork is done.
Snacks will Make a Happier Homeschool for Everyone
Eating a mid-morning snack (and a mid-afternoon snack if you are still schooling at that time of day) makes everyone feel better. We eat while doing lessons too because we just love to be eating.
Cut Back A Little
Some of the times when I’ve experienced the worst burnout came not from trying to do too much but from cutting out too much. Don’t ditch the hands-on fun trying to make room for everything. Even when focusing on keeping it simple, sprinkle in some fun.
Make time for cool science experiments, fun history projects, great field trips, and play dates with friends.