Homeschool schedule is our topic today. It’s day 9 Carpe Diem: Homeschool Schedule by The Day, Month, & Year of the 31 Day Free Boot Camp for New Homeschoolers.
It almost seems like an oxymoron to use carpe diem or to seize the moment and to plan ahead or schedule in the same sentence.
But that is exactly what learning at home becomes.
At first, your routine feels more like a taskmaster with very little room to seize the teachable moments.
That is normal because you are trying to find a schedule that fits your family.
Sharing a tip or two on how to schedule your day, month and year will help you to learn to relax and know when to seize teaching moments.
Tips For Scheduling Your Homeschool Day
Early and first in the day is usually better for most young children.
I will point out here that I did not say it was always good for the teacher, but children learn better first in the day.
In addition, each family has to decide what they consider “first” in the day for them.
For our family, we are up by about 6:30 a.m. or 7:00 a.m. so 9:00 is a good time to get started.
I know another homeschooler whose husband works until 9:00 p.m.
If they went to bed at 9:30 p.m., like my family, then her children would miss out on spending time with their dad.
Homeschool Schedule
She has adjusted her family “first time” in the day to 10:30 a.m. and that is when her school starts.
There are many times we have slept later and benefited, but in the long run, we get so much more done for the day when we get up earlier and maintain a good night time routine.
A quick but good breakfast allows everybody time to wake up and stay in a good mood for learning.
Schedule lunch good for your family and it doesn’t have to be noon. Since we rise early and sometimes earlier than 6:30 am. we tend to eat lunch earlier. We prefer to eat around 11:15 to 11:30 a.m.
I will show you a schedules tomorrow that might work for you on how to balance home and school.
Tips For Scheduling For the Homeschool Month
No homeschool hermits allowed. I say this all the time — if it were left up to me, I would just decide to not leave the house for any planned activities during the month.
However, both the kids and yourself need a break.
(One of my earlier homeschool co-ops because we are still meeting in a home.)
A pace that has always been good for us through the years is to allow one field trip per month.
When the kids were younger, I went on more field trips because their academic requirements are less as they should be in the first few grades.
The older your children get the harder it gets at certain times to get away.
Plan ahead by looking at what events your local homeschool group have that are coming up.
(The Mr. had off work that day, so I picked up my nieces so they could join us and we were out the door to NASA.)
In addition, we have planned many family outings when my husband had off work during the month. Try to plan for a least on opportunity to learn outside the four walls of your home each month.
Too, I’m going to switch gears here on you.
Who is Tina Robertson
But before you can appreciate how I can help you here are are a few things about me. Sure, this free new homeschooler boot camp is all about you.
However, you need to know that I’m not new to the homeschool world. It has been several years since I wrote this series and I want to update you on my successes. And I’ve helped HUNDREDS get on the road to homeschooling.
Too, I have 3 homeschooled grads. So I’m well past having my oldest kid being 10 years old.
But the best part is that what I have for you works.
Also, look at a few other things about me.
- I am the author of the book Homeschooling 31 Day Boot Camp for New Homeschoolers: When You Don’t Know Where to Begin
And I have a detailed self-paced online homeschool Kickstarter course. It is a detailed comprehensive course for first time homeschoolers.
That is enough about me.
This new homeschoolers free boot camp is about you. I’ve not only been helping new homeschoolers in person, but here at my site for years.
Tips For Scheduling For the Homeschool Year
Many homeschoolers enjoy homeschooling year around.
When I first heard of year around homeschooling it made me exhausted to think about it, but that is only because I didn’t fully understand it.
I have several blog articles you can mull over too. Look here at:
- What is Year Around Homeschooling? Part 1
- What is Year Around Homeschooling? Part 2
- Homeschooling Year Round – Chaos Or Calm?
You will find that you have many weeks left over when you can decide to take off during the year.
Look at the year and ACTUALLY Plan.
When you refer to a calendar and put in days you want to take off, holidays and days you want to school, you are more likely to stick to your schedule.
For example, you have seen the calendars listed on public school websites where they have days in service, holidays and student days off. Well—that is exactly what you need to do the first few years as you learn the rhythm.
I have created a form that helps you to do this. Look at how I planned one year.
By the way, after I update it each year, I keep the updated version at Step 5a. Choose Unique Forms JUST for You.
Perhaps you may want to take off one day per week to catch up on housecleaning.
I have schooled many years with a 4 day week because I enjoyed having a day where I was caught up on laundry, groceries and bill paying.
Deciding a workable schedule now frees your time for seizing unplanned teaching moments.
Scheduling brings freedom and that is why I use the words carpe diem.
Plodding along getting things done that you want to accomplish this first year of school will allow you the freedom skip a day or two of school.
Don’t miss a wonderful opportunity to see a traveling exhibit at the museum that is only in for a week or miss an opportunity to socialize with your homeschool group by watching a play.
Moments like that are treasures and bring a yearning for learning that will carry you through your journey.
Avoid being rigid and remember that living and learning will eventually become blurred.
No, you don’t have to give up your routine or schedule, just savor the moment.
Days 1 – 7 of the 31 Free Boot Camp for New Homeschoolers
- 1 Learn The Lingo and New Homeschooler Free Bootcamp (& free glossary)
- 2: Homeschool Roots Matter and New Homeschooler Free Bootcamp
- 3 What is NOT Homeschooling and New Homeschooler Free Bootcamp
- 4: Confronting Relatives & Naysayers and New Homeschooler Free Bootcamp
- 5: The Wheels on the Bus Go ‘Round & ‘Round – So Get Off! And New Homeschooler Free Bootcamp
- 6: Homeschool Hangouts & Socialization Situations And New Homeschooler Free Bootcamp
- 7: Tied Up with Homeschool Testing? And New Homeschooler Free Bootcamp
Just found your site this summer, I’m a planner so I’ve always had or made lesson plans and lists, but I am truly enjoying my Curriculum Planner that I put together with your guides. I’m finding there are sections that I don’t really use, and so next year (yep) I probably won’t include, like the monthly calendar. I really tend to schedule anything that I would put there on my phone/google calendar anyway. I will probably replace that with more “thinking” area to jot notes about potential projects or things that I might want to research, etc. Tweak it to make it work better next year. But for now using the calandar as a grid to jot notes…make it work right?
We have been schooling going on 4 years now, and for the last 2 years I planned the entire year before starting school. We would keep up for about 6 months and then we would start getting behind and I was constantly flipping back and forth between Lesson Plans. This year I took your advice and I’m planning one week at a time. Anything not finished is either scrapped or re-written in the next week with a “!” to get it done first. It’s been so, so much more relaxing! Also, this year we are trying out a new year round schedule — school 4 weeks, break 1 week, with a few tweaks for already scheduled plans. Because of the week-to-week planning there is (some) room for unplanned field trips and a 2 or 3 week summer vacation. I say “some” room, because with all the homeschool groups around here, we can easily get caught up in constant outside activities and field trips. I’ve had to learn to say “no” over the years. 😉 Anyway, thanks for your beautiful work.
Hey Ginger,
I enjoyed reading how you have changed up things through the years. That really is what homeschooling is about. Wow do I ever understand about planning. It took me one time to plan the whole year for all the kids and one week into they got sick and we were “instantly” behind…I learned too, don’t plan so far out because you can keep a pulse on what is going on. Make the load heavy when things are going good and lighten up when you need a break.
I tend to use my calendars to jot notes and then transfer to our family calendar. It is just another place to insure I wrote it down. So glad you use the planner how it works best for your family.
Enjoyed you sharing Ginger.