A "Typical" Day in the Life of a Homeschooling Family

Hey readers!

So I felt compelled to write this post to help out all the new homeschooling mamas (and dads), whether temporary or long-term, out there. With schools closing left and right, the prospect of being your child's teacher for the short-term (and perhaps long-term), can feel dizzying. Many of you were blessed with teachers who gave you a packet of paced-out assignments to do during the school shutdown and teachers that are working hard to provide quality distance learning! Honestly material gathering and pacing are THE hardest parts when first starting homeschooling, so you're in a GREAT place!

Looking at that packet could feel a bit intimidating. Maybe you've never had classroom teaching experience before, or maybe you had difficulties in school yourself and don't feel like you can do this.

Take a breath right now Mama, and repeat after me:

"I was my child's first teacher. I did it then. I CAN do it again!"

And it's completely true! You were there to offer those enriching read alouds when they were snuggled in their cozy PJs on your lap, to answer the late night questions about why the moon comes out at night, and to shriek in delight as they did their first puzzle all by themselves!

The challenge now becomes how to manage instruction time AND all the other items in the house. Now that we're in our 3rd year of homeschooling, I feel that we've hit a pretty good rhythm for our daily routine, and I wanted to share it with y'all to help ease your transition!

As a disclaimer, please note that this routine works best for my kiddos and my family. The beauty of homeschooling is that you can adjust your own routines so they work best for you! Feel free to use this as a jumping off point and tweaking it until it feels right for you!

For this schedule, kid activities will be noted in blue and "mom" activities will be noted in red.

Our Morning

Wake Up and Breakfast

• Kids wake up, get dressed for the day, Charlotte switches the laundry from the washer to the dryer and starts it, and then the kids have screen-free, free play while waiting for breakfast. 
• I dress and change the baby, empty the dishwasher from the night before, put on the coffee, and make breakfast.
• Kids eat breakfast, clean up their spots, putting dishes in the dishwasher, and are free to play outside or inside, usually about 20 minutes.
• I clean up the kitchen from breakfast, check my lesson plans, and lay out materials for the day at their places on the table.

Academics Round 1 (usually around 8:30)

• Kids come over to the table for school. We start with our morning song, calendar time, and then each child has their first morning assignments.
• Thompson, for PreK3, has a combination of his WB pages, phonics work, math, and activity binder. (He's usually done in 25 minutes).
• Charlotte, for 1st grade, has her math workbook lesson (2-4 pages), sometimes a math worksheet for the day, and occasionally I give her part of the next lesson block if I know she'll work through quickly. (She's usually done in 20-25 minutes).
• After teaching, I put the materials away and check what I need to, giving feedback. I then look up materials Charlotte will need for her next academic time and put them aside.

Free Play Time

• Kids either go outside to play or play inside (we are still doing screen-free play).
• I usually take a short 10 minute break and decompress with coffee. Then, if we need to run errands or go to practice, this is the time that is done. Also, we might get exercise in by running/biking to the park before it gets too hot or going on a walk.

Academics Round 2 (this can either happen in 2 pieces right before lunch and then during little kid nap, or only during nap time depending on the length of the lessons)

• Charlotte comes to the table to do a combination of lessons that can require more guided instruction. She will do:
• instructional reading for comprehension, 
• phonics work,
• spelling,
• and social studies, geography, or science (depending on the day)
• Whether we do this all at once or break it up, the combined time is usually between 40-50 minutes.
• I usually let Josie and Thompson play during this time, or I put on an instructional video for them to watch in the playroom (out of sight of Charlotte).
• After lessons, I put the materials back, prep for Religion, and then start lunch.

Lunch and Religion

• Kids eat lunch and then toward the end, we do our Religion Lesson for the day (usually 15-20 minutes). They then clean up their plates, put them in the dishwasher, and play about 10 minutes.
• After Religion, I clean up the materials, clean up the kitchen, put Josie down for nap, and then get Thompson down for nap, and Charlotte for rest.
• I'll tidy up a bit or do a couple items I need to get done (pay bills/write emails) for 15- 20 minutes before I get Charlotte to finish Academics Round 2

Nap for Littles/Academics Round 2 for Charlotte

• If Charlotte finishes early, she can do quiet play (puzzles, coloring, etc.) with me while waiting for brother and sister to wake up.

Afternoon TV/Warm Up from Nap

• Kids wake up from nap and are allowed to watch movies/shows on Disney Plus, Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc. They usually need time to "warm up for the afternoon." (We don't use screens until after most of school is done, because they tend to have a difficult time focusing or having a positive attitude in school if they watch something first).
• I'll usually fold a load of laundry on the couch while they watch something and put it away.

Afternoon Free Play

• TV is turned off and kids have free play time.
• Depending on time, I will check the dinner menu and start prepping.

Independent Reading Time

• Later in the afternoon, Charlotte and Thompson will sit down with a pile of books and do their independent reading. I like to give them choice (hence the pile). Charlotte reads for 45 minutes and Thompson for 20-30.
• If Thompson is particularly restless, I have him tidy up the living room or playroom while sister is reading once he has finished at least 20 minutes.
• I keep my ear out for Charlotte as I cook dinner in the kitchen. If I have time, I might round up a load of laundry to put in for the night and help Thompson clean up.

Dinner

Evening Play/Winding Down/Writing

• After dinner, kids will clean up their plates, and Thompson and Charlotte find something to play with.
• I put Josie to sleep and clean up the kitchen.
• Then, if Charlotte didn't do her writing during Academics round 2, I'll call her over to do it in the evening. She'll work on writing a letter or journal prompt response. (This usually takes 10-15 minutes).
• After she's done, she gets dinner ready for the dog, and the kids can watch a little bit of TV before stories.
• I'll use that time to tidy up a bit, get trash together, and then sit down with them to watch too.

Bedtime stories and Nighttime Routine

• Kids pick stories for us to read together and then we go through nighttime routine.
• After Thompson goes to bed, Charlotte and I will read 2-3 chapters from one of her favorite chapter books together, alternating pages to read aloud. Then, she'll go to bed too.

Quick Takeaways

1. This is OUR schedule, but yours may look completely different based on your children, which again is the beauty of homeschooling!
2. Some days will be awesome, some will be frustrating.
3. On the frustrating days, take a break (which benefits both you and your child) and pick it up later in the day, or put it on the schedule for tomorrow.
4. This is an exciting time for you to learn about your child, how they learn, and to spend extra time with them!
5. Most importantly...YOU CAN DO THIS! You were your child's first teacher, and you can continue teaching now!

Happy teaching!