Creating a Routine Around Your Unique Family

Have you ever been on Pinterest searching the terms Homeschool Schedule? I bet you got a million and one different schedules you could follow. Your curriculum probably has a suggested schedule as well.

But most of the time, those schedules may work for a few weeks then not anymore. Why is that? Well, it’s because every child, parent, and family is unique.

There is no one size fits all schedule that will work for every family. Instead of wasting hours searching on Pinterest for a new way to schedule your homeschool day, I’m going to show you how to create a routine around your family’s unique daily rhythm.

Schedule Vs. Routine

The first question I always get asked from my clients is if they should create a schedule or a routine. A schedule is a strict time-based layout of your day. A routine is a flexible layout of your day that’s not based on time frames. I suggest creating a homeschool routine. You want to give your child lots of time to explore and play around with the new skills you’re teaching.

A routine doesn’t give restricted time frames, so you have more freedom to leisurely explore. Why interrupt engaged learning? If you move on, your kiddo will be more focused on what they would rather do (that engaged learning exploration) than what you’re trying to get them to do.

Routines also don’t give you a sense of “getting behind.” If your kiddo is busy exploring and you stop them to move onto something else, what usually happens? I bet they get frustrated and balk at your new request to do something else. A routine lets you freely move on when your child is ready, which means you’ll get much more engagement from them.

Creating a Homeschool Routine Around Your Child’s Natural Daily Rhythm

Creating a homeschool routine doesn’t have to be a daunting task. The best way to create a routine is by observing your child’s natural daily rhythm. If you have more than one child, create your routine around the youngest child’s natural rhythm because they are less adaptable.

Homeschool Routine Step One: Observe Your Child

The first thing you want to do is clear your calendar. You want to find your child’s natural daily rhythm which means you don’t want to interfere by scheduling a bunch of stuff. Have a relaxing week where your kiddos get to choose mostly what to do. I would also recommend keeping TV time to a minimum so you get a good idea of their rhythm.

Spend at least a week observing your youngest child. Keep track of their tired times, active times, and focused times. Tired times are when they need a break or a snack. Active times are when they are bouncing off the walls and just need to get some energy out. Focused times are when your kiddo is focused on something. Depending on their age, this could be just a few minutes of an engaging activity of their choosing.

Even though you are focusing on your youngest child, don’t ignore your other kiddos. Pay attention to their tired, active, and engaged times too. This information will help when you sit down to plan it all out.

Homeschool Routine Step Two: Creating a Unique Homeschool Routine

By the end of the week, a pattern should start to emerge. Now you’re going to take this information to create your homeschool routine.

The tired times become quiet time and meals. These quiet times are perfect to schedule more focused work with your older kiddos. If your child doesn’t want to nap during quiet time, teach them to go to their room to play or read for an hour. It’ll take a few weeks to learn this new routine, so be patient. The end result is well worth it.

You’ll want to plan on going outside during your child’s most active times. Think about your child here as well. Sometimes active times mean they are tired. My one kiddo gets super hyper and silly when he’s tired. I know that he needs to rest during this active time rather than getting energy out. If you plan an active activity, but your child still seems even more active afterward then try a quiet time instead.

I would not suggest planning activities for older children that require your attention during this time. Make this a time that you all take a break or your older kiddos do independent work.

The last step is to turn your youngest child’s focused times into free play/learning time for them. This should be a time when your youngest is capable of working for a few minutes independently. This focused time should take up the majority of your day. If you have older kids, use this time for table time. A time when your kids are working on a subject somewhat independently, but may still need your intermittent help.

Homeschool Routine Step Three: Test & Tweak

You’ll want to give this new homeschool routine a week or more before you make any changes. If you are introducing new times of day like a quiet time in their room, give the new routine at least a month. You’ll want a few weeks to teach the new routine, then a few more weeks to adjust to your new normal.

One of the biggest tips I can give you about creating a homeschool routine around a natural daily rhythm is to think about the big picture. Even though you’re creating this on your youngest child, don’t forget your other kid’s rhythm and your own. For example, you don’t want to be scheduling focused times in the morning when you’re not a morning person.

Another important tip is to remember your youngest is always going to be changing. If your routine stops working, take another break week and start the process over. It just means the natural daily rhythm has changed, which is a good thing. It usually means their focused times have increased.

Don’t Leave Without Claiming Your Freebie!

If you want to learn more about creating a homeschooling lifestyle around your family’s natural rhythm, then you’re going to love The Learning Lifestyle Roadmap from Learning Through Experiences.  Available FREE for a limited time only thru Wednesday, March 25, 2020! 

This free offer has expired. However, you can get it out over at Learning through Experiences.

Amanda helps homeschoolers find consistency and balance to their day, so they can get it all done while enjoying their days learning with their kiddos. She uses her framework called The Learning Lifestyle to create a homeschool around the family’s unique needs. She is the creator of Custom Design Your Homeschool. You can click here to download the free Learning Lifestyle Roadmap.