The Morning Routine of a Homeschool Mom

Everyone that knows me well, knows that I thrive on routine. I have had basically the same routine for twenty years, with some adjustments and changes here and there due to babies or toddlers. Having a set routine really helps me to be more productive with my days - in homeschooling, cooking, and keeping the house clean. Here's a look at my morning routine.

5:00 am

This is normally my wake up time each day, but it can vary fifteen or twenty minutes either way. I don't have an alarm clock, and I haven't ever used one, but my body naturally wakes up around five each morning. I never feel sleepy because I try to go to sleep before 9:30 each night, giving me eight hourse of sleep. Granted, right now that sleep is interrupted by the cutest little blessing, but I still feel well-rested.

I step right into my bathroom to take my bath and get my hair washed. I do this every single morning. I take my time because this is the only time all day that I have totally to myself. 

5:45 am

This is usually when I'm finished getting dressed and ready for the day. I let my hair air-dry and then I curl it (either with a curling iron for a nicer look or with mousse for a quick look) later in the morning. 

I walk into the living room and usually have to fold a few blankets and pick up the throw pillows that the kids left on the floor the night before. 

I grab a Strawberry Water and sit down with my Bible and my 5 Minute Bible Study Journal. I spend a few minutes reading the Word and praying before I start the day. I really like this journal. It has at least a chapter to read and few questions to get you thinking about what you read. There is also a short devotion and room for journalling a prayer or your thoughts. If I skip this time, I may not get a chance later in the day. 

6:00 am

I get the house in order before I do anything else. I have started making the kids sweep and mop at night before going to bed, and that saves me a lot of time in the morning. Usually there are a few dishes to wash - cups or bowls from after I went to sleep the night before. 

I swap laundry and sometimes divvy it out into individual baskets. (I do all the washing and drying. Everyone has a basket, and I throw clean clothes into everyone's basket for them. They are responsible for hanging up, folding, and putting away their clothes. It is another thing that saves me time!)

Once I get the little things done for the morning, I will sit down at my computer and work on lesson planning, curriculum research, blogging, or creating materials for my Etsy shop. I don't spend as much time on here as I did before Zoey was born! I will also start getting out any supplies we will need for the day or books we're going to be reading.

6:45 am

I start waking up Mercie for school. Eli wakes himself up around 7 or so. Mercie cannot wake herself up, but it's something we have got to work on. She is a sound sleeper! She starts getting ready for school, and I almost always braid her hair in two braids. She has long, thick hair, and she likes keeping it braided.

Sometimes I make breakfast (eggs, bacon or sausage, biscuits or toast or cinnamon rolls or muffins), but sometimes the kids are left to fix their own (cereal or egg sandwiches or waffles). 

7:00 am

I wake up Silas and Titus. They get dressed, brush their teeth, make their beds, pick up their dirty clothes, and tidy up their room. They eat breakfast and do a few chores before we get started on school. Usually that is washing breakfast dishes, putting up clothes, vacuuming the rugs, wiping down countertops, taking out the garbage, or cleaning up their bathroom. 

I'm usually setting out meat for lunch or dinner or putting something in the crockpot. If Zoey is awake, I get her dressed and changed for the day, nurse her, and play with her a little bit. When Zeke wakes up, he wants a few minutes of snuggles before he is ready to get dressed and eat breakfast. 

I normally have Silas hold or watch Zoey for me while I get my hair fixed and makeup on for the day. I am also grabbing dirty clothes and taking them to the laundry room (we have tons of laundry), making up my bed, and tidying up as we go. 

8:00 am

We start homeschooling at 8:00 each morning. I like having a start time. It really helps us with consistency and with getting finished before lunchtime most days. We start with me reading a chapter from the Bible. Right now we are in Acts. Then Silas reads a missionary story, Titus reads a history or science story, and I read one of Aesop's Fables. The boys try to guess the moral of each story.

I spend the rest of the morning helping the boys with their schoolwork, juggling Zoey and Zeke, and trying to fit in time to work on my projects. Right now, I'm working on a cross-stitch and a Bucilla stocking. 

I like my morning routine, and I don't like it getting messed up! Are you routine-oriented?

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Blogging From A to Z - Daily Notebooks

I've talked before about how we are having a shortened summer school schedule this summer. It hasn't gone quite as smoothly as I had hoped! For one, we have been super busy so far and not home every day during the time I try to set aside for schoolwork. Secondly I have been so tired and exhausted from the heat and this pregnancy that I haven't been making it happen every day. 

As I was thinking of what I could do to make sure that certain things get done daily this summer - reading books, Bible study, math practice - I remembered how I used to use spiral notebooks to write out assignments for Mikaela and Eli. It worked really well and ensured that everything I wanted them to get to got done each day. 

I decided that I am going to use spiral notebooks this summer for the boy's daily notebooks. They will have checklists of everything I'd like them to do each day for school as well as chores and other reminders. 

Cheap spiral notebooks

I will handwrite their assignments either each night before bed or each weekend for the entire week. That way they can just grab their notebooks each morning and start working on their checklists. 

Silas, rising 7th grader

I know Silas will appreciate this because he doesn't like having to wait to be told what to do. He wants to wake up and get everything done at once. This will be good for him because he will be able to quickly see what all he has to do each day and choose the order he does it in. I added in some exercises for him because his 30-day challenge is five daily chores.

Silas, rising 7th grader

Titus will also like this because he likes to work independently if possible. He has a hard time focusing on tasks, but this will break things down into manageable chunks for him. I added a daily chore because his 30-day challenge is exercises.

Titus, rising 5th grader

And of course I think it's going to be extremely helpful for me! I can sit down and think of all the things we need to do, but then I get distracted and busy and before I know it, we've run out of time. This way I can sit down and write their checklists, no distractions, no forgetting anything. There is also plenty of space to add in things I think of later.

Titus, rising 5th grader

I really want this to keep us on track this summer. Titus has to get his multiplication and division facts down better, Silas has a math workbook he's reviewing for the Crew and he needs the review before seventh grade math hits, and they both need the reminder to read more! I'd also like them to begin having a short quiet time with their Bibles each day, and this will be a great place to record this for them. 

Have you ever used daily notebooks in your homeschool?

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Blogging Through the Alphabet: R is for Routine

We don't exactly have a schedule for our homeschool day - my 14 month old, Zeke, would definitely put a wrench in that - but we do follow a pretty predictable routine each day.

I wake up very early every morning, usually around 5, sometimes a bit before that. I've always done this so it's become a habit. I will take my bath and get ready for the day first. Then I will read my Bible, clean up the house, lesson plan and blog until it's time to get the kids up.

I wake up Mikaela and Eli around 6:30. They leave for school around 7:20. While they're getting ready, I am still doing the things I need to do.

I wake up Mercie, Silas, and Titus around the time the big kids leave for school. Zeke is normally up around 7 or 7:30. They eat breakfast, get dressed, brush their teeth, make their beds, and clean up.

We start school around 8:00. The first thing we do is read the Bible. We read a chapter or two and fill out a notebook page. We also work on scripture memory and pray.

Next, we do geography. We are currently using Expedition Earth. It usually takes us around 30-45 minutes to do this. We read books, complete worksheets, do crafts, and learn interesting facts about our country of the week.

Then we roll right into science. We are working through the book "God's Design for Science: The World of Animals." This takes us around 30 minutes. We read, discuss, and complete a notebook page or worksheet. Some days we have hands-on activities and it lasts a bit longer.

It's usually 9:30 or 10:00 by the time we are through with our "together school", as I call it. Zeke gets into everything we do - drawing on our paper, stepping on our books, climbing on the table, fussing while I'm reading, and bringing me books to read to him. It's a challenge to get anything done, but I just press through the morning and try not to lose my temper (and my mind). I try to give him small spurts of attention throughout the morning, especially while the kids are working on their worksheets or doing a craft or activity. I usually fit his "schoolwork" in between theirs - a coloring page here, a story there, a poem here, a song there.

I get the kids started on their independent work, and Titus will read to me and complete his reading worksheet. I have to help him with math and language arts, usually holding a grumpy Zeke. I also try to get my laundry swapped at this time and maybe sweep or tidy up the homeschool area.

I usually lay down with Zeke around 10:30 or 11:00. He will only fall asleep while nursing (I know, I know...I'm ready to stop this but it's so easy to get him down this way).

When he is asleep, I cook lunch for the kids and I, and I help anyone who needs help. I check and correct their work and then send them off for free time. They normally eat and go outside to help their dad with the cows or to play, but if it's raining or bad weather, they'll play inside or watch a movie. I get the house back in order (or try to) while Zeke naps. Some days he will nap for an hour and a half, some days for half an hour. I try to cram as much cleaning as I can into his naptime.

When he wakes up, if the weather is nice, we will go outside and play. If it's not good weather for him to play in, we play inside. I am usually playing with him a bit, sorting clean laundry into baskets, playing with him some more, washing dishes, playing with him, sweeping and mopping. If I have to go run errands, now is the time I normally do this.

If the big kids don't have practice or games they are home by 3:30. I talk to them a bit and start dinner. If I cooked a big lunch, dinner is leftovers. If we ate a simple lunch, I cook a big dinner. Some days, Zeke will take an afternoon nap, some days he won't.

We will go outside for a bit, sit on the porch, clean up, eat, and hang out the rest of the evening. If the kids have a game we will go to that. I try to get some lesson planning and blogging done in the evening, but I don't always get to.

Around 6:30 or 7:00 we start baths and teeth brushing. I lay down with Zeke around 7:30 or 8:00 normally, and the kids will stay up a little later watching TV or reading. They usually go to bed around 9:00 on school nights and a bit later on the weekend.

Having a routine helps the kids to know basically what we are going to do every day so there are no surprises. I do let them know in the morning if we have any appointments or errands to run. Do you have a routine or schedule? Leave me a comment and let me know!

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