Creating the Perfect Homeschool Schedule

In Tennessee, you are required to register your children in either the local public school or a Christian school "umbrella" program. I have recently registered the boys with an umbrella program, and while I have been homeschooling all summer throughout our move, just this week we are trying to adhere to a curriculum and get things a bit more structured. I'll right more about what curriculum we are doing and other details soon, but today I just wanted to share a nice article about creating the homeschool schedule. You can read the article in it's entirety by clicking here. 

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Let me fill you in on a little secret. The perfect homeschool schedule doesn’t exist.

How I wish someone would’ve shared that tidbit of wisdom with me during my first 2 1/2 years of homeschooling. I could’ve saved a bit of sanity. I spent so long switching from this schedule to that schedule thinking that it would make all the difference.

But you know what I found?

The exact same results from every attempt.

The problem was that I was trying to take the perfect schedule of someone else and make it my own. Forgetting all the while that I didn’t have their life or their children, so how in the world could their schedule possibly work for me?

It didn’t.

It wasn’t until God revealed to me that there was no one size fits all perfect homeschool schedule, but rather only a personalized schedule {I wouldn’t dare say perfect} that works (most of the time) for our homeschool that I was finally able to begin to enjoy our homeschooling adventure.

Are you wondering how to create a homeschooling schedule that works for your family?

Consider these tips:

1. PRAY. Give God control over your schedule. Ask Him to reveal to you a plan that will work for your family. Allow Him to adjust {add and take away} as He sees fit. But, then have the obedience to follow through with what He shows you.
2. Don’t try to mimic the homeschool schedule of your friends. It won’t work.
3. Determine the needs of your family. Do they work better in the morning or the afternoon? Do you need a rigid schedule or does flexibility work best for you? Do you have little ones who need daily naps? Do you work outside the home and need to work your schedule around that? What does Dad’s work schedule look like? Will that affect your homeschool?
4. Don’t fall under the misconception that you must have formal school hours Monday through Friday from 9-3. If you force yourself to adhere to this mindset, you’re missing the beauty of homeschooling.
5. Try a new schedule. If it doesn’t work, try something else. Homeschooling is daily trial and error until you find your groove.
6. Be flexible. Recognize that the seasons of life are constantly changing. Just when you think you have it all figured out, life happens and you’re back to square one. It’s okay. Try again tomorrow.
7. Remember there is no such thing as a perfect homeschool schedule. There just isn’t. If someone tells you they’ve found a formula to concoct a perfect, stress-free homeschool day, don’t believe them. Through much prayer, sweat and tears, you’ll find what works for you and it will be glorious. Until then, keep trying. Keep praying. Keep going. You’re doing great, Mom!