A number of years ago, I went to homeschool conference for families who were interested in homeschooling. There was an interesting speaker who shared a schedule she had created for her children. It was very detailed, and it showed what subjects would be done when, down to the exact minute. I remember thinking that the homeschool schedule looked intense and overwhelming. I sensed others around me feeling overwhelmed. It made homeschooling seem like it could only be done by a specific micromanaging super homeschool mom. That isn’t me.
I’m glad I went to the conference because it made me think about how I wanted my homeschool days to look like, and quite frankly, I did not want an intense schedule. I wanted freedom to make each day work for us.
A Relaxed Schedule
I was homeschooled. We did school at the dining room table. We started when we started, which was usually around 9 in the morning, and we finished when we finished. There was no written-out schedule. When I became a teacher, I created a schedule for my day, but only because I had to. It would be chaos to not have a schedule and basic routines in a classroom with twenty or so children. But homeschooling is different than regular school. You don’t need a strict schedule because mom isn’t herding twenty children.
What I have noticed is that creating a homeschool schedule that mimics regular school makes moms feel good. They want to make sure they hit on every subject so that their child’s education is excellent. I want my children to have a great education, but not to the point where it’s overwhelming. I would rather have a flexible schedule that allows my children to learn in a relaxed environment. Personally, I think that can help children enjoy learning, and if they enjoy learning, then they will keep learning even as adults.
A Flow to the Day
I don’t have a schedule posted anywhere in my house. To some, not having a schedule can seem like the only alternative is to let chaos reign in your house. An alternative to a strict schedule is a flow. A flow means that the day generally follows the same pattern, but it’s not strictly tied to a specific time. Here is our flow to day (Keep in mind that I have four children eight and under).
- Breakfast with Bible story, memory verse, and catechism (generally around 7:30)
- Chores and playtime
- Spanish (around 8:45 or 9 or later)
- Math
- Reading
- Snack and geography lesson/read aloud (usually around 10 or 10:30)
- Phonics and independent work (for my oldest son)
- Play
- Lunch (around 12)
- Clean up and chores
- Book time with my daughter before nap
- Play
- Read loud and poetry
- Play
- Random chores (clean up, laundry)
- Dinner
- Play
- Bedtime (8:00)
Being Flexible
Some days are different. The boys have basketball and co-op classes on certain days. Sometimes grandma babysits. We just adapt.
What I like about a flow to the day is that it gives freedom to not feel like I’m racing against the clock. Sometimes we do things out of order, but that’s because I have a baby and a three-year old, and I need to be flexible. Babies wake up, need to eat, and then spit up everywhere whenever they want. If I had a strict schedule, then I would be ignoring my other children’s needs. I have tried to start school at a certain time each day, and I fail every time.
Instead of setting myself up to feel like a failure by not being able to reach a goal first thing in the morning, we just follow our flow for day and usually everything gets done. Sometimes subjects are flip flopped around depending on whether I need to feed the baby, but that doesn’t bother anyone. I think it would be harder to do that if I had a written-out schedule. After spending years following a schedule in a classroom, having a flow is a refreshing change.
A flow is great for the homeschool mom who wants some structure, but not too much structure. I also think it’s ideal for little kids. Some days one subject takes way longer than expected. I like that we can take time to finish our work and not feel frazzled because we are behind. And if I do get “behind” one day, big deal. We will get to it tomorrow.
I will end on a funny note. Once I did try to write a schedule out for my boys. I just wanted to see how it worked. I wrote it out on white board, but their little sister erased it. She likes it when the board is clean. The day went well. I figured I don’t need a written-out schedule.