Are you concerned on how to find a homeschool rhythm for your kids when they come home? Have you wondered and pondered, but let fear get in the way of making the decision? I’ve been there! I knew home was best, but I wanted to research, question, and think through ALL the pieces of this big puzzle. On top of all that you have everyone you know thinking you’ve lost your mind and asking you all the questions too! Since starting our journey we’ve had some hard and chaotic days and moments where I was sure I was failing. You know what kept me rooted in the midst of those days? I knew that home was best. The minute I brought my kids back together after public school I witnessed everything that had convicted me right in front my eyes.
the relationship between my kids was growing. They would support and encourage and notice each other’s strengths and weaknesses.
They were beaming with joy and confidence.
I saw them play and use Their imagination. today, They play outside, on the floor, and in their minds for hours!
They had started to wonder and question on their own again.
After four years of homeschool I’ve learned It’s about finding a rhythm for your kids
It’s easy to want to focus on the curriculum and schedule. Remember, that homeschool IS NOT replicating public school! Furthermore, you have to let go of that mindset if you are coming into homeschool because of new guidelines this year. I know your overwhelmed and wanting to start off the year confident that you have all you need to make this work! Your up late researching and possibly making excel sheets right now! You are determined to call this year a homeschool success! I’ve done the same previous years. Homeschool is so much more than curriculum, plans, schedules, and excel sheets. They are important, but don’t let that become the primary focus. Lastly, as you bring your kids back home you will realize it’s more about finding a rhythm and routine.
You have to find your rhythm as a family before you have success with any well thought out curriculum and schedule! Your first year of bringing your kids home might be focused on figuring out how they learn best. Do they prefer to start slower in the mornings, they might need some downtime and free time when they get up to play and just wake up! Or, they might prefer to get moving and get done what they need for the day! I’m not saying that you shouldn’t purchase curriculum, but don’t invest until you know what’s going to work best for your children and your family. It’s easy to get focused on the academics and loose sight of why you homeschool.
What do you envision for your day? What goals and values do you want to instill in their daily routines? Write them down and let that start to shape your rhythm and routine.
How to set up a daily Homeschool rhythm and routine that works
We started by evaluating the goals and values we had for us as a family. Here’s a list of what we wanted as a priority in their daily schedules.
- Devotional and Journal
- Fitness
- Chores
- Independent Reading & Family Read Aloud
- Games
- Outdoor time
- Trips
The mornings set the tone for the rest of the day.
After bringing our kids home we found in our rhythm that we like to spend our mornings slower and together. After some years of rushing in the morning now we snuggle on the couch. If one child is up earlier than another we will read their devotional or book together and I let them play. I’ve found how powerful their imagination can be the first part of the day. Also, media and devices are never allowed in the mornings during this time. They have learned the best habits to start and finish the day. We typically eat a good breakfast together and listen to music or an audio book on Audible. We do our family devotion, prayer requests, and praises for the day. They take their supplements and look over their check sheet and we get started.
it’s important that we teach our kids responsibility in their work, chores, and choices.
WE GIVE THEM FREEDOM AND FLEXIBILITY IN THEIR DAYS, BUT THEY LEARN TO BE ACCOUNTABLE WITH A CHECK SHEET OF EXPECTATIONS.
The check sheet has their chores, individual school work, and anything that I need completed before they have free time. The check sheet teaches them accountability, diligence, responsibility, and ownership of their expectations. In that check sheet I give them freedom too! Each of my children prefer to do different aspects of their sheet at different times. I love that they can have this freedom and they learn accountability very quickly. They’ve each had days that they weren’t able to get out and play as soon as they hoped and missed out, or they were finishing up later in the evening, but they learn quickly how to manage their time. Each of my children has a color coded clipboard that opens to store their check sheets and any work for the day.
Give them freedom to “unschool”
In my Considering Homeschool post I talk about “unschooling” my daughter when she came home from public school. Keep in mind that your children might need more freedom and flexibility in the beginning. Also, if they are use to spending more time inside rather than in nature, have spent a few years in the public school model, or struggle with unstructured time then they might need more encouragement for awhile. You will need to guide them in finding their interests, imagination, and wonder again. You might have to go outside with them, play more games, and read more books. Persevere beside them as they get use to free and unstructured time. Check out my post on Forest School it’s a great way to get teens spending more time outside.
Audio Books
We love audio books! They are a great addition to curriculum your learning about and for entertainment. For instance, our kids love to listen to audio books during lunch, free play, and in the car! You can rent audio books from a free lending library app or you can sign up for Audible and get 2 books for free and start building a listening library. Here’s a short list of some of our favorite audio books!
Game School
We love playing games in our house and that wasn’t always the case! For years we didn’t have enough time in our schedule and many of them weren’t educational and I just didn’t want to play! Over the years we’ve found some great games and now they are a priority on the daily schedule. They are educational, fun, everyone can play and it encourages teamwork in the house! Now, it’s the highlight of some of our days. We usually take time after lunch to play a game. I’ve listed some of our favorite educational games below:
Games for little kiddos
The Zingo series of games have always been an educational favorite for younger kids! The Banangrams sets are perfect for word building and letter recognition. I also highly recommend the many different themes of Spot It. I love that all ages can play Spot It and it’s fun and easy! The Osmo System was one of the best investments we’ve made for the kids! My kids have played this at all ages! It’s great for language arts, math, and my older kiddos loved the Pizza Co. & Detective Agency!
Games for Middle Ages
- Ubongo
- Go Nuts for Donuts
- rat a tat cat
- Sleeping Queens
- Word on the Street Junior
- Rush Hour Traffic Jam
- Dragonwood
- Qwixx
You can’t go wrong with Gamewright games! I’ve listed our top favorites! All of these games are our family favorites for fun, logic, and entertainment!
Great games for kids 12 and older
Now that I have a teenager I love finding challenging games that we can play together! These 3 have been big hits!
If I could give you one piece of advise
Take the focus off the rigorous schedules and academics. Live in the mundane and you’ll find the joy of being together. The more intentional time I spend with my kids the more I get to know their hearts. Academics are important, but the heart is more important.
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