• Home
  • About
    • Contact
  • Blog
  • Subscribe
  • Shop

Real Life at Home

  • Learn
    • Printables and Worksheets by Age and Subject
    • Homeschooling
    • Book Lists for Kids
    • Play
    • Teaching Life Skills
  • Create
    • Crafts and Projects for Kids
    • Easy DIY and Projects
    • Homemade Gifts
  • Holidays
    • Valentine’s Day
    • St. Patrick’s Day
    • Lent
    • Easter
    • Mother’s Day
    • Father’s Day
    • Independence Day
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Christmas
  • Printables
    • Printables and Worksheets By Age and Subject
    • Exclusive Printables for Subscribers
    • Terms of Use
    • Coloring Pages
    • Word Search Printables
    • Crossword Puzzle Printables
  • Recipes
    • Easy Recipes Index
  • Catholic
    • Catholic Printables
    • Catholic Activities
    • First Communion
    • Catholic Monthly Activities
    • Catholic Word Search Printables
    • Saints and Heroes Printable Packets
You are here: Home / Homeschool / First Year Homeschooling / 10 Ways to Make Your Homeschool Day Run Smoothly

10 Ways to Make Your Homeschool Day Run Smoothly

November 5, 2018 By Roan · Disclosure: This Post May Contain Affiliate Links. {I may be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.}

18.2K shares
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter

advertisement

10 Ways to Make Your Homeschool Day Run Smoothly is a post by contributing writer Roan from The Joyful Johnsons.

Homeschooling is hard work. There are things that you can do, however, to make your homeschool day run smoothly or at least a little more smoothly than it normally does. Whether you add in one of these suggestions or all of them, they are sure to help you and your children have a better day.

How to Make Your Homeschool Day Run Smoothly: 10 Things You Can Do to Make Your Days Better for You and Your Kids | Real Life at Home

advertisement

10 Ways to Make Your Homeschool Day Run Smoothly

Wake up before your children.

Getting a head start on your day works wonders. You don’t necessarily have to get up at 5:00 AM, but arising at least one hour before your children do has many advantages.

This early morning time can be used for personal Bible study and prayer, personal grooming, laundry, exercise, computer time, cooking breakfast, planning your day, or gathering any necessary supplies for your school day.

Have a dinner plan each day.

Menu Board

Know what you will be serving for dinner as soon as breakfast is over. You may like to plan your menus one week, two weeks, or even a month at a time (here are 10 tips for monthly menu planning), but just make sure that you plan.

List your nightly meals. Each morning check to see if there is something you need to thaw, chop, or prepare early in the day. Having a dinner plan prevents kitchen chaos at 5:00 PM.

Are you in a menu planning rut? Here are 10+ theme night ideas to help make your menu planning easier and less stressful | Real Life at Home

Create a routine.

Doing the same things in the same order each day gives both you and your children a sense of security. The more tasks that are routine, the less you have to stress about.

In our home, our school day routine flows like this:

  • morning chores
  • breakfast
  • Bible lesson at the kitchen table with all of the children
  • Mama takes turns working with each child independently, in the same order each day.
  • free time for children after they finish their daily schoolwork
  • Mama reads to the two youngest children right before lunch
  • lunch
  • Mama reads Sonlight read alouds to middle children after lunch

Even if you don’t create specific time slots for each aspect of your day, you can create an orderly routine to follow.

Head, Heart, & Hands: How to Create Daily Rhythms in Your Homeschool for Educating the Whole Child

Related Reading: Finding Order at Home by Establishing Routines

Tidy your school area each day.

When the day’s schoolwork is done, take some time to prepare for the next school day. Some of the tasks that I would recommend:

  • Have your children gather all of their school books and various supplies and store them in a specific spot.
  • Erase your whiteboard.
  • Tidy the workspaces (tables, floors, etc.).
  • Put away all games, puzzles, and other activities that your younger children played.
  • I also like to put the next day’s date on our whiteboard along with my 1st grader’s copywork for the next day.

Related Reading: 10 Tips to Cleaning Your House While Homeschooling

Tell your children the “Plan for the Day.”

As part of our morning routine, during breakfast, I tell my children our plan for the day. This simply means that I remind them of any routine appointments like piano lessons or cross country practice, and the time we will have to leave for these appointments. I mention any visitors we may be expecting, any errands we need to run, and any extra chores or activities I may have for them that day.

When we know the plan for the day, we can make the necessary adjustments to our normal routine, if needed.

The Eclectic Homeschooler's Plan Book

Avoid answering the telephone.

During school hours, I do not answer my phone unless it is my husband. Phone calls usually take more time than you intend them to, and children usually get off task when Mama is on the phone.

I let phones calls go to my answering machine. I then return phone calls after our schoolwork is complete.

Stay offline during school hours.

I check email, read blogs, and write to my own blog before school begins. I avoid getting back online until all of our schoolwork is done.

Planning to spend just a minute to check email or quickly read a blog post typically turns into five or ten minutes or more. Then the children are all off task, and the toddler has flushed something down the toilet. Discipline yourself to avoid your computer until after school.

The A+ Homeschool Planner

Have your children’s schoolwork planned.

Spend time in the summer, once a month, once a week, or whatever works for you to plan your child’s schoolwork. Scheduling ahead of time has numerous benefits for both you and for them. I make checklists for my children three or four weeks at a time.

Trying to tell three or four children at once what page to do in their math book while the baby is crying and the toddler is dumping out the contents of the kitchen cabinets can make for a stressful day.

I used to plan out an entire semester in one sitting. However, then the plans would get all messed up when someone got sick or when we had an unexpected outing. Now I usually spend a couple of hours on a Sunday afternoon about once a month to create plans for my children. They have little boxes to check off when they complete each subject, and some of the boxes have specific assignments (like reading chapter one, etc).

This free 13 page homeschool planning printables set includes pages perfect to use as a homeschool planner or to supplement the one you currently use. Over half of the pages included would also be perfect for non-homeschoolers to use for work or home, such as monthly goals, project planning, daily planning, and more. | Real Life at Home

Related Reading: How to Get a Grip on Homeschool Planning: Steps for Planning Your Homeschool Year

Serve snacks daily.

Eating a mid-morning snack (and a mid-afternoon snack if you are still schooling at that time of day) makes everyone feel better. My children eat at the schoolroom table while they are doing their schoolwork.

50 Healthy Snacks = Healthy Kids!

Smile.

Hug your children and smile at them often.  A happy, loving attitude will make every school day flow more smoothly!

Other Homeschooling Helps You May Love:

Organized by subject matter, this post contains over 150 ideas for homeschool co-op classes. There are homeschool co-op class ideas for all age levels and abilities.

How to Get a Grip on Homeschool Planning: Steps for Planning Your Homeschool Year #HomeschoolPlanning #Homeschooling | Real Life at Home

Great Advice on How to Create a Homeschool Schedule

When homeschooling with the seasons, the cold, dark months of winter are a perfect time to spend a little more time indoors, take it easy, work on projects, and set goals for the rest of the year. Read more ideas for hygge homeschooling during the winter. #hygge #homeschooling #winterhomeschooling


Roan is the homeschooling mother of five children whose ages range from 5 to 15.  She writes regularly about homeschooling, running, and her family life at her personal blog, Joyful Johnsons.

How to Make Your Homeschool Day Run Smoothly: 10 Things You Can Do to Make Your Days Better for You and Your Kids | Real Life at Home

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. They don’t change the price you pay. However, when you shop through them, we may receive a small compensation.

10 Ways to Make Your Homeschool Day Run Smoothly was originally published on April 4, 2011. It was updated in November 2018.

Homeschool Planning Pages Printables Set {13 Pages}

Subscribe to our newsletter and receive the Homeschool Planning Pages Set for Free.

Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription and receive your download.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

Powered by ConvertKit
18.2K shares
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter

Filed Under: First Year Homeschooling, Homeschool Planning

About Roan

Roan is the homeschooling mother of five children.  She writes regularly about homeschooling, running, and her family life at her personal blog, Joyful Johnsons.

Previous Post: « Hail Mary Word Search Free Printable for Kids
Next Post: Veterans Day Word Search Printable (& Remembrance Day Word Search) »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Rambling Heather says

    April 4, 2011 at 8:07 am

    I love this post, it is super practical! I need to add a couple of these things to my list. Thanks for posting!

    Reply
  2. Jennifer @ Schooling Three Sisters says

    April 4, 2011 at 10:02 am

    Very helpful…..thanks for the wonderful information!

    Reply
  3. Priscilla-The Wheelchair Mommy says

    April 4, 2011 at 2:29 pm

    from a soon to hopefully be a new homeschooler .. thank you.

    Reply
  4. Suanna says

    April 4, 2011 at 4:13 pm

    Thanks for the list. I do most of those things already, but there are a few areas I need to work on improving.

    Reply
  5. Chrissy says

    April 4, 2011 at 4:49 pm

    Very simple but VERY WISE tips.

    Reply
  6. Karen says

    April 5, 2011 at 10:06 am

    Those are great tips, I will have to remember those great ideas. Karen

    Reply
  7. Jessica says

    April 5, 2011 at 5:22 pm

    Great list! Some I already do each day. My favorite is waking up before my kids. It gives me a chance to enjoy a cup of coffee and catch up on the local and world news!

    Reply
  8. jimmie says

    April 5, 2011 at 11:11 pm

    Snacks for kiddos — coffee for me! 🙂
    I’m so lovin’ that MY daughter’s pic is up there. You know, ALL our homeschool days are SO smooth. (LOL)

    Reply
    • Angie says

      April 6, 2011 at 6:32 pm

      LOL – I knew you’d get a kick out of that. 😉

      Reply
  9. Cindy says

    April 7, 2011 at 2:45 pm

    Oh, yes I *do* have to get up at 5:00 a.m. I have to have a lot of quiet time. Have you seen the internet? It is HUGE! A few minutes at a time just won’t cut it. 😉 Great tips. I really need to work on the tidying up thing. Really.

    Reply
  10. LifeAtTheCircus says

    April 8, 2011 at 4:28 pm

    These were such great and practical tips that I def plan to implement! Thank you!!!

    Reply
  11. Janet from Creative Writing says

    April 19, 2011 at 11:09 am

    Great list! I printed this out! Thank you!

    Reply
  12. MamaLaundry says

    May 18, 2011 at 10:43 pm

    #7 literally happened to me this week. That 2-year-old of mine is flush happy.

    Excellent list of reminders!

    -Lauren

    Reply
  13. Mellisa @funsavingmoney says

    July 22, 2011 at 8:14 pm

    I just love this! I came across this post from StumbledUpon and I am glad I did. I have a 7 year old that is about to go into 2nd grade next month. I have gone back and forth on whether to homeschool and I am so afraid that I am not disiplined enough to get it done right. Your list really makes me think if I have organization it can come together alot more smoothly.

    Reply
  14. Savannah says

    September 2, 2011 at 7:55 am

    Some great tips for a newbie at homeschooling like me. Thanks!

    Reply
    • carol says

      October 11, 2011 at 9:15 pm

      I agree, I,m also new and need all the help I can get. I have to boys that are both in 5th grade and I have only one computer, for all of us!! So its been pretty hectake and I can use all the advice anyone whats to give, Thank you from newbee with twins, and one computer. Carol 🙂

      Reply
  15. Julie says

    September 26, 2011 at 10:26 am

    This is such great post! Really simple ideas that just get overlooked. 🙂

    Reply
  16. Kelly says

    October 9, 2011 at 5:09 pm

    Nice, practical steps, thanks!

    Reply
  17. Carrie Raab says

    November 18, 2011 at 8:40 am

    Thank you so very much for posting these homeschool tips! I am doing most of these, but it is nice to have a ‘reminder’ and also confirmation as to what you are doing, and/or need to keep doing. Thanks for encouraging us homeschoolers and sharing your heart and ideas with us. I always say, together we are stronger. Feel free to pop on over and see some of my homeschool posts and may they encourage and inspire you to maintain the homeschool race, with much love and grace! Blessings!

    Reply
  18. Marissa says

    February 8, 2012 at 9:32 am

    I loved all the tips except the one where you get up an hour earlier than your kids. If I got up an hour earlier, I’d be up at 4:30….not your fault, I just got the world’s earliest riser for a child, which totally throws me off my game.

    Reply
  19. Wife, Mother, Gardener says

    February 9, 2012 at 3:23 pm

    Wonderful post! The first two are the hardest for me, but I always feel the benefit when they happen. This is a great list of where to start pulling reigning in life to fit school into it.

    Reply
  20. Olivia says

    May 11, 2012 at 4:45 pm

    Great stuff! We’re heading into full-time homeschooling next year (we’ve been participating in a tutorial) and I’m looking forward to planning a lot this summer. Thanks for the tips.

    Reply
  21. Moe says

    July 15, 2012 at 1:48 am

    I just came across this and am thankful that I have. Lots of great ideas. I shared a link with a few homeschool groups that I belong to and hope it will be helpful to them also.
    I will share a link later this week on my blog http://adoptivemomhomeschoolinganonlychild.
    Moe

    Reply
  22. Matrixmamma5 says

    August 18, 2012 at 10:29 am

    This is such a balanced view on running smoothly. Have been doing some of these. I need to plan my lessons more in advanced–I have a toddler that does scream and desire my attention. Thanks!

    Reply
  23. Shauna says

    September 27, 2012 at 2:20 pm

    Such practical advice. Thanks for writing it. I’ve been homeschooling a long time, and still need these sorts of reminders!

    Reply
  24. Emily @CreativeDisaster says

    October 24, 2012 at 9:07 am

    Hi there, great post! I was curious, while you are working individually with your kiddos, what are the others doing? Mine are not really old enough to do independent work yet, maybe a little. Thanks.

    Reply
  25. Stephanie says

    January 11, 2013 at 3:52 pm

    Thank you for this! I often follow these ideas. Right now, I’m so off track! But just seeing all these essentials listed together is going to help me get back on track. I can do this! I have five kiddos, too. 15 months – 11 years. 🙂

    Reply
  26. Tiffany says

    August 30, 2013 at 3:39 am

    Wonderful advice. This is my third year homeschooling and every year I try to get better and better at it. I have a preschooler joining her sixth grade brother and her third and second grade sisters. Keep me in your prayers. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Phil.4:13

    Reply
  27. Sannimaria says

    September 20, 2013 at 5:34 am

    Great tips!!! Its so true about the phone calls. I pick up the phone thinking its a new client and it usually turns out to be a telemarketer. I’m so bad about not getting rid of them, especially since I’m not interested.

    Reply
  28. Heather says

    February 26, 2014 at 10:05 am

    Hi, I am new to homeschooling, and I am trying to get into a routine and have a lesson plan.
    When you say you have a checklist for the children, what does that consist of? Thanks!

    Reply
  29. Janet Davis says

    December 2, 2018 at 4:44 pm

    I love it that you give your children the plan for the day. There is just one tip that I’d love to put out there for people to see and use if they like it. It is good to formulate your plans so that they emphasize the outcomes.

    For example, it’s better to say “after today’s lesson, you will know how to talk to a waiter in France,” rather than “today, we’ll learn French words for ordering food”.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Meet Angie

Angie, mom to three very fun kids, is the founder of Real Life at Home.  With degrees in elementary education (B.A.) and special education (M.S.Ed.), as well as being a former homeschooler, she is passionate about supporting both parents and teachers by providing printables, crafts, and activities to help children learn and grow. Read More…

Search

Connect with Real Life at Home

  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Footer

  • Home
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclosure Policy
  • Cookies Policy
  • Terms of Use and Conditions
  • Disclaimers

Amazon Affiliate Statement

Real Life at Home is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com

Categories

© 2006 - 2022 Real Life at Home / Tiny Owl LLC. All Rights Reserved. | Built using the Genesis Framework and hosted on WPEngine.