Creating a flexible fall homeschool schedule is going to give you the homeschool freedom you want while ensuring those little clones you created are learning.
As a busy work from home and homeschool, it is difficult juggling clients and homeschool. The start of the school year can bring relief that you’re getting back into a routine. But it can also bring stress. You need to make sure those little ones are learning. Creating a flexible fall homeschool schedule and effective time management for moms who work from home will help to lower those stress levels.
The transition between summer break and starting a new school year isn’t easy. Even if you did some schoolwork during the summer. Your kids and you enjoyed the break. And it was needed. Never feel guilty about taking a break. We all need to time to recover and reset.
Let’s take on these challenges and create a flexible fall homeschool schedule that works for you, your kids, and takes the stress out of starting another school year.
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Creating a Flexible Fall Homeschool Schedule—Starts with a Routine
You made it through the school year. Then a summer break changed up any routine you had. Now it is time to think through your new routine.
Seasons change. Something that worked the year before may not work for you this year.
Or you used a schedule and had every minute of your day planned, and you know that will definitely not work for you again.
If you want to create a flexible fall homeschool schedule, it starts with your routine. If that feels overwhelming, then create a morning routine.
I hate the promise of a stress free homeschool day. It is a false promise. We have good days, ok days, and not so great days. It doesn’t matter what you do, you will never have a fully stress free homeschool. Humans are involved, so it will never happen. But you can minimize the stress in certain areas, so you can focus on the things that matter.
There are so many mundane things that end up taking space in our heads and add to our stress. Minimize the space these things take by creating a routine.
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3 Tips for Transitioning from Summer Break to a Flexible Fall Homeschool Schedule
1. Ease into your first day of school
Homeschool is about freedom. The freedom to choose how you learn and when you learn. It also means the freedom to choose your first day of homeschool.
A few years ago, I picked our first day of school on a Thursday. There were different things happening, and this was the best day to start. I hit the jackpot with it. Our first week of school was Thursday and Friday. Then the second week of school was only three days.
This was the easiest transition from summer break to a flexible fall homeschool schedule. And it worked so well for the kids. This is how we’ve started our school year ever since.
2. Go through new curriculum
Before the first day of school, I have the kids go through all of their curriculum, especially if it is new, so they understand where everything is.
They check the video DVDs to make sure they have them all. They will go through the curriculum planner to ensure they understand what’s expected.
Some of the kids have been using the same curriculum for a few years now, so we don’t spend a lot of time doing this anymore. They are familiar with it.
When we were experimenting with a different curriculum, this was an essential step. It made the first day of school a lot smoother.
3. Give everyone time
The transition from laid back summer days to more structured school days isn’t easy. Give everyone time to adjust.
At least a month. This may be different for everyone, but it takes time to get back into the routine of things.
Mom, I know it can be frustrating. You are still working from home and now you need the kids to hurry up and adjust.
Take a deep breath, cry if you need to (just get it out), read mom’s no good, very bad day, then get back to it.
Almost every transition in life is going to be hard. You just need to keep going. If you are new to homeschooling, then you need to give yourself and your kids more time to get into the new routine. It may take the entire first year of homeschooling to figure it out. Our first year was terrible, and I am a homeschool graduate. The transition is hard.
It is not a sign of homeschool failure and it doesn’t mean you should give up.
Choosing Homeschool Curriculum
Your homeschool curriculum can make or break your year. Homeschooling is about picking curriculum that works for you and your family. Sometimes you are going to need to kiss a few frogs before you find your prince.
It’s ok to figure out a curriculum is not a good fit for you, and still finish is out for the year because it was too expensive to change. Or to change your curriculum mid-year because there is no possible way you can endure any longer.
Curriculum has a great impact on how your homeschool will go. But, mom, your impact is even greater. Do your research. If this is your first year homeschool, read How to Homeschool and Work from Home: A Beginner’s Guide.
Grab your copy of The Momtrepreneur’s Guide to Curriculum and get all of my insights on the curriculum we’ve used for every single grade—the good, the bad, and the ok.
Conclusion: Create a Flexible Fall Homeschool Schedule
It is exciting to start a new school year. There is expectation and hope for the year to come bubbling up inside of you. But your kids may feel differently about starting a new year.
Instead of starting at a sprint, ease into the new school year with a flexible fall homeschool schedule.
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