I am a homeschool mom of 6, running two businesses, and I am a self-proclaimed productivity guru. With this much going on all the time, it requires planning strategies.
I’ve been homeschooling and working from home for over 10 years now. I’ve homeschooled every single grade, most of them two or three times. In all my years, I’ve come to appreciate how necessary it is to have planning strategies. And they usually look like this: make a plan, execute the plan, the plan goes off the rails, we make a new plan.
This is how life works. We need to make a plan and then adjust as necessary. For smaller families it is easier to make the adjustment. It is like driving a speedboat. You can just turn and head in an different direction. For larger families, it is more like turning a battleship. You need to plan way ahead of the turn and start making it in slow increments.
Regardless of family size, we are moms so we have a lot on our plates. The demands of work and school are a lot. Then add things like people want to eat, every single day. Then you notice every little thing that needs to be fixed or cleaned around the house. After that, you are back to grading schoolwork while planning your clients’ next social media campaign. You need to figure out if you can squeeze in that other activity. You know the one that every homeschool family is doing. And then you are feeding them again.
It is a lot. The only way to really juggle it all is to have a plan, work the plan, the plans go off the rails, and you make a new plan—you know planning strategies. Despite all of this, you can still get things done and crush your goals. It may take a bit more time than you are used to. And you will need to adjust when the plans go off the rails.
Wherever you fit, whether you’re a speedboat or a battleship, I want to give you the practical tools you need for planning and time management. So you diminish the overwhelm, relieve your stress, and enjoy what you do.
This is part one of the planning strategies series: make a plan and execute the plan.
Planning Strategies: Make a Plan
As a busy mom, I wish I had more time in my day. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could wave our magic mom boss wand, and piff, puff, poof, we have more time in our day to get All. The. Things done. You are juggling a lot of mom roles, and it takes the precision of a tight-rope walker to balance it all.
When you work at home with kids, it adds another layer to juggle. So tight rope walker juggling on a tight rope.
If you are a working and homeschooling, you are already getting a lot done. I’m not sure if we can add any more to that. And we all have the same number of hours, so multiplying time would truly be magical.
Let’s talk about some tools that will help you with your planning strategies. Think of this as a sketch and not an oil painting. It is going to give you an idea of the direction you head in, but you have room to erase any mistakes.
Knowing how to divide your time, organize your tasks, create habits and plan to get things done is the secret sauce for a successful homeschool and work from home mom.
Learning systems and how to manage your time at home is an essential skill to success. Yes, life changes, so these strategies need to bend and change with you.
Before I get into some of the essentials for planning strategies. Let me slay the dragons of time blocking and deep work. Now if these work for you great. I just found I was putting so much pressure on myself to block out chunks of time, and then never really getting anything done. I want to give you a permission slip to ignore the productivity gurus who promote this so hard, if it doesn’t work for you. If it works for you, then keep doing it. But you don’t have to plan your life according to someone else’s recipe.
There is a lot of hype around time blocking and doing deep work. These systems do work in certain circumstances, like is if you have childcare, or your kids aren’t around for large chunks of time. I often tell my husband, “I could get so much done if I had a few hours of uninterrupted time.” That time never comes, so I need to figure out how to still get things done with constant interruptions. And it is possible. It just doesn’t work with time blocking and deep work.
Your Essential Planning Strategies to Make a Plan
These are the tools you need to plan a successful day. Remember, it is a sketch not an oil painting. This is meant to be a guide and not a recipe.
1. Write it down
Did you know that writing things down frees up brain space? Also, using paper and pen helps you to think more creatively.
I like writing with paper and pen because I am more creative. Also, I don’t need to be in front of a screen just to get my thoughts down. Grab a notebook and write down what you need to do.
2. Work and school in the same space
One essential that I always recommend is to have your workspace and school space in the same place. If you can, then work and school together. Yes, this creates a lot of noise. But it is how you stay available to your kids during work hours.
There are times when I’ve taken phone calls in the bathroom or the garage. Those are the quietest places in the house. For the most part, we work and school in the same place.
The kids can ask me questions, and I can keep an eye on their computer screens. They are mostly independent, but if they need me, I am available.
This is probably the most important thing I can do for our work and homeschool.
3. Create routines
After many years of trial and error, I’ve landed on the best way to plan your days, tame the chaos, accomplish goals, and still have flexibility with your day.
The secret is to create routines instead of schedules. Instead of scheduling every minute of your day, and inevitably fail every day. Routines will give you the flexibility you need in your day while still accomplishing colossal tasks.
Planning Strategies for Homeschool
Every homeschool is unique. That is one of the reasons we homeschool. Even the season you’re in is unique, but there are things you can do to plan your unique homeschool.
Our first year of homeschooling was a disaster, and I am a homeschool graduate. I walked into our first year with the confidence of a four-year-old wearing a Batman cape. By the time Christmas rolled around, I really thought I would end up putting them back in school the following year.
But I didn’t. There were things we needed to figure out, grooves we needed to find, and curriculum we needed to dump.
The lesson here is don’t judge your entire homeschool by one bad year. And just know that it is normal, just when I think I have it figured out something changes.
Although your homeschool is unique to you. There are things to keep in mind when your homeschool planning strategies.
1. Learning styles
Understanding learning styles is key to tailoring learning to your child. Part of the reason we homeschool is so our kids can learn at their pace and in their own way. Understanding their learning styles is going help you find the right curriculum and tools.
2. You can change
If something didn’t work for you this year, then change it. I know it is easy to keep buying what’s familiar. You understand how the curriculum works and your kids do. It’s easy. But if it made you cry (yes, you can cry over curriculum), then change it.
Even if you like something and your kids didn’t, change it.
3. Is high school coming
After planning for 3 high school students and I have 3 more following behind them, I kind of enjoy this process. Is your child going into high school or is he almost there. Do you need to start planning homeschool high school transcripts or figuring out dual enrollment?
You child can start taking high school courses in middle school. If you want to start on some of the credits, then start planning for high school in middle school.
4. Organization
Do you need to change your homeschool space? We are like sardines in our homeschool space. It is just enough room to work, school, and walk. This has changed over the years. We’ve moved desks, rearranged, bought more bookshelves.
Is there something that drove you crazy this past year that you need to change before next year? Or are you adding another child to your homeschool and you need to make space? Now is the time to reorganize your homeschool space.
5. All-in-One curriculum is fine
I’m just going to say it. Sometimes we can be pretty snobby about the curriculum we use. Like I’m a better homeschool mom if I curate all the curriculum each year. Or if I write all the curriculum my kids use, and I shun workbooks.
This isn’t new. Curriculum comparison was around when I was homeschooled. I think we do it because we want to validate that we are doing enough for our kids. That we won’t mess them up. Let’s change this mom and validate each other. We all are have reasons for choosing the curriculum we do for our kids. Let’s encourage each other’s choices. Homeschooling is about schooling on our terms.
However you want to homeschool do it. For work from home and homeschooling moms, being able to open the box and run is one of the best ways to homeschool.
I haven’t always used all in one curricula. I’m a homeschool mom, we need to test drive different styles. I’ve done eclectic, and sat on the floor of our used bookstore searching for book after book, and checking it off the list. Meticulously putting each subject together. The planning for homeschooling like this is a major time suck. Especially, with six kids. I spent so much time looking for curriculum. Although, I liked having a valid reason to go to the bookstore a lot. But part of balancing working and homeschooling for me is using an all in one homeschool curriculum.
Mom, if that works for you, then do it.
Planning Strategies: Execute the Plan
Now that you made a plan, you actually need to execute the plan. It doesn’t do anyone any good if it sits in your pretty notebook taunting you.
So how do you actually structure your day to get everything done? You create routines. Routines have been the secret weapon to get this battleship running at optimal levels. I think I heard the angels sing when I finally figured this out. Yes, mom, even self-proclaimed productivity gurus need to figure things out.
Many people have told me, “You are so organized. I don’t know how you stay so organized with everything on your plate.” Mom, I am going to let you in on a secret. I’m not organized so I can be a self-proclaimed guru, I am organized because it is the only way I can keep my sanity. If things weren’t organized, we would definitely be going off the rails every day. And the one tool that gets me there is creating routines.
Routines will help you create habits, and these habits are essential to accomplishing all your stuff. We have a lot of mundane tasks that take up space in our brains. When you create routines that turn into habits your brain also starts to do them without thinking about it. So, you free up brain space. And we all can use some more brain space.
Routines also sets clear expectations with your kids, so they know what to do and what comes next.
Here are 5 routines to create, so you keep your sanity, and your kids know what to do.
1. Morning routine
Creating morning routines for you and your kids will set the tone for your entire day. Having a good morning routine is essential to creating a day that runs on autopilot.
Ensuring that your kids have a morning routine will also eliminate the need to nag. I mean constantly remind them of what they need to be doing.
2. Workout routine
Your physical and mental health are your greatest assets. It is also the two things we put on the back burner and hope we get to it…someday.
Create a workout that you will actually do consistently and that you can build on. It is possible to work, homeschool, and work out at home.
I incorporated a lot of movement at my desk. I’ve had a bike under and now I’ve upgraded to a walking pad. I am accomplishing two things at one time—work and working out.
3. School routine
Your kids should have a school routine as well. There is a lot of freedom in homeschooling. So find what gives you the most freedom while still learning, and doesn’t cause you frustration.
One thing that works for us is nothing else can be done until schoolwork is finished. The kids are free to do their subjects in the order they like. They can also take as many breaks as they want. But fun stuff doesn’t happen until schoolwork is finished. This is a great motivator to get it done because there is a lot of fun stuff they want to do.
4. Work routine
Yes, you need a routine to manage your clients and your tasks. This will also help set boundaries for your office hours too.
I get up before my kids so I can work on my blog. Then I start on client work. This helps me to feel like I have a head start on the day. I also end work about the same time every day.
5. Evening routine
You need to wind down, your kids want to eat…again, and you need to spend time together. Create an evening routine that helps you do all this and prepare for the next day.
One thing we try to do every night is eat dinner together. Now that the kids are older and working, we might have one missing from the dinner table. And my youngest is very offended by this. She looks around the table, asks where the missing brother is, and then announces, “We need to eat dinner as a family.” This time at the table is probably the most important for everyone. We share, we talk, and we are all together.
It helps us process the events of our day, share what’s going on, and connect with each other. It is too easy for everyone to head in different directions. The dinner table anchors us all back to the things that are most important.
If creating routines is a new idea, then just pick one to start with. You don’t need to change everything all at once. Start small.
Conclusion: Planning Strategies for Moms Who Need to Get Things Done
Planning strategies are not about creating a perfect day. The goal is to create a flexible plan that helps you move through your day with more confidence and less chaos.
The best planning strategies are the ones that actually work for your real life. Start small. Write things down. Create routines. Build habits. Adjust when something is not working. If your current system makes you feel like you are failing every day, then change the system. You are not here to serve your planner. Your planner is here to serve you.
Mom, you can get things done. You can homeschool your kids, work from home, run your business, manage your house, and still keep your sanity. It may not look polished. It may not look like the productivity gurus promised. But it can work.
So grab your notebook, make the plan, work the plan, and when it goes off the rails, take a deep breath and make a new one.
FAQ: Planning Strategies for Work From Home and Homeschool Moms
Q: What are the best planning strategies for busy moms?
A: The best planning strategies are the ones that give you structure without locking you into a rigid schedule. Write things down, create routines, keep your work and homeschool space practical, and build habits that make your day easier. You do not need a perfect planner or a color-coded system that looks like it belongs on Pinterest. You need a plan that works when the kids need help, the client emails, and someone asks what is for dinner again.
Q: How do I make a plan when my day is constantly interrupted?
A: Start with routines instead of strict schedules. A schedule tells you exactly when something should happen, but a routine gives you a flexible order for your day. This helps you keep moving even when your day gets interrupted. And if you are a mom, it will get interrupted. That is not negative thinking. That is just Tuesday.
Q: Why do routines work better than schedules for homeschool moms?
A: Routines work better because they bend with real life. Homeschooling and working from home require flexibility. A routine helps your kids know what to do next without needing you to repeat yourself every five minutes. It also frees up mental space because you are not constantly making the same decisions over and over again.
Q: How do I execute the plan instead of just writing it down?
A: Keep the plan simple enough that you can actually follow it. A beautiful notebook full of impossible expectations will not help you. Pick the most important things, build them into your routine, and start there. You can always add more later, but if you start with too much, you will burn out before the plan has a chance to work.
Q: How do planning strategies help with mom overwhelm?
A: Planning strategies help because they take all the floating thoughts out of your head and give them a place to land. When everything lives in your brain, it feels heavier than it really is. Writing things down, creating routines, and setting clear expectations helps you stop carrying every detail by memory. And honestly, mom brain does not need one more thing to remember.
Q: How do I keep my kids on track with school while I work?
A: Give them a clear school routine and expectations they can follow. Let them know what needs to be completed, where their schoolwork is, and what they should do when they finish. As they get older, they can become more independent. This does not happen overnight, but it is worth building because it helps your homeschool run without you micromanaging every subject.
Q: What is the most important planning strategy for work from home moms?
A: Create routines that protect your sanity. A good routine helps your day run with less nagging, fewer decisions, and more direction. It will not make your day perfect, but it will help you know what comes next. And sometimes knowing what comes next is the difference between getting things done and staring at your coffee wondering where the day went.
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