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    Practical Time Management Tips for Homeschool Moms - 2022-01-12 20:38:42-05

In this post, I’d like to share a few time management tips for homeschool moms. If there’s one thing all homeschool moms can agree on, it’s there doesn’t seem to be enough time in the day to accomplish everything on “the list.” While I’d love to be able to give you the fix-all tips, the truth is, there isn’t a one size fits all formula.

If I were to ask you about all the things you have going on in life, I’m sure you could list 20 things offhand. Between homeschooling, running a business, being involved in church, and running your household – there IS a way to make it all make sense. Here’s how.

The Reality of Time Management

Before moving on, I want to be perfectly honest.

Over time, time management has taken on the mentality that you must get it all done. Everything becomes a check mark and if it’s not completed, then somehow that makes you a failure.

Wrong!

The truth of the matter is being able to manage your time wisely should branch from realistic productivity. This is why schedules, routines, and your daily flow will look different from the next mom. It’s about catering to the needs of your family and creating a daily routine that works for you. Keep that in mind as you read the following suggestions.

Practical Time Management Tips for Homeschool Moms

Start with the homefront.

In the hustle of trying to create a manageable homeschool, it’s easy to forget about the tasks involved in keeping the home running smoothly. When these are calculated into the mix, things can get overwhelming very quickly.

That’s why I believe one of the most important things to focus on first are the homemaking tasks. This is anything from meal planning to household chores, and everything in between. 

It’s ideal to create a chore chart so everyone in the family will know what’s expected of them on a daily basis. Younger children may have less to do, but you could include them in helping with meal prep, creating the grocery list, and even setting the kitchen table. Older children can tackle a particular room each day, handle some yard work, or help other family members.

Include the whole family in creating a routine.

One of the best ways to get and keep everyone on the same page is to create a routine together. Set aside time to gather together and discuss everything that needs to be “scheduled.” Include time for school work, extracurricular activities, personal time, and the like.

Making this a family endeavor is also one of the best ways to teach time management skills. From the morning routine to the end of the day, write down everything your family typically does on a daily basis. Then, schedule and block off time for the various tasks and activities.

Use time management tools.

The most go-to tools to use is a paper planner, especially for the working homeschool mom. It helps to have one general place for all things schedule and routine alike. Digital planners are also making a rise, along with various apps (i.e., Google calendar )that can be synced between phones and tablets.

Regardless of the tool you plan to use, one tip that can work wonders is creating a time block for each major activity and task. This would be things like homeschooling, working, co-op group meetings, and extracurricular activities.

Let your older kids create their own school schedule.

As your children get older, you’ll want to give them more responsibility. In this case, begin with letting them have more of a say in their homeschool work. If your teen is working, then this is the perfect time to help them learn how to plan homeschooling around their work schedule, while leaving plenty of time to accomplish other activities.

My daughter, Gentry, told me thank you for letting me learn how to manage my homeschool. None of my college friends knew how to plan their time or even how to study on their own.

Believe it or not, these are life skills that are usually overlooked as valuable homeschooling, but they shouldn’t be. Most adults agree that they wish they would’ve had more emphasis placed in these areas as teens and young adults.

Be intentional about planning family time.

A great way to foster family relationships and take a break from being busy is to intentionally schedule family time. Extra points if it includes no electronics. It is easy to pour so much time in the day-to-day tasks without taking time for yourself and teaching your children to do the same.

When you’re a busy family, the main reason for intentional family time is to wind down and spend quality time together. Setting this time apart comes with many benefits.

Final Thoughts

I wanted to close with my best time management tip that I didn’t mention above – give yourself grace and leave room for change. As your children get older, things will change without a doubt. Don’t get too fixed on a concrete routine or see change as a bad thing.

Always adjust as needed and keep doing so until you find your unique family groove. Spend extra time on the things that matter most and leave space for things that may pop up. Overall, the goal should always be realistic productivity versus marking things off a checklist.

To help you start your schedule, I have a Homeschool Schedule Ideas printable (normally $7) that’s free for you. You’ll receive my very simple lesson plan that I used all ten years with my kids, as well as copies of my daily schedules in elementary and high school years. All you need to do is enter your name and email below.

No fluff. No decoration. If you’d like a copy of my daily schedules and lesson planner that I used for 10 years, leave your name & email below. We’ll zip it on over to you.

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