How do you begin your day? Do you have a morning routine? In our home, I have noticed that our days go much better if we begin with good habits right from the start of our day. I think it's important to stay on track so we don't waste a lot of precious time.
Normally I get up around 5 or 5:30 so I can spend time with the Lord, see my husband off to work, and get some work done before getting the kids up. I use to get my kids up early, but that wasn't working for them or for me. They are night owls and I am an early bird. They would be grumpy when woken up too early and that would make me grouchy as well, so waiting to get them up while I get some quiet time is best for our family.
When I wake my kiddos up at 8, they head downstairs to eat breakfast. After eating they begin their morning checklists. These checklists consist of personal devotions, making beds, cleaning up their bedrooms, feeding pets, and getting ready for the day by brushing their teeth, combing their hair, and getting dressed. After they complete these tasks we head back downstairs to start school. It's a system that works well for our family.
Beginning next Monday, we are going to be changing things a bit. Typically we begin school with Bible class, but I want to make it more than just a class. I want to really focus on studying God's Word and praying together as a family. I want to spend more time seeking Him and not letting it become just a part of our routine. I believe our time with Jesus sets the atmosphere for our entire school day. If we allow Him to lead us, everything else will fall into place.
Once our Bible time is finished we begin working on the rest of our agenda for the day. It's not a rigid schedule, but instead a list of things we want to finish before the end of the school day. We try to finish before 3 or so.
I love being able to homeschool and spend time with my kids, but if we didn't find a groove that worked for us, our days would be very hectic. Finding a good routine is key to having a peaceful home when you are together day in and day out. Be flexible yet consistent.
I would love to hear from you. How do you do things in your home?
My kids are early birds and while I we are all up early we found that starting school before 8 or 9 just doesn't work for us. We all need time to wake slowly. We do gather around the table around 8:30 to eat breakfast and I'll start reading a chapter or two aloud from our family read aloud book then the boys all scatter after breakfast to get ready for the day. As they are each ready they'll head back to the table and tackle some schoolwork. I'll stay nearby if anyone needs help but I am trying to encourage them to work independently as much as possible this year.
ReplyDeleteMy son is definitely a night owl...fortunately, so am I. :) I'm usually up by 7:30 or so to see my husband off to work, and then I get some work done before my son gets up. He's pretty independent, so after he's ready for the day, he just grabs his list and gets to work. Whenever he wants to discuss something or brainstorm with me, we both stop and do so - and then we get back to work. We stop throughout the day for snacks or meals, projects, etc. It's a routine that wouldn't work for everyone, but it does for us!
ReplyDeleteI really like your checklist idea for things that need to be done beforehand! I'm not an early bird but I am determined to start this school year! Id really love to start the fall days witha brisk walk however I doubt that will happen unless we get up two hours earlier like you do! I was planning on starting school by 7:30 am and ending by 2pm Monday thru Thursday, I am seeking to have her enter a Friday homeschooled extra classroom with other peers from the community in our local charter school. That would give me a day to either do me time or rest or get errands and house cleaning done. I totally agree that you need a great rhythm to the day ESPECIALLY when you are together so much! That Friday class takes care of music, art, pe, and library day as well as some social interaction, a sense of belonging. I have to admit I feel pretty alone in this endeavor, the Facebook group is my only outlet for support. How do you handle lunch time and prep time for dinner etc. I feel like I wish I had a live in cook lol! I'm Jill Fayaz didn't know that google made me unknown ! Weird!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing! My kids get up early but they are not allowed out of their room until 7- I usually finish feeding the baby in my room shortly after but if I am still in my room when they wake up they know they need to have their Bible read before they do anything else- they are required to read the passage that we will be reading first thing when we start school. They then have animal chores to take care of and then they can play till breakfast!
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