I'm back with the final installment of the refresh your homeschool series! In this post, we will explore ways to help you do more of what you love and do less of what you don't like. This step is all about how to structure and plan your day to get you back on track and over of the homeschool slump.
Quick Recap
In Step 1 of the refresh your homeschool series, we began with an evaluation of what works and what doesn't work for our homeschools. We evaluated the system we use to plan, our homeschool philosophies, and explored everything in between.
In Step 2 we did a review of where we are, why we crave change, and what we can do about our current situations. We took an honest look at our priorities and needs.
If you haven't checked out Step 1 or Step 2, or if you need to re-read, do so now. I'll wait.
For those of you ready to move on, download your free worksheets from the Member's Library and let's get back to it! Remember to set aside uninterrupted time for yourself to complete these tasks.
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Step 1: Time to Chart
Grab your pen and paper and write out your ideal daily schedule. There are a couple of ways you can do this. The worksheets you can download include a chart for you to plug everything into. Alternatively, you can make your own 24-hour graph or pie chart.
Record your vision of a perfect day. Start with your ideal wake up time and finish with your preferred bedtime. Include downtime for yourself and any quality time you may want to spend with your significant other (if you have one). Once you finish that, grab another piece of paper and capture your typical day.
Step 2: Mark It
After you finish with your daily schedules, mark the times you experience the most chaos in your house. Notice I said MOST, your entire day cannot be the most chaotic! 😛 Done? Now mark the times that are the calmest. Also, go through and highlight any family time or personal time you carve out for yourself.
Step 3: Review
Grab your notes or the worksheets you completed in Refresh Your Homeschool Step 2: Assess. What are the top 3 things you want to change? What are the top 3 things you want to continue to do? Look at your typical daily schedule and think about where you can make adjustments.
If you have a brain drain after lunch and would like math to be more enjoyable and productive, can you move it to a better part of the day? Do you despise nature walks because it's too cold in the morning? Afternoon walks may be a better option for your family.
What about your morning basket? Is it something everyone enjoys and don't want to make adjustments? Leave it! Don't make a change for the sake of change. Only make adjustments where they are needed.
Don't make a change for the sake of change. Only make adjustments where they are needed.
- Callie
Step 4: Plan It Out
You have your ideal day, your typical day, and your review pages. Now it is time to create a new daily routine to help you refresh your homeschool and move past the homeschool slump. Start small. Make a few changes now so you are more likely to stick to your new routine. Don't jump in with both feet and overwhelm yourself.
You can even plan your routine around the changes you want to make that bring calm to your day! Plug in the times you need to have meals ready, the nap times and highlight the calm times. Now mark the times when everyone is just over the day. Don't plug important things into those times. Once you finish, copy onto a clean sheet of paper and try it out!
Step 5: Rinse and Repeat
Give your new routine a try for a week or two. Once you see if it is a good fit for your family, repeat the steps in this post with the next 3 most important changes on your list! Remember, small, consistent changes are the ones that are most likely to stick. And hey, if things don't work like you think they should tweak as needed!
Everyone gets into a rut, but hopefully the refresh your homeschool series has helped you see that you can get back on track! Always remember that every day is a fresh start and cut yourself some slack. You've got this! Don't forget to grab the printables in the Members Area and give this post a share if you like it and found it helpful.
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