Sheldon Headley When it comes to homeschooling, creating a routine that is going to work for you
and your children can be difficult. How do you maintain the level of focus required for
education when you are in your own home? How do you maintain a schedule that is
going to create the same type of structure that might be found in a school? Don’t stress!
Lots of parents go through the same type of questions when they make the decision to
teach their children from home, and we are here to help!
The first step, breathe! You absolutely do not need to create a schedule that
states you will do writing at precisely 9am and math at 11am, rather, create a loose
routine that you will be able to refer to. Setting a routine is going to assist both you and
your children throughout the day as you move through what is outlined, but will not keep
you stressed about the time.
You are at home, and with that, you are likely going to be hit with distractions so
leave the time for these things to happen. By using a loosely set-out routine that keeps
in mind things that could come up at home, you will not find yourself stressing if the dog
needs a walk, or you get an unexpected visitor at your front door. When creating your
routine, add in some miscellaneous time that will allow you to deal with unforeseen
circumstances.
Related: Make sure your child stays focused
Don’t force every subject into one day. Let’s be honest, your day is going to be
busy balancing the things going at home while teaching your child, so figure out a
learning schedule that makes sense for you. Maybe one day you need to do laundry
and can’t take the time for a math lesson, or have appointments on certain days that are
going to take up time. Look at what your life looks like outside of teaching, and plan
what subjects are going to come on what day around that!
Do you find yourself worried about keeping your children focused at home? You
are not alone! A great tip that will allow your child to separate home from homeschool is
creating an environment they can learn in that is separate from where they might spend
their free time. Being in this space is going to allow you to stay on routine and within the
learning mindset.
Start by finding somewhere in your home that has lots of space and will be easy
for your child to do their work. Set up a table or a desk where your child can sit and
include the necessary supplies like notepads and pencils. The working space is not only
about your child, it is about you too! You have items that you are going to be using to
teach, and you do not need to be carrying them all around the house. When creating
your own special learning space within your home, create a space where you can work
or organize your teaching supplies too.
Teaching from home can be intimidating, especially when you are trying to force yourself to stick to a very strict schedule. Before you allow yourself to get overwhelmed, take a minute to allow yourself to understand that your schedule can change from day to day. You are at home, so take that into consideration when creating your routine.
