First the homeschool lifesaving tips because I don’t want you to miss them. These two practices were critical to my sanity and to the flow of our days at home especially when the kids were little.
I know you don’t want me to say it, but I’m going to….you’ve heard it before and you’ve resisted….wake up earlier than the kids. There, I said it.
However you’ve resisted the idea, however you’ve rationalized it, I’m telling you, it made the biggest difference in my days when I was up and about at least an hour before the children. That quiet house in the morning prepared me for anything. Even busy errand days were easier because I was awake and showered before everyone and could organize whatever we needed.
You can implement this gradually or just tell yourself for a week at a time that you’re popping out of bed as soon as the alarm goes off (assuming you hear it).
Sleeping in might work fine for you. You may have the type of children who keep themselves busy with constructive pursuits while you sleep. Mine don’t. At least my youngest, the early bird in the family, would turn on the wii first thing if I weren’t awake to direct him otherwise.
Tip #2 applies more to families with small children but it can continue well into the elementary years. Implement a quiet time in the afternoon.
Do you know that panic you feel when your toddlers are growing out of their naps? Get into the habit of preserving this calm time in the afternoon by telling them they’ve graduated to quiet time. Some people call it “books on bed” time. Even when they got older (8,9 and 10) my children looked forward to this break from each other. If they didn’t read, they would listen to audio books from the library and draw or play solitaire or whatever. Our quiet time was usually from about 1-3 in the afternoon. That way, we could usually get it in before neighbor friends were home from school and before the hustle of afternoon activities began.
I encourage you to try both of these practices, you have nothing to lose, right?
Now for the announcement… I’m so happy to share the news that my ebook is now available in the Kindle store! (You might have noticed the sidebar).
My New eBook is Now Available!
I want to make clear that most of the information in the ebook is available on this site for free. The only difference is that the ebook format allowed me to present the information in a step-by-step progression. So far, I haven’t figured out how to do that here, I’m not sure it’s possible on a blog platform. Both the “Home” page and the “Start Here” page attempt to present the information in an organized progression, but I believe the ebook format works better.
The “Freebie” I mentioned is the ebook. It will be available as a free download from Saturday, August 31 through Monday, September 2. It’s based on Pacific Standard time so make sure you get it before 11:59 pm PST on Monday.
I really hope this will be a helpful resource for new and veteran homeschooling parents. If you do find the information useful, please consider leaving an honest review on Amazon.
Have a great holiday weekend!
Hi Beth,
One of the things I always recommend in my talks to homeschool moms is to get up before everyone else to pray. It really changed my life a few years ago. Nothing beats quiet time with God. First, it orients the whole day in the proper direction. Second, it hands everything to Him to His guidance so that it’s not about you and your performance but about His will for your family. Third, and unexpectedly, it multiplies time throughout the day. Yes, you actually have more time to get things done! So I have discovered. The little time you give right up front makes your whole day more productive. The name I give it is, “Tithing Time.” It’s not 10 percent but it is the first fruits of the day.