Homeschooling is a beautiful endeavor, but it takes careful planning to get a good rhythm going with your family.
“For which of you, if he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost to see if he has enough to complete it?”
Luke 14:28
The summer seems to be wrapping up. Yes, yes, I know—the first day of summer was June 20, but it seems like when we hit the middle of July, I start to feel it winding down. We’ve finished the summer reading program at the library, we’ve gone swimming, the 4th of July has come and gone, and we’ve eaten our fair share of watermelon. When summer starts to wind down, I begin to feel the urge to have my fall school plan perfectly put together.
I don’t know what that fall planning looks like for you, but my brain begins to spin up.
I want to do it ALL.
There are so many beautiful options when it comes to educating our children. We want to give them the world which means giving them the very best education possible. But before we jump to selecting math, ordering rich literature, picking poetry to memorize, and filling the calendar, let's take a minute to ask a few questions.
- What is important to your family?
My husband and I spent a day recently dreaming about the future and listing our family values (things like togetherness, discipleship, and fun). Knowing these things gives me a lens through which to filter my school plan.
Because we have a family value of discipleship, I know I want to start my school day with prayer and Bible reading. I want to sing hymns and memorize Scripture because that is important to me.
Because we have a family value of togetherness, I will pick a curriculum that gives our family time to build connection and relationships with one another. I will read books out loud to everyone so we can have the shared experience of becoming friends with book characters. The majority of our family activities for school will be together because that is important to us.
Learn more about connection through curriculum with the Peaceful Press
Because we have a family value of simplicity, I will choose to do less. I will say “No” to a lot of things so we can have simple days at home. We will do a few things, but we will try to do those few things well.
What is important to your family? Take time to talk that through before you start ordering all the things. The Peaceful Press Planner can help.
- What brings joy to your family?
We love reading aloud together. We usually have a couple read-alouds going for our school time, an audio book for the car, and an additional chapter book that my husband is reading—which we share in the evenings with our kids. Reading is a joy in our house, so we prioritize reading time. My bigger kids are allowed to read for 15-30 minutes most nights in their rooms before bed. We have bookshelves in almost every room, and I try to say “Yes” to books as often as possible because it is a source of joy for our family.
We love music, too. My husband and I were both music majors in college. My husband was a worship pastor for many years. We still regularly serve on our church worship team. Each of our kids were given a ukulele by their grandparents before they were born. Music is important to us and a big part of our family culture. That means while we might not do sports, we will teach guitar and piano. I might find harmonica videos for my 6 year old, and there will be days we don’t get to math because we’re learning something new on piano.
We also love being outside. Taking time to explore God’s creation and marvel at what he made brings us joy. We will stop often to admire a flower or take a walk around our pond. We will go on nature expeditions with other homeschool friends regularly. These mini adventures together bring joy to our family.
Create a weekly nature study rhythm with the Nature Book Flood
What brings joy to your family? Before filling your school days, make sure you know the things that are life giving to your unique family.
- What season of life am I in?
I have 5 kids ages 10 and under. I have been in a lot of different seasons. There was the baby and toddler season of board books and lots of snacks. There was the baby, toddler, and little kids season of reading lessons during nap time. There was the baby, toddler, little kid, and big kid season of read-alouds and drawing while wearing a baby. Now I’m in the season of no babies, but I have an active toddler, a little kid, and 3 bigger kids, which involves a little bit of everything with more and more help from the bigger kids.
Your season of life is so important to consider when planning your year.
You might want to do each and every activity in your curriculum, but that would involve working through nap time (and you might be pregnant and need a nap on most days). If so, let go of doing it all and do only what you can get done in a morning.
You might love the idea of a fun co-op once a week where your kids can learn art, science, and Spanish. But you might have a baby who prefers naps at home and a toddler who is into everything. If that is you, say “No” to the co-op for this year and instead plan a peaceful year at home. There will be co-op years later when your kids are older.
What season of life are you in? Are you in your last trimester preparing for the arrival of a new baby? Are you regularly woken up at night by a baby or a toddler, or do you get a full night's sleep each night? Do you have additional help with kids throughout the week, or do you live away from family and manage things on your own? Considering your unique season of life can help you decide what to add to your homeschool year.
- How am I uniquely wired?
We are good at considering our children’s unique learning styles and preferences, but it is also important to consider our unique preferences for educating.
I really don’t like being rushed. If I feel hurried, I have to work harder to be a kind and patient mother. I know this about myself, so I try not to say “Yes” to things that would require me to leave the house with my kids early in the morning. Most of our regular activities outside the home intentionally happen after 10:00 a.m.
I don’t enjoy busy work. If a curriculum calls for lots of worksheets, I generally do not choose it. It is not life giving to me to assign lots of extra sheets.
I love “open and go” curriculums. I love when I can open my curriculum and know exactly what we will do that day. I want to say, “Let’s do math!”, then jump right in without having to tell my child to wait a moment while I figure out what we are doing.
I love great books—both chapter books and picture books. I want to read both when educating my children. I want beautiful pictures and rich literature. If a curriculum is not literature based, I will likely not enjoy it no matter how well it rates.
These are all things I know about myself and consider when making homeschool decisions.
Homeschooling is such a beautiful journey. As you put together your plan for this next year, take time to consider your individual family. Celebrate things your friends are doing, but don’t feel the need to copy them. One of the amazing things about homeschooling is our ability to tailor our homeschool to our unique families. May you find joy as you put together a year of education that will bless you family!
Guest post by Tia Rails
Additional Resources
Habits for a Sacred Home by Jennifer Pepito
Discover our favorite homeschool mama books here!