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It’s that time of year again – back to homeschool! It’s a time for new homeschool curriculum, lesson plans, school supplies, new routines and rhythms, and lots of preparation to get the season off to a smooth start.

We are beginning our 8th year of homeschooling, and my kids and I are all excited to make some new memories this year and have fun learning together. I wanted to share some tips with you that have helped me over these past couple of years.

So whether you are a homeschool veteran, or this is your first year, I hope you will benefit from some of my best homeschool advice and make this a wonderful homeschool year!

1. Know your “why” for homeschooling.

I was not homeschooled growing up, and was in the camp of NEVER considering it an option (and thinking my friends who did were crazy).

However, once my son was kindergarten-age, I felt a strong calling from God that I knew I couldn’t ignore.

I knew that there would be sacrifices and challenges, but I never could have imagined the blessings that would have followed and how my heart would be changed.

My “why” for homeschooling was first obedience to the Lord, and to ensure my kids would have the best education possible.

Over these short years, I have seen our family relationships grow stronger; I have been able to help my kids learn at their own pace in ways that work best for them.

I have been given the opportunity to disciple their hearts and help instill a love of learning (a work in progress).

When I was considering homeschooling, I was introduced to Israel Wayne at a convention and his book “Education: Does God Have an Opinion?” was life-changing and solidified my “why”.

I realized very early on (especially after teaching high school math in public school for 8 years) that our family’s faith and our core values would not be taught in a public school setting, and it was my responsibility to make sure they were taught at home.

Whatever YOUR “why”, have a clear vision of it to keep you going on days that might be more-than-challenging (there will be a few!).

Pro-tip: Print out my free Curriculum & Activity Planner which has a place to record your homeschool mission statement. If you don’t already have one, get it solidified this week and post it in a place you can be reminded daily!

2. Make a realistic (grace-filled) schedule or plan.

I know that this one won’t be for everyone, but it is essential for us that we have some kind of plan and structure in place.

For me, this just looks like having an outline for each day of the week, which includes the same routine each morning to kick off our homeschool day.

I have two tools I created to help me with planning, organizing and structuring our days: a Homeschool Tracker and a Chore Chart Printable for the kids.

I like to use the Weekly Schedule sheet from the Tracker to create an hour-by-hour plan for each day…if we don’t hit the time-frames exactly, it’s ok! It more or less just gives us an idea of what our obligations are each week and what schoolwork we need to accomplish each day.

As for our morning routine, my kids are early risers without any prompting from me!

They know that 8:00am is our start time each day…and that if (and only if) they get up, get dressed, have breakfast, and get their chores done before then, they can use their electronics before we begin. It’s a great motivation for them, and it really helps to have this structure in place. Once 8:00 hits, we all know it’s ready to start our school work.

Pro-tip: Get organized! If you’re looking for a great homeschool planner still, check out my recommendations here.

3. Ease in to the homeschool year.

In Missouri, our official school year runs from July 1st through June 30th. We typically finish our year at the end of May, and take some time off during June. Then, instead of having a hard-start come August, we really like to ease back in once July rolls around.

This year, we started with just Math for a couple of days, then added in Reading. The next week, we did those two and added on English and Spelling. The next week was Handwriting and Latin, and finally Science and History (I let my kids pick the order that we added everything in).

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Why We Love BJU Press Curriculum

I really recommend this approach if your curriculum is designed in a way that allows this! It has been so nice to get back into the swing of the school routine, but not have to start with a full, heavy load.

Pro-tip: Make sure you’re up-to-date on your state’s laws on what you are required to teach and track this year. My Homeschooling in 50 States Series is a great resource for gathering info, and Homeschool Hall is your go-to for state requirement tracking.

4. Take breaks.

This one can be hard for me because I have a tendency to just want to plow through once we get started, and just get. it. all. done. But, I am learning that my kids (and me!) really benefit from taking breaks when needed.

And that it’s ok.

If any of you get tired or frustrated…just take a break!

Whether it’s a short 5 minute break between lessons, or a day off each week, or even a whole week off every once in a while, I definitely recommend working breaks into your schedule when planning.

It’s so easy to see all the work that needs to be done and get frustrated when the kids get off track, but those moments can be beneficial and help everyone be more productive overall.

Don’t sacrifice the joy of homeschooling and the relationship with your kids to push through work.

Pro-tip: Sometimes you need to hear things like this over and over, which is why I love reading and learning from other seasoned homeschool moms. Check out this list of books for homeschooling tips and encouragement.

5. Enjoy learning WITH your kids.

It’s such a joy to be able to learn alongside my kids! I love watching and encouraging them in their successes, and working together to strengthen weaknesses. I learn something new everyday in the process.

This year we will be working on having a “morning time” with our family before independent work time. I’m looking forward to implementing this special time together before everyone goes off on their own.

We plan on doing memory work together, read-alouds, and choosing something new to learn together as a family each month. I can’t wait to see how this helps strengthen our homeschool this year.

Pro-tip: Get your Bible study in during your morning time, so it happens first thing each day. Take a look at our favorite Homeschool Bible Curriculum.

6. Let go of perfection in homeschool.

I know, I know. Easier said than done…but important to try!

You will not be perfect, and there is so much value in modeling mistakes, and humility, for your kiddos. It’s a great blessing of homeschooling and all the time you’ll spend together! Don’t be afraid to ask your kids for prayer and forgiveness.

Have compassion for yourself in the midst of overwhelm and doubt – you can do this! It’s ok to have tough days (even the Pinterest-perfect mamas do!), and it’s ok not to know all the answers (who does??). You are on a beautiful journey; find a good support system, take time for yourself, and take one day at a time.

Too many times we can feel pressure from ourselves to be or look like other families, or to compare our children, and we lose our joy in learning. God gave us our children for a reason, and will equip us with what we need when we need it.

Take a breath, find joy in the journey (even the obstacles!) and humbly learn and grow with your children.

Pro-tip: Cover your homeschool in prayer this year. Join me in my FREE homeschool prayer challenge and receive a new prayer printable each week.

Simple Homeschool Advice

As a former public school teacher, I never thought I would be homeschooling my own kids, but I’ve never been more thankful for the opportunity than now.

I would love to hear in the comments which tips resonated with you the most, or if you have any of your own to share!

I hope you all have a wonderful and blessed homeschool year!

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