In the 36 short weeks when school is in session, you have a million things to accomplish. Where to start? It can definitely seem daunting.

I springboard off by making a basic list of subjects, both necessary and optional. Ones either I, or my children, are interested in exploring. Please, I urge you, involve your children in this decision-making process. Choosing things they are interested in will help you both stay focused and motivated. Together, we decide what curriculum or books we want to use for each subject. Then I dig into the books to find out how many chapters (or units, or lessons) are in the book. From there, I work out how much work they’ll need to do on the subject, per day, per week, to finish it within the school year.

I like to give myself an extra week or two of flexibility in my schedule to use for negotiation or spontaneity. You don’t want things to be so snug there isn’t room for emergencies, illnesses, or last minute field trips.

Bible, math, language, and spelling are things I typically do every day, but other things like history, handwriting, typing, or science are negotiable. I may plan them every other day, or schedule them for twice a week. Bonus things like robotics, Snap Circuits, Latin, or art tend to be only scheduled once a week.

I then take into consideration our family’s extracurricular activities like Taekwondo, horse riding lessons, and piano lessons, and plan those days to be a little lighter on schoolwork.

Once my plan is formulated, I write it down. Our master list has each child’s name on it, telling them what is to be done each day. I laminate this list and post it on our refrigerator for quick reference.

I’ve never been one to write up exhaustive, highly detailed lesson plans for every subject far out in advance. Typically, we just do the next lesson in each book every day. Exceptions are history and science, where I like to throw in extra projects that tie into what we are studying—some of which require advance planning, like field trips or science experiments. Those projects are written in a separate notebook for my own reference. Honestly, some of my favorite lessons have been ones I just wanted to study that weren’t in our curriculum. I just pulled stuff together that was relevant and made it fun.

We are molding characters for life and beyond, not just educating minds for a career. Don't crowd in so much to the point of overwhelming yourself or your child and losing your joy. Click To Tweet

Every child is different, and you would be wise to take that into consideration when planning their schedules. I have one daughter that adores art. She lives and breathes a different atmosphere than I do; one I’m convinced that has shapes I don’t recognize, and lines and colors I’m not even sure exist. I found some art books to integrate into her language curriculum. She studies a particular painting, reads about it, and then answers questions and writes about it.

I have another daughter that tends to hide in the background, she just quietly goes about her business.  It’s nice for me not to have to oversee or micromanage her, but I know she really appreciates one-on-one time with me. I purposely carve out time to play educational games with her. I’ve noticed her mood can shift in a negative way if she is neglected too long. When we understand what makes our children tick, it goes a long way towards keeping good attitudes afloat.

Make sure you pick a regular break time to work into your schedule. It can be tempting to forego, but I believe it is extremely important. Those times are as rejuvenating for us as teachers as they are for our students! Taking as little as 15-20 minutes to go outside: running around the backyard, jumping on the trampoline, or just basking in the sunshine can make a world of mental difference. When things get frustrating or intense, it’s a good idea to take an additional five minute break here or there.

Lastly, we must remember we are molding characters for life and beyond, not just educating minds for a career. Don’t crowd in so much to the point of overwhelming yourself or your child and losing your joy. School can, and should, be fun whenever possible. If you don’t finish everything, every day, take a deep breath and realize it’s okay. The joy of learning should guide your schedule—sticking to your schedule shouldn’t dictate your joy.