If you are a homeschooling parent or are thinking about becoming one, then you know that time management is key. Not only do you have to manage time for your homeschooling tasks, but you need to fit "life" in there as well. Here are some tips to help that happen.
Instructions
1. Determine goals. Tasks for homeschooling families can be so diverse that you'll need to categorize them. After all, homeschooling children are generally involved in all aspects of family life, so you'll need more categories than language arts, math, science and social studies. Some homeschooling families have tasks that fall under "farming" or "gardening" or "volunteerism." Of course, these tasks can fall under a general category as well, but you get the idea. Decide what goals are most important to you and write them down.
2. Make three lists. Make one list of overall, or broad goals that you'd like to accomplish within a a broad range of time, say a semester or even a year. Make another list of goals you'd like to accomplish within the next month. Next, make a list of what absolutely needs to be done each week. Can any of the items on your broad list make it to your "next month or two" list? If so, move them over. Likewise, can any of the "must do's" for the week be moved to the "next month or two list?" Take an honest assessment and by all means, don't panic.
3. Outline a sample of your typical week. Write down what you do and when you normally do it. Include all homeschooling activities as well as all household chores and shopping. Include it all.
4. Once you are finished, take a look at this list. Is there anything on this list that feels "off" to you? Is there anything that you absolutely don't like doing? Write those down under a separate category to be looked at and potentially changed later.
5. Take your weekly chores from above and divide them out into days of the week. For instance, make Mondays "laundry days" or Thursdays "shopping days." Try to portion out the household chores or other non-homeschooling tasks evenly throughout the week. This will leave larger blocks of time each day for homeschooling activities.
6. This can work even for families whose adults both work outside the home and homeschool. In fact, this is often the best schedule to keep if you work outside the home and homeschool your children. Unfortunately, household tasks are never ending, however, they can be built into your homeschooling routine and made to be part of your curriculum.
7. Be sure to leave large blocks of time available for all your homeschooling tasks each day. Part of the reason parents often home school their children is because they enjoy the flexibility that learning at home can bring. Don't lose this wonderful freedom; leave chunks of time open-ended so that you can fill or adapt these time frames as needed.
8. Look at the list you made in the previous step of the things you absolutely dislike doing. See if you can incorporate any of these tasks into your weekly schedule above. For instance, one homeschooling mom may complain that with her kids at home all the time, she can't possibly keep up with cleaning the kitchen. Their sinks are overflowing with dirty dishes and the counters are sticky and messy all the time. This mom can remedy this situation by listening to audio books as she cleans her kitchen. She can preview what her 12- and 14-year-old children are reading and gave her the perfect opportunity to combine both tasks while making a previously "dreaded" chore enjoyable.
9. Stick to it. Finally, once you have your weekly schedule complete, stick to it. Give it two whole weeks of semi-rigid adherence. After that, adapt and change as needed. If you are new to scheduling, it is important to give this process at least a couple of weeks so that you are able to feel the rhythm and flow of your new days and weeks. It may take some tweaking, but once you get a general idea of the tasks you need to accomplish, the goals you wish to accomplish and the things that can be put off or combined with another, less enjoyable task, you will see that your chunks of time for homeschooling have now expanded.
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