How To Set a Homeschool Morning Routine that WORKS!

Learning how to set a homeschool morning routine that works, AND you can actually stick to, is hard! I know because I’m a homeschool mom who has struggled to find our “groove” in the mornings. You know, the morning routine you feel like all the other homeschool families have mastered, but you’re failing at? Yes, THAT “groove”. 

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Let me start by putting your mind at ease – there isn’t a single homeschool family out there that has it all figured out, all of the time. There may be a season where things are running pretty smoothly, but seasons change! Kids enter new phases, life throws curve balls, and new challenges arise. Having a homeschool morning routine that works is NOT about having a homeschool schedule that you stick to no matter what’s going on in your life. In fact, it’s not about a schedule at all. It’s about using those morning hours with intention, to set the tone for the rest of the day. 

I’m going to present you with some simple ways to do this. If you’re feeling overwhelmed or like you’re not organized enough to be able to pull this off – please know that finding a routine that works for your whole family IS actually attainable. You 100% can learn how to set a homeschool morning routine that works, and I’m going to show you how.

Routine vs Schedule

Let us first discuss the difference between these two very different things. A routine is like a rhythm. When you have a predictable routine, everyone in the home knows what to expect during certain times of the day. For example – wake up, chores, breakfast, school, lunch, etc. None of these are assigned a specific time slot, but everyone knows that chores are before breakfast, breakfast is before school, and so on. 

A schedule works differently. When you create a morning schedule, everyone is expected to do things at a specific time. For example – wake up at 7:00, start chores at 7:30, eat breakfast at 8:30…you get the picture. While this may sound like it would get the ball rolling effectively every day, MOST families find that keeping a strict schedule like this just doesn’t work. 

If there are younger children in the home or you’re just a typical homeschool family that has lots of moving parts (much like my family), then you probably know that trying to adhere to a strict schedule is likely going to result in frustration.

Establishing a routine rather than a schedule is a game changer! Children thrive on routine, and having a solid daily routine vs a schedule means they know what to expect, but it also allows for flexibility when needed. 

What to include in your routine

Obviously, everyone’s morning routine is going to look a little different. Depending on how many kids you have and what needs to be done each day in your home, your routine could be completely different than mine. But to help you get some ideas on how to set a homeschool morning routine that will work for you, I’ll explain how we do ours.

Wake up

I know this seems obvious..haha! But establishing a rhythm of when everyone should be up is probably one of the most important aspects of getting your morning off to a good start. I’m a morning person, so I always wake up long before the kids do. I take this time to enjoy my coffee while the house is still quiet, get some work done, and think through my day. For many homeschool moms, having this quiet time before the house wakes up is what gives them the mental clarity they need. 

I realize it’s hard to get up early if you’re not a morning person. But even if you managed to get up 30 minutes before your children, after awhile I know you’d see the value in it. This quiet time is also a great time to read your Bible if you’re a Christian, make a to-do list for the day, and just give you the feeling of preparedness.

My children know not to come out of their rooms until 7:00. My son is always waiting for his clock to say it’s 7:00, and then he comes right out; whereas my daughter likes to sleep in but I usually wake her up around 7:30.

Chores

The first thing we do after everyone is awake is the morning chores. For me, this includes taking the dogs outside, feeding the chickens, and emptying the dishwasher. My daughter feeds her rabbits and guinea pigs, and my son helps me offload the dishwasher and feeds the dogs.

We all know that these things need to get done right away after waking up, before anything else. So even if the kids are a bit later getting up one day, the routine stays the same. 

We don’t do chore lists in our home because everyone just knows exactly what their jobs are. But depending on what needs to get done and the ages of your children, creating a chore chart may be the best way to ensure everyone knows what’s expected of them. 

Free Time

Most days, we have about half an hour between the chores being done and breakfast time. We AIM to eat breakfast around 8:30, but again, that time is flexible. So during free time, the kids will get dressed, brush teeth, and then have a bit of play time. 

Get Ready

I typically use my free time to have a quick shower, or just freshen up for the day. A great way to make your morning routine work well, is to get yourself ready. I’m not saying you need a full face of make up and perfectly styled hair. Not even close! But you should definitely change out of your pyjamas into some comfortable clothes, spray some dry shampoo into your hair, and feel “ready”. 

Why? Because mentally, it matters. When I’m in my pj’s, I still feel like I’m “off”. I’m less motivated, more tired, and more likely to slack a bit on what needs to get done. But when I get dressed, it’s like someone flips a switch inside my brain to “on”. 

Breakfast

This year, I’ve started something new with the kids that’s working really well. I’m combining our Bible study time with our breakfast. We call it “Breakfast/Bible” time. For us, it’s important do include Bible reading with the kids in our daily life, so doing it while they’re at the table eating and not wanting to go off and do something else has been a beautiful thing! 

I usually have another cup of coffee during this time, and we sit down together and read through our devotional. Our absolute favourite one is called “Indescribable“. It’s great because each page is a quick read and it’s all about seeing God’s creation in science. You can check it out HERE.

School Time

After breakfast is done, everyone knows that we flow into our school time. We’re already at the table so it’s an easy transition. In our home, we use a few different curriculums plus we do our own things as well. 

The first thing the kids do is work on their Morning Journals. My oldest, who’s 10, will write whatever she feels like, and will decorate each page differently. It’s a free-writing time where I don’t give any guidelines. The whole point is to get her brain going for the day and turn on her creativity. My youngest, who’s 5, will draw a picture in his journal each morning, and then dictate to me what he wants me to write. 

This is their absolute favourite thing to do in our school day so by starting our morning time with something they love, it means less push back. Try starting your morning school time with things your kids love. It really helps!

Break

After morning journals, we move into either Science or Math, and then it’s break time. And listen, the break isn’t just for them….it’s for me too! Being a homeschool mom is hard work and we need breaks just as much as the kids do. 

I usually have them play outside for 20 minutes or so, and I’ll take the time to do whatever I need to. Sometimes it’s switching laundry, getting things set up for when the kids come back inside, or just sitting for a few minutes. It doesn’t really matter what you do on your break, just make sure you take breaks!

Finish school/Lunch time

After our break, my oldest child will typically start her independent work, and I’ll sit with my youngest and help him. We always aim to be done school by lunch time so that we have the rest of our day free for all the other things in life!

As the mom, knowing we will be done by lunch helps me organize my brain for the day. If I have to get groceries, finish the laundry, get some work done, etc…I know I’ll have the afternoon to do those things. Having a set routine like this really helps minimize the mental stress that a homeschool parent can carry.

Quick Tips

All of that was an example of how WE do our morning routine. Like I said earlier, every family is different so yours probably won’t look exactly like mine, but it gives you an idea of a routine that keeps everyone on the same page, without feeling tied to a strict schedule. 

There are other little things you can do to guarantee a more successful morning routine. Here are some that have worked for me:

• Start preparing the night before. Each evening, just take 5 minutes to pull out any extra books or supplies you might need for the next day. It will allow you to wake up already feeling organized and can help things run a lot smoother. 
• Get enough sleep. This is so important! Make sure you are getting the sleep you need so that you can function your best. Nobody can run on empty!
• Stay off social media until AFTER school time is over. Yes…I’m going there. We all know how social media sucks us in, and what is meant to be a quick peek at pictures of your friends baby, somehow turns into 20 minutes of random cat videos. Get my point? This can cause so much stress when you’re trying to establish a routine and then realize you’re already halfway through your morning and have been distracted by social media. If there’s something you want to look at, plan to do it after your morning routine is finished.

A homeschool morning routine that WORKS for you and your family is possible, and you CAN do it! If you’re feeling a little burnt out and need some extra encouragement, take a peek at my post on 5 tips for creating a happy homeschooling experience.

Blessings!

~Maryann