Brainstorming About This Year’s Homeschooling Schedule

This year like any other year is bringing with it new challenges for fitting everything in for a day. This year we have to juggle both boys in school, my blog, my husband’s blog, and my VA work along with life in general (i.e. running errands, cooking, cleaning and having some down time.) Plus I do help out with the family business as needed. This post is just as much for you as it is for ME. I write to think out how to solve my problems  with my homeschooling schedule.

In a sense, I’m doing the thinking out loud with you. I hope in the comments you’ll write your input. Outsiders have a way of seeing things totally different than the person going through the situation.

Success in My Homeschooling Schedule

My kids do for the most part TRY to do their school work. There are days when they don’t, but those are usually days when they’ve been interrupted. (I honestly think that has to do with the fact that they have just lost their groove. Usually once we get interrupted it means it’s going to happen REPEATEDLY throughout a given day.) My kids are fairly quick learners and once they learn something we can easily move on to the next topic and for me that’s a HUGE blessing. When they struggle, I have been blessed with loads of independent programs that they can work on to improve in those areas.

My husband does have the kids help with chores around the house and that eases of a LOT of the burdens on me. He helps out a LOT too. I have a wonderful support system with him. He’s completely behind us homeschooling and steps in when the kids get out of control. Usually he takes on two of the kids while I do one on one work with the other one.

I have lesson plans and materials already given to me by the school we use. I don’t have to plan out lessons each day. I just have to ear mark in their textbooks and workbooks what they have to for the next day. I can check their work at the end of the day and go over any questions or issues they may be having. On a good week when we don’t get thrown off track too much, I can usually have all the kids’ lessons done by Thursday freeing everyone up to do things they want/need to do.

We normally do try to get up around 7am and get started. That has worked for us in the past, but we will see if it works for us this year since Delbert is going into a harder school year. Plus Jimmy is going into the big fifth grade. For me fifth grade was a big year! I wonder if it’s going to be the same way for Jimmy.

What time does your homeschooling day start for you and for your kids? 

Problems in My Homeschooling Schedule

The Constant Interruptions

Regardless how many times I stress to certain members of my family, they still continue to interrupt my working and the kids school work. There is hardly ever a day that has gone by that we haven’t had someone interrupt what we are doing. My husband may interrupt us, but he doesn’t do it when we are busy doing important things (i.e. lessons or paid blogging work.) He’s very respectful of the important things we have to get done in a day.

However, there are others who aren’t as respectful. Therefore, we end up losing our train of thought or a good working flow that we may be on. When the kids get interrupted it’s like pulling teeth to get them back on track, and I end up losing a whole day worth of education time. When I get interrupted in the midst of writing a blog post or even scheduling social media, nine times out of ten my entire thought for the blog post just goes out the window.

Now I’ve tried everything under the sun to try to express this to those I love. Nothing I’m doing is working! They want our attention and they want it NOW! I have tried creating working hours, but when you’re interrupted during those working hours you end up getting so far behind you can’t make it up.

I don’t want to have this year be a stressful year again for all of us. I want this year to be a school year where we can focus on learning and having fun. I want my kids to be able to enjoy learning and not having me so stressed that my patience is just nonexistent because I feel like every precious moment we have is vital because I never know when we’re going to be interrupted.

How do you get others to respect your working from home (whether it’s actually working or homeschooling your kids?)

Having Decent Meals

I can’t stand to do meal planning. I know I should do it, but I have always had the problem of if I have to plan out what I’m going to eat that by the time I have to go eat it I flat out CAN’T. I gag at the thought of eating something that has been planned for me. Now, if it’s cooking in a slow cooker that’s a different story because I can smell it cooking and have to check on it throughout the day.

I know you’re thinking, come up with a long list of slow cooker meals to cook then. Here’s the problem: my husband is highly allergic to so many things it’s hard to do that and I have a bunch of picky eaters on my hands (myself included.) I’ve have looked for really good slower cooker recipes using things my family loves, but they seem to not exist. All the meals my family enjoys eating are very time consuming to make or are flat out unhealthy. I’m tired of eating like that!

If you have recipes that include chicken, turkey, pork chops, and hamburger but yet DON’T include onions, paprika, and loads of vegetables and a bunch of different sauces (that nine times out of ten have onions in them) then please oh please send them my way.

What are you struggling with for creating a homeschool routine in your home? 

This post was a part of the 5 Days of Back to School Blog Hop.

Be sure to check out the blogs in my group.

Jennifer @ Chestnut Grove Academy

 Rebecca @ Raventhreads

Jennifer @  Milk & Honey Mommy

Dawn @ Guiding Light

Homeschool Monique @ Living Life and Learning

Erin @ For Him and My Family

Lisa @ A Rup Life

Beth @ Weavings