{photo by David Mao}
Welcome back! For those who are new to SLOCA or just figuring out the blog, Tuesdays here at Down Home will usually feature topics about homeschooling, home life, chores, parenting, organization, recipes, love of learning, and parent-contributed posts such as “A Day in the Life.”
One thing just about all of us can relate to right now is the transition back to a more regular morning routine. School’s just started, but we all know that mornings can sometimes be brutal. Getting out the door on time with all the backpacks, assignments, and lunch boxes, and without yelling…? Let’s just say this is an area we probably all want to improve in this year. And then there’s the home day mornings. While the change of pace is nice (and many of us love starting school in our pjs), we also know it can be a challenge to get kids up and ready to start home schooling when you don’t have to be somewhere at a firm time.
SLOCA families in our 2-day program have to consider whether to have the same morning routine for both home days and school days, or change it up. There are certainly pros and cons to keeping the morning wake up time and routine consistent across the days, versus sleeping in a bit and having a more relaxed morning on home days. And what works for one family (or one child) might not be best for another. That’s one of the beautiful things about combining in-class learning with home education! You can decide how to structure your time at home and do what works best for your household, and for each child.
But don’t you love to hear what other people do? Aside from the basics, like “make sure your kids get enough sleep,” ”give them an alarm clock,” “have a morning checklist,” and “pack lunches and backpacks the night before.” All great advice to be sure, but here’s a handful of other ideas we discovered that you might find helpful as you adjust to home and school mornings over the next few weeks:
School Morning Routine That Will Change Everything (from Playtivities) – This inventive mom uses music in the mornings to get her kids up and at ‘em, and to stay on task with morning chores.
12 Ridiculously Simple Hacks Every Parent Needs In The Morning (from Huffington Post) – They also suggest the music idea, and add several more smart tips! They may not all be for you, but scroll through and you might find a genius idea to help ease the morning chaos.
Morning Routine Printable (from Free Homeschool Printable) – Maybe this cheery yet simple checklist will start your home days off right. You can read how one mom uses this over at Mom Complicated.
Creating the Best Morning Routine for Your Homeschool from Midwest Parent Educators – Experienced home schoolers share their best tips for transitioning from bed to school at home.
And one more tip from Alea at Premeditated Leftovers: “Give yourself a 20 minute grace period. This is important because no matter how perfect you plan ahead SOMETHING will happen. Having this grace period gives you breathing room so you aren’t rushed.” Great advice!
We want to hear from our SLOCA families: Do you plan to have the same morning routine for both home days and school days? Do you have any tips for easing the morning madness and getting kids out the door or ready for home school on time without feeling crazy? Please share your thoughts in the comments below!
