The 4-Step Nightly Routine of a Homeschool Mom

a mom sits akimbo with a laptop in her lap, her back against a tufted headboard and a glowing lamp on a bedside table

Having a good homeschooling routine can be the difference between a long-running homeschool journey and one that stops before it begins. But there’s more to developing a trusty homeschool schedule than a daily lesson plan.

A good nightly routine for a homeschool mom is also a critical aspect of cultivating a happy homeschooling life. In fact, creating a nightly routine can set up the next day’s schedule for success.

Here are a few things to include your nightly routine as a homeschool mom.

1. Quiet Time

After spending the day teaching and training children, homeschool moms definitely need a period of quiet time. Sitting quietly for a few minutes is an easy way to clear the head before reflecting on the day. You've been going all day! Take time to stretch, breathe, or meditate. Locate the tense spots in your body, and purposely relax them.

This period of quiet time is also an excellent period for recalling ideas and “must-do” tasks that came to mind earlier in the day. When those ideas come back to you, jot them down on a piece of notepaper for later.

2. Daily Review

After spending a few minutes in silence, take some time to reflect how the homeschool day was spent. Did you finish all of the lessons or activities you had planned? Which ones did the children enjoy? Which did they dislike? This isn't a time to let your inner critic run loose with accusations but a time to objectively assess. Remember that if something didn't work, you always have tomorrow (and the next day and the next) to try again. You are not a failure if your day wasn't as smooth as you liked.

Consider your plans and expectations realistically. Are you facing disappointment because of lofty goals or due to lack of discipline? More often than not, we are expecting too much from ourselves and our children. Remind yourself that homeschooling works. Relax into it a bit more, and pull back from your break neck speed.

During this step, it's also good to look at subjects or concepts that the children may have struggled to master during the day. Will they need more help to understand a particular topic? Do you need to adjust the lesson plan for the week or month to add more time for this area? Now we're moving into the next step.

The 4-Step Nightly Routine of a Homeschool Mom

3. Glance Ahead

Now is the time to look ahead to the next homeschool day or week. Are there any lessons or activities planned earlier that you can now reduce or eliminate? If your children seem to be mastering a particular concept, you may be able to skip ahead and move on to something else.

On the other hand, if the kids need more help in an area, reserve a few books from your local library or make a YouTube playlist of extra teaching resources. Or is the topic something you can shelve for now and revisit in later months or years?Adjust the next day’s lesson accordingly. Don't be discouraged by these kinds of adjustments. They are normal and necessary!

4. Get Set

Finally, get set for the day ahead. Take a look at your schooling space to see if you’re running low on basic supplies, such as pencils, paper, or crafting items. If you plan to do a project the next day, make sure you have everything you need to begin. Locate the Science Kit and make a mental note of any extra set-up you may need.

Check your Instructor's Guide for the upcoming lessons. Pull out all of the Read-alouds, workbooks, and printables you plan to use and keep them nearby for easy reference. If you’ll be using online resources, create a folder on your computer to store them all so you can find them quickly.

The best way to get the homeschool day off to a great start is to spend the night before doing a few minutes of planning. With this simple nightly routine for a homeschool mom, you’re sure to have a well-organized, happy homeschool day!

Request a BookShark Catalog


SelenaAbout the Author

Selena is a homeschooling graduate and a veteran homeschooling mother of four, including three with ADHD. She and her husband, Jay, use an eclectic homeschooling approach to encourage their children to learn throughout their lives. Selena blogs about her family's homeschooling adventures every week at Look! We're Learning! 

Share: