✏️Our Mercifully Simple Back-to-Homeschool Routine for 2024⏰

I’m just going to give it to you straight: our family is spent.

If you can relate, I invite you to keep reading and maybe steal an idea or two from our simplicity strategies for fall! Of course, no two families or homeschools are exactly alike. Nor should they be! And neither is any, one home school the same in every season. Today’s post is not intended to tell you what you should or shouldn’t do, nor is it to inform anyone what the “right way” is, as we don’t believe there to be ONE right way when it comes to home education or any other aspect of family life. In fact, we’ve tried on many methods and styles over the years to meet our family at each juncture of parent and childhood.

This is the beauty of homeschool: flexibility and customization. We like to do things our own way and switch it up whenever the need arises! And yet . . . taking a peek at what others are doing within an extended homeschool community can be very helpful, even just to clarify or confirm what we’re already doing.

Every time I get together with a homeschool mom, I come away with at least one new inspiration. Today’s post is a selected arrangement of trinkets and treasures I’ve collected, and I hope one or two of them may find their way into your pocket today as well, my friend.

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Strung Out on Summer

“Work, work, everywhere and not a breath to jot it down” was how I began our spring wrap-up post and summer was just as wild. We maxed ourselves out on homestead projects (I’ll share all in our summer wrap-up post soon) and played every free moment we had with friends and visiting family members. Everything we tackled together on the homestead was something we wanted to see done this year, so we have no one to blame but ourselves. And we accomplished nearly everything we set out to, so we are grateful. Well, gratefully exhausted anyhow.

At last, our summer is finally winding down. The nephews have been gone a few weeks, the project checklist is waning, and surprise, surprise it’s back to school season again. Thank goodness I got to skip the back-to-school shopping drill, the early morning frenzy, and the school bus rush! The mercies of homeschooling are new every morning, can I get an “amen”? But even still, we find our family is in need of an additional helping of mercies this fall. In other words, we’re craving a season of rest and simplicity.

Of course, we’ve always been a bit gentle on scheduling around here. This year, however, we’re not only loosening the reins on Autumn and Winter, but also tossing off the saddles and riding bareback a while.

This fall, academic subjects have been bundled, activities reduced, scheduling eased, and already, we’re feeling the relief. As a long-time fan of “Simplicity Parenting” and “Gentle Homeschooling,” I’m reminded once again, how important being well rested and feeling settled are for the learning environment.

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Our 12 “New-Every-Morning-Mercies” for Fall

#1. Wake up naturally.

Approximate time window: 8-9:30am

A mercy for: kids and Mama!

This one is not for everyone. After all, it’s complicated and stirs up many questions. If kids sleep in, won’t the schedule get out of whack? But what about the fact that they need to sleep? Well, what about all the different ages of kids and getting this one and that one out the door? There isn’t a one-size-fits all answer for this or any aspect of homeschooling and family life.

For me, however, on this issue the answer is clear. The simple fact for our family is this: sleep wins. Excluding my husband who can function at peak performance on five hours sleep and a nice, strong thermos of coffee, the kids and I are unable to rally through much of anything when tired. The Captain (age 9) hides it well, but that glazed-over expression during Language Arts lessons is a dead giveaway that he did not get his full nine hours. Goldilocks (age 5), on the other hand, does not hide it well. In fact, she doesn’t attempt to hide it at all. When little Goldilocks is woken up a mere hour early on a day when we simply must be out the door, you can set your clock three hours ahead for the first meltdown. She’s reliable if anything. Suffice it to say, the hour gained is just not worth the energy required later. . . at least not on a daily basis.

The kids are happier, healthier, and more eager to learn when they are fully rested. So, I let them sleep. The Captain usually wakes around 8am but Goldilocks doesn’t wake up most mornings until at least 9am. Because of this, “Bro Bro” is not allowed to involve himself in noisy activities until “Sissy” is awake. So . . . he reads. A lot. When friends ask me how the Captain managed to read 51 chapter books last year, this is the main answer I give them: kids read the most in windows when nothing else is available to them. For the Captain, reading is just the way he starts his day.

What do I do with these morning hours? Oh goody, I’m so glad you asked. I get up between 7am and 8am, put the kettle on, and have my devotional time. Then I exercise (when I’m well behaved) or get a jump on my afternoon writing days (if I’m indulgent). Either way, it’s a divine way to start the day. At the end of it, I shower and/or get dressed. Honestly, this practice of letting the kids wake up naturally is the single biggest mercy to me as a mom.

#2. Snuggles first.

Approximate Time Window: 9:00-9:40am (begins when Goldilocks wakes up)

A mercy for: the kids; a blessing for Mama

This one’s hard for me. By the time the kids are up, I’m ready to get the day going! That load of clean dishes wants to be let out for good behavior, and that basket of dirty clothes wants to take a dip. The kids, however, are not rearing and ready to go yet. Sleepy-eyed (Goldilocks), well-read but un-snuggled (the Captain), and bed-headed (the both of them), they run and dive into Mama and Papa’s bed and start squawking for me to cuddle them. I’m always reluctant to get back into the covers when I’m just starting to feel productive. But after a few minutes, I remember that these cuddle times with the kids are fleeting. And truth be told, the kids need this. Their moods are just different after being snuggled for a few minutes; they are so much happier and more willing to begin their chores and the rest of the homeschool day.

#3. Chores out of the way.

Approximate Time Window: 9:40-10:15am

A mercy for: the kids and Mama!

The kids don’t like to do chores. I know, shocking. Getting them (the chores, not the kids!) out of the way is critical. If I let them (the kids) eat breakfast or play first, they’d dilly-dally so long we’d never even get to our lessons. So, I employ hunger as the motivator. “He who does not work, neither shall he eat” is actually something we say regularly in our home 😆 . Now, if one of the kids is truly starving, they are allowed to help themselves to an apple or a banana. See, I’m not that mean. But breakfast is served when chores are done and done well. No nagging, bribery, or punishments necessary. The kids work quickly to finish their chores while I do mine. They are so happy when chores are out of the way for the day, and I’m so thankful to have things tidy when we sit down to breakfast.

Our family’s Morning Chores:

• The Captain (9) gets dressed, makes his bed, and rotates every other day between vacuuming and dusting the whole house.
• Goldilocks (5) gets dressed, makes her bed, and rotates every other day between dusting low-level things that are her responsibility alone, such as lamps and nightstands, and Q-Tip-cleaning little nooks and crannies, such as the rims of cupboards and the dams of windows.
• Mama: I make my bed, unload the dishwasher, and put a load of laundry in the washer.

#4. Odyssey at breakfast.

Approximate Time Window: 10:15-10:45am

A mercy for: the kids and Mama!

Our kids love to chat. In fact, they like to gab away more than they like to eat. Encouraging breakfast conversation in our home is a sure way to make that bowl of oats last well over an hour. And, we don’t have an hour, especially not after waking up naturally and snuggling together. So, we listen to an Adventure in Odyssey (20 min) each morning together in silence while we eat our breakfast. It’s a peaceful way to eat breakfast that all three of us simply love.

#5. Playtime before lessons.

Approximate Time Window: 10:45-11:45am

A mercy for: the kids

I’ve gone back and forth on this one over the years. Should playtime be allowed before lessons, so that the kids get a little energy out of their systems first? Or should play be used as a reward to encourage the kids to work quickly and be diligent in their lessons? Both are valid perspectives. We’ve had seasons in each camp, and with some guinea pig years under my belt on this one, I’ll tell you: I am now a solid defender of “let them play first.” I’ve settled on this decision for one reason and one reason only: their attitude about school is better.

When play is reserved for after lessons only, I have found that our kids perceive learning in a more negative light.

If play is the dangling carrot at the end of the track, our kids will rush through their lessons and fail to welcome, enjoy, and appreciate the learning process. This is the exact opposite of what I desire for our kids and all children that I teach: that they will cultivate a deep, lifelong love for learning. On the other hand, when I allow the kids to play for even just ten or twenty minutes before ringing the school bell, they are usually becoming bored of their playtime anyway and are excited to come to lessons. Even days when they are deep in some big world of play such as a Lego city, or a farmyard extravaganza, they still come to lessons feeling like they have been given their end of the deal already. It’s an unspoken mutual respect that I give them, because play, as Maria Montessori said, “is the work of the child.”

What do I do while they play? I clean up from breakfast and get organized for the day. This window of time allows me to load the dishwasher, check my email, return a message, jot down an idea for a post, start prepping dinner, or put another load in the washer.

#6. Lessons -just the essentials

Approximate Time Window: 11:45am-12:45pm

A mercy for: the kids and Mama!

Math. Spelling. Grammar. Writing. Literature. Science. History. Geography. Bible. Foreign Language. Typing. Music. Logic.

Ok, I’m just going to say it: is it any wonder that most kids dread going back to school? I’m an education nerd and even for me I can see that this is just too much! Very, very few kids enjoy a heavy subject load. And whether we care if they enjoy it or not . . . very, very, very few can retain so much all at once anyway! This means that not only are we making them (and ourselves) miserable by piling it on, but they’re not usually coming out ahead for all our combined effort (and strife) anyway!

So, what are we to do? We want our kids to know and retain all those lovely subjects, don’t we? We want them to have a full and rich education! Our answer: BUNDLE.

We actually tackle all the subjects I listed above. But we do it sneakily, without formal lessons for each. With the Captain, this has been easy since he loves to read so much. By varying his reading material, we’ve been able to cover both history and science organically through his independent reading. Has it worked? Yes. I can say with all honesty, that at 9 years old, the Captain’s understanding of history and science are both far and away what mine were even in high school. So, I do not fret over formally teaching him these subjects . . . yet. We will get there. But for now, I’m enjoying this blessing of less. In addition, a lot of what we read and listen to as a family has historical content, and I carefully choose for the kids one nature science documentary each week which is an easy, enjoyable way to infuse more scholastic time without any extra effort.

In addition to science and history, we bundle lots of other subjects as well. We cover Bible, logic, and literature during read-aloud time (see #8). Grammar, writing, and spelling are bundled for us in The Good and the Beautiful curriculum, to which I add typing or writing in cursive the assigned content certain days (the lesson stays the same). Additionally, grammar is hit again along with geography by way of “The Tarry Tray” (see #7). Papa tackles science experiments with the kids once a week (see #10), and music is covered by Grandma (see #11). All that’s left is foreign language which nobody wants to tackle! So, I’m starting the kids on ten minutes of Spanish on CDs/YouTube every day at the beginning of R&R Time (see #9).

THIS MEANS: Formal lessons are reduced to one, blessed hour in which we cover two subjects: Mathematics and Language Arts.

#7. The Tarry Tray

Approximate Time Window: 12:45-1pm

A mercy for: Mama! That’s right, this one’s just for me! But the kids love it, too.

Following lessons, we make our way to read-aloud hour to close out the homeschool day. If we aren’t careful, however, things can fall apart here in the incredible migration from dining room table to living room couch. Often following lessons, there are a few little things I have to do before I am able to devote myself to an hour of reading to the kids. I need to put on the kettle, of course, but most days I usually need to return a call to my hubby, use the restroom, switch the laundry, or return a text message. In a mere two minutes of my stolen focus, the kids can go from sitting like perfect little scholars at their lessons to wrestling on the couch like Herdman hooligans.

Enter “The Tarry Tray.” Like the name? Me too. After lessons, the kids are permitted to do nothing else besides use the restroom, get a glass of water, and wait for me on the couch. The waiting part is where things usually fall apart. And so, I recently implemented a tray of pre-selected reading material for the kids to peruse together. These items are the only items they are allowed to use during this time (ensuring the material I’ve selected gets covered) and they are not permitted to touch the items on this tray when school is not in session (ensuring that the materials don’t get burned through in one day).

What’s on our Tarry Tray:

• I Spy & Where’s Waldo Books (this may seem indulgent, however, the Captain struggles greatly with misplacing things and being able to find them, so these books are actually a major part of his lesson plans this year 😆 ! Plus, the kids really bond when looking for Waldo or a needle in a haystack.)
• Reading Booster Books (for Goldilocks to read aloud to the Captain)
• Grammar & Geography flashcards (included in The Good and the Beautiful Language Arts program for 5th grade)
• I Can Read, historical fiction & science readers (specifically chosen below the Captain’s independent reading level for him to easily read aloud to Goldilocks, I pick these up for cheap on thriftbooks to keep a fresh rotation going)

Most days, the kids blissfully use “The Tarry Tray” for ten merciful minutes, allowing me to get a few fiddly things out of the way so that I am fully engaged in our reading hour. As for the kids, they get an additional curricular boost with a side of sibling bonding time. It’s a win for our whole family.

#8. Ending School with Tea & Treasure Time

Approximate Time Window: 1:00-2pm

A blessing for: kids and Mama

We’ve always done reading first in our homeschool, so this is a big change for us and a fantastic one! I’ve stubbornly kept this block anchored to the morning hours because it just sounds nice. Our Morning Reading Basket. Ahh, doesn’t that just sing? The reality, however, is that the rest of the day becomes a bit of a letdown if we start with “Tea & Treasures Time.” Our family loves to read, if you’re new to our blog. Starting the day with an hour of read-aloud time and then moving on to . . . chores and lessons? Yeah it’s a bummer!

Starting with chores, then transitioning through breakfast and lessons to END with an hour of reading and a pot of hot tea is equivalent to eating your salad and enjoying a hearty soup before indulging in dessert.

It’s a classic strategy: save the best for last. And the vote is unanimous: all three of us say “yes” to tying the homeschool day up with a big, cozy, reading bow.

What’s in our Daily Treasury Basket:

• The Family Bible, 5 minutes (I read aloud, and the kids recite back to me one Psalm or one Proverb each day)
• The Children’s Bible or Egermeier’s Children’s Bible, 10 minutes (I read aloud one or two stories each day, and we discuss after)
• Hymnal, 5 minutes (we sing one hymn together each day; download our “Hymn of the Week” and “Scripture of the Month” lists below)

• The Aesop for Children, American Folk Tales, or other books of fables, 10 minutes (on rotation, we read a few fables or tales each day and discuss the morals /lessons)
• Current read-aloud novel, 15-30 minutes (check out everything our family read aloud in 2023 here, and in 2022 here)
• Picture Book Companions, 5-10 minutes if time allows (these are picture books I select to “pair” with our current novel, such as a book about pigs as a companion for Charlotte’s Web, or a book about the Everglades to go with our state study of Florida and Because of Winn Dixie)

#9. R&R Time (Rest and Refinements)

Approximate Time Window: 2:00-5pm

A mercy for: kids (even though they don’t know it) and Mama!

Wait, three hours of . . . rest? Well, not exactly.

For Goldilocks, this window really is a rest time. While she doesn’t actually take a nap very often anymore, she really thrives with a couple hours rest time in her room. During this long window, she looks at books, listens to audiobooks, plays on her bed with her stuffed animals, or builds an imaginative playland on her bedroom floor. She loves this time and usually doesn’t want to come out at 5pm.

For the Captain, this time is really more about the “refinements” than the rest, however, they go hand in hand. First, the Captain and Goldilocks listen to ten minutes of Spanish together (they’re just getting a taste for it yet) while they eat their lunch that I bring them. (It works better for us to skip a big, formal lunch hour.) Next, the Captain is required to complete one page of his cursive workbook or a logic puzzle at his bedroom desk. Then, he is allowed to go to the music room to practice his piano and violin. After all of that is complete, whatever time remains is his for quiet activities in his room. These include: reading, listening to audiobooks, playing with toys and Legos, etc. He’s also allowed to use the gym during this time on “off days” from Crossfit & Gymnastics with Papa.

What do I do with this time? This is, and always has been, my writing block. Cheers!

#10. Family Activity Blocks

Ok, so we covered math, reading, Bible, history, science, Language Arts, foreign language . . . but what about all the extras? How do we fit in art, gym, swimming, music, cooking, sewing, practical skills, and more? The school day just isn’t long enough for all the extracurriculars, not if we desire the process to be joyful and sustainable. So, our family has decided to tackle these “extras” on an after-hours rotation through our hibernation months!

Our family’s activity blocks:

#11. Only twice-a-week “To Town”

A mercy for: kids and Mama!

We load up our days to town so that we can make fewer trips and keep five days a week grounded at home. This is the only way our family is able to maintain a healthy pace to our week.

Here’s what our two days in town usually look like:

Grandparents Day: One day a week we spend almost the whole day at my parents’ house. Grandma usually makes pancakes and gives the kids piano, violin, and voice lessons. Yeah, she’s not your average grandma. Next, the kids will do just their math and language arts lessons so we are able to keep a four-days-a-week pace. Then, the kids play with a few different groups of friends who come for piano lessons while I host my Homestead Swap group. Or we go to a friend’s house for a playdate. Afterwards, the kids cozy up back in Grandma’s library (a dreamy bookland for children) for some much needed rest before we have dinner together and head out for Bible Study/ Home Church a few minutes down the road. It’s a full day in which we check a lot of wonderful boxes all on one tank of gas and one packing of the backpacks and satchels.

Do It All Day: On Papa’s extra day off (he’s recently pared back to four days a week, hallelujah), we like to tag team as a family some fun mixed with all the things that simply have to get done, also known as errands. This fall and winter, we’re heading out midmorning for a trip to the library followed by rock climbing and swimming as a family. Then, before heading home, we’ll tackle an errand or two such as a grocery run, other shopping trips, or scheduled appointments such as doctor, vet, etc. Here I sigh in relief. Loading a 130-pound Great Pyreenees into my truck to take him to the vet is truly an impossible task for me to do alone. The same goes for getting 40-pound Goldilocks to actually sit still for a shot. Though she be little. . . she is fierce. I’m so thankful for my hubby’s company in situations like these!

#12. Wiggle Room

A mercy for: the entire family

Our last mercy strategy is to remain flexible and enjoy. In our home, scheduling is kept with an elastic waistband to cinch in and stretch out ten or twenty minutes as needed throughout the day. And the routine may, at any time, be skipped for the day or week to allow for something different such as a hunting trip with Papa, a family ski day, apple harvest, or a get together with another homeschool family.

The main reason we choose to homeschool year-round is so that we can play hooky any ding-dang day we feel like it! Ironically enough, our absentee days are often when our family learns the most.

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Thanks for reading today! We’d love to hear your simplifying strategies for the homeschool routine!

Love, ~Candace Arden

PS. Here’s what we’re listening to during our homeschool days. Enjoy!