With many public school children home from school, you might be wondering how to make the most of this time or simply be interested in how to keep your children from driving you crazy. Maybe some thoughts from a homeschooling mom could be helpful.

What about putting together a basic schedule? Make it simple. Maybe maintain the schedule you use with your children in school and then just fill in the school hours. Everyone is used to that schedule and there are no changes that would need to take place to implement it.

Here are some ideas for what could go in that schedule.

Grow spiritually with your children by having morning devotions with them. You can read some Scripture and discuss it, pray, sing, and memorize Scripture. 

If your children are older, help them learn to have their own personal Bible and prayer time. What better time to get into the Word and learn to have a relationship with Jesus?

Teach your children some new chores, especially chores they can accomplish when they are back in school. You can take time to teach the skills and oversee them and they have time to practice those chores.

Read to your children and have them read to you. Media has taken over so much of our lives, but you can make these weeks very special by setting aside time to read aloud some great books to your children.

Have your children read out loud to you. This is especially helpful for those children who are at the learning-to-read stage. Often all they need to cause them to make the leap to being great readers is practice reading out loud.

You could also schedule quiet time for your children to themselves.

Schedule for a particular time each day, children who are old enough for board games to play those together or with you if you have time available. 

Have your children write letters to friends or relatives. Work with them on their grammar, punctuation, and making the letter interesting.

With nicer weather in the U.S., you can plan time for a neighborhood walk and also outside playtime. 

Work together in your children’s bedrooms, sorting and organizing the room itself and prepping clothes for the change of season.

Keep up music practice if your children are taking lessons even if they can’t go to lessons for a while.

Make sure your children have time for any school work that they are to accomplish while they are home.

I promise you that if any of these ideas look good to you, they will likely only be implemented if you put together a schedule and set time aside for them.

Here’s an idea of what that might look like:

7:00 a.m. Children up, dressed, and room pick up
7:30  Breakfast, clean up, teeth brushing
8:30  Morning chores
9:00 Family devotions
9:30 Mom reads aloud
10:00 Academics (School work, internet worksheets, letter writing, children read aloud)
11:00 Outside play
12:00 noon Lunch hour (Make, eat, and clean up)
1:00 p.m. Family walk
2:00 Quiet/nap time (Reading/academics for older children)
3:00 Board games/other play for non-napping children
4:00 Music practice/organizing projects/free play
5:00 Dinner prep (Some help, some play with each other or younger children)
6:00 Dinner

That’s just an idea. Put in what your priorities for this time might be. That schedule is a powerful tool that costs you nothing. Don’t try to make it perfect. Just put something down and do it. If you don’t like it so much, you can do it a bit differently the next day until you get it where you really like it. 

Trusting in Jesus,
Teri

“Let the people praise thee, O God; let all
the people praise thee” (Psalm 67:3).