Making the First Day Special

So you have made the decision to homeschool.  You have weighed the costs, chosen curriculum and are ready for the first day. 

Mostly.

Let me share a secret with you.  Any first day is hard.  Whether it is the first day of work, the first day at traditional school, or the first day of homeschooling.

Nervous anticipation and unclear expectations, with a hint of excitement.  And that is just you- not the kids!  I know because I have done it about 23 times.

The BEST way I have learned to start the school year is with some kind of fun tradition.  It doesn't have to be fancy or expensive, but just something that says, yay us, this is going to be a fun adventure.  Remember, your kiddos are taking their cues from you- make them good ones!

Here are some ideas for you-

Have new school supplies and a few fun treats at your child's "desk" when they wake up.  We have tried to do this every year.  A few notebooks, pens and pencils, folders, stickers, even a new water bottle.  Some years I even added a few special snacks for the first week.  Especially when they were younger, they looked forward to getting up that first morning to see what was waiting for them.

Go out to breakfast.  I know several families that make a special first day breakfast, or pile their kids in the car to go out for breakfast.  What a fun way to start the day.

Buy new pajamas and school all day in them.  Hey, everyone thinks homeschoolers school in their jammies all day every day anyway, so might as well have some fun!

Take the day off.  Yep, you heard me!  Wave at the buses as they go by and surprise them by declaring it an off day!

Start with games.  Sure, they can be spelling or math games, but what kids doesn't like games?

Go on a field trip.  Many homeschoolers use Fridays as errand or field trip day.  But why not shake things up and visit your local zoo, park, or favorite business?

Take pictures of the first day.  I have to admit, I have NEVER done this and it is the one thing I wish I had done differently  Yes, they may fight you on holding that poster and posing, but they will enjoy looking back at them in years to come.

No matter how you choose to start the first day of school. I encourage you to have fun and make memories.  That is what your kids will remember once the equations and facts and figures all fade from their minds. 

School is important.

Families are more important. 

Blessings,

What Does Your Day Look Like?

I love how every homeschooler's day looks different.  There is not a right or wrong way to do it, just a better fit or not.  It is up to you to decide what works best for your family and then charge forward with confidence.  Today I want to share a few examples of what the days of some homeschooling friends of mine look like- each from a different homeschooling perspective!

First ours- (eclectic in style)
7:30- Wake, personal devotions and get dressed.
8-9- Chores and breakfast.  This year we have a breakfast chart on our fridge with choices for the boys.  I will spend Saturday preparing anything we need and freezing it or putting it in the fridge.  It will then be their own responsibility to get it out and reheat it.  Once they have eaten and checked off a choice they have to choose something different the next day.  The exception is that they can choose cereal twice, but this eliminates the possibility of them choosing cereal every day.  Trust me, this would happen!  Since we have a Morning Meeting time together as well as the time we eat lunch together, I am trying to let go of the guilt of not eating breakfast together.  This will be the time that I exercise and blog.
9-12- School time, beginning with the Morning Meeting with my 3rd grader.  Each boy has their assignment book to follow.  The 13 year old does most of his work by himself with an occasional touch and go from mom so he has the freedom to decide what order he will do the subjects in.
12-1- Lunch break and free time
1-3- School
3-4- Reading time.  Everyone finds a quiet place to read for pleasure.  Everyone!
4-6- Free time/play time
6- Dinner
7- Family Devotions

Of course, our evenings do get adjusted to fit different schedules.  Our oldest son has Scouts one day and our youngest swims twice a week.  Our girls are older, one of whom has graduated, is working, and is currently living at home, while our senior in high school is busy dual-crediting her last year before leaving for school.

Another eclectic homeschooling friend who blogs at Eclectic Homeschooling says this-
"We tend to have longer school days with a good portion of the school day spent in informal learning rather than just seat work.  On this day my son spent 4 hours and 25 minutes in more formal activities including math, treadmill, language arts, and Greek.  He spent a total of 3 hours in informal activities including active play (exercise), computer logic games, meditation time, and watching science and foreign language videos." Read more!

But what about a family who does most of their work from one publisher (out of the box)? Kemi writes this-

Our Out of the Box Homeschool Day

Sometimes when I sit around and talk with other homeschoolers I feel a bit out of my league. These women are amazing. Pulling together tailor made curriculum for each of their children and following through until the end.

I’m amazed and impressed.

I’m also lazy. We use the Out of the Box DVD urriculum in our home. We use BJU Press for a couple of reasons. First they use the KJV version of the Bible in their curriculum. That’s important to us. Also their
visually appealing courses keep my audial and visual learner engaged. She’s paying attention and all her learning receptors are on go! Oh, and even though I only said two, number three is that the curriculum is
good. She’s learned a ton, stayed at her grade level and gone beyond in a few courses. Them, me or her? Who knows but it works for our family.

Here’s how our Day looks.

We start school at 9am. Before that my husband gets up at the crack of dawn and gets himself out the door. I get up shortly thereafter, do my devotions, sometimes exercise, get a little blogging in, and then go to wake the Sweet Peanut.

After she wakes up and sees to her morning ablutions (I love that word) we have breakfast together and then do devotions before school.

Our courses are on DVD so I check the Lesson plan for each course and pull out the appropriate paper work etc. I check the lessons about a week before to make sure I have any craft or science supplies on hand but on the day of school I check what I need to print and prepare before the class.

Each class on DVD has about a 2 or 3 minute mom’s minute section to watch before the class so you know what to expect. Sometimes I watch these. Sometimes I don’t. I also read through the Teacher’s Manual and various other papers that BJU sends me.

This is our schedule.

English
Handwriting
Math
BREAK (30 minutes)
Reading
Heritage Studies
Science
Spelling

We finish up school about 2:30 or 3. If there is a big science project or craft thing going on it may take longer or we’ll do it with dad when he gets home.

We have piano lessons on Saturday and we’re eyeballing some gymnastics which would take place on our off day mid week. By the way did I mention that we homeschool 4 days a week? This is to accommodate hubby’s schedule so we can spend more time with him.

Well that’s how we get it done here at RavenHill homeschool (my little name for our place on the hill).

Kemi Quinn is a wife, mother, homeschooling mom of 1, church musician, and amateur cook. She loves to read about how women kept home in time’s past (aka Vintage Homemaking). She blogs over at Homemaking Organized.


Or a family with a special needs child-
Beth, from As He Leads is Joy shares "In my perfect world we would start on time in the morning and quickly, diligently work through our learning. Pause mid-morning for hot drinks -- coffee, tea, or hot chocolate depending on what you prefer. Then finish and move on to quiet play, some chores, and just enjoy our day. Well, that perfect world does not exist but the world that does exist is the one I am trying to live in...I have learned that working with her special needs, I need to be flexible, adaptable, give her lots of breaks, and have lots of variety. It does sometimes make it difficult for me and a long day but I love seeing her learn."we  T
o would start on time in the morning and quickly, diligently work through  
To continue reading go here!


And so as you begin your school year, I pray you will find your perfect schedule and be blessed beyond your wildest dreams!  I also pray that the Lord bless you with confidence and patience- you will need both! ;)

Remember, the first day is the hardest!  You can do this!

And speaking of first days- here is a first day idea that I love!  If you are not familiar with Teri Maxwell from Titus 2 Ministires, I encourage you to get ahold of some of her resources! As a fellow homeschooling mom who just successfully graduated her 8th child, she understands the ins and outs of homeschooling.  Homeschooling With A Meek and Quiet Spirit can change the way you school your children, and Just Around the Corner is a great way to start your school day with a little encouragement!


Linking up with friends!

Blessings,