This post is from contributor, Emily Powers and originally published in Feb. 2014.
Does your homeschool follow a traditional schedule or a more flexible one? Maybe you school in the evenings or early mornings or sporadically or on the weekends or year-round or maybe hanging upside down from trees (we like to call that “possum-schooling”)!
Many of us do not follow a “typical” school schedule in our homes.
Maybe this is because of job situations, health issues, or simply because it is what works best for your family. It may be just a season you are in due to job change, relocation, pregnancy, or other family transitions.
My husband is a bi-vocational pastor and he recently started a new job in the evenings. This is new for us, as he has mostly worked days in the past. I have gotten a crash course in these past couple months on being flexible and doing school when it works for us. We have found that the best thing for our family is for me to do our group school time in the mornings, but then to do the more focused school work in the evenings while my husband is at work.
Many days we are just “winging it” with the schedule, since my husband is always on call as a pastor and for his evening job–but I have learned to (well, trying to learn to) be content as long as the work gets done, even if it didn’t happen the way I originally planned.
We asked for some of you to share with us your experience with a “unique/flexible” school schedule on the Free Homeschool Deals Facebook page. I also asked a few friends and some of our other lovely contributing writers on Free Homeschool Deals.
Here is a summary of the advice and ideas shared:
- There is no such thing as a “traditional” schedule–do what works for your family
- Try doing only one subject or theme per day
- Don’t set a time frame, just a to-do list for each day and/or week
- Remember that “school” doesn’t always mean structured learning; your homeschool doesn’t need to (and probably shouldn’t!) look like any other family’s
- Consider: shorter days/longer weeks, shorter weeks/longer days, year round schooling, unschooling, roadschooling–the options really are endless, and that is the beauty of homeschooling!
I feel better just typing those words! So often, we build up this ideal for what our homeschool should look like. It can be freeing to let that go, and remind ourselves that IT. IS. OKAY. God has called us to homeschool our children and His word promises us in 1 Thessalonians 5:24,
God has not called you to homeschool only for you to fail. He has equipped you with exactly what you need to be successful in this task. That may not look like what you think it should–but trust Him, He knows your children’s needs and your family’s circumstances. Place your school and family in His hands. And then, give yourself some grace. When the day doesn’t go how you planned, give it to Jesus. Get some rest and start fresh tomorrow; it is a new day, mamas!
“No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved perfection, but I focus on this one thing: forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” Philippians 3:13-14 (NLT)
Latest posts by Emily Powers (see all)
- The Beatitudes of Homeschooling - April 9, 2018
- No Homeschool Schedule? No Problem! Find What Works for your Family! - January 12, 2018
- The Homeschooler’s Guide to Letting Go of the School Mentality - September 19, 2017
- When Your Homeschool Needs a Fresh Start + Free 2014 Goal Setting Chart - January 1, 2014
- Teaching a Giving Spirit - November 25, 2013
Thank you for posting this. This has really encouraged me.