5 Days of Homeschooling Essentials Blog Hop
Day 3 - Time
Time is so simple but it will really impact your homeschooling days if you don't have it!
When I started homeschooling last year I had no idea how much time my kid's school (their private school they attended) took up each day. Between getting everyone up, fed, dressed, in the car... that alone was 1 1/2 hours (of course we would do those things normally except maybe shoes and car). However the drive was 12 minutes so almost 30mins to/and home 2xs a day - then some days they wouldn't come out in time so I'd wait up to an hour for that... on top of that washing uniforms and homework... it all took a lot of time!
Now onto homeschooling. You really need to have the time. Your kids are not going to 'fit' it in their day. It is their whole day. Our ideal day starts with wake-up at 8:30 and school started by 9. Of course we are flexible. My middle son often gets up at 6:30 and has a bulk of his school done while the house is quiet.
The kids need realistic time to complete all their scheduled courses each day. If starting at 8 was required we would start at 8 to get it done.
As a homeschooling Mom I need time to grade, plan and teach ON TOP of all the other things a normal stay-at-home mom does. (Laundry, errands, bill paying, my own bible reading, cleaning...you get the idea). Honestly what had to give was my social time. I don't have as much time for things like lunches with friends, running to the store just because, creating elaborate meals, talking on the phone, facebook... all of my time is measured against what needs to be done in the house with school and household jobs.
So you can see TIME is important! I can't tell you how many times people have thought I would have the extra time to do some errand for them, visit them or other things. It just doesn't happen during the school year. We had to make our HOMESCHOOLING TIME the priority!
I hope this post was a blessing to you. Please leave a comment below telling me if TIME is an essential in your homeschooling day!
Thank you for joining me on Day 3 of 5 Days of Homeschooling
Essentials.
I'll be back tomorrow morning to discuss another essential!
You can visit the following people below who are part of the Hop:
Jordyn @ Almost Supermom
Jenn @ Teaching Two Stinkers
Crystal @ Crystal Starr Blog
Jennifer @ Chestnut Grove Academy
Brandi @ Brandi Raae
Wendy @ Simplicity Breeds Happiness
Jodi @ Insane In the Mombrain
Kym @ Homeschool Coffee Break
Lynn @ Ladybug Chronicles
Please visit The Schoolhouse Review Crew for additional blogs participating.
Don't forget to enter the Ipad Mini Giveaway HERE!
You are absolutely right about this. Homeschooling takes time. I've had that same experience of people thinking that I've got all the time in the world to do this, that, and the other for them because I homeschool. "well, you're home all day" Ummmm... yeah, I might be home, but I'm trying to teach here. It can be hard to set those boundaries and stick to them, and sometimes we have to say no to stuff because we really don't have the time. Now... if only I could stop myself from answering the phone during the school day...
ReplyDeleteVery good points. Time is essential. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteSo true, Lisa. We were very time-conscious in the early days of our homeschooling, just to ensure that we met the state's daily requirement. I feel more relaxed about that these days....not b/c we still don't have to meet it, but b/c I KNOW we have more than 4 hours of learning and schoolwork to do each day!
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed reading about your days!
Time is definitely something we need to homeschool and take care of our families. Prioritizing our time and simplifying our lives really streamlines our responsiblities. Great post!
ReplyDelete