After five years of homeschooling, I’ve finally learned that the secret to a successful homeschooling day revolves around what I do in the morning.
Yes, it’s in those precious few moments each morning in the time between when my alarm goes off and the first child waking up that I can claim a victory over our homeschooling day before it even begins.
Don’t believe me? Give it a try…make a point to do these seven {or really even one or two} things every day for a week and see if your days don’t get better:
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- Wake up before the kids. This is really key. Nothing screams stress more than waking up after the kids and already starting the day behind. Waking up before the kids gives me the sense of satisfaction in knowing that I chose to get up and start the day, I wasn’t forced out of bed from the cries of spilled milk and cheerios all over the floor. Homeschool Mom win #1!
- Time with Jesus before time with the world. Whether you realize it or not, you’re fighting a battle each and everyday. When you choose to begin the day with Jesus before any encounter with the world {internet, email, texts, other people, etc}, you are allowing Jesus to equip you with the armor and plans for battling the day ahead. It’s a scary world out there, don’t fall into the illusion that you can do it on your own. Begin the day with Jesus by your side and you’ve already secured the victory…Homeschool Mom win #2!
- Coffee...or tea or whatever it is that you prefer. The world just seems like a better place with a hot, fresh, cup of coffee in hand. Homeschool Mom win #3!
- Eat breakfast. So, you’ve made the decision to fuel your spirit with Jesus, you’ve fueled your energy tanks with coffee, don’t forget to fuel your body with a nutritious breakfast. My kids will tell you, I’m a much nicer mommy if I took the time to eat breakfast. Blood sugar crashes are not your friend, besides making you feel horrible, they also greatly decrease your patience and cause irritability which are not conducive to a productive homeschooling day, so take a moment and grab some breakfast! Homeschool Mom win #4!
- Get out of your pajamas. Take a shower. Brush your hair. Put on some make up {if that’s your thing}. It’s much easier to be productive when you’re dressed for success. I’m not saying you need to get all dolled up every single day, but changing from pajamas to even yoga pants might be a start to a better day. For me, it’s changing out of my pajamas, running the flat iron through my hair, and applying mascara that makes a world of difference on my outlook for the day. Homeschool Mom win #5!
- Review your to do list. Glancing over my planner and reminding myself what the day holds is a great way to mentally prepare myself for what lies ahead. This includes having a plan for errands, extracurricular activities and dinner. By knowing your plan for the day, you know where you have room to adjust when unexpected things pop up, and we all know those things happen. I use my Well Planned Day On the Go planner to help me stay focused and on top of my schedule in the midst of my crazy life. Homeschool Mom win #6!
- Turn cell phone notifications off. My kids need to know that I am fully focused on them during our school time. It’s hard to teach math while responding to emails or checking Facebook notifications. I tried to do both, oh believe me, there were many days I tried to sneak in a few minutes of blog work in between answering questions from my daughters, but it only ended in frustration. I finally realized that in order to make our school day a success, I had to remove all distractions and my cell phone was my main distraction. Making the decision to silence those notifications may be the one thing that makes the most improvement in your homeschool day. Homeschool Mom win #7!
- BONUS TIP- exercising is a great way to get those endorphins flowing. No time for exercise in the morning? Check out the Homeschool Mom Fitness program. It is designed by a certified personal trainer specifically for busy homeschooling moms!
If you’re struggling to find a sense of balance in your homeschool day, I encourage you to try out some of these morning habits and I’ll promise you that with some time and dedication, you will see a difference!
My inspiration to claim victory over my day by transforming my mornings came from Crystal Paine’s course, Make Over Your Mornings. I highly recommend taking this 14-day online course. It has truly changed the atmosphere in my home and I’m sure you’ll find the same to be true. Now through January 8th, you can purchase this life-changing course for only $9! Click here to learn more!
Do you have any specific morning rituals that help ease you into your homeschool day? If so, I would love to hear them!
Velta says
Agreed, on all points. I would add one though, exercise, whether it’s the treadmill, the gym, a brisk walk, or yoga.
Heather Bowen says
I agree, exercise is important. Personally, I just don’t do it in the mornings. I’m more of an afternoon girl, so that’s the only reason I didn’t add it to the morning list. 🙂
Kristin Delaney says
Totally great with all of these and the exercise piece!
Savanah Fahrney-Day says
1 & 7 are my hard parts. I have a sleep disorder & the only thing that’s ever got me out of bed is the kids. I’m trying a wake up light & it’s the first thing I haven’t unplugged or just ignored, so hopefully that helps.
And 7 – I need someone to show me how to shut off notifications on my new phone without muting everything on accident! Need to be able to receive calls, especially from my husband, at all times.
Melissa @ teammadefamily.com says
I do all of these things every morning, and I agree, they make a huge difference in starting the day off well!
Leanna says
This is my order to a t! With the exception of #7. However, being convicted of this and confirmed in this article I am doing so! Thanks!
Courtney says
This is such a great list! I homeschool and these are wonderful reminders as the new year begins and we restart our studies. Thanks!
Laura says
I tried waking up early to start my day. It went great till 30 minutes later she woke up and came running out to the kitchen thinking something was wrong because I was up before she was. I guess my house is too small for this trick. I did enjoy it while it lasted though, but ultimately it just made mommy day start earlier and more tiresome.
Heather Bowen says
We have a tiny home too, but don’t give up. When she realizes that getting up earlier is going to be Mommy’s new norm, she won’t even notice. In my experience, the long term benefits definitely outweigh the short term inconveniences! 🙂
Nanette G says
Found this on Pinterest. Thank you for this! My Children are up anywhere around 5:30-7. its so hard to know if they will sleep a little longer or not. I think I am going to start setting an alarm for 6 am and try it from there 🙂 I definitely feel distracted a lot and need to unplug from social media. It is making me cranky and miserable. I want to be present more with my children. I definetly need to start my morning in prayer and Gods word! Thank you! Ill let you know how our week this week goes, starting in the morning 😉
Ally says
I do most of these things and agree that they really help. Unfortunately, our son wakes up before 6 am so if I want to do much before he is up, I’d have to be up by 4:30 or 5:00. Our solution to me having time with Jesus in the morning is that our son gets to watch TV or play on IPad. Not best solution but it helps a ton.
Erin says
Oh yes! Turn off those notifications. Great advice.
juliespearing says
How about exercising in morning? That really gets you pumped for the day too!! I do beach body workouts and they do get me goung and help to hv energy. Often I’m not up before my kids and it does make a huge difference when I am. Time with Jesus is much interrupted when the kuds are all up and acting cray! FB is also a huge distraction for me. Praying how I can change things to make for better days! TY for this post…. Julie