daily routines

Daily routines or daily rhythms seems like they've been sort of buzzwords in our culture lately.  Creating daily routines in our home can either make us feel secure  and in control of the flow of our day, or they can leave us feeling stressed and overwhelmed!  Figuring out which group you fall in will help in deciding what types of routines you'll need.  Are you a family that likes to make lists of things to accomplish for the day?  Does goal setting motivate you or does it make you feel like you are bound to only doing things one certain way? Daily routines can look very different for each family.  Whether you like routines or not, having long term goals is vital for your homeschool career/life! Keeping those goals in mind also help us in our daily learning times.  

Taking the time to sit down and make a list of family learning goals and priorities will be your first step in deciding how you'll need to set up your day.  Some examples of this could be:  I would like to have my child read a certain amount of books during this school year.  You can then sit down, compile your list of amazing books for your child to get through and divide up your reading time to work towards accomplishing that learning goal.  See!  The start to a rhythm!  With each subject, this is an easy, practical way to plan out a daily rhythm.  Set your goals (daily, weekly, monthly, however is easier for you to break it down) and mold you daily routines to fit your end goal.  

Once you have some sort of routine worked out, don't worry if some things need adjusting!  Tweaks will need to happen here and there throughout your school year.  A child may struggle in certain areas and need more time to work through those.  Your child could also really excel in an area and you can move your timeline ahead!  Being flexible, but keeping your goals in mind is the key!  Listen to your child, always encourage a love for learning new things!  Remember, its a journey!