Re-Create Your Homeschool Rhythm

Let's begin Hello there , my friend , and welcome back , or welcome to , the Art of Homeschooling podcast . It's early February as this episode airs and for many homeschoolers , we're doing our best to get back into the swing of things in the post-holiday transition .

For me , this one's often the time of year when I think it would be just a great idea to send my kiddos to school , because getting back to a regular rhythm in homeschooling , with our lessons and all of the togetherness every day and learning activities , it can be challenging .

Let's just acknowledge that Rhythms often fall apart during and after the holidays and it can feel like a lot is on our shoulders to try to get everything rolling smoothly again . I know I've been there , but here's the thing we all benefit from a smooth and flowing rhythm in our homeschools , children and adults alike . So it's worth it to focus on rhythm .

Here are a few reminders if you need some convincing that rhythm is your friend . Three truisms to keep in mind . Rhythm is simply a flow of activities , one to the next . Rhythm is simply a flow of activities , one to the next , that we do in the same or similar order each time , like most days , because when we do , we have fewer decisions to make .

We're not starting from scratch each morning , deciding what to do when . Believe me when I remind you that decision fatigue is real . That just means that our capacity for making decisions diminishes throughout the day . So the more we can rely on rhythm , the less we use up our decision-making energies .

As we transition back into homeschooling after the holidays , we're all re-establishing rhythms for the new year . Keep in mind that creating cozy morning routines and lesson time rhythms homeschooling rhythms can help combat

that winter sluggishness you might be feeling right about now . Just like I mentioned in last week's podcast episode number 215 , inner Quiet a Simple Morning Routine for Homeschooling Moms . Rhythm can help us simplify and take a lot of guesswork out of our days . So then the question becomes how do we create and hold the rhythm gently ?

We're diving into this topic inside the Inspired at Home membership this month , if you want to join us there to explore the role of rhythm in our lives as homeschoolers . More about that wonderful community toward the end of this episode , but first I want to talk a little bit more about why rhythm matters .

Here's just a little reminder of why it matters so much . Rhythm is like the heartbeat in our homes and our homeschools . We can let it guide us . In fact , rhythm can come to our aid , be our friend and even be our starting point for homeschooling over curriculum . That's right .

Instead of focusing so much on what curriculum to use , try putting your energy into rhythm for a few weeks and see where that leads . Want an example ? A super simple morning rhythm might include you waking up and doing a little meditation or prayer time for yourself while your children play . Then you all come together for breakfast . Some chores .

Perhaps you like to take a walk after that . For us , we would take the dog out for a short walk all together and then you can return and begin your homeschooling lessons . That's a very simple morning routine . Do you see how that flow of activities can be similar each day without it being too fixed ?

And the rhythmic flow can happen whether you wake up at 6 am or 8 am can happen whether you wake up at 6 am or 8 am . That's the magic of rhythm . Rhythm is flexible , not like a strict schedule . A schedule tends to have times attached to it , like you do this at 8.15 and you do this at 9 .

And I for one I don't know about you , but I get a rigid , fixed feeling and it makes me feel tense when I look at a schedule . Rhythm , on the other hand , is meant to be more like a flow

, like I said , from one activity to another , with a more fluid feel . So , while the activities may be similar from one day to the next , every day will be a little bit different , and that's okay . Like I said , rhythm is really the heartbeat of the home and homeschooling .

Rhythm allows you to seamlessly flow through learning activities , through all the activities of your day , even on days when you wake up with no clear lesson plan . That lesson rhythm might include a warmup with songs or poems , story time , artistic activities , main lesson book work and skills practice

. But even when you don't know what specifically you will do for each of those activities , you can still fill in the blanks much more easily when you have a rhythm like that established . This is how rhythm can provide structure and security in your homeschool day .

Remember this , though it's also quite normal to need a rhythm reset at times , like after the disruption of the holidays or illness if illness has gone through your family , or even after birthday celebrations , because your rhythm will fall away at times , and that's okay . I want you to understand that that's going to happen to all of us .

It's actually to be expected , in fact . Just remember to come back to rhythm and create a rhythm that supports you and your family , wherever you are on your homeschool journey . Right now , here are three simple steps to reset your rhythm . Step one reflect and let go Briefly assess what has worked and not worked in the past with your rhythm .

You might look at your daily rhythm , your lesson time rhythm , specifically even your weekly rhythm as a family , like what you tend to do on Mondays , or if Wednesdays are different or the weekends . If you're brand new to rhythm , start small and build from there . For example , what are three activities you want to do most mornings ?

Those can serve as the foundation of your daily rhythm . When you're ready to reset , I encourage you to start fresh , without feeling guilty that your rhythm has fallen away . That will happen from time to time , like I have said , and just let this episode be your reminder to come back to it .

If your kiddos are old enough , you might even have a short family meeting to gather input from everyone about your daily

and weekly rhythms . All right , step two start small with anchor points . So focus on key points of the day and let these become anchor points . The regular activities that you do most days , like morning circle or warm-up time , snack time , bedtime , meal times .

Anchor points are these times when everyone in the family , or most everyone , comes together , is doing something together and you are reconnecting . If you've been without rhythm for a while , work on these anchor points for a bit before adding in more activities .

This way you can layer in additional activities gradually and when you want to bring the whole family together at certain points in your day , a great place to start is with something familiar that can become like the cue to that activity .

For example , reintroduce a familiar song or poem , a mealtime blessing that everybody already knows or a ritual to ground you in that activity and at that time of day . And step three add layers gradually . Build the rhythm slowly over a few weeks rather than diving into an elaborate day of activities all at once .

You want to create space in your day for creativity , learning , playtime , home care , rest , connection . There's so many pieces that go into making a rich and connecting day . So think about that as you're creating your rhythm and add layers gradually . As we bring this episode to a close , I want to offer you a little more encouragement .

First of all , every single family's rhythm is going to look different . There's so many things that go into the daily rhythm and we're all going to create something that is unique and works for our family at this point in time , keep in mind it's okay to experiment . Rhythm is not about getting the perfect flow down on paper .

So many homeschooling parents I talk to want to write out their rhythm , tweak their rhythm , show me their rhythm , ask me if I think that this is going to work for them and I know how tempting that is right but it's really about intuitively guessing what seems good for your family right now and giving it a try , see how it goes and then make small tweaks .

Remember , when you make changes , it's best to make only one or two changes at a time rather than throwing the whole thing out and starting over . I've been

there and I can't tell you how many like perfect looking rhythms I've created , but then it isn't fitting where we are on our journey at that time . So , just like the homeschooling lessons themselves , we want to spend more time in the doing than in the planning .

You want to create your unique homeschool rhythm for your family , so that means you'll create , tweak and find your homeschool rhythm . Here's a great quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson All life is an experiment . The more experiments you make , the better .

Now , if you want more support and a community of homeschoolers from all over the world , come join the Inspired at Home membership . Every February , we focus on the masterclass Reset your Rhythm , where you'll find six lessons with guidance for how to create your daily and weekly rhythm , your homeschool lesson rhythm and how to increase your rhythms .

Plus , there's so many examples from other homeschooling parents of what their rhythm looks like and how they make it work for their family . The Reset your Rhythm Masterclass is designed to help homeschoolers create sustainable rhythms that are just right for you . You'll get this masterclass , along with 30 others , when you join the Inspired at Home community .

For details , head over to artofhomeschoolingcom slash inspiredathome . Thank you so much for tuning in today . I hope you have a wonderful week connecting with your family . Don't forget to let rhythm be your friend . You'll find a quick summary of the episode here , along with any links I've mentioned at artofhomeschoolingcom , slash episode 216 .

Remember the Emerson quote all life is an experiment , and the more experiments you make , the better . That's all for today , my friend , but here's what I want you to remember Rather than perfection , let's focus on connection . Thanks so much for listening and I'll see you on the next episode of the Art of Homeschooling podcast .