Every week, I see the memes about how much people dread Mondays. I hear from moms who can’t wait to have their children back in school, and honestly, it makes me sad. Mondays may be my favorite day of the week. I love our lazy Saturdays and going to church on Sundays, but there is something about the fresh start of a Monday that brings me such joy. I’m so thankful that Monday doesn’t have to bring me trepidation as a homeschool mom, aren’t you?

 

While the start of a new homeschool week can bring some busyness and occasional stress, there are things we can do to bring peace to the start of a week. We can start a homeschool week feeling prepared and peaceful, and then carry that feeling on to our children.

 

I have learned to implement just a few simple things into my Sunday routine that help me start my Monday right. I like to call this restful productivity.

 

WAYS TO START YOUR HOMESCHOOL WEEK RIGHT

 

REST WELL –

Don’t roll your eyes because I am starting here. I am a mom of eight and I haven’t had a full night’s sleep in many years. I know it isn’t feasible to get a solid eight hours of sleep on Sunday so you wake up bright eyed and bushy tailed. What I am saying is to be restful on Sundays. Try your best not to run around all day long and stay up all night long. You know how that will end. What did God do on the seventh day? He rested.

I am a productive person by nature. I have goals, checklists, plans; I like to get things done. Laying around all day makes me anxious, truthfully. I have learned that this isn’t a bad thing. I can rest well on Sundays without feeling like I am wasting my day.

How do I rest well? For one, I have implemented a no electronic day on Sunday. My family hasn’t entirely followed suit, but I can see them putting away their devices more and more on Sundays, because they see my doing it. If I really need to post something for work on Sunday, I schedule it ahead of time. Otherwise, I ignore the rest of the world and focus on my family. It has been wonderfully eye opening! I also make sure to take some time to focus on myself, whether that means reading a good book, pampering myself a bit, listening to a podcast, playing in my planner, or watching a Hallmark movie.

 

BE PRESENT –

As a goal oriented person, this one is hard for me. I have a tough time staying in the moment. In regards to homeschooling, I am usually thinking about the end result, whatever that means.

I have had to train myself to really be present in my homeschool. Homeschooling my children is such a blessing, and when I am thinking about the next curriculum or the next grade level or the next anything, it takes away from the moment we are in. I have learned to slow down and watch my children. What are they enjoying right now? What are they struggling with right now? How can I serve them right where they are?

 

 

PLAN WITH FLEXIBILITY –

I love to plan all the things! I think most homeschooling moms are with me on this one.

Planning is essential as a homeschooling mom. However, it is important to plan with flexibility to avoid disappointment. How many times have you planned your entire week only to be thrown completely off course when your toddler gets sick or your fifth grader acts like she has never seen division in her life?

Your homeschool schedule is going to change and may change often. I do any lesson planning I need to on Saturdays, but I make sure not to overschedule or over pack our work load. I try to keep my planning realistic and I keep in mind my goal to be in the present.

I plan one week at a time and glance ahead at the next week so I can make sure to buy any supplies I will need for the following week.

I do have yearly, quarterly, and monthly goals for our homeschool, but planning in smaller blocks helps keep me present, and allows for plenty of flexibility.

 

EASE INTO MONDAY –

When I am planning my week, I make sure to plan for a gentle start on Mondays. I used to pack in every single subject on Mondays, because it was the first day of the school week and we had plenty of time to get it all done. Then, I learned I was setting myself and my children up for failure and frustration. Yikes.

Now, I plan our Mondays to be slightly less rigorous. We get all of our core subjects done, like language arts, math, and history. But, I also plan for a gentle start on Monday mornings. Typically, we extend our Morning Time a little longer on Mondays. I also may forget about the typical order of subjects and start with a science or history project that the kids have been wanting to do. We may read a little longer from our current Read-Aloud while having hot cocoa. Anything I can do to ease into our morning and start our homeschool week with joy, instead of dread. If we don’t get to all the subjects I have planned for Monday, I will just loop them into our schedule for the following days.

These simple tips have brought back so much joy into our homeschool. I truly look forward to Mondays, and the grumbling from my children has eased. I am not the crazy homeschool mom who barks out orders anymore – I am a mom who strives to be present with her children, who eases into Mondays with joy, and who has taken the time to fill her cup so she can pour from the overflow.

Homeschooling our children is a gift, and I want to treat it as such, don’t you?

 

 

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