03 Apr Homeschool Routine: Finding the Perfect Start Time
When homeschooling it’s easy to feel like we need to be doing it a certain way or at a certain time. We find ourselves asking, “What’s everyone else doing?” and “Am I doing this right?” One question that comes up often is “What time should I start?”
In public school, as you know, children usually need to be at school ready to start by 8:00 a.m. – oftentimes even earlier than that. This requires an early start and sometimes an added 20-30 minutes to account for the commute. But as homeschoolers we have the flexibility to start and finish as best meets the needs of our children (and as an added bonus, no commute)!
3 Things to Consider When Choosing a Time
Here are three things to take into consideration when choosing your starting time for your homeschool.
- Are my kids getting enough sleep? Sleepfoundation.org says, “According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, children ages 6–12 need between 9 and 12 hours of sleep at night, and teenagers ages 13–18 need between 8 and 10 hours each night.” Sleep can make a big difference in whether or not your kiddos are able to focus and learn. Is your start time (and bedtime) giving them enough sleep?
- Do you get enough sleep? Honestly this was a big one for me. I was putting pressure on myself to get up and start at a certain time because of imaginary standards I’d put into place. But when I first started homeschooling, I was working often until 12:30 or 1:00 a.m. This meant that school needed to start later for us, and that was ok! Self-care is important and if you’re more rested, you’ll feel more patient and ready to teach.
- Does this time work for my family? What do you notice about your kids? Are they more focused in the morning and more laid back in the afternoon? Or do they do better to do easier tasks in the morning and focus in on harder subjects later? Our family likes to start slow with reading and ease into the morning and then hit our more intensive subjects either right before or right after lunch. Watch your kids and see when their best hours of productivity seem to be.
Thoughts from Other Homeschool Families
I polled several homeschool families to see what times they chose to start and why. The most common answer was between 8:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. One mom who preferred an earlier start time shared,
“I feel like the morning is the freshest and most awake. By afternoon, especially in the spring and fall, they want to enjoy the afternoon sun.”
Several parents said they like to let everyone rest, sleep in a little, and get a good breakfast in so they’re ready for the day. One mom shared,
“Everyone has slept, eaten, dressed, and had a little ‘me time’ at their own pace before we get started. Moods seem to be better for us this way vs. starting much earlier. Then we finish up in time for lunch and any afternoon activities we want to do. Plus, the afternoon activities are motivation for knocking out our work!”
Make It Your Own
Do you work? Do the kids have afternoon or morning extracurriculars? One mom shared that she works part time so,
“I have to work around my schedule. Ideally, we would start by 9 [a.m.] and end by noon. That way I can work in the afternoon while baby is sleeping.”
Almost everyone in the survey said their start time varied day-to-day! In my family we rarely start the day at the exact same time but we usually get going once we’ve all had breakfast and had a little time to ourselves in the morning as others have said. The kids finish up our individual work in the afternoons at their own pace.
What about you? When do you like to start the day? Does it change or do you keep it consistent? The beauty of homeschooling is that you can do what works best for YOU and your precious family.