Hello darling! Welcome back to the blog!
When it comes to homeschool, one thing I just want to add is that it’s okay to figure it out as you go. I’ve tried various routines, honestly, I’ve tried everything. In the beginning, I really thought I had to do a proper school-style routine, like a full timetable with fixed hours and everything. But after doing some research and actually experiencing it for myself, I realised you don’t. Especially when your child is still young, you can just do an hour a day, and that’s more than enough.
The beauty of homeschooling is that it’s flexible, and it’s really about what works for you and your child, not what looks good on paper. So in this post, I’m sharing what I’ve learned so far. There’s been trial, error, a few routine flops, and plenty of “what on earth am I doing?” moments, but we’re figuring it out. And hopefully, something I’ve picked up along the way encourages you, too.
Trial and Error with Structure
Yeah, so I would say that when it comes to homeschool routine, I tried doing it sporadically, just randomly being like, “Let’s just learn,” and randomly trying to teach my daughter things. That really didn’t work. I realised you do have to have a routine.
At first, I thought being relaxed and free-flowing would be better, no pressure, no fixed time, just going with the flow and teaching her when it felt right. But honestly, that just led to inconsistency. Some days we didn’t do anything at all, and other days felt rushed or chaotic. I found myself forgetting what we’d covered or repeating things we already did. And even though I thought it would feel more peaceful, it actually made things feel more scattered and stressful. For me, trying to keep to a strict time frame just led to unnecessary stress. Some days my daughter would wake up later, or she would be tired or grumpy, or something unexpected comes up — and then I’d be thinking, “Oh no, we missed the homeschool slot,” and that adds pressure that doesn’t need to be there.
Then I went to the complete opposite extreme, and I was like, “Okay, we’re going to do 12 to 2 every day.” I tried to structure it like a proper class block, sit-down learning at the same time every single day, with fixed topics planned. But that hasn’t worked either. I haven’t been able to stick to 12 to 2 every day. Life happens. Some mornings are slower, some days we’re out, sometimes my child just isn’t in the mood at that specific time, and I’m learning that’s okay.
So now, I think what works is saying we’re going to do an hour a day or two hours a day, but it doesn’t need to be the same time every day. Just having the goal of getting that hour or two in, whenever it fits into the day naturally, takes so much pressure off. It allows for flexibility but still brings structure. I can work it around her energy levels and our daily flow, rather than forcing everything to fit into a rigid time slot.
Then what’s better is to have some activities planned depending on what we’re working on. That way, I’m not scrambling to come up with ideas on the spot or trying to invent something last minute. I already have a few learning options ready, whether it’s reading, flashcards, hands-on activities, or simple workbooks. Even having a list on your phone or a visual board with ideas like “letter tracing,” “counting blocks,” “animal flashcards,” or “story time with questions” can help take the mental load off. Preparation doesn’t have to be complicated — just intentional.
It’s less about forcing the time and more about being intentional with the learning, even if it happens during play, while we’re cooking, or in a quiet moment on the sofa. That shift in mindset made a big difference for me.
Activity Ideas and Learning Tools
So, if we’re going through ABCs, what do we have? We currently have big flashcards. We have ABCs in her room. I have posters for ABCs.
So am I going to sit downstairs in the living room at her little corner and homeschool with flashcards? Or am I going to put my mix wall up and put flashcards there? Am I going to homeschool with a friend? Am I going to use the posters that she’s got in her room?
These are all options I like to rotate through, depending on the mood, the time of day, and what seems to be engaging her best. Some days, she loves sitting in her little learning corner with her flashcards. I’ll lay them out on the table and we’ll go through them together, making the sounds and singing songs. Other times, she prefers being in her bedroom where the posters are, and I’ll just sit beside her and we’ll talk about the letters on the wall.
I’ve also started thinking more about how I can make the learning environment inviting. Am I going to get her involved with decorating her corner or picking the activities? Am I going to print off some fun worksheets to match the flashcards? Am I going to let her watch a phonics video and then quiz her with our own materials? It doesn’t always have to be “sit down and do school.” Sometimes it’s “let’s explore and learn through play or visuals.”
Even using a teddy bear or character she loves can make a big difference in how she responds to the learning. Kids connect better when it feels like play or adventure rather than pressure.
So, the question is always: What do I already have in the house? What tools can I use today to make this topic fun and clear?
Sometimes the most effective learning happens when you’re not overthinking it, just using what’s already in your environment to make it click.
Keeping Track and Making Progress
In terms of things that can make homeschooling better, especially the routine, I think having a folder is helpful. I keep one and record my daughter’s progress. Not necessarily to be super strict or formal, but just something to help me see what we’ve done and how it went.
Here is an example of what I fill out:
Extra tips for you:
If there were struggles, try and figure out what the problem was. Was it the time that you chose? Was your child tired or hungry? Did something earlier in the day throw them off? Or maybe the activity was too hard or too easy for their level?
Being able to look back and see patterns helps so much. Personally, for me, if every time I try something at a certain time she struggles, I just jot down not to homeschool at that time of day. Or if I notice she’s super engaged when it’s sensory play or singing, that tells me where to lean in more.
You could even put this in an Excel spreadsheet and have simple columns like:
- Date
- Time you started homeschooling
- Topic/Activity (e.g., ABC flashcards, number songs, sorting shapes)
- Was my child engaged? (Yes/No/Partially)
- Outcome/Notes (e.g., She enjoyed it, needed help with certain letters, distracted halfway through)
- Any struggles? (e.g., tired, needed a snack, wasn’t in the mood)
- How I responded (e.g., switched activities, took a break, tried again later)
You could even colour code it to make things visual, green for a great session, orange for okay, and red for when things just didn’t go well. That way, you’re not just tracking for the sake of it but actually seeing what’s working and what needs adjusting.
Over time, this helps you build a rhythm. You can flip back and remember what worked in week 2 or what you tried when she was really into counting. Plus, it’ll be so helpful if you end up homeschooling more children in the future (this is personally my thinking… 💗), you’ll already have a bit of a system in place and some real-life notes to work from.
And most importantly, it keeps you motivated. On the hard days, you can look back and see how far your child has come. Even small wins matter, like the first time they recognised a letter or counted to ten without help. Those things deserve to be celebrated, and tracking helps you not miss them.
Recognising When to Shift
I feel like it’s important that if you start to get stressed about the routine, or if certain things just aren’t working and you’re getting frustrated, it means you need to change things up.
Let’s be honest, if you’re starting to dread the word “homeschool,” and even the flashcards are giving you side-eye from across the room, that’s a red flag. God didn’t call us to homeschool our children just to have us burnt out and running on caffeine and guilt. Sometimes what you need isn’t a new curriculum, it’s just a reset.
For me, I had to change the way I was doing certain homeschooling because it was stressing me out. I had this idea in my head of how it was supposed to look, super structured, smooth, Pinterest-worthy, but that wasn’t the reality. When it started to feel overwhelming, it started to feel constricting. I felt like I was trapped in my own routine, and the joy was slowly leaking out.
But I had to remind myself: “For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:30, NIV) If the way I’m doing something starts to feel like a heavy burden, I have to ask, did God give me this method, or did I place it on myself?
Homeschooling is meant to be a blessing, not a battleground. Yes, it requires discipline and intention, but it also comes with grace and flexibility. And if God’s mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:23), then surely we can give ourselves permission to start fresh, too.
Sometimes the Holy Spirit is nudging us gently, like, “You don’t need to stick to this plan. It’s okay to pivot.” And honestly, some of the best learning moments have happened when we threw the plan out the window and followed curiosity instead.
So if it feels like your current routine is running you (instead of the other way around), it’s okay to stop, breathe, pray, and try a new approach. God’s not grading your homeschool day; He’s walking through it with you.
My Final Thoughts
So, a quick recap, I think a little folder of activities and a little progress chart are great. It lets you see how your child is learning. And trust me, on the days when it feels like nothing is sticking and you’re questioning your entire existence as a homeschooling parent, that little folder can be your reminder that you are doing a lot.
You’ll be surprised how helpful it is to have something to flick through and go, “Oh yeah, we did numbers last Tuesday, and she remembered most of them by Friday!” Or “We’ve done phonics three times this month — no wonder she’s picking it up!” It helps you track not just what they’re learning, but how far you’ve both come.
Also, have the age of your child noted when you started teaching certain things. That might help if you have more kids and plan to homeschool them too. You can look back at your previous child’s age and what you were doing with them, and remind yourself that it doesn’t all have to be perfect. That way, if baby number two comes along and you’re teaching ABCs with a toddler on your hip and mismatched socks on your feet, you’ll still have a roadmap (and the reassurance that you’ve done this before and survived).
Obviously, with all of these things, it gets better over time. Once you start doing it, you start learning what works and maybe more importantly, what doesn’t. Like trying to introduce a new concept during a sugar crash, or expecting a three-year-old to sit still for more than ten minutes without snacks, movement, or Jesus intervening directly.
And with the next year or the next child, it just becomes a lot easier to teach them, and to know what works and what doesn’t. You grow in confidence. You learn to laugh at the chaos. And you realise that homeschooling isn’t about having all the answers, it’s about showing up with love, flexibility, and a willingness to grow right alongside your child.
Sending blessings your way!
Scherise. X
