Ten Tips to be a More Consistent Homeschool Mom

So many problems that homeschool moms face can be solved by developing the habit of consistency. Lack of consistency has derailed many a homeschool.Today, Ginny and Mary Ellen distill their years of experience into ten simple and practical tips to bring harmony of practice, firmness of character, and lasting success to your homeschool. Show Notes:Consistency can be hard in every season of homeschool life. It’s hard for everyone. Mostly it’s about developing good habits, and each year presents a new set of circumstances, so new habits and routines must be developed.These Ten Tips Will Help Get You in the New Groove.Have weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly goals.Start the day with what is most important and difficult to get done.  Keep to a daily rhythm: do the same things at around the same time every day. Children, especially small children, do much better with routines.Set clear expectations. Habit stack. The excellent book Habit Stacking by S.J. Scott recommends linking a new habit to an already existing one.  For example, you brush your teeth every morning, so while you are doing that, you can say your morning offering. Treat your homeschool hours as sacrosanct.  Do not look at your phone, turn on the TV, or answer the door. You are at work, and only emergencies should distract you.Be miserly with your time outside of homeschool. Carefully and prayerfully discern outside activities. Have a “set in concrete” check-in time for each child to keep them accountable and to make sure they are keeping up with the work.Don’t schedule too much work in a day. a.    Start with too little and gradually increase to the sweet spot. b.    Do some subjects like history and science every other day. c.     Make a schedule that works for each child. Overwhelm is death to consistency.Once in a while, be inconsistent. Stepping out of the box helps keep you on track when you need to be. Habit Stacking by S.J. Scott Homeschooling ResourcesSeton Home Study SchoolSeton Testing Services