5 Ways to Prepare for Your Homeschool Year

It’s that time of year again… time to start thinking about the school year.

Summer is coming to a close and many are ready to get back into a routine with their families and kids as they homeschool. We started back last month and this year was the easiest transition from summer to school. These few tips really worked for us and I’m excited to share them with you today.

5 Ways to Prepare for Your Homeschool Year

1. Clean out last year’s stuff

About a month before I knew we would be starting back to school, I cleaned out everything from last year! If I didn’t see us using it this year, it was either in the trash or in it’s designated Rubbermaid bin to store for another time. Clean out the cabinets, papers, notebooks, binders, and even crayons!

Strive to start fresh if you can.

2. Organize this year’s stuff

After deciding which curriculum you’ll use, start organizing. Now, this is my favorite part. I organized our bookshelf using my label maker. Each little area has a tag to keep it organized. This helps my boys know where their books and supplies go after each time they use it. It’s a great way to stay organized and help them remember to pick up their school stuff after each day!

3. Prepare for the 1st Day of School

How can you make it fun and exciting? There are LOTS of ideas on Pinterest. Just search “Back to School”. I get lots of my ideas from Pinterest to prepare for the 1st day of school. We also take pictures like the one below on the first day of school each year. It’s fun to see how much they’ve changed over the years and when 12th grade is finished, I’ll make a book of each year of these pictures.

4. Don’t Over-schedule

Your kids don’t have to be in every activity each year. Decide as a family what you think the best would be and stick to that one activity or two.

In our house, my oldest does piano and basketball. If we over-schedule and try to have him in everything he wants to do or every sport or activity there is available, it actually is a disservice to us as a family. While it may be fun, the reality of it is it cuts down on family time – where you aren’t together as much as you would’ve been if you only had picked 1 or 2 activities and also means you have to run your kids all over town to these activities. Over-scheduling leads to crankiness…in everyone.

5. Bed Time Rituals

In the summer, we’re not as strict about bedtime routines and having a schedule in general. So, about two weeks before, I start our bedtime routines again. This includes baths, prayers, and a set bedtime each night. At first, the boys don’t like it because they know school is coming soon, however, in the end, they end up liking it (whether they admit to it or not) because we all crave routines, no matter what it is. In the end, everyone is happier because they are rested and feel better the next morning.

Have you heard of the God & Me devotional? We have this book and use it in our homeschool as a daily devotional time each morning. The pictures in this devotional book are beautiful and the short devotions keeps my boys attention just the right amount of time while still getting in scripture and prayers. God and Me aims to help children find out all about God: what He is like, how He cares for them, and how He wants them to live. It’s my prayer this book blesses you as much as it has me when watching our children learn more about Him.

Your Turn

What are some of your favorite ways to prepare for your homeschool year?