By Shari McMinn

Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen. (Matthew 6:9a–13 KJV)

Thus ended each day of my childhood. “The Lord’s Prayer” recited at bedtime with one of my parents, has stuck with me for 60-some years. What started as a nightly ritual, became my default for life. Though I wandered away a bit from the Lord during my young adulthood, God called me to return to His loving care. I responded, knowing in my heart that He provided my daily bread, forgave my sins, protected me from temptation, and delivered me from evil as my King, forever. I am thankful my Christian parents provided me with an idyllic childhood, including a slow and steady routine. It built me into the resilient, Jesus follower I am today.

Are daily routines all that important? Yes, according to many scientific studies over the past 50 years, and highlighted in this excerpt from an online article on the importance of family routines: ​”Every family needs routines. They help to organize life and keep it from becoming too chaotic. Children do best when routines are regular, predictable, and consistent. One of a family’s greatest challenges is to establish comfortable, effective routines, which should achieve a happy compromise between the disorder and confusion that can occur without them and the rigidity and boredom that can come with too much structure and regimentation, where children are given no choice and little flexibility. As a parent, review the routines in your household to ensure that they accomplish what you want.”

Refreshing your life’s routine when the new school year begins is a way to create rhythm and balance that will help all family members. I found that my delayed learners, as well as my ‘typical’ students and highly-gifted children, were greatly blessed by a structured routine that had flexibility to bend with personal preferences and our daily lives.

First, when planning for your upcoming school year routine, consider if your life changed over the summer: Did a new bundle of joy join your family or an older child graduate? Did your work life and associated income change? Did you move or are you planning to? Similar to when completing my tax filing online each spring, the first questions the software program asks me are about life changes since my previous year’s filing, ask yourself these questions. Late summer is a good time to review life events that may cause changes or even disruptions to your new homeschool year.

Second, did all your students move up a grade or is someone repeating a subject or two to catch up? Will any of your children work more independently on some of their coursework? Do others require more of your time due to delays? Do you have any younger children that are now ready to begin basic math, reading, and writing skills? Are you changing curriculum or staying with what you have already been using? These answers, too, affect your homeschool routine.

Third, once you have considered the answers to those questions — and I recommend discussing them with your spouse if available — you are ready to establish a new “back-to-school routine.” I suggest you start with these strategies, adding more that you may develop based on your personal situation:

1. Devotions should start your day. I know the few times I have skipped my personal devotions, everything else went downhill fast. But if I set aside at least 5–10 minutes to be with the Lord, praying and reading even just one chapter in His Word, I will have a song in my heart and bounce in my step the rest of the day, no matter how many kids are needy and whiny. Our family also had life seasons with family devotions during breakfast to start everyone off on the ‘same page.’
2. Have a physical or digital device calendar with a general schedule for each day/week. This can be kept on your own desk, or better yet, posted in the kitchen or highest traffic area of your home for all to see. If anyone asks, “What are we doing today?”, point to the posted schedule to save your time and breath. And, yes, my husband was the worst at asking that question! Using a grid with individual names, times, and assignments helps some families more than a general list. Got non-readers? Use pictures or photos for their assigned tasks.
3. Set a reasonable schedule for school, chores, and relaxing each day. Since homeschool has the word “home” in it, I found it helpful to stay home more days of the week than days we went out for errands, private lessons, extracurricular activities, and the like. Leave margins (blank slots) of time for the unexpected that might come up. Allow blocks of time each day for individual choice of activities like hobbies, reading, games, and creative play. Just say “No!” to too many activities. 
4. Start your school year gently. The first week of school should be focused on getting back to regular bedtimes, preparing and consuming meals together, with some reading, writing, and math time. During the second week, add an additional subject like science. Plan a field trip for the third week when everyone might enjoy an adventure that could be called “history,” “geography,” or “art.” By the fourth week you can implement your “full” schedule. This graduated start helps kids ease back into school, prevents the teaching parent from becoming immediately overwhelmed, and works the kinks out of the family’s newly planned routine.
5. Remember to establish and maintain close, trusted, love-based relationships for the long-haul. If crabbiness sets in, check your heart. Get right with the Lord, then check your kids’ hearts. Unique learners often have emotions that get in the way of learning. Are they mad? Frustrated? Disrespectful? Or what? Spend some one-on-one downtime just being together and see if that helps, or at least opens up a dialogue for them to tell you what is troubling them. Math facts and English grammar will not “stick” if students are struggling with focus due to personal issues.
6. Plan for fun during late afternoon or early evening to celebrate whatever got accomplished that day: exercising with Dad, a family walk to the park, fire pit with s’mores outside, or a family sing-along in the living room. If family life is not enjoyable, parent burnout and kid rebellion can set in. Because of the fond memories we experienced during many evenings together, some of my adult children continue our family traditions of board game nights and walks after supper.
7. Establish a “bedtime ritual.” Changing into pajamas, brushing teeth, a final drink of water, one last trip to the bathroom, reading a story aloud bedside, and concluding the day with prayer will become a treasured memory for your children. Ending busy days peacefully will help start the next day a bit more smoothly. Got a big family? Storytime and prayer can happen in one of your larger bedrooms with everyone getting comfy on furniture or floor pillows.
8. Enjoy Sabbath rest as a family. I realize it is hard to take Saturday or Sunday “off” from life. It is  even harder to find a Bible-preaching church that is welcoming to families with unique learners, especially those with children who have extra-special needs. However, it is crucial to have godly elders, benevolent deacons, and a caring congregation for a support system during challenging times. Pray for God to show you such a church, even if it is a few hours driving distance to attend weekly. Then celebrate God’s Sabbath rest, keeping it holy as He commands us for refreshment in Him, together as a family (Exodus 20:8, Deuteronomy 5:12). 

Remember to keep God first, family second, school third, then all the rest further down the list will be accomplished in time.

Do you need additional organizational tips and forms? Check out these free downloads from SPEDHomeschool. Or listen to this HSLDA podcast from HSLDA, Too Many Goals, Too Little Time: Let’s Prioritize!  

My next blog, “Baseline Start for a Home Run Year” will be posted on September 27, 2023 (the 4th Wednesday).

P.S. If you have a topic I should write about, please email me with your suggestion(s). This blog is for you!

Shari McMinn, your trusted homeschooling friend

About the Author: Shari McMinn

Shari Howard McMinn has graduated from homeschool teaching and is a professional editor, public speaker, and writer. After living in Colorado for 45 years, she continues to work remotely for Christian Home Educators of Colorado (CHEC) from her new home in the Fort Myers, Florida area. Shari is the author of four books, which are detailed on her website, ShariMcMinn.com. She is an advocate for adoption, homeschooling, safe and stable families, and unique learners. Last year, she entered a very fun new season of life: grandparenting! She is available to answer your questions via email, Shari@CHEC.org.