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We just entered one of the busiest times of the year.  Making Christmas magical while homeschooling while also keeping up with the home can be exhausting!  I tend to stay up late, wake up early, and probably singlehandedly keep Starbucks in business.  Sometimes that isn’t enough though.  Here are a few tips to help you homeschool when life is busy.

How do you homeschool when life is busy?

Keep a calendar -or 3

I hate being late and I REALLY hate when I forget that I need to be somewhere.  I maintain multiple calendars to help me keep track of where I need to be and what I need to do.  I have a calendar on my phone, in my lesson planner, and on my refrigerator.

Friends are often confused when they see my refrigerator calendar because the date doesn’t start on the first.

It is a little unconventional, but I believe it is the best calendar strategy for busy parents.

I update my calendar every weekend, moving the new week to the very first line.  This means that I can always see events 4 weeks before they come up.  Have you ever forgotten to get ready for something that happens on the first of the month because you forgot about it until you flip the calendar page?  That won’t happen with this strategy!

Keep up basic routines

It is easy to get overwhelmed when everything feels chaotic.  Kids (and some parents) crave structure and routine.  Maintaining meal times, bedtimes, and cleaning routines helps me stay on top of things. It also keeps everyone fed and dressed in clean clothes – which is necessary even when mama is busy. Try to put these tasks on auto-pilot if at all possible.

Prioritize, prioritize, prioritize

Sometimes, try as you might, you just can’t get everything done.  We can’t create more hours in the day, so we need to pare down the to-do list.  Prioritizing helps get rid of the ‘can’t do it all’ guilt.

When life feels crazy, I try to remember to breath and list my priorities.  If my number 1 priority is my family and number 2 is educating my children, it removes some guilt about stepping down from some volunteer positions.

Cut out the fluff

When life is really busy, get rid of anything that isn’t one of your top 3 priorities.  Yes, you still have to feed your family.  No, they don’t need to be time-consuming meals. List your priorities first to help you clearly identify the extras.

Ask for help

You aren’t in this alone!  Think of your family as a team and tag the other members to help.  Delegate jobs to your kids and husband, being mindful of their own crazy schedules.  Trust me, they would much rather help than have you get stressed beyond belief. They love you and want to help. Carisa at Messes to Memories has a great chore list broken down by age if you need a few chore ideas.

Many homeschool moms take the entire job on for themselves, but dads make great teachers too!  If life is feeling busy and crazy, try asking your husband to teach a subject or two.  You both might discover that he really loves teaching science and wants to continue long-term.

How do you homeschool when life is busy?

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