A Brave Writer's Life in Brief

Homeschoolers want a schedule! I want you to have a routine. But you can call it a schedule if that makes you happy!

I’ve learned that I can keep a routine more easily than a fixed schedule.

I laid out our family’s 10-step routine on Instagram stories and many asked me to share it permanently.

Here it is!

1. Wake up after enough sleep (time of day varies).
2. Spend 30 minutes or so—getting breakfast, drinking tea or coffee, kids playing.
3. Brush teeth and dress.
4. Move to the family room for read aloud time (usually several books over the course of an hour that includes myriad interruptions by toddlers, baby nursing, juice getting, or ending a fight over LEGO).
5. Take a break—run around the house or backyard then eat a protein snack.
6. Gather at the kitchen table for copywork, handwriting, working on a writing project.
7. Another break—toss a frisbee, do jumping jacks, have a dance party.
8. Do math at the kitchen table. If a toddler is a problem, park them in front of the TV for a show you like while guiding the other kids in math.
9. LUNCH!
10. History/Science/Arts after lunch. Pick one each day. Rotate.

That’s it! That’s the routine. With a range of ages, you might sometimes need to alternate attention. That’s okay! Let the child who isn’t working with you do something fun they can only do during those times. It helps!

But above all…

Drop everything for a better offer! Field trip, park day, museum, skiing, going to the beach, binge watching a great TV series.

My book, The Brave Learner, goes into detail about how to
create a lifestyle of learning. We’ve got you!

We’ve talked about how we should Waste Time Learning.

Now let’s talk about talking.

Did you know that the most effective tool for learning is big, juicy conversations with you?

More learning happens on the drive to the dentist’s and at the lunch table than anywhere else. You get to give your child the tutorial, one-on-one (sometimes six-on-one!) conversation that allows them to do some pretty huge things as far as learning is concerned.

Some examples:

• Narrate what they understand.
• Ask questions.
• Use new vocabulary.
• Make connections.
• Imagine scenarios.
• Apply what they understand to new contexts.
• Discover what an adult thinks about that topic.
• Face contradictions and controversies.
• Add depth and complexity to understanding.

All that and a bag of chips! (*chips not included)

This post is originally from Instagram and @juliebogartwriter is my account there so come follow along for more conversations like this one!

Could amusement be the antidote to weariness?

I don’t know the evidence-based answer to that question. But does it matter if we know for sure? It’s worth the experiment!

If burnout can be caused by chronic exposure to emotionally draining environments, then flip it. Fill your cup with some fun!

So have an “Amusement Day!”

Literally, put amusement on your calendar if you need to.

More Inspiration

It’s Okay to Have Fun
Are We Having Fun Yet?
Put Fun on the Schedule—for YOU!