Every homeschool mom wants to start her day off well, no matter what. It’s a dreamy concept we all want to obtain. But when we don’t have actionable items in place, it is hard to do. So I’m going to share a two simple tips to help you kick start your homeschool day for success.

Plan and Prepare the Night Before

This one is not as complicated as it seems. You don’t need more than 10-15 minutes and a piece of paper.

One of the big mistakes I’ve made that contributes to a sluggish morning is not planning the night before. I’m still working on this, so it’s definitely a work in progress.

Each night, plan your next day with a written skeleton outline. Maybe you already have a lesson plan book or a scheduler like the one in Illuminations, take a look at those when you make your outline.

If you need to prep any materials for your lessons, do that the night before. We organize our homeschool supplies in a special nook. So the night before, I pull out our binders, crayons, pencils, books, and just about anything we’ll need the next day. I leave it on that desk in the nook so the kids can bring it to the table when we begin our lessons. Sometimes the kids help with this in the evening, but I like to do it myself so I don’t miss anything.

Get Up Before Your Children Do

Getting up early is common productivity advice. As a mom, early rising means you more personal downtime (maybe for devotions) and that your day will flow more smoothly.

When you’re homeschooling, you’re not just sitting down coloring, connecting the dots, and cutting paper. It’s a mind-involved game. So you need to be clear headed and rested. Part of being rested is going to bed early of course, but I’ve learned that being up before my kids helps my brain wake-up, helps me gather myself, and helps me approach the day in a calmer manner.

I like having started my day before my children’s feet hit the floor. I’ll have my tea or coffee, and then when they get up they’ll have their breakfast. At this point I’m already on a roll and a couple of steps ahead of my plan that I outlined the night before.

In contrast, if we wake up simultaneously, we are are all dragging our feet at the same time. And it’s hard to get them going if I’m trying to get myself going too.

With these two super simple tips, you will see your homeschool day will start off on solid footing. You’ll be more alert, better organized, and ready to focus on those precious kiddos of yours!

Do you have any tips that help you start the homeschool day off well? I’d love to hear what works for you.