Planning a Homeschool Week in Just 15 Minutes

Hey there! I know what you might be thinking: But I don't homeschool. That's totally okay. From time to time I will be posting good things for my homeschooling readers, and those of you who aren't, feel free to delete and move along! Isn't it nice to have one less thing to read online anyway?

Back in the day (January, 1997, to be exact), I spent my Sunday evenings planning the upcoming week of curriculum and school goals. I hated it. I mean, seriously, who wants to spend their Sunday nights doing that?

But now it's 2017 and I've gotten much older and a tiny bit wiser. I've learned to:

1. 

Make a whole year's plan all at once over the course of a weekend in the summer. 

2.

Adjust each week according to what needs adjusting.

Let's begin with that first one. The whole year? Really??? Yep. And I wrote about it at length on my homeschooling blog, so here's the beginning of the series: Planning a Whole Year of Homeschooling. You can do it! And come December, you'll be giving yourself a high five.

But what about making adjustments as things change during the year? Things do change, don't they? Kids get ahead, kids get behind, unexpected visitors hijack the school hours, etc. It's totally okay. What you take 15 minutes to plan at the beginning of each week (or on Fridays, as I do, for the next week) can be adjusted according to what the current, weekly needs have become.

You can use any planner that suits your fancy. I use this free, customizable printable from Crystal Paine:

I fill in the spots, he does the work, then he checks the boxes. Straightforward, uncluttered, done and done.

Get your copy of Crystal's 1-Week School Planner here.

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Get Your Homeschool Ready for Summer in 15 Minutes!

Is the thought of cleaning up the school year and organizing your homeschool killing the joyful headiness of a looming carefree summer?

Then let's attack this bite by bite! Printable checklist included below.

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Day One:

Gather all texts finished for this year and either box them up to save for another student, toss, sell online or a curriculum fair, or put in a bag to donate.

Day Two:

Deal with the trash that has accumulated in your school area this year. Have a kid who needs to expend energy with some hard muscle work? Hand them the trash bag to take to the curb!

Day Three:

With the extra stuff gone and the trash dealt with, it's time to sort through and organize the art supplies, paper, pencils, tape, glue, etc. If you have a little extra time, make an inventory of what you need to replace because those school supplies sales are right around the corner!

Day Four:

Do you have toys, puzzles, and games that need sorting, too? Now's the time. List them on Facebook, give them away, or store them in a tub or cabinet to be taken out when the cold weather arrives again.

Day Five:

If your house is like mine, there are scuff marks on the walls and baseboards, and even the hard wood floor. In fact, one of my early summer projects is to remove a white sofa slipcover and try to remove the black dry erase marker my brain-injured kiddo put there. Grab the bottle of cleaning stuff, rags, a mop, etc. and set those kids to helping with the tabletops, cupboard doors, floors, and light switches, too!

Voila! In 15 minutes each day for 5 days, you have the school year behind you. Doesn't that feel great? Now go pour yourself something cold and enjoy your well-deserved time off! 

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Print your free checklist here!

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More Useful Tasks You Can Do in 5 to 60 Minutes:

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After Lost & Found: Caroline's Story

How do you miss a ruptured appendix that probably burst 24-48 hours before you see the signs? How do astute, concerned, attentive parents miss all of that and allow a child to become just so ill?

If you've read Lost & Found, you know that's exactly what happened. There is a back-story that includes all nine of the rest of us down with some sort of hellacious stomach bug that had us vomiting in stages and running the washing machine for four days straight. When I mention this to health care professionals, they respond with a knowing "Ahhhhhhh", which makes me feel slightly better as a mom.

Slightly.

Caroline is now 15 years old, and she hears me tell her story often enough. She remembers feeling so sick she lacked the will, even at eight years old, to muster play time or television viewing. She recalls long nights in the hospital, intubation, her dad trying to get her to breathe through the measuring tools, and painful walks around the ICU that shot bolts of misery into her abdomen, even as nursing staff and doctors insisted it couldn't be "that bad".

It was that bad.

Post-Surgery #1

Ruptured appendices don't play well with the rest of the body. The infection can spread quickly and disturb every other organ, and they also tend to leave permanent effects. In Caroline's case, that means she'll likely have fertility problems. We are thankful to live in a time when medical care is of the highest quality in history and advancement is occurring at breakneck speed, and we look forward to seeing what can possibly be done to help.

We also live in a state of dependence on God, and stories from other female ruptured appendix survivors tell us that she perhaps will have to go the route of adoption instead of carrying her own biological children. There is sorrow in that, but also a sense of joy and wonder that some little people out there could be given to our sweet Caroline to raise. God is good, all the time.

In the meantime, Caroline is the girl with the golden voice. She sings in school productions, the local opera company, and on the worship team at church. She babysits, organizes circles around Martha Stewart, and enjoys close friendships. She has a future ahead of her designed by the God who loves her. 

Want to read more of Caroline's story? Pick up a copy of Lost & Found: Losing Religion, Finding Grace.

Caroline with little brother Christian, December 2016

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