So how do you start your day??

[Maddysmom26]

after finishing day two, I have realized that doing math first thing is not working, she was too tired and not awake enough to focus and just didnt want to do anything.

 

Just wondering how you get a "non morning child" to get motivated !? ;)

 

is 8 am to early??

[Parrothead]

Neither dd nor I are morning people. We are not awake enough to do school work until we have been out of bed for about an hour and a half. Dd will get started before me though. Usually when she starts her first subject I'm finally hitting the shower.

[Harriet Vane]

We start in bed, in our pajamas, with hot tea and read-aloud books. While I am reading to one kid, the other one reads to him/herself or fiddles with some sketching or knitting or whatever. It makes a lovely start to the day. After that we get dressed and dig in to school work.

[cjbeach]

We start our day at the table eating breakfast and doing memory work and sometimes a book for me to read to them but memory work takes a while (captured audience during breakfast).

[snickelfritz]

My kiddos need to be up for an hour or so before school starts to have time to wake up. We take the dog out, eat a leisurely breakfast, dress, maybe make the beds, etc... Brainless stuff that gets them up and moving around. If they aren't up by 8, I wake them up to start school by 9. I like to do math first while they are fresh.

 

An 8:00 start time would be too early for US, but I know many people are early morning people.

[Jennifer in MI]

I didn't used to be a morning person until I started homeschooling! Now, I get up and run at 6 am. I organize things for the day after my run. Kids get up when they get up. They need to have eaten and be ready by 8:30. We start with memory work and bible and our read-alouds.

[anissa]

My dc do best when we start with me reading something aloud (usually, Bible and then history or science). Today we were esp sluggish so we took the dog on a walk to wake everyone up and then I read. They love hearing me read so will move quicker through the morning routine so nothing is missed.

[Hedgehog]

I am decidedly not a morning person. If we get up by 8, I'm doing ok.

 

We have breakfast, and sing a hymn. Half an hour of chores, and then it's on to schoolwork.

 

I like the idea of reading in bed too :001_smile:

[*Jessica*]

My boys are morning people, but they really prefer time to play before school. They wake up between 6-7am and play or read in their room for about an hour until I wake up. Then they get dressed, eat breakfast, brush teeth, and play until about 10am when we finally start school. I don't think I would have very agreeable children if I had them start school at 8am. Early start times work for some families, but it doesn't sound like yours is one of them. Or perhaps she just can't handle math as the first subject of the day. Nik is much more agreeable for the rest of the day if we start off with his favorite subject, which is history.

[Maddysmom26]

I'll have to try something different, giving her more time in the morning to wake up first. We did breakfast first but I guess I was afraid we wouldnt fit everything in if we started later.

 

Maybe after an hour of awake time I'll try doing spelling first then we can move to math. She loves spelling, so perhaps that may work.

 

Im feeling a little lost but I guess its all about finding a routine! ;)

[Carrie12345]

I start the day with coffee!!!!

 

Even though most of us are up before 7, we don't start school work until 9 or 10. Sometimes ds will get an earlier jump on independent work.

 

We do start with math b/c it's a favorite around here.

[Karen in CO]

I am on a quest to become a morning person - due to a change in work shifts not by choice.

I now start each day byt saying "ug" to my 6am alarm, stumbling to the coffee pot, pulling on my running shoes then going for a run. WHen I get back, I check my email, drink a cuppa coffee then pull up my kids' blinds and annouce "Rise and Shine."

 

Our actual school day begins with a story while they eat breakfast then some poetry memorization then math. Me being awake and cheerful is scary but helpful.

[prairiegirl]

We are morning people but we don't like to start school that early. We like to ease into it with read alouds. We have Morning Time first. This entails Bible reading, poetry, Shakespeare, Greek myths, nature stories, read aloud and latin (we don't do these things everyday, they have their own prescribed day.) MT helps us ease into the day. Actually, it is the best part of our day.

 

There is no way that we could start at 8:00. We are doing well if we start MT at 9:00. :001_smile:

[mysticamethyst]

I get up with dh at 6 enjoy the quiet and my coffee till 8, then I wake up the kids and get them going. They need time to do morning chores and generally wake up. We do not even start school till 10am, but we always start with math get the worst out of the way. With starting at 8am like you you do I would probably start with a pe type thing to get blood pumping then go to math. If you can maybe just start later.:001_smile: Good luck.

[Maddysmom26]

LOL.. I have become a morning person the past several years, for some reason my body just wakes at 6:30 am. So I make coffee, and should go for a run, (maybe I can figure that out)

 

Im thinking that maybe I should take advantage of the few "quiet" hours I'll get while shes still sleeping to do my own school work!

 

I think tomorrow morning I'll let the little night owl sleep in a bit longer and see what happens ;)

[anneofalamo]

My kidlets get up at 8, and eat, do chores. Set up school, and then can play, read whatever. I walk 3 miles while they do this..joyous time!!

at 9, we do Pledge of Alliance, and the outloud bible reading together, we all take turns going around. After that, we go over what is for dinner, any thing different coming up, and then go into our schedule.

Grammar for some, math for the others...the lessons on the planner, then a switch. Break time, and history or science (we switch off daily) for elementary, Science for high schooler.

Computer time 30 minutes is next for 2 and 2 do spelling or health, a switch at the 1/2 hour and lunch.

After school is writing and independent reading times. This is also the time to do catch up coloring or finalizations to reports in our Science or History.

Some actually choose to go back to the computer lab, we have Alek, a math program that they all really enjoy!

 

but this is our strange little world, I do a business on line, so am right there with them, and can start them and then they can ask questions as needed.

[Karen in CO]

LOL.. I have become a morning person the past several years, for some reason my body just wakes at 6:30 am. So I make coffee, and should go for a run, (maybe I can figure that out)

 

 

I hold my coffee hostage. No coffee until after I run. My husband has asked if we could run at a different time, but I refuse. This is the only way I can do it.

[twoxcell]

We try to start at 9:00, but sometimes it is more like 9:30 depending how much sleep I got. I have a 10 month old who still does not sleep well. We do Bible first followed by math. My ds is a morning person and is up before everyone else, so he goes first on math.

[sparrow]

We do reading aloud first. I usually start by 9:30. If the kids haven't had breakfast yet, they eat during this time, too. Math and Latin always come after history/geography reading. It's usually time for a break after that and usually that means lunch. We finish everything else up after lunch.

 

We're typically done between 2:30-3pm.

[nukeswife]

I haven't read all the responses so I'm sorry if I repeat anything.

 

My kids are NOT morning people, and neither am I. We don't start school until 10 am and are still able to be finished by 3 unless we get really into art or science. I start the day with our read aloud and then we move into geography/history or science. That usually perks them up. Math comes next then a break for lunch. After lunch we tackle language arts, unless it's art day then there is no history or science and we start with math, then LA, then wrap it up with Art for as long as they want to do it.

 

If I tried to start at 8am my kids would mutiny, but you have to find the right time for your family.

[Pippen]

I'll have to try something different, giving her more time in the morning to wake up first. We did breakfast first but I guess I was afraid we wouldnt fit everything in if we started later.

;)

 

I have a non-morning girl too. I found that letting her sleep an extra 30 minutes made a big difference in alertness and attitude and we actually got more done than if I'd dragged her out of bed early.

 

I also found that many days there was one subject we didn't get to, and as long as we'd done a good day's work I just rolled with the punches on that.

[Plucky]

I don't think 8 is too early if the child is sleeping enough at night. I give my non-early bird daughter some coffee & that usually perks her right up. We do breakfast, hygiene, and chores before school. We usually leave math for last, unless the kiddo has another preference. I know some say that doing math first is best, but my kids love knowing that all they have left is math and then they are done. Math first thing in the day will mess us up because sometimes there is drama. LOL

[FaithManor]

A day in the life of Faith:

 

This is how it starts....me waking reluctantly and mournfully (I HATE MORNING) earlier than I feel any human being should have to get up and blessing the hubby because he always gets up a few minutes before me and puts the coffee on.

 

I sip mournfully at a cup of coffee....I watch the minutes tick off the clock. I wonder what would happen if the horses stayed in their stalls all day without hay or grain....I realize this will not do though I have contemplated this thought every single time I have been in charge of the farm where my horse is boarded.

 

I GULP a second cup of coffee, mournfully. I mournfully put on a bra....a thing I hate with the fire of a thousand suns, barn clothes, and boots.

 

I drive, to add variety to my narrative, gravely to the farm, feed the barn cats, throw kitchen scraps to the pigs, give horses a small scoop of grain, feed ducks and chickens, and check horse water trough. Gravely, I take Mr. Grumpy, the Walter Mathau of the herd, to pasture while he gripes and groans and generally encourages my intense malaise. Then I take Mrs. Friesien life is a happy gay day so long as you feed me lots of food, to pasture and gravely hope she does not step on my feet with her immense hooves. I slog back to the barn and once more, feeling very sorry for myself, grab another halter but am then greeted by my very affectionate, very personable American Paint mare who rests her head on my shoulder and waits for pet-me's. A few good scratches on her neck and she's about as happy as any horse can be and nuzzles my cheek...my mood lifts...nothing like horse kisses to make a woman's day. I take her to pasture, fill the sheep troughs, and take organic feed to the pigs and watch them eat while I fill their water. My mood is good! But then, horror of horrors, how quickly a mood can change into mournful and grave because the Friesien, having drunk her entire 2.5 gallon bucket during the night also PEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEED 2.5 gallons in her stall. Let the mucking out begin....mournfully I muck, gravely I dump, sigh.......

 

Mournfully and gravely I drive back home knowing that I will be greeted by four males all expecting food...."what's for breakfast." Dh will be making his requests while the phone is muted during a conference call and will make big puppy dog eyes that I can't resist. So, I will mournfully and gravely commence with one of my most hated chores....cooking....or maybe not, I might just say "fend for yourself" while I nurse another cup of coffee.

 

Half a coffee pot later, I begin to come to life and announce that schoolwork is to commence. Mournfully and gravely the wild, painful calls emit from the dense forest that is their rooms! Bravely they emerge, one by one, and I nearly always allow them to begin with their favorite subject. Ds 10, math, ds11, science, ds13, grammar and comp....after a couple of subjects we have Bible study while the second pot of coffee brews and I consider the possible efficiency of just chewing the grounds and saving a step. We have history while I suck java and then they finish with whatever is left on their assignment sheets....penmanship for ds 10, grammar and comp for ds11, and math for ds 13....who sometimes makes me want to throw myself off the nearest high bridge but may end up in his father's office being "stared at evilly"while his father is on a conference call which makes ds then get that math done so that he does not incur his father's wrath when the phone call is over.

 

That is how a day starts for me!

 

oh, wait, were you wanting a simpler answer?????

 

Faith

[Closeacademy]

My dds wake up sometime between 8 and 9. They have time to use the computer, eat breakfast and get dressed. We start school between 9:30 and 10.

 

I start with my oldest and we review her work from the previous day. This gives her brain time to wake up and get focused. We correct her mistakes and make sure she understands the material. Then we move into language arts, spelling, history, science and math is at the end. Then I send her off to work by herself after explaining her assignments.

 

While she works alone, I work with my youngest. She reads to me, we do language arts and phonics, our history and/or science lesson and then math is at the end again. She also has a little bit of work to do on her own.

 

This system has worked well for 8 months now. It also worked well when I used it before.:001_smile:

[JudoMom]

I wake my older 4 at 7:15 (I get up at 5 for alone time and I exercise, shower, etc). They get dressed, and while they eat breakfast I do our Sonlight literature read aloud. Then they brush teeth and head down to the school room for Memory Work, then we do spelling & vocab. After that the older 2 start on their lists (with math), and I work with ds8, then ds6, then ds4, and then we do Sonlight poetry, history, and Map Trek maps.

[BeckyFL]

I wake my older 4 at 7:15 (I get up at 5 for alone time and I exercise, shower, etc). They get dressed, and while they eat breakfast I do our Sonlight literature read aloud. Then they brush teeth and head down to the school room for Memory Work, then we do spelling & vocab. After that the older 2 start on their lists (with math), and I work with ds8, then ds6, then ds4, and then we do Sonlight poetry, history, and Map Trek maps.

 

Can you share what the bedtimes are for you and the kids?

[NanceXToo]

I am usually up earlier than my two homeschooled kids. I get my oldest off to her special needs school, and I enjoy some quiet "me" time at my computer, with a cup of coffee while everyone else is sleeping. I'll usually also use that time to start a load of laundry, run the dishwasher or whatever.

 

My homeschooled kids almost never wake up before 8:30 and if they haven't by then, I usually wake them up around 9. My daughter gets dressed, comes downstairs, tells me what she wants for breakfast, and while the kids are eating, I read aloud to her. We like starting the day that way.

 

Then they'll brush her teeth, and we'll move on to other "school stuff." I often try to let my daughter pick the order in which she wants to do things as she likes doing that, and if she's starting the day with things she likes best, it sets a good tone to the day.

 

I learned that last year after making her do daily journal for a while first to "get it over with" because it was her least favorite thing and she dawdled at it and so on. But all it did was make the day start unpleasantly for her and had the potential to get me aggravated/stressed if I felt like it was taking ridiculously long, because there were other things (both for school and not) that we needed to get to....

 

Life was much easier after I stopped trying to enforce that. And after getting a little further into the school year, journal became more tolerable and faster anyway.

 

This year we're not doing a journal and we're only 3 days into our school year, but so far so good. And we're still starting our day with read alouds at breakfast time. :)

[Catwoman]

oh, wait, were you wanting a simpler answer?????

 

Faith

 

:D:D:D

 

I loved your post, Faith!!!

 

Cat

[Guest janainaz]

I get up at 6:30 and do all my stuff (cleaning, laundry, coffee, computer, shower, etc.).

 

My ds10 gets up around 7:00, goes on a walk with his dad, eats breakfast, does chores, and watches TV. He starts school around 9ish. Ideally, we aim for 9:00, but some days he is not ready to go until 9:30. I don't make a big deal about it unless we have errands to run later.

 

I used to have my son start right at 8:00, but I decided that we homeschool to allow us some extra freedom with our schedule. My ds is very good about getting his work done and being proactive. As a result, he gets plenty of space to make decisions with his school work. He decides what he wants to do first and I allow him to do what he needs without hovering. We have several subjects that we do together, and I just go with the flow. I think the more I step in and try to control things, the more frustrating I make our day. We get everything done every day - no matter what. So there is no need to stress.

 

I also have a ds5.5. We do 'school' and play when ds10 is doing work on his own. It all works out.

[abbeyej]

Memory time (poetry, songs, chants, etc) first thing has generally worked best for us. Then the kids are more ready to do various "seat work".