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Our Homeschool Morning Routine
What we do each morning revolves around us getting ready for the day and taking our first steps into gentle productivity.
Get Ready for the Day
I get up around 6:00 AM and write (and do general blog work) until the kids get up, usually between 8:00 and 8:30. I also start laundry, drink coffee, and check my calendar to see what we’re having to eat that day (more about this on Thursday when I publish Our Homeschool Meal Routine).
I try to have breakfast ready or at least prepped by the time they all come downstairs, complete with the table set and their drinks poured.
*True confession . . . I can’t stand the “Can I have some water?” “Where’s MY cup?” “I’m thirsty. Mom. Mom. Mom. I’m thirsty.” in the morning. It drives me nuts.
So to battle that, I just make sure the table is set before they even enter the kitchen.
Breakfast
Breakfasts around here are simple. We have the same thing for weeks at a time. This is what our breakfast routine looks like right now.
- Monday – eggs and toast
- Tuesday – applesauce and/or cottage cheese and cinnamon toast
- Wednesday – pancakes
- Thursday – bagels and smoothies
- Friday – oatmeal
- Saturday – cinnamon rolls
- Sunday – homemade granola, yogurt, berry parfaits
Looking for lunch ideas? Check out 45+ Homeschool Lunch Ideas!!
These simple meals get everyone full without costing a lot of money. We’ll continue on this rotation until we’re ready for something new. For now, it works.
It’s Maxwell’s job to clear the table after breakfast. So he does that, Caroline spot sweeps, and I take care of the counters. The goal each day is to keep the kitchen clean and ready for the next meal.
Morning Chores
Before morning chores, we all head upstairs to get dressed for the day and make our beds. After I check to make sure beds are properly made and pajamas are put away, we all go back down for morning chores.
Everyone has their own morning chores. (More about this tomorrow when I publish Homeschool Chore Routine) These are simple chores that don’t take very long but help maintain the overall cleanliness and de-cluttering of the house.
All in all, we spend about an hour eating breakfast, cleaning up, and getting morning chores done.
Read Alouds
I typically aim to be sitting down to read alouds around 10:00 AM. I grab my coffee, our stack of read alouds, and get comfy while the kids find something quiet to do.
I read for a couple hours while the kids play and when we’re finished, the kids head outside to play.
While they’re outside I switch the laundry and start prepping for lunch.
We typically eat lunch at noon, have a snack at 3:00, and supper at 6:00. We eat every three hours, and yet the kids still complain at me between meals that they’re hungry. (Hobbit much??)
I think they would snack all day long if I let them, especially if they’ve been playing outside.
So this is what our homeschool morning routine looks like for now. I’m sure it will change eventually, but for now, it works.
This post is part of the following series …
Day 1: Homeschool Morning Routine
Day 2: Homeschool Chore Routine
Day 3: Our Daily Homeschool Routine
Day 4: Homeschool Meal Routine
Day 5: Homeschool Nighttime Routine
Pinned this to my “Parenting Dragons” board! I have to check out your cinnamon roll recipe — we have one that we make on birthdays and holidays but it takes so much prep I wouldn’t want to do it every week!
Oh honey! I make mine in the bread machine now, or at least the dough part. Just rolling it out, filling it, and slicing it only takes 10 minutes or so. If you count the time it takes to get the ingredients into the machine, I’d say I only spend 20 minutes in total making them. 🙂
I love that you have your routine all planned out. I need to do a better job of meal planning for breakfast and lunch so our routine flows better.
I think breakfasts and lunches are the easiest to plan, honestly. Especially since we basically have a seasonal rotation with those meals. We eat the same things for breakfast and lunch for weeks at a time. That really helps simplify planning and shopping.
oh, it will be fun to see how you run your days. 🙂
Thanks! I hope you enjoy the 5-Day series!
A quote from Mike Murdock – “The secret of your future is hidden in your daily routine.”
I find that our routine changes with the seasons. Nicer weather is more likely to get us outside earlier in the day doing outside chores or activities. Colder weather brings more snuggling and reading. Looking forward to following along with yours.
Absolutely. When it’s nicer outside, we spend much more time out there. Doing chores, picnicking, or reading. We love being outside.
I have to admit mornings are one of the most difficult times for me. I am a night owl. I do sometimes try to have out their breakfast ready the night before – one less thing to do.
Our routine STARTS the same – my coffee and computer time before my kid gets up. But we all get our own breakfast, and I count it a good morning if everyone is up and started on their day on time and without any snags along the way. i like your breakfast routine – I miss having breakfast together with my kids.
SO interesting to read others’ homeschool routines! We begin our day with math at 7 am 🙂 and breakfast falls in there along the way. . . 🙂 I am impressed with your days!
I love the morning read aloud time!
I also think it’s interesting to hear other homeschooler’s morning routines. Yours sounds a lot like ours except, with a baby, I don’t do everything with my children. Sometimes they’re doing chores while I’m nursing the baby. Anyway, thanks for sharing! I’m heading over to read more from your series now!