Summer is over and homeschooling is underway! We’ve been excited to return to our non-summertime family life and homeschooling routine. This is our 11th year of homeschooling, and one thing that I’ve learned is that schedules are never final. And that’s what I want to share with you: the month of September is for tweaking!

We began homeschooling during the last week of August, heading right into September. Although I had our routine written out and neatly planned, I intentionally wrote it in pencil. Why? Because schedules are meant to be tweaked!

As homeschooling mamas we must consider that the schooling schedule that worked out so well last year, may not be the exact schedule that will work for this year. Our little ones are growing and with each year, there’s a little more maturity, a little more to be covered, and a little more responsibility to take on.

With that being said, never be discouraged about having to change up what you’ve planned! Often, what looks great on paper needs a bit of a reality check against the natural rhythms of your family life. For instance, I planned to start the workbook portion of our school day by 8am, which would follow after breakfast and family Bible study.

Very rarely does this happen.

Most of the time we begin our workbooks around 8:30 or so after the natural ebb and flow of eating and feasting on God’s Word. There’s so much joy and fellowship, so many good questions asked and a-ha moments. I can either let that natural family rhythm flow and shift everything else by a half-hour, or I can stress out and rush my family through a meal and Bible time, just so I can say we started at 8 am sharp.

Guess which one I’m choosing?

That may mean that I won’t be finished homeschooling by the coveted homeschooler 12 pm marker, but rather 12:30 or 12:45. So what? It makes more sense to use the schedule as a guide rather than as a dictator.

So, tweak and adjust as necessary. Pay attention to the details of your family life in creating the flow of your homeschool. Consider all of the things and map out a schedule accordingly. Don’t be afraid to erase and start all over if you have to. This is a part of the blessing of homeschooling: flexibility. You have the flexibility to make the scheduling changes needed to make your homeschool run smoothly. Remember, this is homeschooling, not school at home. Your home and the people in it are most important; make the schedule reflect that.