Homeschooling Minutes: Get More Done

How can you be successful with your time as a busy homeschooling parent? Find out how you can best maximize your homeschooling minutes to get more done in the day. 

Years ago, I listened to a business entrepreneur explain how she was so successful. It started with organization and ended with an explanation of implementation. I love to listen to different talks, but if all they do is explain the problems to me we already know what they are, how can we figure out the solutions? 

Put Your Free Minutes to Good Use

The solution was to use the minutes I had free each day and put them to good use. First, I needed a plan. Each day I had a list of what I needed to do, so I looked at that first.

Next, I came up with a time frame. For example, meals were at a specific time, school work next, and chores were completed before free time or lessons. That left me with time swatches here and there. 

I found fifteen minutes before the kids were ready for school, ten minutes after lunch while waiting for the kids to come back to finish their school lessons, and about an hour or two after we completed school before dinner. Wow, almost two hours or more! 

Make a Plan

I usually pulled out my phone, answered emails, or prepped for dinner. But with an idea of how much time I had, I began to make a plan. While waiting for the kids, I could arrange or reshelve books and pull out some assignments for the next day.

With time after lunch, I pulled out the evening meal. I try hard to bulk prepare when schooling and meals are nutritious but simple during the week. I also realized I could tweak and make a new list as needed. 

Look at Your Schedule

First things first, if you want to make the most of your homeschool minutes, look at your schedule.

Where do you have bits of time? Is it before or after the kids eat meals? Is it while waiting for the children at their practice or lessons? Is it after school is complete for that day?

You will be surprised to see the minutes of the day open up for you. Somedays, we don’t have as much time as others if our schedules change, and we can adapt to those times. 

In those minutes, what can you possibly do? Can you quickly dust a shelf? Or make a list of what you need to complete that day  and look over your standing list. Do you need to prep dinner or tweak a grocery list?

What needs to be done that day or even that week? If you have a standing list, you can add to it or accomplish some of these things while waiting. 

What can you do in your spare time of free minutes?

I live a hectic life, as I am sure you do, and we can accomplish so much in those free minutes. Even at a traffic light, I dust my dashboard or tweak a list in my head. I am adamant about not using a cell phone even at the light. However, that does not mean I can not think about what needs to happen next. 

Does that mean you must be on the go 24/7? No, but it also means we have more time than we think. I know this method has freed up my day, and at times, all I need is to close my eyes and praise the Lord. This quiet time became my few minutes with God. I actually created a podcast with the same name.

More Help for Busy Moms

Without an idea of how to use my spare time, I felt like most of you that there was not enough time in the day! However, finding this extra time was a blessing, and you can hear more on my podcast, Vintage Homeschool Moms about Homeschool Minutes. 

Don’t forget to get this month’s planner with additional information and free lists for the busy homeschool mom. Each planner is unique to the month, and subscribers receive updates monthly. 

Let me know how you are using your homeschool minutes, and here is to a productive and blessed new school year!

Felice Gerwitz is a wife, mother of five graduated homeschoolers, and grandma to eight. She began Media Angels® Publishing while pregnant with her third child and went on to write and produce many books and online conferences. Felice is the founder of the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network and the Ultimate Christian Podcast Network. Felice invites you to join her on her show Vintage Homeschool Moms, celebrating over 400 episodes!