Maridel Willer

Did you miss the The Ultimate Homeschool Expo?  It is not too late to listen in to this fabulous event.
The Ultimate Homeschool Expo membership page is now on-line!  Grab a ticket to access the following goodies:

Virtual Seminar Series
With 50+ Speakers and 200+ Workshops                                 
Virtual Vendor Hall!
Free Gifts!
Special Offers!
Mp3 Downloads for all audios (over $2000 value in workshops!)

Great value for only $40!  Purchase your ticket or get more information here.

Have you tried making to do lists and never seem to get it all done?  Simply writing down a list of things you would like to accomplish each day does not guarantee that you will end up with a successful routine that works for you. 

After creating and adjusting our family routines over the past few years and helping other families develop routines of their own, I have identified the following keys for success.

1.  Prayerfully set goals and priorities with your spouse before establishing a routine.

2.  Assess your current commitments to see if they support your family goals.

3.  Eliminate any unnecessary or burdensome activities that you are not called to do for this season.

4.  Consider whether any of your current educational opportunities outside of the home could be better learned at home as a family.

5.  Identify and incorporate  new activities that support your goals and priorities.

6.  If your home is not organized, include time to do this as part of your routine.

7.  Take the time to clearly communicate expectations to each family member.

8.  Include time to train your children in character and life skills.

9.  Allow for unplanned time for everyone to pursue individual interests.

10.  Build in margin to reduce stress and be available for spontaneous educational or ministry opportunities.

11. Incorporate your new routine gradually by making a few changes per week to establish new habits.

12.  Consider your new routine to be your slave, not your master.  Be prepared to alter it as necessary to meet your needs.

Now is the time to get a vision for your family’s future and develop a family routine that helps you lead a peaceful, productive and purposeful life.

As we perform the daily tasks required of us, it is easy to get bogged down in the details of doing the same thing over and over.  It can be discouraging that so much of the work we accomplished yesterday did not stay done and needs to be repeated again to day.

When I came home from a corporate job to become a stay at home mom, the last thing I wanted to do is follow a rigid schedule.  However, as my children grew, I discovered the blessing of having a relaxed routine to help organize and bring focus to our day.

The benefits of creating and following a family routine include:

1.  Becoming a better steward of your time

2.  Simplifying your routine chores

3.  Having an orderly and peaceful home

4.  Communicating expectations clearly to your children

5.  Helping you live life on purpose to achieve goals

6.  Creating margin in your life

What is a family routine?  It is a general order of the activities that your family will do on a daily and weekly basis.  A routine is a flexible plan rather than a rigid schedule.  It is a tool to communicate expectations to each family member so every one contributes to household duties and works toward completing their personal educational, physical and spiritual goals.

A family routine breaks your day into blocks of time that are reserved for accomplishing the tasks you must perform and the activities you would like to complete each day.  Your daily routine can include the following responsibilities and activities.

1.  Devotional time, including bible reading, worship, prayer
2.  Meal preparation, meal time and cleanup
3.  Chores and responsibilities
4.  Home education assignments and projects
5.  Productive free time to pursue individual interests
6.  Activities and commitments outside the home
7.  Bedtime preparations
8.  Family fun

Your family routine will be unique, not like any other.  You can tailor it to fit your family’s personalities, gifts and passions.  It will be a custom tool to help you accomplish all that the Lord has for you in each season of your life.

So many moms are hoping to get organized this summer to make next year’s schooling a breeze.  We like to follow a relaxed school routine year round, but take some time off in the summer to get organized and re-focus.

If you want some great ideas on organizing both your time and your stuff, checkout my “Get Organized” bundle of audios and ebooks .

The Get Organized set includes:

* Tips for improving relationships and gaining co-operation of family members

* Storage ideas for all your homeschool supplies

* How to set family goals in 5 areas

* Instructions on creating a custom daily routine for your family

*  Meal planning ideas to simplify dinner preperation.

Find out more here.