First Year Homeschooling Tips

Here are some things I discovered during my first few months of homeschooling. This is an ongoing post that I update with things that really stuck and delete what didn't.
PRACTICAL
1-It has made all the difference for me to have this rule:
I eat at the table with the kids breakfast, lunch and dinner.
This helped me develop a structure for our day. Most people just get up the same time everyday, but that has never, ever, ever EVER worked for me.

Breakfast:
they read and eat
(right now my kids are reading graphic novels and comic books that they choose at the library)

Lunch:
read and eat
close books after about 5 minutes of eating and
review Awana verses
I read aloud while they finish their meal

Dinner:
no reading!

Dessert & Devotions:
8pm we have a small sweet
and
we read one chapter from The Millers series (the kids BEG for more chapters every single night!)
OR
on the nights that dad is home, he'll read from a book that he likes to read aloud to them

Our meals provide a structure that has worked so well for us so far!

2-Right after breakfast, we:
Clean off the table then
Brush teeth & hair
Daily chore (the kids do a simple chore together like collect the laundry from upstairs or collect the bathroom garbage from upstairs or strip their sheets and put in washing machine) and I start the dryer and run a load of clothes in the washer, by the time they are done with their chore, I offer 25 cents (I double that if they respond quickly and cheerfully) to help me fold the laundry

(note about chores: they have ONE chore that is required without pay right at this time, when they first come downstairs they are required to empty the dishwasher (I run it before I go to bed the night before) )

Now that we've been doing this everyday for a few months, we are ready to add in Table Time for Feb. Today I'm taking an hour while they watch a video to plan Table Time. When we started in June, we did table time but that quickly disintegrated as my oldest was angry, rebellious and non-compliant. After some time with the Lifestyle of Learning/Influential Parenting training, I think we are in a better place and will try again with some SHORT, structured lessons. Table Time rule #1-no longer than 1 hour

THOUGHTS
bjktba