10 Things I Stopped Doing That Made Our Homeschool Routine Work Better
10 Things I Stopped Doing That Made Our Homeschool Routine Work Better
Guess what?
Turns out, the secret to a smoother homeschool routine isn’t a fancy planner or some colour coded timetable – it’s actually much easier than that. It’s quitting stuff!
You heard me, less really is more!
When we started homeschooling, I thought I had to be Mary Poppins with a planner. Spoiler: I was more like Miss Trunchbull with a coffee addiction. (My hair was never as neat as hers though! haha) Eventually, I stopped trying to do everything, and shockingly—things got better. Here are 10 things I happily ditched, and no one’s needed therapy (yet).
1. I Stopped Trying to Create School at Home
Yes I was shocked when I discovered learning can happen outside of a desk with a workbook and pencil. Even though I was fully aware that’s not how learning works, I wouldn’t feel like I’ve done “enough” unless it was pen and paper.
I had to rid myself of that mindset and allow our homeschool routine to include the sofa, the park and even a chilled out breakfast time.
2. I Stopped Obsessing Over Curriculum
We bought a fancy curriculum for our eldest—because obviously, it was going to be The One.
So naturally, I tried to use it with all the other kids too. A few went along with it, but the younger ones looked at it like it was written in ancient Greek.
Still, I forced us to slog through every single page like we were on some sort of academic pilgrimage.
Eventually, I had a revelation: the Curriculum Police aren’t real.
Now, if something isn’t working, I skip pages, swap it out, or toss the whole thing in a drawer and pretend it never happened.
No guilt. No regrets. Just slightly fewer tears (mostly mine).
3. I Stopped Comparing Us to Other Homeschool Families
I honestly cannot stress this enough!—Like, I’d shout it from the rooftops if I wasn’t so tired—Instagram and Pinterest are magical little apps full of inspiration and totally unrealistic expectations.
For the longest time, I was eyeing up other homeschool families online like, “HOW are they this disciplined?? Do their kids not throw crayons??” Only to slowly realise… they’re just recycling the same few aesthetic photos across all their posts and stories. Smoke and mirrors, people, smoke and mirrors.
And when I dared to ask one of these super humans for advice on a topic they seemed to be crushing—cue vague, mystical response that answered absolutely nothing. Like, thank you for that riddle, oh wise sage of Instagram.
Moral of the story? Social media isn’t real life. Not always fake, but let’s just say… filtered heavily.
I could ramble about this all day, but here’s the bottom line: your homeschool routine is supposed to be uniquely yours. No need to compare—it’s not meant to look like anyone else’s. Unless, of course, you also teach math in pyjamas while someone cries over a broken pencil. In that case, you’re one of us! Welcome.
4. I Stopped Doing It All Myself
At first, I kinda had no clue what I was doing. Like, seriously—I pulled my daughter out of school (she was 3, I think? She’d basically just figured out where the toilets were) with no grand plan. Just a vague hope that we’d somehow figure it out along the way.
So there I was, trying to do everything myself. When I say everything, I mean EVERYTHING! Outsourcing? Never crossed my mind. We had our weekly trips to gymnastics and the science museum, which made me feel like I had it all together—honestly, it was a one-woman show.
It didn’t take long to realise… doing it all is so hard. Like, comically hard. And honestly? Completely unnecessary.
Now we happily outsource with tuition classes, documentaries, and anything else that fits—and guess what? It all supports our homeschool routine and I actually get to breathe occasionally. Total win!
5. I Stopped Teaching Subjects We Hated (for Now)
If a subject or topic leads to tears, outbursts or frustration (whether that’s me or the kids) we are now able to pause. This gives our homeschool routine more room to breathe, meaning it’s catered specifically for our needs. It doesn’t mean we give up on those topics, it just means we take a break, reassess and come back to them in a different way with fresh eyes.
Trust me, I tried the hard way and let’s just say it does more harm than good! I’m just not ready to lose the last few strands of hair I have left!
6. I Stopped Ignoring My Child’s Natural Rhythms
Not all kids thrive at 8 a.m. In fact forget the kids, I don’t thrive at 8 a.m! I’m not the biggest morning person so it should have been plain for me to see that maybe some of the kids aren’t either.
Our homeschool routine became a lot more manageable once we dropped the rigid start times.
Which also means happier kids. Happier kids = happier homeschool!
7. I Stopped Over scheduling
This is such an easy trap to fall into. Either you’ve got FOMO, or you’re panicking that your child isn’t doing enough outside the house. And let’s not forget the echoing voices of people asking, “But what about socialisation??”—as if kids spontaneously turn into awkward woodland creatures the momnt they’re not in a classroom.
So yeah, there were definitely times I went full overachiever mode and packed our schedule like we were training for a social marathon. Almost every day had an outing or two. I was basically a tour guide with snacks.
But surprise! The lack of time at home was actually doiing more harm than I realised. I was burnt out. Properly.
Because let’s be real—just getting out the door with kids is a full-body workout. Between planning, prepping snacks, tracking down shoes that mysteriously vanish daily, packing “just in case” clothes (because puddles are magnetic to children), car activities, and sibling negotiations—it’s a journey before the journey.
Then you come home, dump out the chaos: dirty lunchboxes, a small mountain of laundry, scattered receipts, probably a rogue sock… all while trying to cook dinner and pretend your house isn’t slowly morphing into a laundry-themed escape room. Then it’s bedtime routine and—well, you get it. It’s A LOT.
So now? We’ve slowed it right down. We’ve got set days to go out, usually just one outing at a time, and we cherish our quiet home days. No more guilt spirals about not being “out enough”—because peace, sanity, and not having to scrub yogurt out of a car seat are also educational, thank you very much.
8. I Stopped Expecting Every Day to Be Productive
It’s ok to write off a day!
Some days our homeschool routine is basically survival mode. Nothing gets done, someone cries (usually me – ok seriously why is it always me!), and dinner is chaos. That’s okay. One off day doesn’t derail the whole journey — it just adds character.
If you have a fun day of learning planned for your kids and everything seems to be going wrong, it’s ok. Life happens. Just stop, give yourself grace and know that one bump in the road won’t mess up your homeschool routine.
9. I Stopped Neglecting My Own Needs
An important aspect of our homeschool routine is knowing that I need to rest too. I no longer expect so much of myself and I now make rest and self-care a part of our homeschool routine, not an afterthought.
Now I prioritise rest, hot coffee, and the occasional walk where no one tells me a million random animal facts.
10. I Stopped Doubting Myself So Much
The best homeschool routine isn’t perfect — it’s one that’s flexible. Isn’t that the beauty of homeschool? Having a routine that caters to your individual needs?
I’ve learned that love, flexiblity, and presence matter more than any checklist. Trusting myself has brought peace to our homeschool routine — and to me!
A thriving homeschool routine isn’t about doing more — it’s about doing what matters. When I stopped trying to be super mum and started simplifying, everything got easier (and a lot more fun).
If you’re feeling overwhelmed – Ask yourself: What can I stop doing?
Because sometimes the best way to fix your homeschool routine… is to do less of it.
