So, you've decided to take the plunge into the homeschooling adventure, and trust me, it's a game-changer. If you’re more of a video person, then check out this video. I’m hoping it (or this blog!) will keep you from drowning in the sea of homeschool scheduling. Let me give you the lowdown on what I’ve learned and how we're shaping our own homeschool schedule – it’s like a work of art, but with more crayons.

First Things First: Here’s what we’re not going to do: recreate school. Amen to that! No recreating the school vibe here, but hey, don’t toss that school calendar just yet. It's like a treasure map to sanity in that you might find that you need those longer breaks, or you’d like to take the same vacation times to coordinate with other families who don’t homeschool. You do you, just know that there are other options.

Navigating the Legal Waters: Next, you’ll need to consider the legal ramifications of your homeschool. I’m going to make the suggestion of Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA.org) – not much fun, I know, but necessary. If you're in the U.S., it's like your secret weapon. For my international pals, hit up your local education authorities; it's like a little dance with the bureaucracy to make sure you're on the right track. One of my favorite resources on this is Kami Wanous at The Freedom Scholar. She has an amazing membership for new homeschooling families called Homeschool Success Club, and another for families who have been homeschooling for a while called Homeschool Success Mastery. Check them out for more info if the legal ramifications of homeschooling give you the jitters. 

This map from HSLDA.org shows the regulation level on homeschooling in different states.

Getting Personal with Learning Needs: Let's dive into the beautiful chaos of our kids. Here’s the gist – age, learning quirks, and all that jazz should take center stage. Grade levels? They’re subjective. If a kiddo is acing 5th-grade math but struggling with reading, we toss out the grade “label” and go where the learning takes us. Shoutout to resources like TPT, Freckle, and Nearpod for being our sidekicks in this journey. If you haven’t seen it, I go over 8 of our favorite tools in this video. 

Time Is on Your Side: One of my very favorite things (imagine I just sang that to you Julie Andrews-style) about homeschool is the flexibility we can choose to add into our schedules. We roll with Monday to Thursday, 8:30-12, and Fridays are our Fun Fridays – more on that later. But here's the idea: homeschooling doesn't have to be a marathon. There's this thing called unschooling – no rigid schedules, no fixed curriculum. It's like a breath of fresh air, especially if you're coming from the traditional school rat race. 

Family Vibes and Trajectory: Pause for a moment and think about your crew. Working from home? Tied to other commitments? Consider your family’s rhythm because, let's be real, life happens. If it helps, this video goes through our homeschool day from mom's POV (that's me...).

The Fun Side:  We can actually save money by scheduling our homeschool year strategically. Off-peak vacations are a thing, saving both money and sanity. And let's ditch the term "socialization" – we're all about game days, park adventures, and turning dentist visits into a group outing.

So, here’s the deal. There’s no step-by-step manual, but I hope this at least gives you some freedom as you begin guiding your family through uncharted homeschooling territories. Dive in, make it your own masterpiece, and know that you've got this.