The Maxwell School for the Extraordinary: 10 Things to Make (homeschool) Life Easier.....Ooops SIX

I have been homeschooling for like a second (a year technically) so I am hardly qualified to write a post claiming to have all the answers. I have however, been a Mom for roughly nine years and a ~~good~~ decent one for 3(ish). So here are 10 SIX things that can be applied to just about anything to do with parenting, modified for homeschooling. This is when things are good, and by good I mean everyone is healthy! I realize this may not always be the case.

Of course I changed it to six....10 is way too hard and I am notorious for not following through.

1. Stay ~~one~~ 23412 steps ahead.
This is hard, but worth it. I have failed miserably at getting up before my kids, mostly because I have one that gets up before the newspaper boy. So I do my stuff the night before. I prepare outfits, if we are going to be around other humans. I plan our following school day, and make the house tidy before I go to bed. This helps me not lose my Religion in the morning trying to make up for what could have already been done

2. Meal Plan
Most of you probably already do this but it has changed my life and attitude towards dinner. I HATE HATE looking at the clock at 3pm and being like "oh crap we have to eat dinner....again!" Like I forget everyday that dinner comes. I have started meal planning and it takes away that surprise element that dinner somehow brings. We have a little meal planner and I sit down sometime on the weekend, pull up Pinterest and figure out all of our meals and then shop for them. I start prepping during lunch or after school and it has made my life exponentially easier.

3. Put your phone away during the day.
Look, I love candy crush and guess the 90's picture as much as anyone but they are major distractions for me. MAJOR. If I have my phone in my hand I am texting my friends about how insane my kids are, checking Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, ALLL the blogs, and probably even the news in Canada if I am bored enough. PUT IT AWAY, if you're like me, lock it in a drawer and reward yourself after school. I am the worst offender but changing this has made my homeschool life easier and smoother.

4. Sleep
I have completely forgotten how wonderful this is but I hear great things, so IF you can get it GRAB it!

5. Relax
Smile, and let go of the schedule, the expectations and just chill. I know that the baby is going to cry, my toddler is going to throw a fit when he can't sit by his sister, and someone might kick their lunch plate off the table. When I am resolved to the fact that kids are just kids, then I am a much better mother. Sure I get mad and yup I even yell. BUT I also apologize and move on. This is probably THE hardest for me but I am learning to be better and I am seeing major results in my kids.

6. Create a routine for your kids
I know I said let go of the "schedule" but I feel like "schedule" and "routine" are two different things. I started this because I was tired telling the kids every morning to do the same thing: get dressed and make your bed. In our home we have things you do because you are a member of the family and getting dressed and making your beds are two of them! They are not allowed downstairs for breakfast unless those two simple task are complete. They know it, I expect it.

6 ways to make homeschool life or any life with kiddos easier, now for some daily ~~cuteness~~ survival pictures.