Independent Activities Tip 1 - Going Solo in the Morning
Girls, I cannot stress this enough. Us moms want our beauty sleep and our “me” time - I mean seriously! Now that I am 42 years old, I am no spring chicken!
So, how do I get to sleep in until 8 AM or 9 AM every single day?
All of my kids are over age 4.
I have an uncanny ability to fall back asleep after rude awakenings.
I try not to sign up for anything that would make me leave the house before 9 AM on a daily basis.
Most importantly, I have taught and trained my kids to work independently first thing in the morning. I call it “Solo” time.
Let me break this “solo” time down for you.
Sunday evening, spend 10-20 minutes and go over each child’s “pile” of independent work for Monday morning with them separately.
This list is what I pile up for them currently:
A gratitude journal - start their day off right with being thankful
Mad Libs book with their favorite topics
Bible copywork, 1 verse a day, in a special journal they picked out, use an actual Bible. Their best handwriting (cursive) and perfect spelling/punctuation is required.
Printing workbook (my kids learned cursive first, so are still working on their printing)
Math workbook/practice sheets - When you “go over” this, you are actually teaching them how to do the next math lesson. Spend 5-7 minutes max to teach them the lesson and complete a couple of the assigned problems together.
Flash Cards - music notes, phonic sounds, spelling rules, Wrap-Ups - math, language practice, etc. They can do the flash cards/wrap-ups themselves, individually. Pick 1 set for them to do. Rotate periodically so they don’t get bored.
Optional: one more activity workbook/practice sheet from a previously newly learned skill from an additional core subject (history, language arts, science)
Optional: assign 1-2 chapters in their chapter book to read (you only need to do this if they are a kid that never wants to read on their own.)
The amount of independent work assigned can start at 10 minutes, and you build up to about 30-45 minutes. If you add the optional items, that could add another 15 minutes. Knowing your child’s age, grade level, ability to focus and face challenges alone takes some time to figure out. Plan the first 2-3 days that you get up with them too, get them started, stay close by and watch them work, and you will get an idea what their threshold is. Then slowly challenge that threshold by adding a task every few school days.
Here’s the fun part for the kids...as soon as they are done, they can play quietly doing whatever they want - individually or with a sibling.
My kids love free time to play together with board games, giving each other art lessons, creating a Lego city together, etc. and to play independently or read quietly. But, in the past, I had to teach them Chess and other board games, give them art lessons, inspire them to create, and challenge them to try new things. Laying that foundation in the past means that now they do not need me for any activity on that list. If you have a single child you are homeschooling, find games and activities that work well for a single-player, like Rush Hour Jr., Solitaire using an actual deck of cards, Snap Circuits, puzzles matching their favorite book series...teach him/her the skills needed, anything that makes them excited to finish their Solo work...and let the freetime transpire.
Here’s how you make it truly work for you:
Tell them to stay quiet and peaceful. If their loudness wakes you up, we start “School with Mommy” right away
Tell them if they need you in any way for food or to solve an argument and wake you up, we start “School with Mommy” right away (They have lots of healthy food options that I have taught them to get themselves.)
Tell them if they have a question with their schoolwork, to circle it and move on to the other school activities, and if they wake you up, yes...you said it...time for “School with Mommy.”
Then, if they didn’t break any of the “Do Not Wake Mommy” rules, when they do finish their work, they do get to play freely...and if they invite me to join in their games, I try to. But mostly they just freely play until about 10 or 11 AM. Then I start “School with Mommy” and we get to enjoy their gratitude, their Mad Libs, and talk about their Bible copywork and then move on to teacher-led learning, new concepts, projects, and unit studies.
Then, that evening, we have the routine 10-20 minute conversation about the next morning’s solo work. We review the work they each completed, correct their problems together, and then teach the next lesson. They expect this. It is really the only structure in their school day.
And the best part of all of this is they still have choices. They have the choice of when to start their work in the morning (since I’m asleep anyway), they choose what order they attack their “pile,” they get to work without feeling rushed and without me hovering, and they have freedom to help each other, work together, discuss their problems, and laugh at each other’s MadLibs.
Put in the work, build the foundation, and then let them go be independent and see what happens. You might love your new found independence as well!
