It’s always a challenge to figure out how to fit everything in during a day. I like to have a daily rhythm so our lives have some repetition and don’t feel chaotic. Rhythms are similar to routines, but they are different from schedules because activities don’t have to happen at a certain time of day. Instead, they happen in a particular order.
Here is the preschool rhythm I’m currently using. Of course, it will get interrupted at times or we will choose to forgo the afternoon routine to go on a field trip or visit a friend. Overall, though, it will help guide us through the day so we can accomplish tasks and make room for important activities.
Daily Rhythm for Preschool Homeschool
I like to wake up and get ready for the day before my child so I can read the Bible, journal, and pray. I also walk my dog when the weather is nice.
Child’s morning routine – potty, get dressed, brush teeth
Breakfast – prep, eat, and clean up
Laundry – start a load in the washing machine
Read a Bible story to child
Oak Meadow preschool activity
Free play (I do my cleaning chore for the day, and then we can stay inside or go outside. I might play with my child, catch up on things, make phone calls, or work on projects.)
Lunch – prep, eat, and clean up
Laundry – move load to dryer and hang up clothes to dry if needed
Rest time (I don’t make my daughter stay in her room anymore because if she naps, she can’t fall asleep at bedtime. I tell her that rest time is when I work on my own things, and I try to get her to play by herself. I’m using rest time to work on this website.)
Creative time – paint, model with beeswax or play-doh, bake, or make a craft
Free play (Same as the morning free play, but without the cleaning chore.)
Snack or tea time with books and songs, verses, and/or fingerplays
Laundry – put away
Exercise video (For me, but my child likes to watch and sometimes participates.)
Free play (Same as the morning free play, but without the cleaning chore.)
Dinner – prep, eat, and clean up
Child’s bedtime routine – bath (most days), brush teeth, jammies, recite memory verse and pray together, book
After my child goes to bed, I like to work on vocal exercises and play my keyboard.
Creating Your Daily Rhythm
Do you want a sense of rhythm in your days? First write down your “anchors,” which are points throughout each day that stay the same. Meals are anchors that a lot of people find easy to use. Then make a list of activities you want your children to do every day and another list of pursuits that are important to you personally.
You might have activities that happen once or twice a week, like swim lessons. To make your rhythm flow better, I would suggest scheduling those activities during a more flexible part of the day. For example, I put my “must-do’s” in the morning (Bible, preschool activity, and clean) with the intention to make doctor appointments or go to the library in the afternoons. I’m okay with my afternoon schedule getting interrupted.
If I sign my daughter up for swim lessons this summer, and they are in the morning, I will move my flexible schedule to the mornings on all the days, not just the day of the swim lesson. That is my preference, though, because of my personality. You might be okay with shuffling the rhythm around on one or two days a week.
Once you know your anchors and lessons/obligations, fill in the rest of the day with the other activities you want your child to do. To free up more time, see if you can pair up some activities, like reading books during snack time, gardening during outside play time, or having a sensory bin available in the kitchen while you wash dishes.
Then figure out where you can fit in your pursuits. You might need to narrow your list or not do everything every day if you’re having trouble figuring out when to do them. I use time before my child wakes up, after she goes to bed, rest time, and sometimes free play time.
It may take time, but keep tweaking your rhythm until you find a routine that works for your children and for you.