Asalamu’alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatu ladies, welcome to the third part of our homeschool planning series; our Season. I did intend to post this series weekly; but with family over, and eight kids to take care of, I’m a little late. Nevertheless, let’s dive into it.

So far, we’ve discussed the importance of having a homeschool vision; including how to create a vision plan, and statement to solidify our vision. And we’ve also discussed the importance of reflecting on our children as individuals; highlighting how they learn and process information best so we teach them in a way they learn best.

Now it’s time to think about the season of life we’re in, and this is where many mothers struggle or skip this step entirely. Taking into account the season of life we’re in right now will mean that whatever plan or routine we come up with will be realistic and, therefore, sustainable. And that is key.

We want to end up with a routine that is meaningful, but also one that’s manageable right ladies?

And we also don’t want to push aside the learning opportunities that come with all these seasons of life. These are chances for us to model for our children how we, as Muslims, should deal with trials, how we should navigate change and how we should show patience when we are tested.

As you continue homeschooling, your children will gain first-hand experience in coping with the challenges that all parents face, such as loss, welcoming new family members, battling illnesses, and navigating work-related difficulties. Homeschooling provides an invaluable opportunity for our children to learn how to confidently handle these real-life situations from the comfort and security of their own homes.

After homeschooling for so long, there are so many things I can look back on that enriched our children’s learning experience, as they witnessed life experiences first-hand, and we were right there to talk through, discuss and help them understand things as we went along. Living and learning are inseparable, and Without a doubt, this has been one of the most rewarding aspect of our homeschooling journey.

There are many things that we’ll discuss in books or hear about, but there’s nothing quite like experiencing that thing first-hand.

So don’t create a routine that looks ideal for someone else; instead, create a loose routine or plan for the year, or quarter (however long you like to plan ahead), and start at where you’re already at.

Especially if it’s long-term.

Things like

pregnancy, or a newborn.

responsibilities outside of homeschooling, such as caring for a loved one.

your husband’s work schedule.

And then start to fill in your routine, taking all these things into consideration.

Maybe you used to have a dedicated slot for read-alouds before the baby came – how about changing this to when your husband comes home instead?

Maybe focused tablework can be pushed to the afternoon when you have more energy?

Is it worthwhile having a shorter 4-day week, or a more thinned-out 6-day week?

At this point, just start to loosely fill in your schedule without overly filling in details. You can add in things like pre-planned holidays, and scheduled time off for the year; and then start to narrow your plan down, and fill in a weekly schedule, again loosely, taking into account life right now. Avoid adding timings; instead, stick with a block schedule and start to piece things together in sha Allah.

There’s really no right or wrong in how you plan; as long as you’re able to get things done, how you piece it together is totally up to you.

So step number three is to start to make a loose plan of your homeschool year that aligns your homeschool routine with the overall routine of your family. It will be much more sustainable and will allow you to learn from those all-important life experiences in sha Allah.

Here are some other ways I can help you keep your homeschool meaningful and manageable.

1. Register for the FREE Five Steps to Simplify your Homeschool Workshop, where I share a step-by-step process on how to simplify your homeschool, especially if you’re prone to overplanning, and overcomplicating it all.
   
2. Join the How to Homeschool Multiple Kids Course, and start building the homeschool of your dreams today.
   
3. Join me inside The Muslim Home & School Maker Membership for ongoing support and community, for Muslim homeschool mothers.