In a perfect world your homeschool days would run smoothly, with no bumps in sight, every day. But in the real world, life has a way of throwing a wrench in your plans. Whether it’s grumpy moods, kiddos that aren’t feeling well enough for a full day of learning, spontaneous visits from grandparents, a family emergency, a call from another homeschooling family to explore a new park, or just a need to switch things up, having a baseline can help you manage these days without stressing over what to do.

What a baseline is:

In homeschooling a baseline consists of the base subjects you will teach or require when the normal schedule gets disrupted. It is the most basic homeschool day you can imagine–the minimum amount of homeschool that you will do daily no matter what.

What a baseline isn’t:

A baseline isn’t your normal homeschooling schedule. It isn’t something you will strive to do each day. You will use the baseline only when daily life gets interrupted somehow.

Why you need a baseline:

Because life will get stressful. It’s as simple as that. If you know the minimum amount of work that you will require of your kids, you’ll still end the day feeling like they got some sort of learning in. Your baseline is your plan for when life isn’t working out.

How to plan your baseline:

This can vary from family to family and there is no right way to do it. You have to decide what the most important thing is for you and your kids and go with it. Think about what subjects or skills are important for your kids to do on a daily basis. Think about what would keep some kind of structure in your home on a day where unplanned stresses pop up. Here are five ideas of different baseline subjects and activities you may decide on:

Baseline Idea 1:

• Personal reading
• Educational video or tech game for supplemental learning

Baseline Idea 2:

• Math
• Language arts

Baseline Idea 3:

• Math
• Music practice

Baseline Idea 4:

• Language arts
• Personal reading
• Music practice

Baseline Idea 5:

• Nature study
• Family read aloud
• Journal entry

These may seem random, but a baseline is whatever is best for your family. No matter what it is, have a plan in place at the beginning of your year. If you find you need to switch it up, do it, just know what you’ll do when your day gets messier then normal. You may even find that you have a couple of baselines set up for different situations.

It’s helpful to remember that even in public schools, teachers have to roll with it sometimes. There are assemblies, fire drills, kids that seem to have ants in their pants, or just days that take longer to get through certain lessons. These days still count as a school day for them, and our messy days can count as a school day for us. A great benefit to homeschooling is we can just pick right back up the next day with our lessons without fear of falling behind schedule.

Your Homework:

What’s a homeschool blog without a little homework?

• Plan out what your baseline will be.
• Don’t stress when your day doesn’t run as smooth as you wanted–just focus on your baseline.