Our First Week of Homeschool — What Actually Happened

The Plan vs. Reality

I had this beautiful plan. Color-coded schedule. Morning basket all set up. Sharpened pencils in a mason jar.

By 9:30 on Monday, we'd already abandoned the schedule.

And honestly? That turned out to be okay.

What Actually Happened

Here's what our first week really looked like:

• Monday: Started with morning time (Bible + read-aloud). Made it through one math lesson. The rest of the day was spent figuring out where everything goes.
• Tuesday: Better. We found a rhythm — morning time, then two short lessons, then a long break. Nature walk in the afternoon.
• Wednesday: Co-op day with Classical Conversations. The kids loved it. I was exhausted but encouraged.
• Thursday: Our best day. Everyone knew what to expect. We added art time and it was the highlight.
• Friday: Light day. Review games, library trip, and a documentary.

Three Things I Learned

1. Start slower than you think

I tried to do everything on Day 1. Big mistake. It's better to start with just morning time and one subject, then add more each week.

2. Rhythms beat schedules

A rigid 8:00-3:00 schedule didn't work for us. But a gentle rhythm — morning time, focused work, break, afternoon activity — that clicked.

3. The bad days are normal

Wednesday afternoon I almost cried. By Friday I felt like we'd been doing this forever (in a good way). The emotional swings are part of the process.

What I'd Tell First-Week-You

If you're about to start, here's my advice:

• Don't compare your first week to someone else's fifth year
• Write down one good thing each day (you'll forget otherwise)
• Give yourself grace — your kids are learning even when it doesn't look like it

The first week isn't supposed to be perfect. It's supposed to be a beginning.

You've got this.