Having a homeschooling routine gives us a framework in which to build our educational lives and relationships. Our routine give us a predictable rhythm, with plenty of time for work, learning, play, and rest. My kids are currently 13yo and 10yo, and our general daily routine for the last few years has looked like this:
Our homeschool routine is not a mandate; sometimes I let it go completely to support my kids in following their own interests and passions. However, most of our days do fall back on our routine.
Morning Homeschool Routine
Mornings in our homeschool are filled with lots of learning. For us, it works best to get some learning time in early in the day, before the kids have had a chance to get deeply immersed in any projects or play.
Quiet Morning Time: Our morning routine starts out slowly. I spend the early morning hours from ~6am-8pm working, and then do a quick yoga video before meeting up with my kids. The kids are allowed to sleep in as late as they want to (these days, they choose to set an alarm a few days each week). My kids typically draw, read, or play quietly during this time.
Breakfast School: Breakfast School is my secret weapon for making sure I feel like I am doing *enough*. It is *my* turn to choose what I want to read to the kids, and I generally choose to read engaging books about science, history, and/or math.
Breakfast School is not required, and it isn't even called School. I just ask my kids if they want me to read during breakfast. If they don't want me to read, that's fine! But they usually do. Breakfast School typically happens ~4-5 times per week, and sometimes my kids even choose for it to happen on the weekends, too.
Family Work and Chores: The kids and I work together in the kitchen and/or yard, then split up for individual chores and self-care. More details about my kids' chores are here:
Kidschool: Kidschool time happens 2-4 times per week, depending on outside-the-home field trips and activities. It is actually purposeful that we don't so kidschool every day; that keeps it fresh and fun. My kids take turns choosing what we'll do from a list of many options. Now that my daughter is getting older and dabbling with Scholar Time, she sometimes chooses to do her own thing during Kidschool time.
Afternoon and Evening Homeschool Routine
Afternoons and evenings in our homeschool are more free-form, but do still have some structure. These times of day give us more balance overall, since they give us more time for individual interests, projects, and rest.
Afternoon Free Time: My kids love their afternoon free time. They are free to play, create, snuggle with chickens, ride 4 wheelers, climb trees, or do whatever they'd like. Meanwhile, I get to work on homeopathic consulting, Raw Milk Institute work, or blogging.
Afternoon Quiet Time: During Quiet Time, my kids are still free to choose what they want to do, but their options are limited to activities that are calmer and quieter. They often choose to listen to (free) classic audiobooks while drawing/playing during this time. My own quiet time generally includes reading, a short power nap, and/or yoga. There is more info about how we do Quiet Time here.
Dinner Routine: In the late afternoon, it's time to focus on dinner. I either cook alone while the kids play, or ask them to assist me as needed. Once a week, my 13yo daughter makes dinner (either solo or with my help as needed). My 10yo son is getting more interested in cooking now, too, so I assist him in making dinner about once every week or two. When we can, we'll squeeze in a quick walk during this time as well.
We have a sit-down family dinner every evening. We often discuss current events during this time, or talk about things we've been reading or learning about. And then cleanup is accomplished my either my husband and myself, or the kids, depending on the day.
Evening Family Free Time: In the evenings, we have free-choice family or individual activities. Typically, evenings include board/card games (great for math!), individual reading, family audiobooks, yard work, and/or walks. Additionally, individual lessons (such as reading lessons when we were still doing those) are typically done in the evening.
Bedtime Read-Aloud: The kids and I almost always have read-aloud time before bed, during which I read classic books. This read-aloud time is crucial since it gives us a chance to keep discussing character, integrity, growth, honesty, relationships, etc. on a day-to-day basis.
This is just a snapshot of our homeschooling rhythm, to give you some ideas. I hope it helps you in crafting your own daily rhythm.