“You have to show up prepared if you want the sale.”
My blog coach said those words to me when we were talking about conversations and sales.
At the time, we were discussing why I chose to work with her over the other coaches I was considering.
However, her response made me think about how we need to approach our homeschool days like their the most important sale we could ever make. We must show up prepared to snag their attention and get the sale.
Those words truly resonated with me. If you’re struggling in your homeschool, ask yourself,
Can I apply the power of preparation to turn our school days around?
Homeschool: Your Most Important Sales Pitch
When I broke it down, I realized I’d chosen to work with her for two reasons.
- She had taken the time to prepare for our meeting, which made me feel valued.
- She spent time getting to know me and connecting on issues that are important to me.
Her response was very pragmatic, “Well, I’ve always thought that you should treat every sales call as if it’s the most important one you have. You have to show up prepared.”
Moms, we wear so many hats! We are teachers, nurses, chefs, maids, and more. So it’s no wonder that sometimes we feel overwhelmed.
But your student is your most valuable sales pitch.
In homeschooling, no money is changing hands. Instead, you’re dealing in transactions of education and learning. So you need them to get excited about your product, listen to your presentation, and become invested in the outcome.
To get the sale each day, the most important thing you can do for your homeschool is to show up well-prepared. When we show up prepared, it sets the tone for a successful day and ensures the ultimate learning environment.
While that might sound a little “woo-hoo,” there are some very actionable tips for getting better prepared without giving up your entire life.
Understanding the Power of Preparation When Homeschooling
Even though you don’t have an entire classroom full of kids, that doesn’t mean you can wing it. (I’m so guilty of that at times.) Knowing precisely what concepts and subjects you’ll cover ensures you stay on track.
More than a simple plan, being well-prepared means personalizing the curriculum, and having materials ready and organized. (No more hunting for the paper cutter.) As a result, you’ll save time and have a better chance of keeping to your desired schedule and, in turn, reducing stress levels for both you and your student. Always a win!
Preparation shows your student that you care about their education and growth. In addition, kids will feel more confident in their learning ability when they know there’s a plan. (There’s a beginning, middle, and end with a goal.)
Fun stat: Did you know that a child’s attention span before age eight is estimated to be 24 minutes? If you’re using that to gather supplies, there’s not much left for the lesson.
And having everything organized allows for smoother transitions from one subject to another. (No more wondering where that last 30 minutes went.) Wasting less time between tasks and focusing more on the things that matter.
Four Focus Areas for Better Homeschool Preparation
- Organization: Being organized is the basis of any successful homeschool day. Have a dedicated space. Utilize bins, shelves, baskets, and learning centers to help keep things accessible and in place.
- Materials: Keep your materials ready for each lesson. Gather worksheets, books, pencils, and other supplies ahead of time so that you can save time hunting them down.
- Curriculum: Familiarize yourself with your curriculum and ensure you are up-to-date with any new material or changes.
- Schedule: A good agenda should be flexible but focused. Plan your day and know when to move on to the next subject.
As homeschool moms, we want our kids to be prepared for real-world success when they grow up. And the best way to do that? By showing them what it looks like by example.
Organization
You’ll have to find the best time management technique for your kids. But you’ll find you can juggle everything better when you know where you’re supposed to be next.
Did you ever use envelopes or categories for budgeting your money? You know, like $200 for your new car savings, $50 for eating out. But if you spend $70 on eating out, you must pull $20 out of your new car savings category.
Budgeting your time can be as powerful. When you’ve pre-categorized your time, you can choose where you’re pulling from when you allow an activity to take longer.
Don’t get me wrong. You don’t need to keep your kids on a highly inflexible schedule. There’s power in interest-led learning, which often fits into something other than pretty planner time slots.
However, shifting your mindset to think of your time like little blocks you’ve budgeted ensures you’re being intentional and realistic with your choices.
Actionable Tip: Know your schedule to stay on track. Some students might respond well to a checklist or timer. Others might struggle. Find a planner and a calendar system that gets you organized first. Then work to weave that into your children’s schedules with room for flexibility.
Materials
Showing up prepared helps you create a positive learning environment in your homeschool. Rather than wasting time trying to find things or get organized, you can be fully present with your student.
This also means that it doesn’t feel like chaos when it’s crunch time and you have to adjust the schedule (because life happens). Instead, you’ll be free to adapt and make decisions on the fly.
The power of preparation will help you keep a positive outlook when homeschooling gets tough. It’ll prevent those days when your head is spinning while juggling too many things.
When you’re prepared, you’ll be able to stay focused on helping your kids work through challenges and build their resilience. And that’s something every homeschool mom needs to do to make their homeschool experience successful.
Actionable Tip: Make a supplies list for activities monthly. Order ahead or supplement as needed. Have everything laid out before the day begins. For younger students, consider having some of the more time-consuming projects already cut out and ready to paste if that’s not the lesson’s focus and you’re in a time crunch.
Curriculum
When our days blur and feel intensely long, it’s hard to remember that this is just a stage in life. Our most important task is building a lifelong love of learning. When you show up prepared, you’re helping build confidence in knowledge.
Coming to each lesson prepared helps your kids feel more secure and confident in what they’re doing. In addition, seeing you navigate the curriculum with grace will show them that homeschool learning is achievable, even when it’s hard work.
When you come to each day prepared, you avoid those moments of frustration when your student starts to doubt their ability. That’s why showing up ready can be the difference between your student feeling successful and defeated.
Actionable Tip: Stay prepared at least a week ahead of your students in each curriculum. Ensure you understand the material and anticipate questions. You can find supplemental resources and add extra time for areas with challenging concepts.
Schedule
It’s important to remember that learning doesn’t always have to be serious. Taking regular breaks gives your kids time to recharge and helps prevent burnout. You can plan a few fun activities or take some downtime when you show up prepared.
When you’ve planned, it’s easier to prioritize those small breaks your kids need throughout the day. Having these moments to look forward to will help keep them motivated and engaged in their learning.
Pre-planning also ensures you don’t fall back on worksheets. Proper preparation is critical for a living books, literature-rich homeschool with many hands-on activities.
Actionable Tip: Schedule time after heavy subjects for movement and getting outside daily. Pre-plan field trips, unit studies, art, and literature to enhance lessons that might be dry otherwise, such as grammar or math.
Showing Up Prepared is Essential for Homeschooling success.
As homeschool moms, we want to provide a learning environment that sets our kids up for real-world success. Showing up prepared helps us create an atmosphere of learning and reinforces good habits that will serve our kids well beyond their homeschool years.
Take the time to get organized and create a plan of action for each day so you can show up prepared. When you do, you’ll enjoy the power of preparation with your kiddos as they learn and grow during this incredible journey.
Related Reading
Looking for more tips to stay healthy as a homeschool mom? Try these:
- 3 Quick Self-Care Tips for Homeschool Moms
- Master Your To-Do List: Mom Organization Tips Series
- Create a Calm Homeschool Life: 10 Organization Tips for Moms
What Are Your Preparation Tips?
Do you have any tips or tricks for preparation that help your homeschool day go smoother? Share them with us in the comments below!
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