Your BEST Homeschool

The art and heart of homeschooling

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • About Us
  • Art Lessons
  • Blog
  • Tricia’s Book
  • Homeschool
  • Recipes
  • Shop
Home » Blog » A Homeschool Mom Morning Routine, part two

in Housekeeping Habits

A Homeschool Mom Morning Routine, part two

Here are some simple habits for a homeschool mom morning routine to help streamline morning dishes and more!

A Homeschool Mom Morning Routine – Imperfect Edition

I’m finding it a little ironic that I’m sitting here writing about my morning routine on a day when everything has gone awry. There was some mishap with the alarm clock and we woke up an hour and a half late. So this morning, hubby’s breakfast consisted of a couple extra snacks thrown into his lunch bag and a cup of tea to go. It was a good reminder to me that before I go on any further with these posts, I need to clarify that this is by no means a perfect system. This is the ideal for me. This is the way it works when everything goes as it should. But there are plenty of days when we are late, plenty of days when life happens and things don’t work out the way I want. Also, I don’t expect that the things I do will work for everyone. I established this routine based on several years of trial and error. Most of the things that have worked their way into my morning routine have gotten there because of some recurring struggle. Today’s habit is no exception.

Here are some simple habits for a homeschool mom morning routine to help streamline morning dishes and more!

A Homeschool Habit for Doing Dishes

The dishes have been one of those struggles for me since we started homeschooling. They accumulate in the sink throughout the day and there just never seems to be a good time to deal with them. I finally get around to tackling them five minutes before dinner. Then inevitably, just as I start washing, I realize that I have a whole dishwasher full of clean dishes that have to be put away first. Ugh.

A few months ago, I finally found a way to defeat the dish monster. One morning I realized I had forgotten to set the coffee pot before going to bed. While I was standing around waiting for my coffee to brew, I decided to be proactive and unload the dishwasher. I finished putting away the dishes just a few minutes after the coffee was ready. It was so nice to have an empty dishwasher throughout the day that I decided to make it a habit. Now, instead of programming my coffee pot to be ready when I wake up, I put the water and coffee in it before I go to bed and then manually turn it on first thing after hubby leaves in the morning. Then I use the brewing time to get the dishwasher unloaded.

I find myself racing the coffee pot each morning and most days I finish before the coffee is ready. Dishes rarely accumulate in the sink anymore. The kids know that they are always supposed to put their dishes in the dishwasher. This works for me because I combined something that I do at the same time every day (coffee) with something that I frequently forget (the dishes).

Of course, there is another habit that is necessary for this part of my routine to work. I have to run the dishwasher before I go to bed every night. On the days when it isn’t full enough I use that opportunity to clean out the fridge and reclaim some forgotten Tupperware. Or I might throw in the pet dishes, or bathroom cups, or canisters, glass shades from light fixtures, or whatever neglected thing that will fit in the space I have left.

Homeschool Mom Morning Routine Series

  • Part 2 – Imperfect Edition
  • Part 3 – Getting Mom Ready
  • Survivor Edition – A homeschool mom’s routine with a new baby
  • Taking Care of You! The Homeschool Mom
  • How to Start a Homeschool Routine
Here are some simple habits for a homeschool mom morning routine to help streamline morning dishes and more!

By Kendra, October 2009

Related

Filed Under: Housekeeping Habits Tagged With: Habits for a Happy Home, morning routine, written by Kendra

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
Previous Post: « A Morning Routine for Homeschool Mom, part one
Next Post: Dandelions Homeschool Nature Study: Outdoor Hour »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Tricia says

    October 26, 2009 at 1:00 PM

    I love the reward of coffee for something that must be tackled every day! This is the best idea.

    Reply
  2. littlesanctuary says

    October 26, 2009 at 1:15 PM

    We unload the dishwasher at least twice a day. The great thing is my kids are assigned that chore. I rarely have to do it anymore. Which makes me happy. 🙂

    Reply
    • Kendra says

      October 26, 2009 at 1:30 PM

      There are definitely advantages to having all those little helpers running around!

      Reply
  3. Angie says

    October 27, 2009 at 7:53 AM

    I love it!! This idea works well if you have a compitive nature =) Everyday the boys take turns doing the top or bottom of the dishwasher. Sometimes the sink is full of dirty dishes depending on when I make them unload DW, though I try to have them do it in the morning. I started by having them put dishes on the counter to make sure they were dry, just a couple of weeks ago I said no more of that, they have to put everything up where it belongs. As far as coffee goes, I have to have my cup before I do anything physical =)

    Reply
  4. Kerri says

    November 5, 2009 at 5:48 PM

    I love the challenge of trying to finish one thing before another is done. It’s one of the few ways I can keep my distracted self focused! Thankfully the oldest is on dishwasher duty, but there are plenty of other areas I can apply this technique to. Thanks!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Welcome!

Thanks for visiting! I'm Tricia and I've been homeschooling since 2000. I share the art and heart of homeschooling and help you bring joy, fun and freedom to your days. It’s a Hodgepodge! Read More…


Free Homeschooling Downloads

 

 

{FREE} Download, ebooks and subscriber-only art tutorials

Success! Please check your email to confirm your subscription.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.




Get Tricia’s book!




Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Our Sister Websites





Art for All Ages



Categories

Follow Tricia Hodges | Hodgepodge's board Best of Hodgepodge on Pinterest.

Recent Comments

  • Hodgepodgemom on How to Host a Jane Austen Movie Night for Homeschool Moms
  • Dawn on How to Host a Jane Austen Movie Night for Homeschool Moms
  • Hodgepodgemom on Mama Ann’s Morning Bars Recipe
  • Joy on Mama Ann’s Morning Bars Recipe
  • Hodgepodgemom on A Stitch In Time…
  • Contact us
  • Best of Hodgepodge
  • Parenting
  • Healthy Mama
  • Essential Oils
  • Recipes

Copyright © 2008–2025 · Your BEST Homeschool, a Southern Hodgepodge, L.L.C. site. | DMCA Notice