Everyone knows the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears right? Goldilocks had to try a couple of bowls of porridge before she found the one that was “just right”.
Sometimes that happens when we are searching for just the right homeschool planner too. We can’t always know what is going to work “just right” until we give a planner a try.
Planners are an intensely personal tool. Finding one planner that will work for everyone is like telling all homeschool moms they have to use the same curriculum. It’s just not going to happen.
Much like Pam coaches us in her Plan Your Year Planning Kit, plan a homeschool year for your family, not the plan that your homeschool bestie is following. Chances are, her planner isn’t going to be just what you need either.
This is where things can get fun. Or completely overwhelming. Don’t despair!
Homeschool Sanity Saver
If you have ever searched on Pinterest for “planners” or “homeschool planners” you know what I mean. Oh.my.word. The glitz and the glam! Gorgeous for sure, but I just need to remember to take the library books back on Thursday. But if glitz and glam are your things then go for it.
Don’t get discouraged too quickly and bag the whole idea. Jotting lists and appointments on scraps of paper or old grocery receipts is not effective planning! Give your brain a break from constantly having to remember ideas and reinvent the wheel.
You will be amazed at how much more productive and less stressed you can be when your brain is not running like an old PC with a hundred tabs open.
You can find a planner that fits your needs or one that you can customize to fit your needs, and it doesn’t have to be homeschool specific either.
Just Right Homeschool Planner
A couple of years ago I used an Erin Condren Teacher Planner. It is made specifically for classroom teachers, but I managed to rework many of the pages to fit my needs as a homeschooler. I may have six children, but I don’t need a seating chart! Not most days anyway.
I loved that planner. I loved the cover I picked, the size of it, the layout, everything. I loved reworking the pages even though it took some time. It was a labor of love and for that year of our homeschool journey, it was perfect.
The next year? Not so much.
I wasn’t as inclined to spend time reworking a planner. I just wanted something that was open-and-go. That year I used a Limelife Homeschool planner. Again, it worked great for me. The options when I ordered meant I could just open it and start using it. Limelife paper is magnificent!
For this year I decided I was going to simplify my life even further and combine my regular daily planner with my homeschool planner. So far so good and I’m liking my Hobonichi Cousin.
It has a monthly pageview, weekly page view, and daily page view. Right now I’m getting the most use from the monthly and daily pages, but I plan to do a bulk of my homeschool planning on the weekly pages.
I like the flexibility of having space for daily lists or to change up the way I’m recording/planning our day. Right now I also like only have one planner on my desk, but as with all my planning, I reserve the right to change things up!
The weekly spread is where I haven’t yet found my groove. I’m not utilizing the space to its fullest potential – yet!
Homeschool Mom’s BFF
My point is that you can be free to use what works for you. Simple, elaborate, it doesn’t matter. The important idea is to actually use your planner! Make it a tool that keeps your homeschool day on track.
A tool that keeps you organized with projects, grocery lists, meal plans, Amazon orders, and appointments. Get into the habit of looking at your planner each morning and each evening and you will revolutionize your day.
- The Best Planner for Homeschool Moms is the One that Works - May 26, 2017