Written by contributor Kris of Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers
You know those homeschooling families that get up before the sun, do their morning chores, have a big hearty breakfast, and start school by 8:00?
Yeah, we’re not one of those.
Not that there is anything wrong with being one of those families. To be honest, I can see many benefits in being early risers and many days I wish we were. However, we just aren’t.
We’re a family full of night owls who aren’t especially friendly before at least 10:00. We start slowly in the mornings, we don’t like to eat for the first couple of hours that we’re up (well, except me — I’ve learned to eat early since I’ve started running), and we need some time to warm up before anyone can expect more than grunts that pass for conversation from most of us.
That’s why part of making school simple for us means that we don’t start school at 8 AM. Or 9 AM. Or even 10 AM. On a good day, we start by 11 AM.
I used to stress over our late-starting tendencies. I used to try to get everyone up and get school started by a time that is more socially acceptable in both homeschooling and public schooling circles. Those attempts resulted in a stressed-out, grumpy mom and sleepy, irritable kids.
So, I quit forcing a routine that didn’t suit our family.
We are night owls. Period. One of the benefits of homeschooling is that we can work by the schedule that best fits our family. We do our best work in the afternoon, so why fight that? I once asked my husband about our schedule and he actually prefers the days when we aren’t quite finished with school when he gets home. It allows him time to unwind before the kids are demanding his attention.
So, I usually get the kids up sometime between 10:00 and 10:30, after I’ve had my quiet time and my morning run. We do some basic household chores, have our Bible lesson, and do some light schoolwork before stopping for lunch around noon when they’re typically ready to eat. Then, in the afternoon, we tackle the bulk of our schoolwork.
Do I worry that my kids won’t be able to handle a more typical schedule when they get older and have jobs? No. I worked a traditional first shift job before I became a stay-at-home mom. I didn’t like getting up early, but I adapted and so will they. They may not even have to adapt. After all, somebody has to work those second and third shift jobs.
Does it get hectic sometimes? Occasionally, when we have commitments in the early afternoon and evening. Usually, though, we just adjust our schedule when we have to. We’re homeschoolers; we’re flexible. We may not like it, but we are capable of getting an early start.
For the most part, though, I have come to terms with the fact that our homeschool may not look like other families’ homeschools – at least, not between the hours of 8 and 11 AM – but that’s okay. It’s not supposed to because it’s our homeschool based on our family’s needs.
That means it looks just the way it’s supposed to look – for us.
What time does your family usually start school?
I am a night owl also. However, my daughter is like a farmer, up with the roosters! LOL!
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Well; in 2022, I came across this post and found reassurance that no, we’re not the first night owls; and won’t be the last! Thank you
Ha, you definitely won’t be the last, and that’s what I love about homeschooling and the flexibility that it offers!
We could exchange kids for a week and they’d fit right in to each other’s schedules 😉
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I just love this and will definitly post this on my new blog. I have stressed so much about this its unreal – but after reading this am not going to anymore, the whole point of homeschooling is to teach children in a more natural and relaxed environment and if they have been in school for several years like my eldest one has they need time to readjust – the most important thing is that the kids are happy if not whats the point.
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It’s so great that homeschooling means doing whatever is right for your family! I just feel awful for kids who are night owls and have to get on a bus at 7am.
My son and I are SO early birds. We sometimes are DONE with school by 8am! And always done by 11 at the very latest.
I am usually up around 4am. My son gets up around 5:30. By 10 am I am on my way downhill for the day!
I absolutely loved this post. We do not start until 11 or 12 each day. I felt like I was the only one, knowing I wasn’t, but still felt like it.
I LOVE that I’m not the only one out there who does this! LOL! We pretty much do EXACTLY the same thing…right down to the ability to start early but not liking it! Thanks for posting!
We do not get started until 9:30. It’s nice to slowly accept the morning before jumping into school lessons.
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I am a early riser, but my daughter is not. We start school at 10:00am. It’s what works for us. Why fight it? LOL
I thought I was the only one that started that late! We are up early. However, my daughter likes to just play, listen to books and color in her room for a couple of hours. So, we are usually lucky to start by 11. I have really been struggling with whether I should push her to get an earlier start. But, then I feel like she is content and free play is important. I agree with the “they won’t be able to function in the real world” theory. I also have older teens. I have allowed them to wake up on their own and work at their own pace. They all have jobs and take outside classes now. When they have to get up and be at work or class by 8 am or earlier. They don’t have any problem.
Oh I love it that someone else does this!!! I am a new homeschooler and we live in Mexico and everything we do here with our ministry is late at night. House churches don’t even begin until 9pm and we have a 7 year old and a 6 year old so I have to begin waking them up around 10:00 also. Oh good…now I feel reassured I am not a bad mom:) Thank you!!!!!!!!
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I completely relate. Our average start time is 10:30am… I started this school year (our first yr of homeschooling) with an 8:30 start time – but it was just too stressful. Our evenings often include activities which make it difficult to get my kids to bed early – so sleeping in just plain ol needs to happen. Thanks for sharing! And now… I should go wake my 6th grade son!
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Oh my word, thank you so much for this post. I’m in the research/prepare stage, since my oldest won’t start school until fall of 2013 (most likely). I’m NOT a morning person, despite my best efforts, and that’s compounded with a chronic illness that means mornings must move very slowly for me. I’ve been trying to figure out what school should look like for us, but I’m very much a letter-of-the-law girl, and find myself in bondage to implied or imagined regulations that aren’t. that. important. Starting early morning (8-9a) is one of them. So thanks for this word, and for helping me see that this isn’t a “must” area.
Ha! I think that we live in the same house!!
This past week was brutal with having early riser guests in our home that totally INSISTED that my children start their school work by 8:30! GASP!! Not happenin’ lady! lol
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WHOA!! I think I would have a fit if someone came into my house and told me how to run things! I am sure you handled it better then I would have!
Don’t you love how other people know what’s best for your children?! Goodness.
I try to start early enough so that I can knock an hour before lunch. That way we stay on a schedule for dinner around 6:00. Other than that, I’m not an early bird. So my kids get time to wake up, eat, and play before school at 10/10:30.
Thanks! We’re the same. In fact, I had to put notes in our homeschool phone directory not to call the house before 9 a.m. because my phone would start ringing at 7!
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Yeah! We’re night owls too. I am usually up by 7:00 am, but I let my son sleep until he wakes up. Sometimes he is up by 8:00. Other times it’s 10:00. It works well for us, but it does feel socially unacceptable. I too tried to start school by 9:00 am. Then it became 9:30. Then 10:00. Now I don’t fight it. We work best in the afternoon. Sometimes my son gets excited about a project at 9:00 or 10:00 pm. I don’t want to make him stop exploring…and I don’t want to go to bed anyway! Thanks so much for sharing your schedule. Makes me feel so much better!
Thank you, thank you, thank you. I’m in my second year of home schooling and have been stressing over this constantly. We are all night owls too and I simply have not been able to get us up and getting to school before 10:00 or 10:30. There’s much solace in knowing there’s someone else out there who operates the way we do and that IT’S OK! I’ve been wanting to embrace that part of who we are rather than fight it, but like you said, social pressures and visions of home school moms who not only teach eight kids, but run a farm, write books, maintain blogs and knit sweaters and mittens for their whole family every year. I’m not making fun of these women, they inspire me, but I often find myself weighing my gifts against theirs and I come up short. Thanks for reminding me that it’s not going to look the same for all of us.
this is US! others have finished school by the time we start…i luv the flexibility of homeschool.
LOVE THIS! I am an extreme night owl and I hate it when people seem to think I should always mold to someone else’s schedule. To each their own
I used to have friends that were the same way. They started work after lunch and stayed up late. Here I am the early riser and if we try to any academics after say 1pm I’m just not into it.
I am very grateful that my kids get up around 8am if not earlier. Helps me out a lot!
Kris P
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Thanks for this great article! We are one of those families who do start early and get on it while the energy level is the highest. I love to run in the mornings, but it usually works best for me to run in the afternoons at this point in our lives. I love it that we all have freedom and flexibility to maintain the schedule that best fits our family! Cheers to all of you and your families for having the courage to do so.
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Right on! You said it all when you told us “we do our best work in the afternoon.” That is one of the most attractive things (to me) about homeschooling – the ability to taylor our plans around the individual people in our house. We are totally the chores/hearty brkfast/done before lunch people. But we are farmers. And we totally do our best work in the mornings. Trying to do school in my house during afternoons (even when we’ve had the morning off) is like trying to dry the floor with a wet towel. Tedious and unproductive. Here’s to letting our children learn how they learn best!
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I used to try to start “school” just after breakfast as well. But, it just plain didn’t work for us. Instead, I took it slow, noticing patterns, and found that for us, “school” works great from 1pm-4pm. We wake up at 10, little snack, exercise, chores, showers, etc – have an actual meal at 12, then start our lessons. At 4, the neighbor kids are home from school and ready to play, and I can clean up and get dinner going. We’ll sometimes do Language Arts/reading after dinner.
Odd, but I’m glad to not feel pressured into some perceived expectation. Thank you for the encouragement!
I had to give up the 8 or 9 AM start time too. We start between 10 and 11 and it has worked out so much better. I, too, struggle with “but this isn’t what most people do/ are we just undisciplined” but for crying out loud, we are adults, we are in charge of our families for a reason, and I have to accept what’s best for me and my kids without worrying about what others think. (Easier said than done!)
Thanks for sharing…we have been homeschooling for 9 yrs and have always seemed to be on the late side. Dad is self-employed and works pretty late. SO we have late nights to hang out with him. It’s nice to know there others that Enjoy the flexibility of homeschooling. Have a Blessed day
My oldest is only in 1st grade and we don’t do school till my youngest goes down for a nap after lunch…