Join me in the next five days for a great series from The Old Schoolhouse Review Crew.

I am going to begin my series of posts with my #1 homeschooling essential:

planning time.

I know, it seems obvious.  But honestly it can be hard to find time to plan school when you are submerged in laundry, dishes, diapers, and dinners all day long.  There is very little flying by the seat of your pants when homeschooling.  Because I have my oldest and then a 16 month old toddler running around, I need things to be orderly and put together before we begin each day.  It allows us to have the most fun and optimize our time as a family.

To successfully homeschool, manage a home, and include very important quality time with your spouse, planning ahead is essential.

Some homeschooling mamas {and papas} schedule a once or twice a year retreat.  They go for a weekend and do all their planning, find curricula, and decide on goals for their children’s school year.  That is probably a very practical idea, especially if your have older children to homeschool.

For me, it means tentatively writing out goals for the year, then planning for the month, and each week (Sunday nights) printing off and writing out all our activities.   My oldest is in preschool, but doing some kindergarten work.  How you plan for your homeschool may look completely different than how other plan.

How do you plan your family’s homeschool?  What is your #1 tip for planning your year?

Don’t forget about the iPad mini giveaway sponsored by some of the TOS Review Crew!  Enter here:

iPad Mini Giveaway: 5 Days of Homeschooling Essentials

Please check out some fellow Review Crew member’s “5 Days of Homeschooling Essentials”:

Mary @ Winecup Christian Homeschool

Jenni @ Conversaving

Meghan @ Quiet in the Chaos

Karen @ Tots and Me

Beth @ Weavings

Tawnee @ Adventures in Homeschooling

Karen @ My Harbor Lights

Amy @ Wildflower Ramblings

Kristi @ The Potter’s Hand Academy

Tara @ This Sweet Life