Clever Mom Hack: Automate Back-to-School Schedules

School is starting, and that means getting back to hectic routines and bustling schedules. As a homeschool mom of 5 kiddos, I’m no stranger to the chaos this time of year can bring.

Creating a school schedule and managing household chores has always been a critical part of preparing for the new school year. It was quite the jigsaw puzzle to make sure all the important tasks and activities fit nicely into a doable and sustainable schedule. Unfortunately, the challenge didn’t stop there.

Once I took the time to plan it all out, I then had to:

• explain the schedule

• implement the schedule

• remind everyone what needed to be done

• motivate everyone to get started

• hold everyone accountable

This process easily became very draining and could go on all year long. It got me wondering if there was a better way.

Remember when you were in public school and everything ran by the bell? It kept everyone on the same page and the same schedule. When that bell rang, everyone knew what to do next, where to go next, when the day started, and when the day ended.

When I realized I could create a similar system at home, I knew it could be a game changer for our family (and it was!). I quickly grabbed an old cell phone we were no longer using and started setting alarms for each item on the day’s list. Before I knew it, my kids were moving from one task to another on their own. Not only was school running smoothly, but chores around the house were getting done consistently (without me having to say a word!). Even the dogs now run to the door when the alarm goes off for someone to take them outside!

Here’s what the process looks like for us:

I create a school schedule with all important subjects and activities.

I note what time each item needs to be done and how much time each item will take. Most of our school subjects and activities can be done in 30-60 minute increments.

I create a list of all the chores that need to be done.

Again, I note what time each item needs to be done and how much time each item will take. I then delegate the chores among my children.

You should now have a master list for all the things that need to be done for the day.

I create an alarm for each time slot, and list what needs to be done next as the alarm title.

For each alarm, I list the child’s name and what activity they need to do next. For example, the alarms might look something like this:

• 9:00am | Jerrod - English, Stacy - Math, Rose - take dogs out and pick up room

• 9:30am | Rose - art

• 10:00am | Jerrod - Math, Stacy - English, Rose - vocabulary and math facts

Whoever turns off the alarm is responsible for reading aloud the activity list for each person.

Some of our children have their own individual schedule phone. This usually applies when/if they are regularly in a different part of the house and can’t hear the alarms in our main living area.

Pro Tip | Try this system when you have a sitter or family member staying with your children. Their schedule stays the same and everyone has a clear expectation around the schedule and responsibilities.

I hope you give this hack a try! And if you do, I hope it helps save you as much time, stress, and energy as it has saved me and my family. It’s truly a set-it-and-forget-it solution to taming and streamlining back-to-school chaos and overwhelm.

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