A new year is an exciting opportunity for us homeschoolers! It’s a perfect time to reset, refocus, and prepare for the journey ahead. I have found that the best way to start the year is to declutter and reset our homeschool space, which helps to create an organized, positive environment for learning.
Decluttering your homeschool space can help you focus on your educational goals since you’ve gotten rid of what you don’t need and know where to find the things you do need. It helps create a sense of order which can help children (and parents!) stay motivated and engaged in homeschooling.
I like to take a holistic reset approach and not just focus on our physical space but also our digital and mental space. I also find that doing a reset every quarter works best for us as it enhances our mental health. Read more to learn how I create a mindful, intentional environment for my family.
Looking for more tips on preparing for the new year? Check out these articles: Create a Meaningful Homeschool Mission Statement and Why Your Homeschool Vision Is Important.
Reset your space
I look at how we are utilizing our physical space. Do we need to declutter and organize? Can we rearrange furniture to create a better flow? Are there areas where we can incorporate more intentional design elements, such as artwork or plants? These small but important details can greatly impact how our space is experienced.
Declutter your homeschool space
- Remove old papers, notebooks, and used workbooks, or file them away if you need to submit a portfolio.
- Create a defined area for school supplies such as pencils, paper, erasers, scissors, crayons, and markers.
- Sort through the curricula that are not being used and either donate them or sell them online.
- Store any resources you may want to use again in labeled boxes for easy access.
Design your environment
- Brainstorm ways you can design your environment to make things easier.
- Move furniture, organize supplies, have a designated workspace (even if your kids choose to work elsewhere), and ensure it has all the materials your kids need to access easily. With an organized and warm environment, homeschooling will become more accessible and enjoyable for everyone involved!
- Establish ground rules with your children about tidying up their workspace and staying organized.
- Assign age-appropriate responsibilities such as organizing their space for the following day and cleaning it out at least once a week.
By involving children in the upkeep, they’ll learn the importance of organization and responsibility. Plus, you don’t have to do all the work!
Reset your mind
After resetting our physical homeschool space, I feel like it’s easier for me to reset my mental space. This is when I set intentions and goals, do a big brain dump, and finish any lingering tasks from my to-do list.
Set intentions
I start by taking the time to reset my mindset and set positive intentions for our homeschool. I focus on creating a calm, peaceful, and energizing atmosphere that encourages creativity, connection, and learning.
Brain dump
Next, you want to declutter your mind by doing a big brain dump of all the homeschool ideas, plans, and tasks that have been buzzing around in your head. It can be helpful to write down your thoughts so you have a tangible list to refer back to and help you stay focused on what needs to be done.
This will also help keep decision fatigue at bay by allowing you to see which tasks are most important for the day or week.
You can write your brain dump down in a notebook or use a digital tool like a Google Doc or a project management tool like ClickUp.
Once everything is written out (or typed up), you’ll be able to feel much less overwhelmed and more organized with planning your homeschool!
Remember, everything on this list can be done later; you’re just creating space in your head for what’s important. So prioritize, jot it down, and focus on what needs to be done now.
Complete your to-do list
Next, it’s time to complete everything on your to-do list that you’ve been putting off for the past few months. I know I’m not the only one!!
Make appointments, contact people, pay bills, deep-clean your home, etc. You get the picture!
Don’t forget to make a plan of action and stick to it. Make sure you give yourself plenty of breaks and don’t get caught up in perfectionism. With the right attitude and organization, accomplishing your tasks will be easier!
Reset your productivity system.
Now, you’ll want to declutter and organize your productivity system. Make to-do lists easy to find and accomplish. Streamline your organization by utilizing a calendar (I prefer Google Calendar) and project management software like ClickUp to help you keep track of tasks, deadlines, and appointments.
Review your daily planning ritual and see where you can improve.
Ask yourself the following questions: When do you plan your following day? Do you put it off because you’re too tired or busy? Can it be moved to an earlier time so that you do it? Is your daily planning system easy to do? How can you change it so that it’s not a burden?
I like to plan for the following day around 3-4 pm, right after we’re done with homeschooling. I keep it minimal and use a college-ruled notebook to list what each kid needs to do, as well as myself.
Then, I transfer the essentials onto our chalkboard as a visual reminder whenever we enter our kitchen. This helps keep me, and the kids focused on what needs to be done, and it’s also an excellent way for us to stay organized.
I also set aside 5 minutes daily to review our progress toward our monthly and yearly goals. This ensures that we are tracking our progress while adjusting if needed. Making adjustments along the way is essential for homeschooling, and having a plan helps ensure that everything gets taken care of.
Recently, I’ve established a “Mise en Place” routine – gathering, preparing, and putting things in place for the next day. This helps us get going the following day without wasting time figuring out where everything is.
At max, I spend 15 minutes a day planning and preparing for the following day. That’s chump change when I think about the time I waste when I open a social media app and death scroll for hours. So putting time and effort into my daily planning ritual is a great way to set the tone for a productive homeschooling day.
I want my children to be excited about learning, and this routine helps foster that enthusiasm. Plus, it’s helping them become more organized and develop strong habits for their future.
Weekly & monthly reset routines
Finally, creating a weekly and monthly homeschool reset routine is essential, so you don’t feel overwhelmed and disorganized. It’s easy for things to get out of hand after a while, and this reset is just a quick homeschool tidy-up.
Your reset routine can be as simple or thorough as you want. Still, it should include organizing materials, checking in with your kids about their goals, setting up the upcoming week’s work, updating the calendar, and planning deep dives and field trips for the month.
Doing something as small as taking 30 minutes at the end of each week or a couple of hours at the end of every month to ensure everything is in order can help you stay on track with your homeschool goals.
Creating a system that works for you, and sticking to it, can be the difference between success and feeling frazzled!
However, I encourage you to do the bare minimum when starting new routines and rituals since we tend to go overboard at the beginning of the year (or with any new venture) and then get overwhelmed and resistant to the activity.
Consistent, small, actionable steps are the key to forming lifelong habits.
Reset your routines
I’m not talking about your kids’ routines or your homeschool routine. I’m talking about your routine, where you make time to care for yourself. Some people think self-care is selfish, but it’s one of the most important things you can do. Whether it’s a short walk around the neighborhood, reading a book, meditating, or scheduling a solo coffee date, make sure you’re giving yourself that time and space for self-care. You’ll be glad you did!
- Write down your ideal morning and evening routines.
- Incorporate healthy habits that will benefit you, such as a daily workout routine, a quick stretch, or a simple breathing exercise.
- Take time to plan out your meals and snacks to ensure you are eating well.
- Use this routine as a guide to structuring your day, but also recognize when it’s okay to take a break or scale back if life gets too busy.
- You should also consider creating a bare minimum routine for those chaotic days and stick to it.
You can’t fill other people’s cups if yours is empty, so make sure your cup is full or, better yet, overfilling. Taking a few moments of quiet time for yourself each day, even if it’s just a quick five-minute stretch or meditation, can make all the difference.
With a consistent self-care routine, you will likely find more patience when homeschooling your kids.
Review your homeschool mission and vision.
Next, you want to review your homeschool mission and vision. Is it still resonating? Does it need revision? This is a great time to remember why you chose to homeschool and how you’ll get there. Take the time for reflection, so your homeschool journey can be as meaningful as possible.
After looking at your mission and vision, consider creating a vision board to help you visualize what you want your homeschool to look and feel like. Hang it up where you can see it daily, and use it as a reminder of your goals.
Reset your technology
Consider not being social media-focused and instead being self-care & productive-focused! Social media can be a great tool for information and inspiration, but it can also be overwhelming. Instead of focusing all your energy on scrolling through posts and feeling guilty about wasted time, take some of that energy to focus on nurturing yourself and your kids!
Declutter your phone
Look at your phone and delete apps you don’t use, hide the ones you don’t want to use, organize your home screen, set app limits, get rid of unnecessary notifications, and change your wallpaper to something serene or inspiring.
Declutter your inbox
Next, look at your dreaded email inbox, delete old emails, and unsubscribe to things you don’t need or open. This can help you feel like you have more control over the messages in and out of your inbox.
It’s helpful to create folders for different topics to sort emails into their respective places. Once everything is organized, use the search feature often so essential emails don’t get lost! That way, you can keep track of old emails and easily follow up on conversations.
Set aside a specific time each day to check your inbox so that it doesn’t take over your life! I like to check my email after I’ve completed my morning routine and again before I begin my evening routine. At max, I spend 20 minutes looking at and replying to emails. Boundaries are your best friend.
With this newfound organization, it’ll be easier to enjoy your homeschooling experience and all the other activities you’re involved in without feeling overwhelmed or bogged down by email.
Declutter your project management tools
Finally, look at your productivity tools, such as ClickUp, Notion, Google Classroom, or whatever you use to manage your homeschool. Find ways to declutter and organize them so that it’s easier for you to utilize them daily. What’s the point of having an online planning system if you don’t use it? Getting organized digitally can make a huge difference in your overall homeschooling experience!
Final Thoughts
Taking the time to reset our homeschool space physically, digitally, and mentally can do wonders for your homeschooling experience and make it enjoyable, organized, and relaxed. A little bit of effort and dedication every few months really goes a long way toward making this a successful endeavor.
Not only will your children benefit from an organized environment, but you, as the parent, will also find it easier to plan and manage. With a few simple steps, you’ll easily create an environment conducive to learning and productivity in your homeschool.
And remember, it doesn’t have to be overwhelming or time-consuming either – breaking things down into smaller tasks each month and ensuring everything is kept organized will be easier to manage and maintain.
Whether you tackle the task all at once or spread it out over the weeks and months, taking the time to reset your homeschool space can make all the difference in how successful your homeschool journey is.
So take a few moments today and start getting organized! Your children will thank you for it.
I hope you found these ideas helpful and that they make your homeschooling journey a little bit easier!
Good luck, friend!
How do you feel after resetting your homeschool space? Do you reset your digital space as well? Leave a comment below and let me know!
Xuan Klevecka is a Southern California-based homeschool mom, wife, and sometimes purveyor of vintage goods. She’s an Enneagram 5w4, a lover of good food, and a former middle school history teacher. You’ll either find her looking at road maps and daydreaming about her family’s next epic adventure or perusing recipes and cooking up a feast for the brood.
