Morning Reading

We usually start our homeschool day with a quick breakfast, then we do a host of chores, then we dig in to schoolwork.

But the girls have started asking for permission to delay the start of their chores in order to have some quiet reading time after they wake up. 

And I'm tentatively letting this happen. 

I get up much earlier than they do, because I need less sleep.

So by the time they rise, I have already had my quiet reading time and usually more than one cup of coffee. 

But as the girls get older, I find they not only need more sleep, but they also seem to need more of what my husband and I need in the morning- some quiet time. 

So this is my way of honoring their humanity.

I tend to be very strict about our schedule and this serves us really well, because we get a bunch of rigorous, rich schoolwork done yet still have enough leisure time enough to converse about it and really enjoy ourselves. 

We even have time to follow rabbit trails. 

After a few days of this new accommodation, I find that we're still getting all the same work done, though the girls are often working a little later into the afternoon.

Striking a balance between work and rest is a pretty constant art for any homeschool mom.