The number one issue that most working homeschool moms seem to face, is a lack of time. I hear you mama! I feel the same at times. But I have a very simple strategy for gaining more hours in the day. All you need to do is a simple time audit.

How to Do a Simple Time Audit

Doing a simple time audit is super easy. Follow the steps below to see exactly where you spend your time.

1. Get a notebook and pen, or I have a time audit printable you can download or use digitally.
2. Set a reminder or alarm on your phone for every 15 minutes. This is to remind you to track your time.
3. Write down everything you spend time on for 1 to 5 days. The longer you do it, the more accurate it will be.

I know it sounds super simple and easy, but it can be tough to do a time audit. You might forget, get really busy or lose interest half way. I’m guilty of the latter.

In order to set yourself up for success, try to do an audit when you’re…

• not doing any special projects or when work is relatively calm,
• not on vacation or don’t need some downtime,
• feeling healthy and mostly relaxed.

Now What?

Once you have the data, you can start getting a clearer idea about where your time goes. Categorize your activities and calculate how much time you spent doing them. You can use my time audit printable for this step too. You could use categories like:

• working
• meetings
• scrolling
• working out
• cleaning
• cooking
• homeschooling
• self-care
• shopping
• extra-curriculars
• sleeping
• eating
• having conversations
• watching series/videos
• playing games

Time to Get Real!

Once you’ve tallied up and categorized the time you spent, now it’s time to get real. This is perhaps the toughest part of the exercise because you’re going to have to think about what\’s important to you and what you can let go of.

What Are Your Priorities?

You could start by writing out what your priorities are. For me, homeschooling my kids, getting outside, working on my business, having quality family time and time alone, are my priorities. I will always choose what’s important for me over socializing, hours and hours of cleaning up and loads of cooking.

I then look at the time I’ve spent and decide what I want to keep and what isn’t serving me anymore. Setting boundaries comes in handy here! As well as being very clear about what your priorities are. It’s a good exercise to see if you’re on the right track and to take charge of your time.

Schedule It Out

Once you’ve decide what stays and what goes, then it’s time to schedule your day more effectively. There are lots and lots of ways to do this. Below are a few ideas that have worked for me…

• Block scheduling is great because it takes the pressure off having to do loads of individual tasks in a day. This can be super stressful and overwhelming. With block scheduling, you do what you can in the allotted time, and then move on!
• Figure out when you are at your most clear-headed so that you can do more intensive tasks during this time.
• In the same way, see when your kids are at their most receptive to learning. Play around with different times because you might be surprised when it actually is!
• Don’t be too hard on yourself. Being a working homeschool mom means having to do so much. But if you don’t manage something on one day, simply move it to the next. And if it’s really not important, let it go entirely!