This article was first written on FabMum

Home-schooling in Nigeria is getting popular, but still not popular enough not to get the weird look when you say your child is not starting traditional school till 5. With more mums looking into the option of taking up the role of homeschooling their children for the first few years there is an absolutely need for support.
I have had almost 2 years to research and find people with the interest in Nigeria to be comfortable enough to officially say “I am homeschooling my son”
I officially started homeschooling this year and my son who is almost 2 years old is doing better than I thought. Although, we’ve been home together all his life and we have done so many activities together, I felt that this was going to be so different and difficult but just like everything in life it comes with its challenges but nothing not handle able (if that is a word) as I have discovered.
As a stay at home mum who decides to home school your child after the age of 1, it basically means you are just incorporating intentional teaching/learning into your daily routine. I am an advocate for children having routines because they thrive with consistency and knowing what comes next.
If you already have a routine that you follow, when you start home-schooling you will have to shuffle things around but be sure to introduce it gently. I started by doing just circle time for 2 weeks before introducing the other parts of the routine, you don’t want to shock them with the structure but ease them into it. Remember, nothing should be set in stone, a routine should also be flexible to accommodate the child on different days and just like every routine, for it to be successful you have to stay consistent. It is in the consistency they will learn and thrive.
So, what should you do each day?
Here is my own routine with my toddler; you can switch things around to fit the personality of your child and what you think they will enjoy most. I didn’t put a time because I know each family is different and my time might not work for you but no ‘teaching’ should be more than 15mins, it can extend if the child is engrossed (Flexibility *wink*).
  • Wake Up
  • Bath & Brush
  • Breakfast
  • Circle Time (This usually takes from 10-15Mins)-This is to let your child understand that this is learning time and they should sit and sing along. What do you do at circle time;
  1. Hello Song (We use the one from supersimplesongs)
  2. Say your name (I tell him his full name and my name too)
  3. Days of the week/Months of the year (To know dates and days. Also use the one from supersimplesongs)
  4. Weather Song ( We use the one from supersimplesongs but I remove the snow part)
  5. Jesus loves me
  6. National Anthem and Pledge
  • Dance Party (15Mins)– (Or free play or anything except tv to take a break from their hard work/outdoor)
  • Snack
  • Follow Curriculum (Depending on the curriculum you choose to follow you go ahead with teaching)
  • Lunch
  • Nap
  • Snack
  • Outdoor Play (To encourage physical activity) or TV on days it rains
  • Snack
  • Bedtime Routine (Eat/Bath/Read)
  • Sleep
One of my greatest discovery with this routine is that a child can actually survive without TV or gadget if we are really ready to put in the work of keeping them occupied with activities and fun learning.
Another discovery is that as an adult you can get bored easily but you have to make the resolve everyday to show up for your child and do what needs to be done.
Like I said it doesn’t come without it’s challenges (and we can talk about that in a future article) but we have to be there through those challenges.
Are you a homeschooler? What is your routine like?