Sunday Night Prep for an Awesome Homeschool Week

I like to start my Sunday by meal prepping for the week. I'll make a big batch of roasted vegetables, some quinoa or rice, and a protein (usually grilled chicken or salmon). This gives me quick and healthy meals that I can easily reheat during the week. I jot down the meal plan for the week, check and clean the fridge and order all items from online retailers for quick and easy delivery (trust me, this has resulted in a HUGE cost saving as I only order items we need and don't end up with additional items on the way out. 

I also check that there are enough healthy snacking options available for lunch. It is easy to skip meals and not eat enough when everyone gets busy, so by making sure the fridge is stocked with healthy favourites, also means the kids eat more balanced meals, don't get tempted to indulge in sugar and means evening meals can be smaller. 

Next, I'll sit down and plan out our homeschool lessons for the week. I'll make sure we have all the materials we need and that I have a clear idea of what we'll be doing each day. This helps me stay on track and avoid getting sidetracked by fun but unnecessary activities. There are also activities out of the home that need to be scheduled and planned for (and with four family members with diverse schedules and activities, this takes some serious planning and coordination). 

If I have any deadlines or big projects due during the week, Sunday is when I'll buckle down and get started on them. This way, I can focus on homeschooling during the week and not have to worry about work creeping into our quality time together. 

Typical things I do, without getting sucked into work on Sundays include:

I spend 10 minutes in CRM. This way I set my goals and activities for the week. My CRM is my secret weapon and it helps get work out of my head and into an engine that helps me stay on track AND has Ai that prompts me if there are anomalies, when meetings are about to start or even when I have visitors on my website. It's like having an assistant in the next room reminding you about all the crucial things you need to keep up with.

If you've caught my series on Creating Content For 60 Days in 60 Minutes you will have a good idea of how this methodology works. It has ended up being a massive time-saving for me and ensures all our brands and businesses have posts, content, photos and engagement activities ready for the week. I usually spend about 10 minutes skimming through Social Media Reports and respond to comments where required. 

We follow the Cambridge curriculum which is awesome as the lesson planning is just on point. I am also a varsity lecturer and have online tuition- and chat sessions with up to 100 students in certain weeks. These classes take some serious prep and planning to ensure students are engaged and have an action plan for the week. You can also catch some of my videos on 4 Things to Include in Weekly Lesson Plans That Drives Engagement for some tips and tricks here.

Finally, I like to spend a few minutes on Sunday night going through my email and taking care of any administrative tasks that need to be done (like paying bills or scheduling appointments). This ensures that I start the week with a clean slate and don't have any stressful tasks hanging over my head.

I quickly double-check my schedule for the week. This includes checking meeting agendas for the week. No agenda no meeting. If there are required pre-reading I work through this and make notes of my planned contributions and questions. I also check that my travel time (if required) is calculated if I need to drop kids off somewhere or collect anything en-route.

I never send emails on weekends. Not only does it not impress anyone, but it also shows the recipient that you can not manage your time. If I do need to send an email (which I happen to remember somewhere during the weekend), I will draft it and schedule it for delivery on Monday morning at 08h00. That way my email is at the top of the recipient's email box and didn't ruin the last bits of the weekend on a Sunday afternoon. 

I use the same technique to send out Birthday messages (these calls are also scheduled in CRM) as well as my 15, 30, 60 and 90 Day Check-in Mails for prospects and customers. You can check out my Swipe File with Top Performing Email Templates for Mompreneurs.

By taking a few hours on Sunday night to prepare for the week ahead, you can set yourself up for success. Meal prep, school prep, work prep, and admin prep are all important pieces of the puzzle. By taking care of these things ahead of time, you'll be able to relax and enjoy your homeschooling journey with your kids— stress-free!