Homeschool Mom Life

Homeschooling has really picked up momentum in the past few years; in part due to COVID-19 but also because I believe families desperately crave the personalized one-on-one approach and the idea of having their children at home more. There are so many reasons that families choose to homeschool and there is no one-size fits all approach with homeschooling, either. We decided very early on in our parenting journey that we were going to homeschool; not necessarily how we were going to do it, but we knew we wanted to. But we had so many questions and honestly, some negative feedback from friends and family at first, too.

So, let's get real about homeschooling and how it actually looks for us. I love following homeschool moms who have it all together and their kids so neatly sit down and look like they enjoy doing their workbooks and the school room is picturesque and perfect. Lunches are planned out and everything fits neatly into a schedule written on a beautiful acrylic calendar. Those posts gives me so much inspiration and motivation and I have learned so many awesome ideas to implement. BUT, for now, that's not what our homeschool looks like! Not even remotely close. Our homeschool room is coming together (I still change it around often) but we don't necessarily have a set routine and we don't homeschool on a conventional schedule.

( Educational wall posters can be found here)

Firstly, we homeschool year-round. We tend to take off whenever we want and some days we do one lesson a day; some days we'll do five or six if my oldest is really into the subject. If you've read my previous posts, then you'll know that I'm up every morning around 6:30 and get in my Bible and prayer time. I allow the kids to wake up on their own which is usually somewhere around 8:30. We have breakfast and get ready to start the day. And I know, I know, I know--kids thrive on routine. I've witnessed it first hand and a strict and steady routine does seem to improve the flow of things....for a while. For our household, somehow though, it just never seems sustainable. I'm okay with this now. Maybe we'll get to that point when all of the sickness subsides and my toddler is in preschool. For now, though, we do what works for us and that's not necessarily the same thing every day. Flexibility, right?

I think it's extremely important when you're homeschooling to realize that you aren't simply doing "school" at home. You can learn any time of day in ways far beyond textbooks and workbooks. You can go at a pace that works best for your child and it can be adjusted at any time; over and over if necessary! There will never be a more personalized learning experience. There is no right way and there is no wrong way. As long as you are focused on your children and your children are learning and living life--you are succeeding. If they're dreading school because they're bored; you can reevaluate and adjust. If they'r not grasping a certain subject or principle; you can slow down and go over as long as it takes using different resources.

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"Education is an atmosphere, a discipline, a life." - Charlotte Mason

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This is just a snippet of what my homeschooling mom life looks like right now but I plan to dive much deeper into different aspects of the homeschool life, such as curriculums we use and love; field trips and the social aspect. If you're interested in anything specific or have questions, drop me a note in the comments or reach out via email. I'd love to hear from you!

For now, sweet friends, bountiful blessing and glorious grace upon you!

--Kasey