The Homeschooling Mother
For the new homeschooling moms
The first thing you need to know as a homeschooling mother is that homeschooling is NOT doing regular school at home. Homeschooling is totally different from traditional schools. If I am to describe homeschooling, I would say that it is a lifestyle rather than school. Homeschooling is more about creating a positive learning environment and a safe place where the children can learn and thrive. I am not saying that some children aren’t thriving in school, but in the home the pace is more relaxed and peaceful and the schedule is more flexible.
If you have more than one child it also becomes more natural for the older children to get some leisure time here and there. Because you will get interrupted with a toddler around you, right? Homeschooling families have a lot of time together which can be a challenge of course, but think about the first year as a learning opportunity for you as well as your kids. You need time to figure out what works and what doesn’t.
This is our fourth year of homeschooling, and I am still learning how to do it. The children are also growing and maturing, which makes every year a unique year. There is no “best way” or “right way” of homeschooling, because families can homeschool completely different, yet both can have great results. With results I mean happy learners and explorers.
To get started you can look out for homeschooling families on Youtube channels or read books about homeschool. You could try to find a homeschooling community near you to connect with. There are great resources out there. I mention some of my favorite books about home education in my previous post, Pros for Homeschooling, and for those that are interested in why I homeschool and how to thrive in homeschooling, check out my Homeschooling with Joy Mini Course here!
If you are a single mother, I would definitely try to get help whenever needed. If you feel that you need help in your daily life or with homeschooling, I would recommend that you reach out to relatives and friends for help. If you are okay with allowing your kids to have screen time, an option for you might be to get them connected to online courses. That will take some pressure off you.
When it comes to social media, take my advice. Do no compare yourself with the photos and stories you see on Instagram or Facebook. Remember, you do not see the whole picture. People often post their best versions, and their most clean area in their houses, right?
A Day in our Homeschool
My morning routines are what make my day a great day! I like to wake up two hours before my children wake up. I love getting up early and start my day with preparing myself, doing something for myself before I give service to my family. This has been a game changer since I applied this routine last summer. What gave me the strength to change was several things, but the most important thing was a coaching program that I finished last summer. I highly recommend you to check it out if you want to make lasting changes in your life. Learn more about this amazing coaching program here!
My morning routine consists of waking up around 5am, reading my Bible, praying, writing in my gratitude journal and reviewing my goals. I also reflect on how I want to show up that day. Furthermore, my morning routine includes exercise. Three times a week I do a 45 minutes exercise at the gym, but on the other days of the week, I do a ten minute short workout at home. I have found that my mental health rises very much when I exercise in the morning.
So even though I do not get enough sleep during the night or just feel tired and depressed, exercise is often my rescue! It changes so much and fills me with all of these amazing endorphins, which are the happy hormones! You have to understand how important exercise really is, and how it boosts your energy! When you understand that, you are more likely to do it.
After my amazing morning routine, the kids wake up between 7-8am. Our mornings are quite slow with breakfast between 8-9am. The children love to read in their beds or have som time on their own before they come and eat breakfast.
This morning for example, the kids woke up and stayed in their beds for almost one hour, reading by themselves. It was a little bit strange, because it is usually not that quiet in the mornings. I did not mind though, because I got some extra time to work in the kitchen. This is actually what is fun about homeschooling. The schedule is always changing and I love seeing my children read by own interest and for their own enjoyment. One of my deepest wish in homeschooling is that the kids will love to learn and have a passion for learning.
After breakfast and after they get dressed we usually start working on their school work or play the instrument. We have a simple daily rhythm that has worked very well for our family. We spend only 1-2 hours on school work, included instrumental learning. With four kids under 10, including a toddler, this is what I can manage as a homeschooling mother in this season of life.
After their school work, they usually have som work to do. For example loading the dishwasher or the washing machine, picking toys from the floor or something similar. I try find some kind of work that does not feel overwhelming to them. This way they practice cleanliness and helpfulness in the home.
Every morning we have devotion together. We might learn a new psalm and sing together, memorize a Bible verse or I would read a Bible story for them. The last couple of weeks I have been reading a book about how the Bible teaches us to use money wisely. There are so many lessons to learn from the Bible. A simple lesson from Romans 13:8 says, “Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.” That is to say that is is very wisely to live debt free. Teach your children to do that as much as they can throughout their lives and live becomes much easier and more pleasant. If you want to memorize Bible verses with your children, check out my blog, Making Scripture Stick: Tips for Helping Children Memorize Bible Verses and get the FREE Bible Memory Verse Cards.
The next thing on our schedule is getting outside. We never skip this part of our schedule. They only get to stay inside if the weather is really bad (I mean really bad). Outside we get fresh air, sunshine (it the weather allows), go to the beach or play around the house. The kids usually find something to do, which is great. I love when they explore and experiment out in the nature. They are quite used to find things to do on their own. To be honest, I very seldom hear them say that they are bored, whether it is outside or inside.
Between 12-13pm, lunch is made and served. After that, they are free to play with their friends, if they do not have swimming lessons or music lessons in the afternoon. What I have found to be very pleasing to our homeschooling family is to have a day off every Friday. I recently started this plan and they absolutely love this plan. That means, that on Fridays, we do not do any school work, but the kids get to clean before the weekend and we try go on a field trip or do something fun that day.
Today was a Friday and we went to the swimming pool in another area that we do not usually visit. The kids were thrilled. They loved getting out of the house, having a different flow or schedule that day. We ate homemade pizza and had really fun. Field trips are usually always a hit! The kids LOVE traveling around and seeing new things, visiting museums, swimming pools, another areas that they have not seen before etc.
Guarding the Mothers Health
Please do yourself a favor. Take care of yourself. Whenever you feel that you are getting things out of control, the schedule is overloaded and you start feeling exhausted, pause and think. What can you leave out of your schedule? What can wait until next week, month or year? Maybe you are in a perfectional thinking. Or overcomplicating things. Take a deep breath and start focusing inwards.
We mothers do not get paid for homeschooling. But we are working like horses. We need and should learn how to get peace and thrive in our motherhood. For me, the most important thing is to not have a overloaded schedule. If I have schedule without breaks, I get stressed and depressed because I feel that I cannot keep up. One thing that helps me then, is to move things around on my schedule and allow myself to have breaks.
Have a goal to have more of the good days and less of the bad days in your life. You need some free time too. And at the end of the day, something that helps me wind down for the night is to watch TV. This sounds crazy, but for me, I can work so hard, that I have difficulties winding down for the evening. Therefore a walk around the area (by myself) and relaxing in front of the TV has helped me (even though I rarely feel that I have time to do that). I am still working on this!
I think that with young children, it is just hard work. You have to find a rhythm that does not make you exhausted or burnt out. Keep it simple. Have less things in your house (which in turn allows you to clean and declutter less), and focus on the most important things. For me, the most important things are having devotions together with my kids, homeschooling and feeding them with healthy foods. Guarding my health and their health as well as our mental health.
“The strength of the mother should be tenderly cherished. Instead of spending her precious strength in exhausting labor, her care and burdens should be lessened. Often the husband and father is unacquainted with the physical laws which the well-being of his family requires him to understand. Absorbed in the struggle for a livelihood, or bent on acquiring wealth, and pressed with cares and perplexities, he allows to rest upon the wife and mother burdens that overtax her strength at the most critical period and cause feebleness and disease”. – The Adventist Home, p.251.1 (Ellen G. White).
“The mother can and should do much toward controlling her nerves and mind when depressed; even when she is sick, she can, if she only schools herself, be pleasant and cheerful and can bear more noise than she would once have thought possible. She should not make the children feel her infirmities and cloud their young, sensitive minds by her depression of spirits, causing them to feel that the house is a tomb and the mother’s room the most dismal place in the world. The mind and nerves gain tone and strength by the exercise of the will. The power of the will in many cases will prove a potent soother of the nerves. Do not let your children see you with a clouded brow”. – The Adventist Home, p. 252.2 (Ellen G. White).
Do Not Consider Your Work Unimportant
The veteran homeschool moms know this! You are so important to your kids! Never ever think that you are replaceable, because you are not! The children love you so much, and are in need of your love! There are no people in the world that love your kids as much as you do. Let that sink in! The children need you! You are special, and so important.
Your work is not for this life alone. We are working for our Heavenly Father and for eternity. The children will not forget what you have done for them and the time you put into their lives. So please, do not forget how important you are. The children love spending time with you and love getting your attention. Remember how much they love running into your arms! This is good news!
“The mother’s work often seems to her an unimportant service. It is a work that is rarely appreciated. Others know little of her many cares and burdens. Her days are occupied with a round of little duties, all calling for patient effort, for self-control, for tact, wisdom, and self-sacrificing love; yet she cannot boast of what she has done as any great achievement. She has only kept things in the home running smoothly. Often weary and perplexed, she has tried to speak kindly to the children, to keep them busy and happy, and to guide their little feet in the right path. She feels that she has accomplished nothing. But it is not so. Heavenly angels watch the careworn mother, noting the burdens she carries day by day. Her name may not have been heard in the world, but it is written in the Lamb’s book of life”. – The Adventist Home p. 244.1 (Ellen G. White).
Different Types of Homeschool Approaches
There are various approaches to homeschooling, and families often choose a method that aligns with their educational philosophy, the learning styles of their children, and their overall lifestyle. Here are some common types of homeschooling:
- Traditional Homeschooling:
- Resembles a traditional school setting but takes place at home.
- Parents typically follow a structured curriculum, set schedules, and use textbooks.
- The approach may include lesson plans, grades, and regular assessments.
- Unschooling:
- Emphasizes child-led learning and natural curiosity.
- Focuses on the child’s interests and passions, allowing them to explore topics organically.
- Learning happens through real-world experiences rather than formal lessons.
- Charlotte Mason Method:
- Based on the educational philosophy of Charlotte Mason, emphasizing living books, nature study, and short lessons.
- Promotes a broad and liberal education with an emphasis on character development.
- Incorporates narration, dictation, and copywork as part of language arts.
- Montessori Homeschooling:
- Based on the principles of the Montessori method, which encourages independence, hands-on learning, and a prepared environment.
- Focuses on self-directed activities and allows children to progress at their own pace.
- Eclectic Homeschooling:
- Combines elements from various educational philosophies and methods.
- Parents tailor the curriculum to fit the individual needs and interests of each child.
- Provides flexibility to use different approaches for different subjects.
- Classical Education:
- Follows the classical trivium (grammar, logic, rhetoric) and emphasizes the study of classical literature, history, and languages.
- Emphasizes the stages of learning corresponding to a child’s cognitive development.
- Online or Virtual Schooling:
- Utilizes online resources, virtual classes, and digital platforms for instruction.
- Can be a structured program provided by a virtual school or a mix of online courses and traditional homeschooling.
- Religious-Based Homeschooling:
- Integrates religious beliefs into the curriculum.
- Often uses religious texts as part of the educational materials.
- Unit Studies:
- Focuses on a specific theme or topic, incorporating various subjects such as science, math, language arts, and social studies around that theme.
- Worldschooling:
- Involves traveling and learning from different cultures and locations around the world.
- Education is integrated with the experiences gained through travel.
These approaches are not mutually exclusive, and many homeschooling families blend elements from different methods to create a personalized and effective educational experience for their children. The key is to find an approach that aligns with the needs and preferences of both the parents and the children involved.
Our Homeschooling Approach
The Eclectic Homeschooling approach has worked very well for us, which is a mix of many of these approaches. We do though have learning criteria from our local school that we use for reference. It feels safe for me as a parent to have a list that helps me know if I we are on track or not.
Eclectic Homechooling is a great method in a family with younger children. It allows you to be very flexible and gives the entire family quality education. The favorite part about this apporoach is that you use what fits your family and leave the rest. You do not have to have too much pressure on yourself and your kids.
I have though been trying to follow the Moore Formula through our homeschooling years. This formula is something I highly recommend to new homeschoolers. It is a ultimate guide that helps you be a successful homeschool mom. Learn more about it in My Mini Course below.
About the Mini Course
This Homeschooling With Joy mini course will teach you how to homeschool and mentally thrive as a mother.
If you’re considering homeschooling but don’t know if it’s the right thing, or if you are struggling with homeschooling, this course is for you! In this course I will walk you through seven reasons for homeschooling, how to homeschool in three simple steps and how to mentally thrive as a mother. By finishing this course, you will have the courage to homeschool your children and be able to do it with joy!
This Mini Course is for you if you are:
- Considering homeschooling but not sure if it’s the right thing
- Wanting to homeschool but don’t know how or where to start
- Homeschooling, but struggling
- Feeling stressed and overwhelmed by homeschooling
- Struggling with depression and pessimism as a homeschooling mom
- Not thriving in motherhood
What’s included in this Mini Course:
- 50 pages of how to Homeschool With JOY
- Video Lessons
- Useful printables
- Inspiration and encouragement
- All you need to know to get started Homeschooling with Confidence!
