What Our Homeschool Looks Like

We woke up to a beautiful first day of 2019...

There was a little pink leftover in the sky from the sunrise, and the snow was glistening.

Happy New Year, friends!

 Our hens gave us seven warm eggs for our New Years breakfast.

(More on that to come!)

Christmas break has been wonderful.

It's been just the rest and downtime we've needed.

But it's back to school for us starting tomorrow already!

I am looking forward to it.

The Lord put homeschooling on my heart years ago when my firstborn was a baby, and it's been a blessed life for us ever since.

When people find out I'm a homeschool mom, they will say things like...

You must be a saint!

You must be so patient!

You must be so organized!

etc, etc...

I make sure to correct these well-meaning people with a quick, "No, no! I am none of these things! Anybody can homeschool."

And I mean that!

 I wouldn't want anybody who has a desire to homeschool to feel unsure or inadequate, or to feel like they have to be some sort of super mom to do it.

That's the heart of this post...

I want you to see that my children and I are nothing special.

My four-year old is not reading at a second grade level...

My ten-year old is not doing algebra...

And I do not hand sew my children's clothing and bake whole grain bread from scratch.

(Although that last part does sound lovely! *smile)

Our homeschool life is about enjoying our family and our home...

  

It's about training and raising my kids myself...

(They're my kids! Why should I have to ship them off to be taught by strangers?)

It's about comfort and happiness, and making wonderful childhood memories...

Oh yeah, and it's about academics, too. 

*wink

I'm sure I've shown you this before...

This is our schedule - 

It sits a top our school bookshelf.

We have settled nicely into this routine and it works for us, so we don't need to look at it too often anymore.

It's nice to have a general outline to guide the day.

What I enjoy most about the homeschool lifestyle is the freedom and flexibility it offers.

Some homeschool families are quite rigid with their schedules, while others are more carefree...

Some travel and are on the go, involved in every church activity and homeschool group, while others mostly stay home...

Some have entire rooms in their homes set up as little classroom replicas, while others just do school at the kitchen table...

It's wonderful to see all the different ways homeschooling can look!

But it's even more wonderful to settle comfortably into the lifestyle that's perfect for you and your children.

That's the beauty of it!

The homeschool mother can design her schedule, her days, and her home however she wants!

(I tell you all this to hopefully encourage the young mother who maybe wishes she could homeschool but is afraid to try it - there is no right or wrong way. Don't let Pinterest or that picture-perfect homeschool mom at your church intimidate you! You are the mother of your children and you will know what is best and right for them.)

We do not have a fancy or organized school room.

(Although someday we may! I think a school room for the homeschool family is a wonderful thing to have in a home!)

For now we keep our school books on a bookshelf, and take them to the table when we're ready to work. It's worked out just fine for us!

We've always used Abeka curriculum.

Maybe I'm too easily pleased, but I've never branched out and tried other curriculum.

I've always just liked Abeka.

It's an accredited and Christian curriculum, that challenges my kids but also includes a lot of practice and review. And that's good enough for me!

I look at myself as being more of a guide than an actual teacher.

I am available to help and answer questions, but I encourage my children to read their lessons for themselves first, and try to learn it on their own.

"I am convinced that the best learning takes place when the learner takes charge."

- Seymour Papert

I am lucky in that I know several homeschool families in person.

It is growing in popularity so they are easy to find.

I love picking the brains of other homeschool moms.

I ask them questions and we learn from each other.

Whenever I am asked questions, I will try to steer the mom back to the basics.

It's easy to get overwhelmed. Taking on the responsibility of your children's education is a great load to bear!

But I encourage that the basics be held to first, (reading, writing, and arithmetic should be done each and every day!) and the extras, (art, health, science, etc...) can be done here and there.

If you look at the schedule of a private or public school, subjects such as music and gym, for instance, are not done every day. They are done one to two times a week.

So don't feel overwhelmed!

If your child is reading and doing a little math each day, you are doing well. Maybe they go out to play in the fresh air... then they help you prepare lunch and you explain to them why they must eat the raw carrots and grapes before they can have a cookie... then you instruct them to write a one-page essay on whatever topic they would like while you leave to work on laundry, etc... that is a well-rounded, perfectly normal homeschool day.

You are doing enough!

(Helping mash bananas to make banana bread)

Each family will have its own prejudices and priorities.

You will see homeschool kids involved in spelling bees and science fairs...

You will see moms heading up bible studies and organizing field trips...

Wonderful!

Good for them!

But that doesn't mean you have to be doing those things.

What's important to you and your family?

What are your children's interests and talents?

It is important to me, for example, that my children learn how to play the piano.

I just feel it lays a solid foundation for any music they may wish to pursue in the future.

(Their most recent piano recital)

It is important to me that my children grow in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, (Eph. 6:4) and their character is being diligently trained (Prov. 22:6).

I talk to them regularly about being men and women of their word (Matt. 5:37) and about staying close to the Lord and loving His ways (James 4:8).

I talk to them about obeying me in everything for this is right and pleasing to the Lord (Col. 3:20).

I am always reading to them, and talking to them... reading to them, and talking to them...

We read Aesop's Fables, and talk about the moral of the story.

We read Bible stories and talk about how we can apply it to our own lives.

We read good, old literature and talk about how differently people used to speak, and what the words mean.

We read American history and talk about patriotism and loving our country.

This is what our homeschool looks like.

"... the preparation of the child to take his place in the world at his best, with every capacity for good that is in him developed into a power." 

- Charlotte Mason

Naturally, the homeschool mother may feel there are gaps in her children's education, and wonder if she's doing enough.

I worry about this every school year!

But the Lord provides what He requires.

Just like a good parent would never expect their child to do something he knew they weren't capable of doing.

I have watched the Lord step into my homeschooling and provide for a need or fill a gap.

Sometimes the gaps He has filled were gaps I didn't even know were there!

"Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion..."

- Philippians 1:6

"For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose."

- Philippians 2:13

"And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work."

- 2 Corinthians 9:8

Maybe someday soon I will compose a post about the specific ways God has done this for us.

I can think of several examples that might be fun to share!

So check back with me soon!

(My kitchen table when it's not overrun with school books)

Take care, sweet friends!

Enjoy this beautiful, wintery day!

xo,

~ Courtney ~