Thanks Helix for sponsoring! Go to helixsleep.com/minimalmom to get up to $200 off your mattress, plus two free pillows! We hope that you have a great weekend!! - Dawn
Pls don't apologize for the second livable building not being "minimal" because when it is completed you will be amazed how useful it is. My friend in KY bought an adjoining property with a small house just a few yards past a little branch just up beside her house and her "little house" has a front porch the width of the house has turned out to be a huge blessing. Company not only stays there but missionaries, friends passing from up north coming south stop to sleep/rest there.... it is the most useful place. She was feeling guilty for having two houses but it's turned into being a huge thing for ministring to others.
To be "minimal" for minimal sake is odd. Being minimal for efficiency use of time, resources and relationships is important. Closer bond with family is sharing your blessings.
What an uplifting comment. I’m glad your friend had the resources to purchase her “little house.” It sounds so useful! I think that was a very smart purchase and so kind to be able to use it for friends and family. Seems it’s adding to relationships and that’s the main reason we want to be minimal so we can spend more time and what’s important. ❤
We were homeschooling but my youngest and oldest were struggling soooo hard. We totally pulled homeschooling and they joined their public schools again. I felt like everybody would judge me because I failed, but I realized that home school may not be the answer for right now. And it could be the answer someday. But every child is different and has different needs. Our family is very Neurodiverse and they were struggling with the isolation of homeschool and our local co-op did not have kids that bonded with them. I feel like it can be very polarizing. You have some diehard public schoolers and diehard homeschoolers and people just need to let the parents decide what’s best for them. My son who has had struggles is finally starting to read now! I am so encouraged by his new found confidence!
Good for Brittany knowing what's best for you and your kid. I'm a homeschool graduate that homeschools my kids but I strongly believe every family has to decide what's best for them and their family. You're not a failure. You're just doing what's best for you! Good for you. We have friends that go to private, charter, and public school and we also have many homeschool friends. We love the diversity of it! I just wanted to pass on some encouragement! 💕
But you were smart enough to realize that your child needed something different! That is a win for you and your family. Kids can be so different in how they learn.
Dr Moore once said "Homeschooling is for every child, but it is not for every parent." Be the best parent you can. Take the JOB very seriously, but DO NOT TAKE YOURSELF TOO SERIOUSLY. 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼 FYI, the same Dr. Moore has compiled studies that show if boys are read to, taught to work, and are healthy, they will all be reading fine by the time they are grown. The majority of boys learn later and differently than girls, but the system insists they start at the same time. Just one of the many ways it works against boys’ nature. Pat yourself on the back for doing what worked best for your son instead of what everyone else thought would be best.
Homeschooling should absolutely never be isolating. I’m out every single day with my kids. I’m glad you know your kids and what’s best for them and could see it wasn’t what was best. The narrative that homeschooling is isolating is incorrect and wrong, the way you were doing it was isolating and it shouldn’t be generalized like that.
The most important thing you can teach your children is HOW TO LEARN. Make sure they can read proficiently, and know how to ask questions to get the point. They also need to be able to explain what they know. If they can do that, they can learn... and teach.... anything.
So true. Mainstream school (in the UK at least) teaches so much excess stuff I've never used since, and overloads you / detracts from what's actually important all too much. The amount of homework (that didn't count toward final grades) we had to do - or get detention for skipping it - was insane!
Yes so true. A fellow homechooled teenager once commented to me that his parents didn't teach him the answers, they taught him how to find the answers for himself.
I unschooled my 5 kids up to 7th grade and then gradually got more structured in high school (mix of home learning, co-op, community college, tutor and on line classes.). My kids blossomed under unschooling. They were so creative and imaginative. I would read aloud to them throughout the day probably two hours total and we listened to tons of audio books. It makes for a beautiful childhood. My youngest is 21 and a senior in college.
Im an educator with 40 years experience and have seen it all in my home country and the UK. Free play is the way to go - the job of 5-12 is just to teach children to read, be numerate and be socialised this stuff can be picked up in 6 months at 13 (if they haven't worked that out through free play). And a big part of why we have schools is to give parents time to work. Go for it.
We homeschooled K-12 and just called ourselves eclectic homeschoolers so we could do whatever we wanted based on each kid’s needs. Our main concern was to instill a love of learning and spending a ton of time outdoors and with practical living skills. I’ve got one kid graduating with their Masters degree with a 4.0 (not that grades really matter in adulthood) and my second kid is graduating with their bachelor’s (also a 4.0) in the spring. Their professors always loved their class participation and being excited to learn about anything and everything. We also started out more structured and gradually just got more and more relaxed. No regrets! Enjoy these years. ❤
I'm a homeschool mom veteran...almost retired after 20+ years. Structured class time and lots of free learning has been wonderful for our kids. The three graduates are all adulting just fine! Do your best. The kids will grow up better than you can ever hope for! ❤
Thank you Dawn for being so real and honest about your views and even insecurities. I just want you to know you have impacted my life so much, I can never thank you enough. I understand the reason you will cut back on your videos, and completely understand, just have to say I will be missing visiting with you and Tom, you guys feel like family as odd as that sounds. Your channel has literally saved my life, physical and mentally. May God continue to Bless you and your family in all your future endeavors!
We homeschooled for 14 years, we did the co-op/university model, eclectic, delight-driven, independent flex learning model. Do what works for you. Don’t replicate school at home. Our kids all have completed or are near completion of college/grad degrees. Success is how you and your child define what is success for them.
Someone told me early on that it takes 3-4 years to really settle into your rhythm and confidence as a homeschooler. I'm 6 years in and only got into our groove in the past couple of years. The proof is just in the pudding for me. Our family culture is so rich and my kids are thriving being home even if it is sanctifying and often difficult for me.
I homeschooled my kids for close to 20 years. The sanctifying part speaks to me especially. I wasn’t prepared for the almost 24/7 confrontation with all my failings in living color in my kids’ lives. I could see all my faults inherited by my children and was compelled to start dealing with them. There was a lot of fun, too, though. I used to say we were carschooling, we were always running to some lesson or activity with 4 kids. Busy, busy, busy!
I unschooled my daughter and she is doing just fine. She went to college, graduated and is now married with 2 jobs! If there was anything I could change about those "homeschooling" years it would be:. I wish I hadn't worried so much!
Dr Raymond Moore, a pioneer in the homeschooling movement, said children learn as much from working and living as they do from book-learning. Teach a child to read and comprehend and they can teach themselves anything. Balance in how and what they learn is the key. (FYI, I homeschooled 3 kids thru high school).
Yes. Good mentor. Part of the work our children should learn is all the adult day to day stuff, like grocery shopping for quality food, budgeting, price comparing. So many parents go shopping and do chores without their kids because it’s easier in the beginning but then they can’t help out as they are older and they won’t know how to be independent adults.
P.S. The amount of real-life science knowledge that we gained growing up on a farm, during "unstructured" learning time as you called it, was immense. 🙂
Good for you! As a lifetime homeschooler, I scaled back my "career" as a violin teacher to focus on my kids. Now that they are finishing up their high school years, they are independent and I am happily and joyfully jumping back into teaching more violin. I always look forward to your Tues and Fri videos, but am so glad you are stepping back to make your kids' education a priority. You will not regret it!
We have a homeschooling section in our Library. It was started by homeschool parents. This way you can check the curriculum out to see if it will work for your child. They do not have a problem if you check it out for 6 months if there is no hold then you can recheck it out. I don't know if this helps but it might be worth checking into or seeing if your library has any room to start one. Our library was parents donating their curriculum they no longer used. Then the schools helped with some educational materials and the library bought some.
Hi Dawn! So glad to know you’ll be continuing minimalist content in the new year (I was worried that was the change). Can you do a video on homeschooling as a minimalist? We utilize our library a lot which helps with permanent book clutter but I feel like the supplies, crafts, paper, etc are closing in on us.
The office/guest house looks great! I home educated our 7 children over 32 plus years. Went through every emotion every year! I would do it again in a heartbeat! You are your children’s best teacher.
Homeschooling is the most rewarding & challenging work you will ever give to your children, sweet sister. They grow up so fast and learn so much together. I wouldn’t trade my worst homeschooling time with my children for any time letting someone else teach them. I treasure the challenges we worked through together every day. You won’t regret one moment after they grow up and leave home… not one moment sweet sister. Praying over you all as you struggle and learn together. Teaching each other brings you all closer. Love & Prayers, sweet sister💗🎉💗🎉💗🎉💗🎉💗🎉💗
So proud of you (is that the right word?) for doing what is best for your family and homeschooling. One video of free content per week is abundantly generous. Good job trimming down any excess for this season of life. Grateful for you.
Your homeschooling update is encouraging. I agreed with you wholeheartedly. I’ve been homeschooling for seven years and tried to structure it way too much in the beginning. It was too much for my boys. Every kid and every family is different and it’s helpful to be reminded of that.
So happy for you and all your life updates. I am bummed there won’t be two videos a week as I do look forward to your videos but I definitely understand the need to protect your bandwidth and focus on homeschooling! Love for you and your family!
I was "home-schooled" in the early 80's when it wasn't so common. My parents were "warned" it would cause us problems academically, socially & developmentally. The nay-sayers were wrong. I went to public school for grade 6 on. When I was tested for placement into the public school system it was found that I could read at a college/university level and my math was at a grade 9 level. I was put into an accelerated learning program in public school & so was my younger brother. We both continued to do well academically. I went to graduate school, my brother recently completed a doctorate. Socially, we had no problem making friends or getting involved in activities. We both played sports & got involved in drama. Today we are both married (almost 20 years for me) and have careers. We are grounded individuals with a solid faith foundation. While life has not been easy and we have had many life-altering experiences, we have always been able to rise to the challenge. I believe a lot of that is due to our early home schooling. We were taught to take responsibility for our learning & skills acquisition. We were encouraged to be independent and curious. We were always allowed to ask questions and never given "dumbed down" answers, but age appropriate knowledge that left the door open for future learning. These opportunities are beyond measure and the skills I acquired in those formative years have served me well into middle age. Children are giant sponges and excell in the right environment. It is hard to "mess them up" if they are given a healthy environment to bloom in and explore their personal abilities.
@@rebeccah.6403 Sometimes there is no trick. It may just be your kid's learning style. I had one who was reading at 4 and two who could not read fluently at all until they were about 14 and two that fell somewhere in the middle. Do get your kid evaluated by a pediatric behavioral eye doctor though if there seem to be odd inconsistencies. One of my kids went from unable to read a page with more than three lines on it to reading 300 page books a day in six months with the proper eye exercises.
As an adult who was a homeschooled kid, homeschooling is awesome! It allowed my mom to teach some neurodiverse kids well and to tweek the curriculum to fit our learning styles. It is really helpful, too, if you school them (in high school) in a way that allows them to attend college without first needing to get their GED. I so appreciate that you have shared your life with us TH-cam friends and that you are also demonstrating good boundaries!
I homeschooled my son from age 5 to college! He is now a senior in an honors college majoring in cybersecurity. When he was 12 to 15, we were unschoolers and during that time he took deep dives into his interests, Which included cybersecurity. He never would have been able to find and follow this passion in a public or private school. He’s also creative, authentic and messages his mom (me!) almost every day! I miss the days of finding and creating curriculum that fit our needs for particular seasons of our lives. And looking back, I wish I hadn’t stressed so much! Our kids don’t need to know everything, but they do need to know how to learn, and we as parents get to guide them to help them reach their goals and be good people!!
In my 14th year of unschooling and LOVE it. Both kids chose to do online school for high school and get their diplomas, but it's absolutely their choice to do that. NO regrets about that path for us, but absolutely every family needs to follow the right path for their individual children.
I have been watching your videos for several years and have loved them, looking forward to each new release. I want to support your efforts to do what is best for you and your family, but I am really going to miss your Friday videos. I know you will be successful in your new or renewed focus in other areas. Thank you for how you have influenced my life for the better. Even my hubby knows who you and Tom are as I reference you often. I am always so grateful that I can trust your video content because of our shared values and faith. It truly matters! Blessings on you and your family! (PS my hubby will watch Rusty Judgement with me so I'm glad Tom is back doing that again!)
10 year homeschooler, mom of 4, and director of a thriving Classical homeschool community of 70plus students. YOU ARE NAILING IT! Keep doing exactly what you are doing!!!🥰
Dawn I love that you don’t stress your kids out about school. You and your parents are teaching them awesome values. Please know you are supported and I am grateful for your channel 🥰❤️❤️❤️
Dawn it totally makes sense (homeschooling part). Children need to learn hands on things. It is such a missing link in the last generation and this one. Young men don't know how to change oil or a tire and young ladies need to know this as well. And so many other valuable lessons. Keep up the great job! ❤️
I've been waiting for you to figure out that you're an unschooling mom! Haha. I'm glad to see you gaining confidence in that area. The building is looking great! I've been here since some of your very first videos, and it is so fun to watch your family change over time.
The office building looks great. Now for the update on homeschooling, I think it's fantastic what you are doing. Your kids are going to flourish if they hadn't already. I applaud you guys on homeschooling and teaching your kids Christian values.
Homeschool is not for every parent nor every child. I did it for one year. One hated it and wanted to go back to school. She signed up for band, student council, East lab, and made the dance team. She loved being at school and excelled. My other child did so much better in home school. My child that loved public school went on to college and the one who liked homeschooling better did not plus she is also struggling with her faith. I say all this because many Christian parents feel they need to homeschool but if it's not a good fit for your child it doesn't help them.
A lot of the benefits of homeschooling children who may do better at home have nothing to do with religion. We have a similar situation but I focus on their mental health and intellectual performance along with getting outside and moving.
My in-laws moved their house in the 1980s, and we later found out that my uncle and aunt used to live in it. In its new location, the address associated with the property changed 3 times, so the same building has been located at 5 different addresses (at least)!
I’m with you on the unschooling, Dawn! I’m very early on in my homeschooling journey, but unschooling feels right to me because it seems to lean into the interests of the individual child and emphasize free play and discovery. God’s creation is amazing and it’s a joy to watch it unfold and support each child as needed.
My son and daughter-in-law ‘un-school’ my grandson and he is doing amazingly. They had tried traditional school and an outdoor school and he thrives the most with the approach they are using now. They face A Lot of criticism from other family members and some of their friends- you need to trust yourself that you know what’s best for your family. Good for you Dawn, hang in there 👍😊
Dawn, I homeschooled both my kids. I started with my daughter in 3rd grade. About 6th grade- I found Seton homeschool. I never thought I would do that. I was more on the unstructured, I can do it etc. but, one night I found that. Looked at my husband and said.. this is what we are going to do. He said, really. Yup. I never regretted. It gave me the structure and a teacher to correct their writings. Both kids went on to college ( son on a ncaa scholarship) they both credited seton for their writing ability. It gave me the time freedom to be creative with them. Son participated in an Olympic sport and traveled abroad because we homeschooled. More structure= more freedom. The staff at seton helped my with my kids dyslexia. Not telling you what to do but throwing out something else. Like minimalism, seton de cluttered my schooling. It took away me looking to find what worked for each kid out of the sea. It gave me direction. Like the 3 decluttering boxes, I had a plan.
Y'all would make an awesome Harvest Host for RVers ! Kudos for homeschooling your beautiful family. My grands are home schooled and I'm sure my daughters style is similar to yours 👏 Your work ethic and faith shine thru on every endeavor you guys touch~
As a homeschooled kid. Who's parents dropped the ball. Unschooling always is a bit triggering. As one who's schooling got neglected middleschool-highschool. So as long as you make sure they are learning and getting an education that follow up is happening etc. That's fine.
In what ways do you feel that your parents dropped the ball and neglected middle school and high school? As a homeschooling mom of five little girls I would love to know what not to do.
I'm homeschooling my son who is in 9th grade. It's the best situation for him who doesn't function with his autism/adhd at school. We work a lot in social and life skills. I wouldn't want to homeschool a mainstream student though, wouldn't have the resources for that unless it's taught online through the school system.
@@servantwarrior880as a former homeschool mom (I still love homeschool but can’t do it bc of our circumstances anymore), I wish I would have simply picked a curriculum and stuck with it. I think that alone, regardless of whether it’s perfect or what everyone else is using, can go a long way in success.
@@whobeyou5342 are you kidding me???? OP just said they feel like their parents dropped the ball with their education, and you have the audacity to nitpick grammar????
It can definitely be taken too far. I can see how that could be triggering. I have a friend who's parents also dropped the ball. It's important for people to understand that there's a difference between unschooling (which is really student interest led learning) and laziness/neglect.
Homeschool is as unique as every child and every home!! ♥️ You will learn something new every single year about what is best for each of your children.♥️ I homeschooled my 6 children for 25 years and I definitely miss it!!♥️
So proud of you, Dawn! It's been beautiful to see your confidence grow. We will miss your Tuesday videos, but your choice to prioritize family is inspiring. Thank you for the sacrifices you make to help us. Your guidance has transformed my homeschooling family.
I grew up in a church full of homeschoolers, and I was the public school weirdo. I've had the opportunity to follow many of their lives. Now, in my mid-thirties with kids of my own, I will say that many of them struggled, especially in their college years. The reason is that, very often, professors don't teach well and are more occupied with their research grants and publications. Also, if you go to other countries, Christians are very connected to their communities, many times in a far more hostile/sinful climate than what's seen in the US. Also, I wouldn't trade my excellent high school science teachers; they spoon-fed me the knowledge that formed the bedrock of my career. We still keep in touch.
Grateful for you, Dawn!! Love all your content! Sad 🥺 that you are cutting Friday videos, they always helped me be psyched for the weekend, but so happy you are getting to spend more time with your family!! 💕
I wanted to send you a brief message to thank you… It likely may feel sometimes when we are so passionate about something we know is life changing that it doesn’t resonate to some or many😊 but I found your channel and your sister’s channel and honestly your info and “support” this year has been life changing for me. If I weren’t living in New Hampshire, I would so love to meet you both, give you a hug, and buy you coffee ❤ Please know you both are making a huge difference and bringing such good into the world! sincerely, Jennifer 🥰
Your homeschooling up date really helped me a lot. My husband and I have decided to homeschool, and yes, I would rather clean, rearrange, or declutter, then school my kids. But I know Jesus will help me with finding out what works for each child. My mom would pick and choose from different curriculums, as well. ❤❤
I so appreciate how truly real you are, and do not need to project an image. You and Tom are really getting the job done and it sounds very wise to go down to 1 video a week. It is still going to be great content and great to see you when you can appear. Grateful for anything you offer!
I love being a homeschool mom of 10. It's hard and a lot to keep up with, but with the right program to keep you on point, you do well and the kids learn and learn to learn... That I believe is the most important thing to learn. I love it when they start to read well and pick up books and discover important things.
I homeschooled my 2 children and now I'm homeschooling my 4 grandchildren. The most important thing you can teach your daughters is how to be a productive adult, woman, wife, mother. The most important thing you can teach your boys is how to be productive men, husbands, dads and of course teach them all about the Lord.
As a past homeschooling mom of three children you are right on point with your concept. Children learn so much through everyday life and experiences. I love all your videos and encouragement. Blessings to you and your family. You Rock!
I love that you are considering unschooling!! I unschooled my twins from kindergarten to third grade and I loved it! They learned so much without even realizing it! Best wishes in all you are doing!!
It took me years of homeschooling to come to terms with the fact that I don’t do structure well! I fought it so long and felt so guilty along the way when I couldn’t stick to a schedule. I finally gave it up and decided that we will just move forward. My dad died recently and we ended up taking off for 2 months because I just couldn’t get in the groove again. When we did start back, I flipped through the curriculum and had them do the lessons that they should’ve been at and they did them just fine, they weren’t even behind, so sometimes I think they just need a break too…they’re still learning and growing through living life.
Homeschooling was the best journey ever. It’s worth it all. Those life experiences you are giving your kids are more valuable & teaching them more than having to sit still in a classroom for 8 hours, etc. Pay no attention to the naysayers or those who don’t understand your groove. 🙏🏻for you & your family. Merry Christmas!
The building looks fantastic 👏 As someone who, personally, was homeschooled using a variety of curriculums for the differing subjects, and that also changing different years, I can say, you are doing great 👍 Don't worry about ruining your children with that...😊...My Mom didn't. 😉 I commend your willingness and flexibility to go with the flow of what each child needs based off of their God-given strengths, as well as weaknesses. 😊 "Handpicking" curriculum is a worthwhile idea. Keep up the great work!! 🙂
Well Dawn, you're just a crazy homeschool mom like the rest of us! Everything you are saying is completely normal. I'm 12 years into homeschooling 4 kids, and it is a faith walk EVERY year. Total dependence on God to lead and guide us to fulfill HIS plans for our children's lives. He is faithful to lead if you have the courage (and you certainly do!). God bless.
We home schooled for a few years, and our children are wonderful adults-kindness was always stressed, and academically they wound up ahead of their peers! They are YOUR children-best to do what works for your family!! Good show!!
Super encouraging to hear! ... I too homeschool/unschool. Definitely agree in there being so much value in free play, faith/outreach, learning through experience rather than only in books. Praying more people will understand. Grateful to be raising such creative, problem solving, kind humans.
I have never home schooled, my four children were soooo different in their learning abilities. The oldest was very independent, the second needed motivation and constant monitoring, the third was the same, just a step or two more needing. Fortunately there was 12 years difference in their ages. Then came the last, diagnosed with acute ADHD and ACUTE ODD, he could not sit still. What I learned was that every child learns differently. Mine are all grown now. They learn differently, they mature at their own pace. You deserve kudos for recognizing that different curriculums for each child is golden. It’s not a ‘one size fits all’ situation. As much as I will miss that second video each week, you need to take care of yourself, and recognize, like Dana K White’s container theory, your time and energy is your container, only so much can fit in. The projects and things you do are the ‘inventory’ you are managing….. Thank you for all your inspiration, wisdom and energy. You have made such a difference in so many lives, internationally! On my personal journey to minimalism, my new mantra is “if it’s not a clear YES, it’s a NO!”….brilliant! God bless you and your family, Merry Christmas, and good wishes for a happy and healthy New Year! 🎉. ❤
Oh Dawn, I love you, friend. Thank you for blessing each of our families by sharing about your family life. We've homeschooled for 14 years, and our kids are so happy. It's a great lifestyle. 💜💜💜
Yeah to unschooling! I pulled my daughter out after kindergarten because she was stressed out about learning to read. It took a couple years before she was ready. I read to her and she listened to audio stories and we’d talk about them, and then, wow! She learned to read well. Her comprehension is so good. She never did like regular academics. But she followed her interests and everyone enjoys talking with her. She’s 22 now 😮. She looks up scientific papers on her own now to learn about animals and health. I know she’ll always be able to learn what she needs to.😊
Love the homeschooling update. I have boys doing grade 2 and 4 as well. We have been doing online school for 2.5 years (6 hours on a screen/day) and its been awful. Your tip, from a previous video about the daily tasks in a notebook, has changed our lives! It gave me the confidence to let go of the school board and go it on our own. There is so much more peace in our home now, the boys are learning more, and I have more time and energy for DECLUTTERING! YAY! Any more updates or tips on homeschooling are GREATLY appreciated.
Your office building is looking so great!!! It's come a long ways from the "cow barn." LOL So glad you are settling in to "you do you" with home schooling, Dawn. As a former home schooler, you're on the right path. Great video!
Hi Dawn! I've been homeschooling for several years too and I never planned on leaning more towards unschooling but have pretty much embraced it now. We have workbooks and tons of reading etc etc and my kids pick it up when they want to I don't force it. 🤷♀️They actually do that quite often because their love of learning is still intact. Otherwise we do tons of hands on outside stuff, crafting, museums, beach days and I feel like they are getting a full, well rounded education and also have the benefit of our parental influence instead of negative peer influence. All that to say, homeschooling is awesome and unschooling is awesome-er 🤣🤣 It's ok to embrace it!! Thanks for your channel and all the laughs and good luck on all of your endeavors, they look amazing! 🙏
My husband and I purchased some land and moved a former school house onto the property. We’ve been renovating it into our cozy home on the prairie for the past 6 months and just recently moved in! Absolutely loving it!
My kids are at an age- they have started enjoying your videos too! They have teased me for years for quoting “minimal mom” but loved watching your gingerbread house video on the tv when I said that’s the way we were going to make them this year. Now, they ask to watch minimal mom on tv. They also enjoy home Reno’s so I’m saving this one to watch tonight with everyone! You and you’re family are so inspiring and just love the impact you have had on so many people ❤❤❤ every time I recommend you- I say- it’s minimal without any shame or guilt. Just encouragement and inspiration!
100% will support your decision to only produce 1 video a week, but I will say, Fridays are my favorite and they will be greatly missed ♡ you're doing amazing (with everything), Dawn!
I love how you're so real and down to Earth. Also love that you value the time your kids spend on creative free play. It's SO good for them, and ALL of us!
Me too! My hubby fixes things for a living and has been working on our 130 year old home for 28 years. Learning these types of skills is very important!!! We rarely pay anyone to fix anything for us.
Yea for unschooling! As parents you learn to trust yourself and your kids. Kids are amazing and they can do so much if we give them free rein to explore, with boundaries, age appropriateness, guidance. Parents become the source for resources as needed. I unschooled my kids who are now 35, 38 and 41- a photography business owner and operator, a paramedic and a computer programmer respectively. Unschooling them was the best gift I could give them and all of us as a family. Good luck and always trust your own intuition about your children's education.
Just wanted to add, our kids are going to live in a real world, I am a Christian, but my kids were raised in public schools, I felt they needed to learn what the real world was about, not pleasant, but, that’s what it’s about. Just tried to keep our faith in our home😊🙏🏻 I think it’s wonderful that you can home school, I never had it in me.
Although I’m bummed to hear there won’t be two videos a week, I’m so happy for you!! I’m so proud of all the work you’re doing. I cannot believe what you’re able to get done with Tom and your kids. You guys are awesome, and I look up to you so much. I will definitely be rewatching lots of your videos to help me declutter after the holidays! Best wishes. 😊❤️
Children have different learning styles. I have two that graduated from homeschool. We ended up unschooling them. It was great. You will get lashback from family, friends, other homeschoolers, etc. when you go straight to unschooling though because they don't see you "teaching" them anything so be prepared for that because they don't see what they're learning every day through normal life with you.
I love the things you said about homeschooling ❤ I’m in my second year of homeschooling (a first grader and a kindergartner) and it’s very encouraging to hear you talk about the importance of play etc. because I often feel guilty when I don’t get “real” school done every single day. Coming up on Christmas I’m looking at two weeks of Christmas baking and carols and the Christmas story 🥰
I love your bubbly chats, you are such an encouragement. Regarding homeschool/unschool "kids should be learning" - kids can't help but learn so the question really is "WHAT are they learning?" If you are giving them every opportunity to learn wholesome, useful, lifelong skills, in whatever form they learn them best, then that is successful schooling.
Dawn, I will miss your Tues video, but understand you have a lot going on so you need to cut something. The cow barn looks awesome. When we go home to East TN our family has separate quarters for us to stay in & it's so much nicer than all being cramped into a small house. Gotta go watch Tom's video now. 😊
In Normandy we stayed in a Mutton Maison (sheep house!) which was an old house/barn combination where the sheep lived with the family and the floor slanted so all the poop would run "down" and out. It was long since converted to a large country home, but the slight slant to the floor, middle of the house kitchen and fireplace, and a dutch door remained. (and yes, it was still surrounded by pastures and we had neighboring sheep 🐑)
As a public school teacher (special education), I'm always drawn to and curious about homeschooling. There have been many days I've dreamed of opening my own tutoring center..especially after being trained in a wonderful OG dyslexia program. It would just be nice to focus solely on teaching struggling readers to unlock the code... Which we don't do so well collectively in public schools (in my opinion). Love you, Dawn!
@@meh5069 I don't think many kids in my area are homeschooled. Plus, I worry about making enough to put away for retirement and the logistical side..like I don't want to work evenings and weekends (the times most families would need since their kids are in school) since I have 2 small kids of my own. I'm picky about it. Lol 😆
We used a consultant who did testing and classes/seminars for the homeschooling parents. Two of my kids were severely dyslexic. Best of all, when one of them wanted to attend public school for high-school, I had certified testing saying that they had to make certain accommodations. I believe she also did this sort of stuff for schools as well as a free-lance business.
We homeschooled our 9 children. Best time of my life as a momma. They are all very successful adults. This time of your life will go by so quickly so enjoy!
Good for you! I'm also considering converting an old garage into a cute studio for short term rentals. I wish I could get your building movers in South Central Wisconsin. I have a little cottage I'd like to move. I love your videos! Thank you for all the encouragement to keep minimizing our inventory! I need the constant reminder!
on the Homeschool section: Please Read "Teach your own" by John Holt and "How Children Fail" also by John Holt also "Punished by Rewards" by Alfie Kohn. It's really awesome that I too any starting to see Unschooling as the best thing.
LOVE IT ALL! Congrats! Great work! Great jobs! Waiting 4 years and having 4 kids and three channels and homeschooling and working --- what have you guys been doing?! LOL! Would've taken most humans 24 years! God bless y'all! P.S. My grands are homeschooled and do the "unschooling."
Thanks Helix for sponsoring! Go to helixsleep.com/minimalmom to get up to $200 off your mattress, plus two free pillows! We hope that you have a great weekend!! - Dawn
@Mary good question! Yes they do 👍
@Mary good question! Yes they do 👍
@Mary good question! Yes they do 👍
Does the mattress feel hot in the summer?
@@lantanalady329 good question, not at all! 👍
Pls don't apologize for the second livable building not being "minimal" because when it is completed you will be amazed how useful it is. My friend in KY bought an adjoining property with a small house just a few yards past a little branch just up beside her house and her "little house" has a front porch the width of the house has turned out to be a huge blessing. Company not only stays there but missionaries, friends passing from up north coming south stop to sleep/rest there.... it is the most useful place. She was feeling guilty for having two houses but it's turned into being a huge thing for ministring to others.
To be "minimal" for minimal sake is odd. Being minimal for efficiency use of time, resources and relationships is important. Closer bond with family is sharing your blessings.
What an uplifting comment. I’m glad your friend had the resources to purchase her “little house.” It sounds so useful! I think that was a very smart purchase and so kind to be able to use it for friends and family. Seems it’s adding to relationships and that’s the main reason we want to be minimal so we can spend more time and what’s important. ❤
We were homeschooling but my youngest and oldest were struggling soooo hard. We totally pulled homeschooling and they joined their public schools again. I felt like everybody would judge me because I failed, but I realized that home school may not be the answer for right now. And it could be the answer someday. But every child is different and has different needs. Our family is very Neurodiverse and they were struggling with the isolation of homeschool and our local co-op did not have kids that bonded with them. I feel like it can be very polarizing. You have some diehard public schoolers and diehard homeschoolers and people just need to let the parents decide what’s best for them. My son who has had struggles is finally starting to read now! I am so encouraged by his new found confidence!
Good for Brittany knowing what's best for you and your kid. I'm a homeschool graduate that homeschools my kids but I strongly believe every family has to decide what's best for them and their family. You're not a failure. You're just doing what's best for you! Good for you. We have friends that go to private, charter, and public school and we also have many homeschool friends. We love the diversity of it! I just wanted to pass on some encouragement! 💕
But you were smart enough to realize that your child needed something different! That is a win for you and your family. Kids can be so different in how they learn.
Dr Moore once said "Homeschooling is for every child, but it is not for every parent." Be the best parent you can. Take the JOB very seriously, but DO NOT TAKE YOURSELF TOO SERIOUSLY. 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
FYI, the same Dr. Moore has compiled studies that show if boys are read to, taught to work, and are healthy, they will all be reading fine by the time they are grown. The majority of boys learn later and differently than girls, but the system insists they start at the same time. Just one of the many ways it works against boys’ nature. Pat yourself on the back for doing what worked best for your son instead of what everyone else thought would be best.
Homeschooling should absolutely never be isolating. I’m out every single day with my kids. I’m glad you know your kids and what’s best for them and could see it wasn’t what was best. The narrative that homeschooling is isolating is incorrect and wrong, the way you were doing it was isolating and it shouldn’t be generalized like that.
The most important thing you can teach your children is HOW TO LEARN. Make sure they can read proficiently, and know how to ask questions to get the point. They also need to be able to explain what they know. If they can do that, they can learn... and teach.... anything.
So true. Mainstream school (in the UK at least) teaches so much excess stuff I've never used since, and overloads you / detracts from what's actually important all too much. The amount of homework (that didn't count toward final grades) we had to do - or get detention for skipping it - was insane!
love this
Such valuable advice! I remember my father saying that exact thing to me when I was struggling in one of my subjects and I said the same to my kids.
Yes so true. A fellow homechooled teenager once commented to me that his parents didn't teach him the answers, they taught him how to find the answers for himself.
Create an environment that nurtures life long love of learning/exploration and you have set your kids up for success!!
I unschooled my 5 kids up to 7th grade and then gradually got more structured in high school (mix of home learning, co-op, community college, tutor and on line classes.). My kids blossomed under unschooling. They were so creative and imaginative. I would read aloud to them throughout the day probably two hours total and we listened to tons of audio books. It makes for a beautiful childhood. My youngest is 21 and a senior in college.
How are they finding college + their peers?
Im an educator with 40 years experience and have seen it all in my home country and the UK. Free play is the way to go - the job of 5-12 is just to teach children to read, be numerate and be socialised this stuff can be picked up in 6 months at 13 (if they haven't worked that out through free play). And a big part of why we have schools is to give parents time to work. Go for it.
So good to hear this from someone who has been in the education system. Thank you so much!
I'd love to buy you a cup of coffee or two & just hear some more advice! Thank you for sharing this.
Darn the Friday videos are my favorite. They showed minimalism in action and all the benefits that come from the Tuesday videos.
We homeschooled K-12 and just called ourselves eclectic homeschoolers so we could do whatever we wanted based on each kid’s needs. Our main concern was to instill a love of learning and spending a ton of time outdoors and with practical living skills. I’ve got one kid graduating with their Masters degree with a 4.0 (not that grades really matter in adulthood) and my second kid is graduating with their bachelor’s (also a 4.0) in the spring. Their professors always loved their class participation and being excited to learn about anything and everything.
We also started out more structured and gradually just got more and more relaxed. No regrets! Enjoy these years. ❤
I'm a homeschool mom veteran...almost retired after 20+ years. Structured class time and lots of free learning has been wonderful for our kids. The three graduates are all adulting just fine! Do your best. The kids will grow up better than you can ever hope for! ❤
Thank you Dawn for being so real and honest about your views and even insecurities. I just want you to know you have impacted my life so much, I can never thank you enough. I understand the reason you will cut back on your videos, and completely understand, just have to say I will be missing visiting with you and Tom, you guys feel like family as odd as that sounds. Your channel has literally saved my life, physical and mentally. May God continue to Bless you and your family in all your future endeavors!
Well said ! I feel the exact same way !
same here!🙌
I feel the same way 😊
Absolutely for your family.
You can always rewatch previous videos to stay "in touch" with Dawn. At least I do 🙂
We homeschooled for 14 years, we did the co-op/university model, eclectic, delight-driven, independent flex learning model. Do what works for you. Don’t replicate school at home.
Our kids all have completed or are near completion of college/grad degrees. Success is how you and your child define what is success for them.
Someone told me early on that it takes 3-4 years to really settle into your rhythm and confidence as a homeschooler. I'm 6 years in and only got into our groove in the past couple of years. The proof is just in the pudding for me. Our family culture is so rich and my kids are thriving being home even if it is sanctifying and often difficult for me.
So that means that when my daughter is a senior I will have adjusted! 🤣
Yes absolutely
I homeschooled my kids for close to 20 years. The sanctifying part speaks to me especially. I wasn’t prepared for the almost 24/7 confrontation with all my failings in living color in my kids’ lives. I could see all my faults inherited by my children and was compelled to start dealing with them. There was a lot of fun, too, though. I used to say we were carschooling, we were always running to some lesson or activity with 4 kids. Busy, busy, busy!
@@cynthiafisher9907 Sanctifying…amen!
Wait, so your kids are pushing middle school before you’ve got it figured out???
I unschooled my daughter and she is doing just fine. She went to college, graduated and is now married with 2 jobs! If there was anything I could change about those "homeschooling" years it would be:. I wish I hadn't worried so much!
Dr Raymond Moore, a pioneer in the homeschooling movement, said children learn as much from working and living as they do from book-learning. Teach a child to read and comprehend and they can teach themselves anything. Balance in how and what they learn is the key. (FYI, I homeschooled 3 kids thru high school).
Yes. Good mentor. Part of the work our children should learn is all the adult day to day stuff, like grocery shopping for quality food, budgeting, price comparing. So many parents go shopping and do chores without their kids because it’s easier in the beginning but then they can’t help out as they are older and they won’t know how to be independent adults.
P.S. The amount of real-life science knowledge that we gained growing up on a farm, during "unstructured" learning time as you called it, was immense. 🙂
Good for you! As a lifetime homeschooler, I scaled back my "career" as a violin teacher to focus on my kids. Now that they are finishing up their high school years, they are independent and I am happily and joyfully jumping back into teaching more violin. I always look forward to your Tues and Fri videos, but am so glad you are stepping back to make your kids' education a priority. You will not regret it!
We have a homeschooling section in our Library. It was started by homeschool parents. This way you can check the curriculum out to see if it will work for your child. They do not have a problem if you check it out for 6 months if there is no hold then you can recheck it out. I don't know if this helps but it might be worth checking into or seeing if your library has any room to start one. Our library was parents donating their curriculum they no longer used. Then the schools helped with some educational materials and the library bought some.
Hi Dawn! So glad to know you’ll be continuing minimalist content in the new year (I was worried that was the change). Can you do a video on homeschooling as a minimalist? We utilize our library a lot which helps with permanent book clutter but I feel like the supplies, crafts, paper, etc are closing in on us.
Yes! I would love a video like this!
The office/guest house looks great! I home educated our 7 children over 32 plus years. Went through every emotion every year! I would do it again in a heartbeat! You are your children’s best teacher.
Homeschooling is the most rewarding & challenging work you will ever give to your children, sweet sister. They grow up so fast and learn so much together. I wouldn’t trade my worst homeschooling time with my children for any time letting someone else teach them. I treasure the challenges we worked through together every day. You won’t regret one moment after they grow up and leave home… not one moment sweet sister. Praying over you all as you struggle and learn together. Teaching each other brings you all closer. Love & Prayers, sweet sister💗🎉💗🎉💗🎉💗🎉💗🎉💗
We will miss your Friday videos for sure, but totally understand. We love you too!
So proud of you (is that the right word?) for doing what is best for your family and homeschooling. One video of free content per week is abundantly generous. Good job trimming down any excess for this season of life. Grateful for you.
Your homeschooling update is encouraging. I agreed with you wholeheartedly. I’ve been homeschooling for seven years and tried to structure it way too much in the beginning. It was too much for my boys. Every kid and every family is different and it’s helpful to be reminded of that.
So happy for you and all your life updates. I am bummed there won’t be two videos a week as I do look forward to your videos but I definitely understand the need to protect your bandwidth and focus on homeschooling! Love for you and your family!
I was "home-schooled" in the early 80's when it wasn't so common. My parents were "warned" it would cause us problems academically, socially & developmentally. The nay-sayers were wrong.
I went to public school for grade 6 on. When I was tested for placement into the public school system it was found that I could read at a college/university level and my math was at a grade 9 level. I was put into an accelerated learning program in public school & so was my younger brother. We both continued to do well academically. I went to graduate school, my brother recently completed a doctorate.
Socially, we had no problem making friends or getting involved in activities. We both played sports & got involved in drama.
Today we are both married (almost 20 years for me) and have careers. We are grounded individuals with a solid faith foundation. While life has not been easy and we have had many life-altering experiences, we have always been able to rise to the challenge. I believe a lot of that is due to our early home schooling.
We were taught to take responsibility for our learning & skills acquisition. We were encouraged to be independent and curious. We were always allowed to ask questions and never given "dumbed down" answers, but age appropriate knowledge that left the door open for future learning. These opportunities are beyond measure and the skills I acquired in those formative years have served me well into middle age.
Children are giant sponges and excell in the right environment. It is hard to "mess them up" if they are given a healthy environment to bloom in and explore their personal abilities.
Ok what was your Mom's trick?!!! College level reading at the age of 11? WOW!
@@rebeccah.6403 Sometimes there is no trick. It may just be your kid's learning style. I had one who was reading at 4 and two who could not read fluently at all until they were about 14 and two that fell somewhere in the middle. Do get your kid evaluated by a pediatric behavioral eye doctor though if there seem to be odd inconsistencies. One of my kids went from unable to read a page with more than three lines on it to reading 300 page books a day in six months with the proper eye exercises.
@@ellen8996Thank you, this is great advice, especially about the eye exercises!
As an adult who was a homeschooled kid, homeschooling is awesome! It allowed my mom to teach some neurodiverse kids well and to tweek the curriculum to fit our learning styles. It is really helpful, too, if you school them (in high school) in a way that allows them to attend college without first needing to get their GED.
I so appreciate that you have shared your life with us TH-cam friends and that you are also demonstrating good boundaries!
I’ve been homeschooling for 15-ish years. You sound just like me when I was at that point. You’re doing a good job! Press on, mama!
I homeschooled my son from age 5 to college! He is now a senior in an honors college majoring in cybersecurity. When he was 12 to 15, we were unschoolers and during that time he took deep dives into his interests, Which included cybersecurity. He never would have been able to find and follow this passion in a public or private school.
He’s also creative, authentic and messages his mom (me!) almost every day!
I miss the days of finding and creating curriculum that fit our needs for particular seasons of our lives. And looking back, I wish I hadn’t stressed so much! Our kids don’t need to know everything, but they do need to know how to learn, and we as parents get to guide them to help them reach their goals and be good people!!
In my 14th year of unschooling and LOVE it. Both kids chose to do online school for high school and get their diplomas, but it's absolutely their choice to do that. NO regrets about that path for us, but absolutely every family needs to follow the right path for their individual children.
I have been watching your videos for several years and have loved them, looking forward to each new release. I want to support your efforts to do what is best for you and your family, but I am really going to miss your Friday videos. I know you will be successful in your new or renewed focus in other areas. Thank you for how you have influenced my life for the better. Even my hubby knows who you and Tom are as I reference you often. I am always so grateful that I can trust your video content because of our shared values and faith. It truly matters! Blessings on you and your family! (PS my hubby will watch Rusty Judgement with me so I'm glad Tom is back doing that again!)
WOW WOW WOW!!! I'm so impressed with your work!! What an AMAZING TRANSFORMATION!
Well done!!!
I know two families that are "unschooling". The children/teens are doing great! You do what you think is best for your family.
Good decision! I’m a 7th year homeschool mom and there have been many sacrifices along the way. Never regretted it.
10 year homeschooler, mom of 4, and director of a thriving Classical homeschool community of 70plus students. YOU ARE NAILING IT! Keep doing exactly what you are doing!!!🥰
Dawn I love that you don’t stress your kids out about school. You and your parents are teaching them awesome values. Please know you are supported and I am grateful for your channel 🥰❤️❤️❤️
Dawn it totally makes sense (homeschooling part). Children need to learn hands on things. It is such a missing link in the last generation and this one. Young men don't know how to change oil or a tire and young ladies need to know this as well. And so many other valuable lessons. Keep up the great job! ❤️
God bless you & your lovely family! You bring us joy, hope, & practical ideas to better our lives! Thank you! ❤❤❤
Such an exciting season for you guys. So awesome that your kids are home and can along the journey with you for this.
I've been waiting for you to figure out that you're an unschooling mom! Haha. I'm glad to see you gaining confidence in that area. The building is looking great! I've been here since some of your very first videos, and it is so fun to watch your family change over time.
The office building looks great. Now for the update on homeschooling, I think it's fantastic what you are doing. Your kids are going to flourish if they hadn't already. I applaud you guys on homeschooling and teaching your kids Christian values.
Homeschool is not for every parent nor every child. I did it for one year. One hated it and wanted to go back to school. She signed up for band, student council, East lab, and made the dance team. She loved being at school and excelled. My other child did so much better in home school. My child that loved public school went on to college and the one who liked homeschooling better did not plus she is also struggling with her faith. I say all this because many Christian parents feel they need to homeschool but if it's not a good fit for your child it doesn't help them.
A lot of the benefits of homeschooling children who may do better at home have nothing to do with religion. We have a similar situation but I focus on their mental health and intellectual performance along with getting outside and moving.
I am from Germany and because of US giöun laws I could not send my child to school. Its really good that you can have a choice
My in-laws moved their house in the 1980s, and we later found out that my uncle and aunt used to live in it. In its new location, the address associated with the property changed 3 times, so the same building has been located at 5 different addresses (at least)!
I’m with you on the unschooling, Dawn! I’m very early on in my homeschooling journey, but unschooling feels right to me because it seems to lean into the interests of the individual child and emphasize free play and discovery. God’s creation is amazing and it’s a joy to watch it unfold and support each child as needed.
My son and daughter-in-law ‘un-school’ my grandson and he is doing amazingly. They had tried traditional school and an outdoor school and he thrives the most with the approach they are using now. They face A Lot of criticism from other family members and some of their friends- you need to trust yourself that you know what’s best for your family. Good for you Dawn, hang in there 👍😊
Dawn, I homeschooled both my kids. I started with my daughter in 3rd grade. About 6th grade- I found Seton homeschool. I never thought I would do that. I was more on the unstructured, I can do it etc. but, one night I found that. Looked at my husband and said.. this is what we are going to do. He said, really. Yup. I never regretted. It gave me the structure and a teacher to correct their writings. Both kids went on to college ( son on a ncaa scholarship) they both credited seton for their writing ability. It gave me the time freedom to be creative with them. Son participated in an Olympic sport and traveled abroad because we homeschooled. More structure= more freedom. The staff at seton helped my with my kids dyslexia. Not telling you what to do but throwing out something else. Like minimalism, seton de cluttered my schooling. It took away me looking to find what worked for each kid out of the sea. It gave me direction. Like the 3 decluttering boxes, I had a plan.
Thanks for the homeschool update! New homeschool mom/former public school teacher. Always encouraging to hear about other homeschool journeys.
I love your contentment with the kids and courageously home educating. Good job Dawn!!!
Y'all would make an awesome Harvest Host for RVers ! Kudos for homeschooling your beautiful family. My grands are home schooled and I'm sure my daughters style is similar to yours 👏 Your work ethic and faith shine thru on every endeavor you guys touch~
I am sad to hear we will not see you as much next year. Your videos are my absolute favorite to see on YT.
As a homeschooled kid. Who's parents dropped the ball. Unschooling always is a bit triggering. As one who's schooling got neglected middleschool-highschool. So as long as you make sure they are learning and getting an education that follow up is happening etc. That's fine.
In what ways do you feel that your parents dropped the ball and neglected middle school and high school? As a homeschooling mom of five little girls I would love to know what not to do.
I'm homeschooling my son who is in 9th grade. It's the best situation for him who doesn't function with his autism/adhd at school. We work a lot in social and life skills. I wouldn't want to homeschool a mainstream student though, wouldn't have the resources for that unless it's taught online through the school system.
@@servantwarrior880as a former homeschool mom (I still love homeschool but can’t do it bc of our circumstances anymore), I wish I would have simply picked a curriculum and stuck with it. I think that alone, regardless of whether it’s perfect or what everyone else is using, can go a long way in success.
@@whobeyou5342 are you kidding me???? OP just said they feel like their parents dropped the ball with their education, and you have the audacity to nitpick grammar????
It can definitely be taken too far. I can see how that could be triggering. I have a friend who's parents also dropped the ball. It's important for people to understand that there's a difference between unschooling (which is really student interest led learning) and laziness/neglect.
Homeschool is as unique as every child and every home!! ♥️
You will learn something new every single year about what is best for each of your children.♥️
I homeschooled my 6 children for 25 years and I definitely miss it!!♥️
So proud of you, Dawn! It's been beautiful to see your confidence grow. We will miss your Tuesday videos, but your choice to prioritize family is inspiring. Thank you for the sacrifices you make to help us. Your guidance has transformed my homeschooling family.
I grew up in a church full of homeschoolers, and I was the public school weirdo. I've had the opportunity to follow many of their lives. Now, in my mid-thirties with kids of my own, I will say that many of them struggled, especially in their college years. The reason is that, very often, professors don't teach well and are more occupied with their research grants and publications. Also, if you go to other countries, Christians are very connected to their communities, many times in a far more hostile/sinful climate than what's seen in the US. Also, I wouldn't trade my excellent high school science teachers; they spoon-fed me the knowledge that formed the bedrock of my career. We still keep in touch.
Grateful for you, Dawn!! Love all your content! Sad 🥺 that you are cutting Friday videos, they always helped me be psyched for the weekend, but so happy you are getting to spend more time with your family!! 💕
I wanted to send you a brief message to thank you…
It likely may feel sometimes when we are so passionate about something we know is life changing that it doesn’t resonate to some or many😊 but I found your channel and your sister’s channel and honestly your info and “support” this year has been life changing for me. If I weren’t living in New Hampshire, I would so love to meet you both, give you a hug, and buy you coffee ❤ Please know you both are making a huge difference and bringing such good into the world!
sincerely,
Jennifer 🥰
Yes!!! We unschool as well and it’s so wonderful. This was wonderful to hear you say this
Your homeschooling up date really helped me a lot. My husband and I have decided to homeschool, and yes, I would rather clean, rearrange, or declutter, then school my kids. But I know Jesus will help me with finding out what works for each child. My mom would pick and choose from different curriculums, as well. ❤❤
I so appreciate how truly real you are, and do not need to project an image. You and Tom are really getting the job done and it sounds very wise to go down to 1 video a week. It is still going to be great content and great to see you when you can appear. Grateful for anything you offer!
I love being a homeschool mom of 10. It's hard and a lot to keep up with, but with the right program to keep you on point, you do well and the kids learn and learn to learn... That I believe is the most important thing to learn. I love it when they start to read well and pick up books and discover important things.
I homeschooled my 2 children and now I'm homeschooling my 4 grandchildren. The most important thing you can teach your daughters is how to be a productive adult, woman, wife, mother. The most important thing you can teach your boys is how to be productive men, husbands, dads and of course teach them all about the Lord.
As a past homeschooling mom of three children you are right on point with your concept. Children learn so much through everyday life and experiences. I love all your videos and encouragement. Blessings to you and your family. You Rock!
So happy for you and your families successes I’ve seen over the years ❤ you’re truly beautiful and blessed
I love that you are considering unschooling!! I unschooled my twins from kindergarten to third grade and I loved it! They learned so much without even realizing it! Best wishes in all you are doing!!
It took me years of homeschooling to come to terms with the fact that I don’t do structure well! I fought it so long and felt so guilty along the way when I couldn’t stick to a schedule. I finally gave it up and decided that we will just move forward. My dad died recently and we ended up taking off for 2 months because I just couldn’t get in the groove again. When we did start back, I flipped through the curriculum and had them do the lessons that they should’ve been at and they did them just fine, they weren’t even behind, so sometimes I think they just need a break too…they’re still learning and growing through living life.
Homeschooling was the best journey ever. It’s worth it all. Those life experiences you are giving your kids are more valuable & teaching them more than having to sit still in a classroom for 8 hours, etc. Pay no attention to the naysayers or those who don’t understand your groove. 🙏🏻for you & your family. Merry Christmas!
The building looks fantastic 👏
As someone who, personally, was homeschooled using a variety of curriculums for the differing subjects, and that also changing different years, I can say, you are doing great 👍
Don't worry about ruining your children with that...😊...My Mom didn't. 😉
I commend your willingness and flexibility to go with the flow of what each child needs based off of their God-given strengths, as well as weaknesses. 😊
"Handpicking" curriculum is a worthwhile idea.
Keep up the great work!! 🙂
Well Dawn, you're just a crazy homeschool mom like the rest of us! Everything you are saying is completely normal. I'm 12 years into homeschooling 4 kids, and it is a faith walk EVERY year. Total dependence on God to lead and guide us to fulfill HIS plans for our children's lives. He is faithful to lead if you have the courage (and you certainly do!). God bless.
We home schooled for a few years, and our children are wonderful adults-kindness was always stressed, and academically they wound up ahead of their peers! They are YOUR children-best to do what works for your family!! Good show!!
Super encouraging to hear! ... I too homeschool/unschool. Definitely agree in there being so much value in free play, faith/outreach, learning through experience rather than only in books. Praying more people will understand. Grateful to be raising such creative, problem solving, kind humans.
I have never home schooled, my four children were soooo different in their learning abilities. The oldest was very independent, the second needed motivation and constant monitoring, the third was the same, just a step or two more needing. Fortunately there was 12 years difference in their ages. Then came the last, diagnosed with acute ADHD and ACUTE ODD, he could not sit still. What I learned was that every child learns differently. Mine are all grown now. They learn differently, they mature at their own pace. You deserve kudos for recognizing that different curriculums for each child is golden. It’s not a ‘one size fits all’ situation.
As much as I will miss that second video each week, you need to take care of yourself, and recognize, like Dana K White’s container theory, your time and energy is your container, only so much can fit in.
The projects and things you do are the ‘inventory’ you are managing…..
Thank you for all your inspiration, wisdom and energy. You have made such a difference in so many lives, internationally!
On my personal journey to minimalism, my new mantra is “if it’s not a clear YES, it’s a NO!”….brilliant!
God bless you and your family, Merry Christmas, and good wishes for a happy and healthy New Year! 🎉. ❤
This is exciting. We have that exact floor throughout our apt. It is great!
Oh good, I’m glad to hear this!!!
Oh Dawn, I love you, friend. Thank you for blessing each of our families by sharing about your family life. We've homeschooled for 14 years, and our kids are so happy. It's a great lifestyle. 💜💜💜
Yeah to unschooling! I pulled my daughter out after kindergarten because she was stressed out about learning to read. It took a couple years before she was ready. I read to her and she listened to audio stories and we’d talk about them, and then, wow! She learned to read well. Her comprehension is so good. She never did like regular academics. But she followed her interests and everyone enjoys talking with her. She’s 22 now 😮. She looks up scientific papers on her own now to learn about animals and health. I know she’ll always be able to learn what she needs to.😊
Love the homeschooling update. I have boys doing grade 2 and 4 as well. We have been doing online school for 2.5 years (6 hours on a screen/day) and its been awful. Your tip, from a previous video about the daily tasks in a notebook, has changed our lives! It gave me the confidence to let go of the school board and go it on our own. There is so much more peace in our home now, the boys are learning more, and I have more time and energy for DECLUTTERING! YAY! Any more updates or tips on homeschooling are GREATLY appreciated.
Your office building is looking so great!!! It's come a long ways from the "cow barn." LOL So glad you are settling in to "you do you" with home schooling, Dawn. As a former home schooler, you're on the right path. Great video!
i just need to say thank,s for all the great thing you have shared with me there is so much help i have from you thank so very much !
Hi Dawn!
I've been homeschooling for several years too and I never planned on leaning more towards unschooling but have pretty much embraced it now. We have workbooks and tons of reading etc etc and my kids pick it up when they want to I don't force it. 🤷♀️They actually do that quite often because their love of learning is still intact.
Otherwise we do tons of hands on outside stuff, crafting, museums, beach days and I feel like they are getting a full, well rounded education and also have the benefit of our parental influence instead of negative peer influence.
All that to say, homeschooling is awesome and unschooling is awesome-er 🤣🤣 It's ok to embrace it!!
Thanks for your channel and all the laughs and good luck on all of your endeavors, they look amazing! 🙏
My husband and I purchased some land and moved a former school house onto the property. We’ve been renovating it into our cozy home on the prairie for the past 6 months and just recently moved in! Absolutely loving it!
My kids are at an age- they have started enjoying your videos too! They have teased me for years for quoting “minimal mom” but loved watching your gingerbread house video on the tv when I said that’s the way we were going to make them this year.
Now, they ask to watch minimal mom on tv. They also enjoy home Reno’s so I’m saving this one to watch tonight with everyone!
You and you’re family are so inspiring and just love the impact you have had on so many people ❤❤❤ every time I recommend you- I say- it’s minimal without any shame or guilt. Just encouragement and inspiration!
100% will support your decision to only produce 1 video a week, but I will say, Fridays are my favorite and they will be greatly missed ♡ you're doing amazing (with everything), Dawn!
Praying for you as you walk in your purpose and assignments! Blessings and merry Christmas!
You have added value to my life through your positive attitude, wisdom, and encouragement. Thanks for your service !
I was so glad to hear about your home schooling. My daughter does snd it’s refreshing to hear how you do it!
Homeschooler here: unschooled for the most part until teens then mostly coops. Loved that combo.
I love how you're so real and down to Earth. Also love that you value the time your kids spend on creative free play. It's SO good for them, and ALL of us!
I think your boys are getting valuable experience building things and watching their grandfather work in the shop. That is very rare these days.
Me too! My hubby fixes things for a living and has been working on our 130 year old home for 28 years. Learning these types of skills is very important!!! We rarely pay anyone to fix anything for us.
Yea for unschooling! As parents you learn to trust yourself and your kids. Kids are amazing and they can do so much if we give them free rein to explore, with boundaries, age appropriateness, guidance. Parents become the source for resources as needed. I unschooled my kids who are now 35, 38 and 41- a photography business owner and operator, a paramedic and a computer programmer respectively. Unschooling them was the best gift I could give them and all of us as a family. Good luck and always trust your own intuition about your children's education.
Just wanted to add, our kids are going to live in a real world, I am a Christian, but my kids were raised in public schools, I felt they needed to learn what the real world was about, not pleasant, but, that’s what it’s about. Just tried to keep our faith in our home😊🙏🏻
I think it’s wonderful that you can home school, I never had it in me.
Although I’m bummed to hear there won’t be two videos a week, I’m so happy for you!! I’m so proud of all the work you’re doing. I cannot believe what you’re able to get done with Tom and your kids. You guys are awesome, and I look up to you so much. I will definitely be rewatching lots of your videos to help me declutter after the holidays! Best wishes. 😊❤️
Children have different learning styles. I have two that graduated from homeschool. We ended up unschooling them. It was great. You will get lashback from family, friends, other homeschoolers, etc. when you go straight to unschooling though because they don't see you "teaching" them anything so be prepared for that because they don't see what they're learning every day through normal life with you.
I love the things you said about homeschooling ❤ I’m in my second year of homeschooling (a first grader and a kindergartner) and it’s very encouraging to hear you talk about the importance of play etc. because I often feel guilty when I don’t get “real” school done every single day. Coming up on Christmas I’m looking at two weeks of Christmas baking and carols and the Christmas story 🥰
I love your bubbly chats, you are such an encouragement.
Regarding homeschool/unschool "kids should be learning" - kids can't help but learn so the question really is "WHAT are they learning?" If you are giving them every opportunity to learn wholesome, useful, lifelong skills, in whatever form they learn them best, then that is successful schooling.
Dawn, I will miss your Tues video, but understand you have a lot going on so you need to cut something. The cow barn looks awesome. When we go home to East TN our family has separate quarters for us to stay in & it's so much nicer than all being cramped into a small house. Gotta go watch Tom's video now. 😊
In Normandy we stayed in a Mutton Maison (sheep house!) which was an old house/barn combination where the sheep lived with the family and the floor slanted so all the poop would run "down" and out. It was long since converted to a large country home, but the slight slant to the floor, middle of the house kitchen and fireplace, and a dutch door remained. (and yes, it was still surrounded by pastures and we had neighboring sheep 🐑)
As a public school teacher (special education), I'm always drawn to and curious about homeschooling. There have been many days I've dreamed of opening my own tutoring center..especially after being trained in a wonderful OG dyslexia program. It would just be nice to focus solely on teaching struggling readers to unlock the code... Which we don't do so well collectively in public schools (in my opinion).
Love you, Dawn!
You’d make a killing, truly! So many homeschooling parents would take advantage of tutoring services like this. I say go for it ❤
@@meh5069 I don't think many kids in my area are homeschooled. Plus, I worry about making enough to put away for retirement and the logistical side..like I don't want to work evenings and weekends (the times most families would need since their kids are in school) since I have 2 small kids of my own. I'm picky about it. Lol 😆
We used a consultant who did testing and classes/seminars for the homeschooling parents. Two of my kids were severely dyslexic. Best of all, when one of them wanted to attend public school for high-school, I had certified testing saying that they had to make certain accommodations. I believe she also did this sort of stuff for schools as well as a free-lance business.
@@ellen8996 wow. Sounds like an amazing job. You both have certainly given me some things to think about. Thanks for the input!
From the very beginning of your homeschooling I thought unschooling would be a perfect path for your family!! ❤
We homeschooled our 9 children. Best time of my life as a momma. They are all very successful adults. This time of your life will go by so quickly so enjoy!
Good for you! I'm also considering converting an old garage into a cute studio for short term rentals. I wish I could get your building movers in South Central Wisconsin. I have a little cottage I'd like to move. I love your videos! Thank you for all the encouragement to keep minimizing our inventory! I need the constant reminder!
on the Homeschool section: Please Read "Teach your own" by John Holt and "How Children Fail" also by John Holt also "Punished by Rewards" by Alfie Kohn. It's really awesome that I too any starting to see Unschooling as the best thing.
LOVE IT ALL! Congrats! Great work! Great jobs! Waiting 4 years and having 4 kids and three channels and homeschooling and working --- what have you guys been doing?! LOL! Would've taken most humans 24 years! God bless y'all! P.S. My grands are homeschooled and do the "unschooling."