Cracking up….. I have been homeschooling for over 13 years. (7 kids and this is our 14th year.). And I have tried everything on your list and also hated it! 😂😂😂😂 The longer I homeschool, the more I just want to have a peaceful, relaxed school day and stop trying to do all “the extras”. Just do your schoolwork and tell me when you are done. You figured it out quickly! 😊
It’s so liberating! We are moms not teachers, we care for meals, laundry bathrooms, spouse, play with our kids, kids colds, buy cloths, groceries, holidays deco, activities, our precious time with our children is to get them to connect with God their creator, and respect us, and helped them to create healthy habits and life skills
This is one of the reasons why I am subscribed to you 👍 This being our second year of homeschooling, trying to get advice from moms who've done it for a longer period of time, It looks like it's becoming a cult 😳 Of the things you have mentioned, I do not have time for and honestly I do not wish to participate in. Everyday and every hour that we spend together is a gift from God 🙏 and I thank God everyday for the opportunity and ability to homeschool 🙏💙 God bless you and your family 🙏
Yeah no nature study here either. It's scorching hot and humid here in the summer. We spend lots of time outside in the fall and winter months but that's only a brief period of time. We just play or go for walks. No "studying".
Love this video. When I first heard about poetry tea time, I said never in a million years! I hate poetry! Well... we sit down with mugs full of southern sweet tea or hot chocolate every week and we eat the delicious homemade treats we made together that morning and we read the heck outta some Shel Silverstein. I never thought my kids nor I would look forward to poetry, but that goes to show, do what works for you.
So glad we aren't the only ones! I have felt "less than" not doing the things you've mentioned. Not this year! I have 5 kids and my 3 youngest aren't school age. It is far more stressful on us as a family to try and crame in all the other things. Plus, my 2 oldest boys could care less. It's a win-win 😊
that mom guilt is so real at the beginning of homeschooling! I am barely finding my groove after 3 years and that guilt gets less and less as the days go on.
This video just spoke to me so much. We are entering our 5th year of homeschooling and I’m just now getting to the “No, thank you, I don’t want to do that” kind of mentality. We’ve tried the nature studies and the unit studies, poetry tea time, etc etc because all the big influencers were doing it and I have zero homeschooling experience before this so I kind of took it as advice…but we always fall back into our textbooks. My kids are very “just the facts please” so I’ve finally just let go of all the social media influence and realized this is fine. My kids are learning plenty. I appreciate hearing from you that you don’t do all these things and it’s totally ok.
We homeschooled for 6 years. My 15 year old enrolled at our local highschool earlier this year. My 11 year old will be attending school after the summer holidays (we're in New Zealand and the summer holidays are from mid December until the end of January). We did poetry teatime weekly for over a year. It was one of the highlights of our week. Fancy cups and saucers, a hot drink, sweet treats and taking turns reading poetry. We also did unit studies. It was a good approach for my autistic kids who liked to learn about topics in depth. I'm not sure about incorporating the topic into meals or maths though 🤔 Cicadas and WW2 were two of the topics 😂 We never did morning baskets or nature journaling. We didn't do a lot of activities outside the home either. I think children (and adults) benefit from ample time at home to relax and rest. Ultimately everyone has to fldo what works best for their family, not tie themselves in knots trying to copy the highlight reels of social media homeschooling families.
We just did our first homeschool hangout after homeschooling now for 3 years 😂. My kiddos definitely love home and our routine too. They are very sensitive to schedule changes too !!! And with two toddlers we are constantly interrupted and we take several breaks throughout the day. The time we spend on school work daily is about 4-5 hours 🙈.
I love this video! I always thought I would be the creative, themed, Pinterest homeschool mom, which there is nothing wrong with, but I’m facing the reality that I’m just not 😅 Like you, I love the charlotte mason philosophy and we love going outside but we don’t do structured nature studies or a morning basket (at least not right now). My friend and I started a very chill, almost free co-op that meets once a month with our church homeschool crowd and we play games and do an art lesson, history or science, eat lunch together and sometimes a field trip - it has been just enough for us! I’m sure classical conversations is wonderful and our friends love it but I’m one of those people that it sounds like my worst nightmare 🤣
You always have, and I’m convinced, you always will, speak to my soul!!!! Your views are so similar to mine!!! Organic, not forced! Growing up before the internet, everything was a unit study!! Just being outside was a unit study! We all learned just fine without all the added fluff. You are an amazing person! Thank you for your content
I don't like the "race" of being constantly on the go, either. I like being at home. I also feel no need to spend a very small amount of time on school...
Okay, THANK YOU for this video. This is our second year homeschooling, and I thought something was wrong with me. All of the extras are overwhelming to me! We're still trying to find our groove, and the comparison trap with homeschool channels can be too much. I appreciate all of your videos. ❤
I thought we were about the only homeschoolers on the planet who did not do nature walks/study/notebooking! Glad to know we have company. Yes we spend time outside but nothing formal. We also do not do coop or lots of extras. And school takes us much longer then 2 hours. I’ve heard a seasoned homeschool mom say if your kids are in elementary you should not be doing school for more then a couple hours. But we certainly can not get done in that time frame. I’m homeschooling 3 this year and it just takes time!!
@Dakk Family we spend a decent amount of time outside (well tbh I’m a fair weather outsider) . We just don’t do notebooking or specific nature walks etc. Its just organic, old fashioned playing outside.
Yes, 3 kids does take time! Especially in that kindergarten/1st grade stage because they’re just not really able to do anything independently yet so it’s very hands on still.
My sons are in football and cheer a few months out of the year and you would be AMAZED at the amount of kids that they're on teams with that either play multiple sports at a time or never even have a break the entire year jumping from one sport to the next. It's so incredibly sad to see their childhood in the rat race already.
@@thepracticalhomeschooler I homeschooled for 11 yrs up until this year, and I was the same way! Graduated two successful children so I guess it worked out, LOL.
Thank you for this! Aside from the last one, I don’t do any of these things either and I didn’t realize that I was low key feeling inadequate or pressure or like I am missing something. This reminds me my kids aren’t suffering or behind because we don’t do any of this stuff either
I’m new to homeschool and I began semi-homeschooling back in September. I can say this video is very realistic… I’ve gotten so overwhelmed looking all the unit studies, themes and other extras. I plan to focus only on handwriting, language&arts, and math. I mean she’s only 4 and I have a 9month old too😬
Check into what is required subjects for your state, and just do those. For mine, it's math, language arts, reading, science, social studies, and handwriting. But, language arts incorporates handwriting, and reading, so it's not bad at all. ♥️
I'm totally with you on these. We are very simplistic in our homeschool. My two oldest daughters were very involved in activities, and it was exhausting for them and us. I had completely changed my perspective on whether kids need to be involved in activities, by the time I got to my third child. Lol.
Omg I’m so glad I stumbled upon this video! I be feeling so bad for not doing most of these things so I feel better knowing others don’t do all those either!
This was such a refreshing video! Thank you for sharing. Social media can be a tricky thing and seeing all these families doing all the things can leave me second guessing if I'm giving my kids enough if we aren't reading "enough" chapter books or doing all the fun themed units. The two hour school day one really gets me hung up. We just cannot get our day cut down anywhere near that and I was starting to think I must be doing something wrong. I am so grateful for your perspective 💓
i could hug you! I rarely hear anyone with our point of view. I appreciate someone else wanting a relaxed life with what WE want. Carefully curated for us.
I too do my own thing…it takes us 4-6 hours a day for my 4th grade son to complete all his work. We do unit studies cause he enjoys them but we also still incorporate all his main curriculum on top of it…I know they say unit studies are good for all subjects except math but for me it’s not going deep enough to progress to the standards I feel he should be at
This was a great video. I'm in my 13th year of homeschooling and have been all over the map with three kids and trying to figure out what works for our family, for myself, and for each child. My son went to a private Christian school starting in 5th grade and it was the best thing that happened to him and our family of 5. I have homeschooled my two girls now and they are in 6th and 7th and have no desire to go to school. In fact they're both super creative types who are obsessed with dance. One is an artist, and one is a musician. They both already know what careers they'd like. It's a blessing because it's much easier to guide them, but at the same time it's a bit of a loss for this Mom who had homeschooling dreams of what things could be and what type of life I wanted homeschooling to be. So I'm working on acceptance and moving forward trusting God and his plan for these children. Certainly doesn't include read alouds, morning baskets, lap booking or nature walks. Instead we're doing what the state requires, and then attending theater practices, dance classes, voice lessons, studying ballet terms. Instead of reading literature we are reading and learning about how to run a small business. There is definitely no one size fits all for homeschooling families, instead, to each their own.
Yes I get that…Homeschool not looking exactly how you pictured in your mind. But I think you did the right thing for your son and that is most important!
Oh man! I have been feeling so overwhelmed by CM and trying to fit the whole feast into our days. I really do not enjoy things like nature study or test time, but feel so guilty about not doing them. I really needed to hear this. Thank you for this video.
I CAN RELATE SOOO MUCH! this is my 3rd year and I am just BARELY starting to realize that its okay not to do it like everyone else is! It is so refreshing to here this. The key to a successful homeschool is to figure out the parents best way of teaching, and the child's best way of learning and meshing is together in a balanced way! We all have different skills and abilities and certain likes and dislikes. Not only does a child learn better when they enjoy what they are doing, but a teacher will teach better when she enjoys it also!! I love how God made us all unique and different. I am a black and white person and homeschooling is teaching me there is not necessarily a right or wrong way, it truly is what works best for your family. One of the big ones you mentioned that i can relate to is we do school all day long and take lots of breaks. No way can we get it all done in 2 hours. I have a first grader and a 2 year old and trying to keep that 2 year old entertained while teaching lessons to the first grader has been the biggest struggle! Thanks for your wonderful vids!! I am so happy for you on your journey to stay home with your babies. No doubt will your homeschool start to look different than previous years, and for the better!
Gosh, I didnt even know about themed morning basket...been homeschooling for...10 years. Tried lots of things, but simple is so much better. I have chronic illness which has recently gotten worse, and so lots of days I can hardly get through the devotional. Thanks for the video!
I'm with you on a lot of these. We don't do poetry teatime, coordinated morning baskets, unit studies or co-ops either. We also don't school in 2 hours. We usually do school for around 4 hours. We don't do a ton of extras either. We do the daily extracurricular activities though (M-Th) bc my daughter requested them and sees it as an opportunity to see all her friends. However, they are a lot for me energy-wise and I honestly look forward to the 1 month break she gets during the last two weeks of December and first two weeks of January.
I’m not even finished with this video yet but YES! 🙌🏻 Poetry Tea Time… we have poetry books on the bookshelf and the kids grab them as they desire. If I want to slow down and relax, I grab a book and we read it together on the couch. The kids know where the snacks are and get them at snack time. I don’t have the time or desire for poetry tea time either. Nature studies…. I have never understood the point. My kids literally spend hours outside every day. They explore nature naturally. Why do I need to throw a journal at them and complicate their free play?! That’s how I feel 😅 So many of these trendy practices just feel like they are complicating things. Bottom line is we have a buffet of opportunities to bring in to our homeschool and as mom we need to be wise to bring in what works and leave the rest, guilt free!!
This was great to hear. I don’t do morning basket at all. So far we have not done any group coop things either. Generally it take us 4-5 and sometimes 6 hours to get finished. I am teaching one grandson that was diagnosed with ADHD, so there have been many challenging moments.
I enjoyed listening to this, makes me feel less guilty about what we don’t do. A few other things we aren’t on top of: 1. Collaborative mega bundles. They are nice and packed with fun stuff, but just don’t ever use them. I’ve made this mistake a few times. There are a few I’ll buy here and there for specific stuff. 2. Beautiful themed displays or layouts. This just stresses me out. It wouldn’t last in my home- my kids would have it disassembled in no time. 3. Buying curriculum just bc it’s trendy and popular. I see a lot of TH-cam/instagram homeschoolers always talking about the same thing and it makes me wonder if they only talk about it because it’s sponsored or something they got for free for a review. We don’t actually know how well it works, they could be incorporating other things. Idk- just too suspicious for me😆.
I very much appreciate your last point! I’ve felt a lot of pressure with the thought that we take too long to do school, we should be finished by such and such a time like other families and it makes a huge difference to take that pressure off and just do what works peacefully for your household. Thank you for putting that out there.
Thanks for sharing! as a first year homeschool mom I needed this! now I don't feel so bad that we aren't doing a lot of these neither. Our work days normally takes us awhile as well so I'm so happy I'm not alone.
I. Totally. Agree. Glad!! To have come across this very good overall, look at building your own family homeschooling culture. One thing I love listening to people talk about ( but just don't do it... ) Is the morning basket! I do love the read alouds though. Very relatable points you made here @the practical Homeschooler. (:
Homeschooling mama for 13 years here-we have never done poetry tea-time or nature study. My kids have tons of outdoor time as we live on a farm but also, we have 4 boys....no patience for writing down what we're doing when we're skinning a squirrel😂. Our "morning basket" is very short compared to most-a daily devotion that includes Bible reading and then I read aloud from a chapter book but I love to read out loud, especially to my kids.
@@thepracticalhomeschooler everyday is an adventure with this crew😂. Our oldest (and only girl) helps me keep them all in line-and alive-not sure what I'll do when she's not here, this is her senior year😩. But so happy we chose to homeschool, I love getting to do life with them everyday all day😁
Oh my goodness, yes! I agree with you on so many of these! And it was so helpful to hear that someone else also does not do these popular things. Yay for everyone figuring out what works best for their families!
I feel so much better knowing that Im not the only homeschool mom who doesn’t do poetry teatime, unit studies, nature studies and putting my kids in a bunch of activities! Thank you so much for making this video. I tried a co-op our 1st year homeschooling and it was just too stressful for me and my kids.
Oh my goodness. I needed this video. I got lost down a Charlotte Mason rabbit hole a couple weeks ago and have been thinking I was the worst homeschool mom because I didn’t love to read poetry and drink tea or do a themed morning basket. This was exactly what I needed right now. Thank you for sharing!!
Amen! And amen! Could NOT have said this any better. It was the encouragement I needed to hear that others struggle, too, to not get school done in 2 hours! Thank you!
Ugh yes on the nature study. It was one of the things that kept me from fully committing to CM. Now, her views on living books… 100%. But there’s no way I’m going outside and painting a watercolor of an earthworm.
I homeschool my first grader, we don’t have long lessons I kind am what you’d call “un-schooler”. We do have formal lessons 4 days a week but focus on core subjects such as math, phonics, reading and writing. I use TH-cam for other subjects such as geography, science and history. We study scripture too!
I’m the same with co op. I prefer to pick our curriculum! My kids are in a drop off class at the Y this year and it’s a nice quick break for me. But next year I don’t know if I’ll do it- I feel like after soccer, gymnastics and play dates we are busy enough!
This sounds like a great list! Quality and depth over quantity. I couldn’t imagine trying to rush through it in two hours, that feels stressful and like the bare minimum. I briefly worked with a kid being partially homeschooled, it felt like a rush to get through it and didn’t feel like it was the best approach.
Great video!! Simplify and enjoy!! Homeschooling a 6th grader, 4th grader and a preschooler ( and I have a 1 yr old), and we are like you in all of the ways you listed as well! But we enjoy our days and our life and our school time together so much! Loved hearing your take on things!
We don't read lots of chapter books, we do t do co-ops or homeschool groups, we aren't in a lot of extra activities. My son plays basketball for a local Christian private school and my daughter is in 4H and it's because they LOVE it and not me trying to force it on them. We are at home a lot, but have a huge family and church family. I like to think it's more intentional and meaningful rather than trying to do it the way others do or try to keep up with others their age. We do what's best for us. Thanks again for your willingness to share.
We don’t do poetry tea time per se but on the weekends we will usually have a big breakfast and my husband will read a poem to the family. I love that he does that. We also don’t do nature study but I do love to forage! My children will tag along and either forage with me or just play in nature. We wouldn’t know about earth worms either, but we are good at spotting wild berries, nuts and certain mushrooms.
I love all of these. My kids thrive off of social interactions so I try and do as much as I can for them because they always want to go meet new friends. I try not to do to much but we stick to baseball when that’s going on and 4-h once a month. I’ve also been trying to incorporate the library story times.
Thanks for this video! We are currently stuck doing several different activities and it is so stressful. My daughters (K & 3rd grade) love the activities, but it stresses us out always trying to get to one place or the other on time and making the homeschool work try to go by fast so we aren't late anywhere. I am working on cutting things out, but it is hard to decide what needs to be cut out. I work from home, so we try to get school done in about 2-3 hours which we can do. But, we save Bible study for the evening which takes about an hour to do as well when we add in their Awana verse memorization. It's nice to know there are moms out there with the same mindset! :)
Great video! So relatable. We don't do co-ops either. We don't even do morning baskets. Both my boys are in 1st grade and it takes us about 1-1.5 hours/day. I really enjoy Durenda Wilson's podcast on homeschooling and having an "unhurried" approach.
Loved this whole video! It is so important to cull what doesn’t work for your unique family. There are only so many hours in the day, and homeschool can be much more effective and enjoyable when we’re honest with ourselves about what resonates and what feels forced. 💚
We do Simply Charlotte Mason, emphasis on the SIMPLE. 😅 we also don’t do Nature Study. I also agree it’s so forced. Kids are naturally curious. We live on 19 acres of fields and forest, our daily life is a nature study.
Honey, I think we’re living double lives here! Your homeschool attitude is just like mine! We are pretty much home bodies. Our kills LOVE, LOVE, LOVE being together as a family. My kids are 9 & 11, are they know the difference if something is just seat work. They’re even the type of learnings who rather read and discuss a topic than for us to buy all the pieces that amounts to notebooking/activities they really don’t get much from. They do love reading classical stories and history. We purchased Story Of The World along with the workbooks and they acted to just read the books. We don’t much because we only have one car right now and my husband use it for work. There are thinks like swimming classes that I would like to do. It’s rather hard to fit in sports since most of the games are held on Sundays (unless they played sports at the local school). I can go on! But thanks for this cool, transparent, and refreshing video!
I did Classical Conversations for a few years because we wanted a group-- I never used their curriculum at home because I, frankly, didn't really like it. Now we are part of a group that has extra classes (Spanish, PE, Art, Science, Preschool) and I absolutely love it.
I just heard the words “Poetry Teatime”…. And my anxiety levels just rose. We tried it…. It was way more stressful than enjoyable. We ditched it quickly! 😂😂😂😂
It was really nice to hear you mention how long it takes you to school, 3-5 hours. I don’t understand how some families school for 2 hours either if they are touching try topic and subtopic unless it’s review. Review takes substantially less time, but on average, our school days last 3.5-4.5 hrs five days a week for 1st and 2nd grade (our current grade). I feel very satisfied with this number bc I appreciate the quality of learning that occurs in this time and how thorough I think this time allotment allows. However, with 2 children, and one being a toddler now, that does pose it’s own (typical) challenges. I also started my daughter on a Core Knowledge schoolbook for TK3 bc she asked for it and was ready, but she is so young so that only takes about 10 mins plus story time a couple times a week. Thank you again for posting.
Yes to all of this! We are in year 3 and just dipping our toes in going out with our field trip co-op. I hate unit studies and all the extra morning stuff lol. Also, on days I let my 8yr old take her time and expand on her stuff, we can take almost 3 hours for just her.
So similar on almost all of these topics!! And I am COMPLETELY ok with it!👍 We have never attempted poetry tea time. I do not have a themed morning basket, because by the time I realize seasons/holidays have changed, it's normally like a week away from whichever "theme" I should be on🤣 We are not involved in any groups right now, outside of Royal Rangers and Missionettes at church (both WONDERFUL programs and free🙂), Zoe dances with the church group (only at Christmas and Easter usually), and Easton sings with the kid's worship team on select Sundays. We are about to start a children's choir at church for the Christmas season, which will require another evening of practice. I feel slightly overwhelmed thinking about it and I cannot imagine running around every single week night like some of my friends do! I love our evenings at home all together and for now, that's going to be a priority❤ We have had shorter school days lately, in the midst of packing/moving, but as soon as we are settled, we will have to adjust back into fitting more in. My kids will be thrilled🤭😬
Our morning basket is the reading part of different curriculums!!! We don’t do poetry teatime as it’s not us!!! We do coffee sessions for me to catch up on my older kids school!!! I grew up with the traditional nature study yet I don’t do it we do it on the beach often!!!recording happens naturally so not often!!! We love our homeschool group but we started it when we got to Sydney!!! I’m glad we left it as we started homeschooling a couple of years before COVID!!! I don’t always go to the homeschool group with my kids as it depends on my schedule!!! My older daughter loves her gran to take her!!! We don’t do many read alouds!!! The reading we do is mainly curriculum based!!! Our main activity is surfing!!! We don’t do handwriting after my kids can write well enough!!!
We don’t school 5 days a week. My husband and I homeschool our three granddaughters, (ages 7, 8, 11). We school MWT, 12 -4, and afternoon social co-op on Fri. afternoons. They only live 5 min from us. We may have to adjust days & time in the future but it’s worked well for the girls so far.🎉 We don’t teach money or time/clock skills until the third grade. We do have a timed schedule we keep, much like a traditional school, but our teaching style is eclectic and each girl is taught in the manner that she learns best. We all have a good time in our “school”. 😁
I call our read alouds time our morning basket though it's not in a basket. I don't do themes for our read alouds. I just pick books I think my son would like and all the books are different topics (not just one topic). We don't do tea time. It is not my thing nor do I think my son would enjoy that. I want to do nature studies but at five years old he's still young. We go outside a lot. We do a co-op and I'm ready for a break. We love it but I am tired.
Yes! I don’t do anything on this list either, except reading chapter books, which I love. But I’ve tried and discontinued all the others. I call myself a “minimalist” homeschooler. We keep it simple, relaxed and to the point. Our family is all neurodivergent so otherwise we all get overwhelmed too easily.
I think I've found my tribe!!! OMG I've been thinking I'm a bad homeschool mom since we don't do all the extras and try to keep up with the ones who seems to "do it all". We are so laid back and probably mix traditional homeschooling with unschooling. We don't rush either but we do finish on a couple of hours. You rock and thanks for your honestly!!!
This video was just what I needed to hear, right when I needed to hear it! THANK YOU ❤ Here lately we’ve been busy with all kinds of unexpected life situations, and I haven’t gotten to all of these things, or other things that are so popular. You have reminded me that that’s completely okay. I appreciate you and your honesty, and encouragement to do things that work for our family, not everyone else’s.
No co op for us either takes to much time, energy and money. We don't do formal nature study. Also just because we homeschool doesn't mean we stay home all day and do nothing. Just because we homeschool mom the educator doesn't mean im going to teach everything to my kids I get tutors/professional or someone that knows their stuff well to learn from them no need to do this alone.
School takes us 3 hours. Mainly because my son wants science every day. We do geography two days a week. We do math, language arts, science, Bible, spelling, and science every day. We do geography and handwriting two to three days a week. We do health and Spanish one day a week.
We have a very low key co-op with about 12 families from my church. It is fantastic and just enough for us. It's enough families that not everyone has to be doing something the whole time, and I absolutely love the community it has created for my kids. But it's just as much as for me as it is for my children. I love getting together with other adults. 😂
We're 13 years into homeschooling and have always wondered how people finish in an hour or two. We enjoyed our time. We read, looked things up online, and did all the Saxon Math activities lol.
I thought I was the only one- or one of few thinking this. I’m so glad I found someone relatable. 😂 I will say we have too many (imo) activities and I’m gonna play the part where you discuss that to my husband because he just doesn’t get it.
I totally agree with this video!!! Especially how many hours it takes to finish our day. I have a 10th, 8th and 6th grader and it takes us 6-7 hours. I always wonder if the families who finish in 2 hours are teaching anything? Thanks!!
You’re my homeschool mom spirt animal!!😂 I’m the most chill, laidback, and non-extra homeschool mom and I feel your list 100%!!
🥰🥰🥰
Cracking up….. I have been homeschooling for over 13 years.
(7 kids and this is our 14th year.).
And I have tried everything on your list and also hated it! 😂😂😂😂
The longer I homeschool, the more I just want to have a peaceful, relaxed school day and stop trying to do all “the extras”. Just do your schoolwork and tell me when you are done. You figured it out quickly! 😊
Amen! The goal is peace, definitely not anxiety 🥴
“A bird themed meal”🤣🤣🤣
Hilarious 😆
I know I thought y’all eating little hens. 😂😂
Cornish hens, perhaps? 🥴😂
It’s so liberating! We are moms not teachers, we care for meals, laundry bathrooms, spouse, play with our kids, kids colds, buy cloths, groceries, holidays deco, activities, our precious time with our children is to get them to connect with God their creator, and respect us, and helped them to create healthy habits and life skills
This is one of the reasons why I am subscribed to you 👍
This being our second year of homeschooling, trying to get advice from moms who've done it for a longer period of time, It looks like it's becoming a cult 😳
Of the things you have mentioned, I do not have time for and honestly I do not wish to participate in.
Everyday and every hour that we spend together is a gift from God 🙏 and I thank God everyday for the opportunity and ability to homeschool 🙏💙
God bless you and your family 🙏
Thank you! ❤
Yeah no nature study here either. It's scorching hot and humid here in the summer. We spend lots of time outside in the fall and winter months but that's only a brief period of time. We just play or go for walks. No "studying".
I love how you said you enjoy staying home more and they'll have years to be on the go later. That is so my heart as well.
Love this video. When I first heard about poetry tea time, I said never in a million years! I hate poetry! Well... we sit down with mugs full of southern sweet tea or hot chocolate every week and we eat the delicious homemade treats we made together that morning and we read the heck outta some Shel Silverstein. I never thought my kids nor I would look forward to poetry, but that goes to show, do what works for you.
Awww love it so much 🥰🥰 it’s so nice having something you all look forward to!
We did poetry teatime once per week for about a year. It was one of the highlights of our week.
So glad we aren't the only ones! I have felt "less than" not doing the things you've mentioned. Not this year! I have 5 kids and my 3 youngest aren't school age. It is far more stressful on us as a family to try and crame in all the other things. Plus, my 2 oldest boys could care less. It's a win-win 😊
that mom guilt is so real at the beginning of homeschooling! I am barely finding my groove after 3 years and that guilt gets less and less as the days go on.
Definitely NOT less than. No way!
The word you used “forced” resonates with me
Haha I don’t remember what I was referencing when I said that but I’m glad it resonated 😄❤️
This video just spoke to me so much. We are entering our 5th year of homeschooling and I’m just now getting to the “No, thank you, I don’t want to do that” kind of mentality. We’ve tried the nature studies and the unit studies, poetry tea time, etc etc because all the big influencers were doing it and I have zero homeschooling experience before this so I kind of took it as advice…but we always fall back into our textbooks. My kids are very “just the facts please” so I’ve finally just let go of all the social media influence and realized this is fine. My kids are learning plenty. I appreciate hearing from you that you don’t do all these things and it’s totally ok.
We homeschooled for 6 years. My 15 year old enrolled at our local highschool earlier this year. My 11 year old will be attending school after the summer holidays (we're in New Zealand and the summer holidays are from mid December until the end of January). We did poetry teatime weekly for over a year. It was one of the highlights of our week. Fancy cups and saucers, a hot drink, sweet treats and taking turns reading poetry.
We also did unit studies. It was a good approach for my autistic kids who liked to learn about topics in depth. I'm not sure about incorporating the topic into meals or maths though 🤔 Cicadas and WW2 were two of the topics 😂
We never did morning baskets or nature journaling. We didn't do a lot of activities outside the home either. I think children (and adults) benefit from ample time at home to relax and rest.
Ultimately everyone has to fldo what works best for their family, not tie themselves in knots trying to copy the highlight reels of social media homeschooling families.
I keep things simple, I’m not trying to school like public schooling I want them to learn things that are essential to life.
We just did our first homeschool hangout after homeschooling now for 3 years 😂. My kiddos definitely love home and our routine too. They are very sensitive to schedule changes too !!! And with two toddlers we are constantly interrupted and we take several breaks throughout the day. The time we spend on school work daily is about 4-5 hours 🙈.
Idk how you do it with 2 toddlers! One was very tough (but we did get through!)
I love this video! I always thought I would be the creative, themed, Pinterest homeschool mom, which there is nothing wrong with, but I’m facing the reality that I’m just not 😅 Like you, I love the charlotte mason philosophy and we love going outside but we don’t do structured nature studies or a morning basket (at least not right now).
My friend and I started a very chill, almost free co-op that meets once a month with our church homeschool crowd and we play games and do an art lesson, history or science, eat lunch together and sometimes a field trip - it has been just enough for us! I’m sure classical conversations is wonderful and our friends love it but I’m one of those people that it sounds like my worst nightmare 🤣
That sounds like a great compromise! Low key all the way here too 🙋🏻♀️
You always have, and I’m convinced, you always will, speak to my soul!!!! Your views are so similar to mine!!! Organic, not forced! Growing up before the internet, everything was a unit study!! Just being outside was a unit study! We all learned just fine without all the added fluff. You are an amazing person! Thank you for your content
You are too kind 🥰🥰
I don't like the "race" of being constantly on the go, either. I like being at home. I also feel no need to spend a very small amount of time on school...
Maybe it’s just the homebody in me?
Okay, THANK YOU for this video. This is our second year homeschooling, and I thought something was wrong with me. All of the extras are overwhelming to me! We're still trying to find our groove, and the comparison trap with homeschool channels can be too much.
I appreciate all of your videos. ❤
"I'm an inward 5 year old"...😂 Love it and can so relate! Thank you for posting this, made me feel sooo much better about myself!!
I thought we were about the only homeschoolers on the planet who did not do nature walks/study/notebooking! Glad to know we have company. Yes we spend time outside but nothing formal. We also do not do coop or lots of extras. And school takes us much longer then 2 hours. I’ve heard a seasoned homeschool mom say if your kids are in elementary you should not be doing school for more then a couple hours. But we certainly can not get done in that time frame. I’m homeschooling 3 this year and it just takes time!!
I’m so not a bug person 😂 And my daughter is having a hard time on the nature walks and study… she just doesn’t enjoy getting bug bites 🤷🏻♀️
@Dakk Family We do try though. I loved being outdoors as a child. It’s all I knew…
@Dakk Family we spend a decent amount of time outside (well tbh I’m a fair weather outsider) . We just don’t do notebooking or specific nature walks etc. Its just organic, old fashioned playing outside.
@@rangelchronicles296 bug bites are not fun for sure. I just tell my kids it’s time to go play outside and get some fresh air. Nothing formal.
Yes, 3 kids does take time! Especially in that kindergarten/1st grade stage because they’re just not really able to do anything independently yet so it’s very hands on still.
My sons are in football and cheer a few months out of the year and you would be AMAZED at the amount of kids that they're on teams with that either play multiple sports at a time or never even have a break the entire year jumping from one sport to the next. It's so incredibly sad to see their childhood in the rat race already.
I know some people really really love that, and it works for them. But just not for us!
This is the BEST homeschool video I've seen in a long time. I love your Practical-ness 😉 ❤️❤️❤️
Aww thank you! I’m not a minimalist homeschooler but also not an “all the things” homeschooler…just somewhere in the middle
@@thepracticalhomeschooler I homeschooled for 11 yrs up until this year, and I was the same way! Graduated two successful children so I guess it worked out, LOL.
@@outofthemouths nice! Love hearing that ☺️ it’s a relief!
Thank you for this! Aside from the last one, I don’t do any of these things either and I didn’t realize that I was low key feeling inadequate or pressure or like I am missing something. This reminds me my kids aren’t suffering or behind because we don’t do any of this stuff either
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I’m new to homeschool and I began semi-homeschooling back in September. I can say this video is very realistic… I’ve gotten so overwhelmed looking all the unit studies, themes and other extras. I plan to focus only on handwriting, language&arts, and math. I mean she’s only 4 and I have a 9month old too😬
Sounds perfect! ❤️
Check into what is required subjects for your state, and just do those. For mine, it's math, language arts, reading, science, social studies, and handwriting. But, language arts incorporates handwriting, and reading, so it's not bad at all. ♥️
I'm totally with you on these. We are very simplistic in our homeschool. My two oldest daughters were very involved in activities, and it was exhausting for them and us. I had completely changed my perspective on whether kids need to be involved in activities, by the time I got to my third child. Lol.
That 3rd child will do it to you! Haha
@@thepracticalhomeschooler it worked out pretty well as he isn't musical , and not a huge fan of sports. Lol.
Omg I’m so glad I stumbled upon this video! I be feeling so bad for not doing most of these things so I feel better knowing others don’t do all those either!
This was such a refreshing video! Thank you for sharing. Social media can be a tricky thing and seeing all these families doing all the things can leave me second guessing if I'm giving my kids enough if we aren't reading "enough" chapter books or doing all the fun themed units. The two hour school day one really gets me hung up. We just cannot get our day cut down anywhere near that and I was starting to think I must be doing something wrong. I am so grateful for your perspective 💓
Yes, I can feel like this too! Instead of inspiring (which I think is the intent) social media can feel discouraging or even condemning.
i could hug you! I rarely hear anyone with our point of view. I appreciate someone else wanting a relaxed life with what WE want. Carefully curated for us.
Hugs to you! ❤️❤️❤️
I too do my own thing…it takes us 4-6 hours a day for my 4th grade son to complete all his work. We do unit studies cause he enjoys them but we also still incorporate all his main curriculum on top of it…I know they say unit studies are good for all subjects except math but for me it’s not going deep enough to progress to the standards I feel he should be at
This was a great video. I'm in my 13th year of homeschooling and have been all over the map with three kids and trying to figure out what works for our family, for myself, and for each child. My son went to a private Christian school starting in 5th grade and it was the best thing that happened to him and our family of 5. I have homeschooled my two girls now and they are in 6th and 7th and have no desire to go to school. In fact they're both super creative types who are obsessed with dance. One is an artist, and one is a musician. They both already know what careers they'd like. It's a blessing because it's much easier to guide them, but at the same time it's a bit of a loss for this Mom who had homeschooling dreams of what things could be and what type of life I wanted homeschooling to be. So I'm working on acceptance and moving forward trusting God and his plan for these children. Certainly doesn't include read alouds, morning baskets, lap booking or nature walks. Instead we're doing what the state requires, and then attending theater practices, dance classes, voice lessons, studying ballet terms. Instead of reading literature we are reading and learning about how to run a small business. There is definitely no one size fits all for homeschooling families, instead, to each their own.
Yes I get that…Homeschool not looking exactly how you pictured in your mind. But I think you did the right thing for your son and that is most important!
@@thepracticalhomeschooler thank you!
Oh man! I have been feeling so overwhelmed by CM and trying to fit the whole feast into our days. I really do not enjoy things like nature study or test time, but feel so guilty about not doing them. I really needed to hear this. Thank you for this video.
Aww, no guilt, no shame!
I CAN RELATE SOOO MUCH! this is my 3rd year and I am just BARELY starting to realize that its okay not to do it like everyone else is! It is so refreshing to here this. The key to a successful homeschool is to figure out the parents best way of teaching, and the child's best way of learning and meshing is together in a balanced way! We all have different skills and abilities and certain likes and dislikes. Not only does a child learn better when they enjoy what they are doing, but a teacher will teach better when she enjoys it also!! I love how God made us all unique and different. I am a black and white person and homeschooling is teaching me there is not necessarily a right or wrong way, it truly is what works best for your family. One of the big ones you mentioned that i can relate to is we do school all day long and take lots of breaks. No way can we get it all done in 2 hours. I have a first grader and a 2 year old and trying to keep that 2 year old entertained while teaching lessons to the first grader has been the biggest struggle! Thanks for your wonderful vids!! I am so happy for you on your journey to stay home with your babies. No doubt will your homeschool start to look different than previous years, and for the better!
Absolutely! And even each child is so different… what works for one will not work for the other.
Gosh, I didnt even know about themed morning basket...been homeschooling for...10 years. Tried lots of things, but simple is so much better. I have chronic illness which has recently gotten worse, and so lots of days I can hardly get through the devotional. Thanks for the video!
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Organic learning is my favourite. I think the things we learn stick with us better that way.
I am nodding my head along with everything you said. Way to go, mama! You are doing great! ❤
I'm with you on a lot of these. We don't do poetry teatime, coordinated morning baskets, unit studies or co-ops either. We also don't school in 2 hours. We usually do school for around 4 hours. We don't do a ton of extras either. We do the daily extracurricular activities though (M-Th) bc my daughter requested them and sees it as an opportunity to see all her friends. However, they are a lot for me energy-wise and I honestly look forward to the 1 month break she gets during the last two weeks of December and first two weeks of January.
Loved this video! I often feel like I’m not doing “enough” in comparison to TH-cam homeschool mamas. This was encouraging and uplifting! ❤
I get that, girl! I totally get it! You’re good ☺️
I’m not even finished with this video yet but YES! 🙌🏻
Poetry Tea Time… we have poetry books on the bookshelf and the kids grab them as they desire. If I want to slow down and relax, I grab a book and we read it together on the couch. The kids know where the snacks are and get them at snack time. I don’t have the time or desire for poetry tea time either.
Nature studies…. I have never understood the point. My kids literally spend hours outside every day. They explore nature naturally. Why do I need to throw a journal at them and complicate their free play?!
That’s how I feel 😅 So many of these trendy practices just feel like they are complicating things. Bottom line is we have a buffet of opportunities to bring in to our homeschool and as mom we need to be wise to bring in what works and leave the rest, guilt free!!
Exactly! Pick and choose what’s right for you!
This was great to hear. I don’t do morning basket at all. So far we have not done any group coop things either. Generally it take us 4-5 and sometimes 6 hours to get finished. I am teaching one grandson that was diagnosed with ADHD, so there have been many challenging moments.
I’m so glad I’m not the only mom in this season! I want to do all the things but I just can’t mentally.
I get it!!
I enjoyed listening to this, makes me feel less guilty about what we don’t do.
A few other things we aren’t on top of:
1. Collaborative mega bundles. They are nice and packed with fun stuff, but just don’t ever use them. I’ve made this mistake a few times. There are a few I’ll buy here and there for specific stuff.
2. Beautiful themed displays or layouts. This just stresses me out. It wouldn’t last in my home- my kids would have it disassembled in no time.
3. Buying curriculum just bc it’s trendy and popular. I see a lot of TH-cam/instagram homeschoolers always talking about the same thing and it makes me wonder if they only talk about it because it’s sponsored or something they got for free for a review. We don’t actually know how well it works, they could be incorporating other things. Idk- just too suspicious for me😆.
Yes totally agree with😊,
YESS! honestly if its super popular to me, it almost makes me want to stay away!
You are the first homeschool mom I have ever agreed with and just like. I absolutely love this list. Thanks I needed this video.
So glad you could relate ❤️
I very much appreciate your last point! I’ve felt a lot of pressure with the thought that we take too long to do school, we should be finished by such and such a time like other families and it makes a huge difference to take that pressure off and just do what works peacefully for your household. Thank you for putting that out there.
❤️❤️❤️ so glad you feel better about knowing you’re not alone
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this video! Thank you for being honest.!
Same! Thank you for sharing this! 😊
Thanks for sharing! as a first year homeschool mom I needed this! now I don't feel so bad that we aren't doing a lot of these neither. Our work days normally takes us awhile as well so I'm so happy I'm not alone.
You’re definitely not alone!
Same. We learn straight to the point. 1-2 activities a week that’s it. Great video!
I. Totally. Agree.
Glad!! To have come across this very good overall, look at building your own family homeschooling culture.
One thing I love listening to people talk about ( but just don't do it... ) Is the morning basket! I do love the read alouds though.
Very relatable points you made here @the practical Homeschooler.
(:
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Homeschooling mama for 13 years here-we have never done poetry tea-time or nature study. My kids have tons of outdoor time as we live on a farm but also, we have 4 boys....no patience for writing down what we're doing when we're skinning a squirrel😂. Our "morning basket" is very short compared to most-a daily devotion that includes Bible reading and then I read aloud from a chapter book but I love to read out loud, especially to my kids.
“Skinning a squirrel” is what I took away from this comment 😳 😂 your are a braver soul than I 🤣🥰
@@thepracticalhomeschooler everyday is an adventure with this crew😂. Our oldest (and only girl) helps me keep them all in line-and alive-not sure what I'll do when she's not here, this is her senior year😩. But so happy we chose to homeschool, I love getting to do life with them everyday all day😁
Amen! Right there with you. Keep it simple, family time is premium.
Oh my goodness, yes! I agree with you on so many of these! And it was so helpful to hear that someone else also does not do these popular things. Yay for everyone figuring out what works best for their families!
I feel so much better knowing that Im not the only homeschool mom who doesn’t do poetry teatime, unit studies, nature studies and putting my kids in a bunch of activities! Thank you so much for making this video. I tried a co-op our 1st year homeschooling and it was just too stressful for me and my kids.
Certainly not alone
Oh my goodness. I needed this video. I got lost down a Charlotte Mason rabbit hole a couple weeks ago and have been thinking I was the worst homeschool mom because I didn’t love to read poetry and drink tea or do a themed morning basket. This was exactly what I needed right now. Thank you for sharing!!
You so are not the worst! Sorry you felt that way ☹️ glad you could relate to this!
Amen! And amen! Could NOT have said this any better. It was the encouragement I needed to hear that others struggle, too, to not get school done in 2 hours! Thank you!
So glad your found it encouraging! And based on the comments, you’re certainly not alone 😌
Ugh yes on the nature study. It was one of the things that kept me from fully committing to CM. Now, her views on living books… 100%. But there’s no way I’m going outside and painting a watercolor of an earthworm.
You are so honest and genuine ❤️ Thank you 💓
I homeschool my first grader, we don’t have long lessons I kind am what you’d call “un-schooler”. We do have formal lessons 4 days a week but focus on core subjects such as math, phonics, reading and writing. I use TH-cam for other subjects such as geography, science and history. We study scripture too!
This is amazing! Made me feel so much better about the things we never seem to get to 😂😂😂 love your honesty
Ditto on almost everything 💜💜💜 Appreciate the video!! 😊
As much as gas is these days, we don't get out much either. We've scaled back from our co-op group and will reevaluate what we'll do in the new year.
So thankful for this video! Even though I’m seeing two years later 😂 still relevant and encouraging for me.
I’m the same with co op. I prefer to pick our curriculum! My kids are in a drop off class at the Y this year and it’s a nice quick break for me. But next year I don’t know if I’ll do it- I feel like after soccer, gymnastics and play dates we are busy enough!
A drop off class at the Y sounds good…I’ll have to check into that at ours!
@@thepracticalhomeschooler yes our local Y has quite a few classes for homeschoolers!
We do a drop off class at the zoo. I need to check out the Y for the future.
This sounds like a great list! Quality and depth over quantity. I couldn’t imagine trying to rush through it in two hours, that feels stressful and like the bare minimum. I briefly worked with a kid being partially homeschooled, it felt like a rush to get through it and didn’t feel like it was the best approach.
Great video!! Simplify and enjoy!! Homeschooling a 6th grader, 4th grader and a preschooler ( and I have a 1 yr old), and we are like you in all of the ways you listed as well! But we enjoy our days and our life and our school time together so much! Loved hearing your take on things!
We have tea time but don't do poetry! We just like drinking tea and eating snacks 😆
Haha nice!
We don't read lots of chapter books, we do t do co-ops or homeschool groups, we aren't in a lot of extra activities. My son plays basketball for a local Christian private school and my daughter is in 4H and it's because they LOVE it and not me trying to force it on them. We are at home a lot, but have a huge family and church family. I like to think it's more intentional and meaningful rather than trying to do it the way others do or try to keep up with others their age. We do what's best for us. Thanks again for your willingness to share.
We don’t do poetry tea time per se but on the weekends we will usually have a big breakfast and my husband will read a poem to the family. I love that he does that.
We also don’t do nature study but I do love to forage! My children will tag along and either forage with me or just play in nature. We wouldn’t know about earth worms either, but we are good at spotting wild berries, nuts and certain mushrooms.
That’s so sweet he does that ☺️
I love all of these. My kids thrive off of social interactions so I try and do as much as I can for them because they always want to go meet new friends. I try not to do to much but we stick to baseball when that’s going on and 4-h once a month. I’ve also been trying to incorporate the library story times.
Wow you and I are so alike. Especially the extracurricular activity side of it.
Thanks for this video! We are currently stuck doing several different activities and it is so stressful. My daughters (K & 3rd grade) love the activities, but it stresses us out always trying to get to one place or the other on time and making the homeschool work try to go by fast so we aren't late anywhere. I am working on cutting things out, but it is hard to decide what needs to be cut out. I work from home, so we try to get school done in about 2-3 hours which we can do. But, we save Bible study for the evening which takes about an hour to do as well when we add in their Awana verse memorization. It's nice to know there are moms out there with the same mindset! :)
Great video! So relatable. We don't do co-ops either. We don't even do morning baskets. Both my boys are in 1st grade and it takes us about 1-1.5 hours/day. I really enjoy Durenda Wilson's podcast on homeschooling and having an "unhurried" approach.
Loved this whole video! It is so important to cull what doesn’t work for your unique family. There are only so many hours in the day, and homeschool can be much more effective and enjoyable when we’re honest with ourselves about what resonates and what feels forced. 💚
I couldn't agree more with ALL of these items!
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Yes to pretty much all of this!
We do Simply Charlotte Mason, emphasis on the SIMPLE. 😅 we also don’t do Nature Study. I also agree it’s so forced. Kids are naturally curious. We live on 19 acres of fields and forest, our daily life is a nature study.
19 acres! Lovely! 😍😍😍
Honey, I think we’re living double lives here! Your homeschool attitude is just like mine! We are pretty much home bodies. Our kills LOVE, LOVE, LOVE being together as a family. My kids are 9 & 11, are they know the difference if something is just seat work. They’re even the type of learnings who rather read and discuss a topic than for us to buy all the pieces that amounts to notebooking/activities they really don’t get much from. They do love reading classical stories and history. We purchased Story Of The World along with the workbooks and they acted to just read the books. We don’t much because we only have one car right now and my husband use it for work. There are thinks like swimming classes that I would like to do. It’s rather hard to fit in sports since most of the games are held on Sundays (unless they played sports at the local school). I can go on! But thanks for this cool, transparent, and refreshing video!
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I love this makes me feel not so alone bc their is alot of stuff we dont do either thank you for this 🥰
I did Classical Conversations for a few years because we wanted a group-- I never used their curriculum at home because I, frankly, didn't really like it. Now we are part of a group that has extra classes (Spanish, PE, Art, Science, Preschool) and I absolutely love it.
Sounds awesome!
I just heard the words “Poetry Teatime”…. And my anxiety levels just rose. We tried it…. It was way more stressful than enjoyable. We ditched it quickly! 😂😂😂😂
Bahaha sorry to be a trigger 🙈🙊❤️
It was really nice to hear you mention how long it takes you to school, 3-5 hours. I don’t understand how some families school for 2 hours either if they are touching try topic and subtopic unless it’s review. Review takes substantially less time, but on average, our school days last 3.5-4.5 hrs five days a week for 1st and 2nd grade (our current grade). I feel very satisfied with this number bc I appreciate the quality of learning that occurs in this time and how thorough I think this time allotment allows. However, with 2 children, and one being a toddler now, that does pose it’s own (typical) challenges. I also started my daughter on a Core Knowledge schoolbook for TK3 bc she asked for it and was ready, but she is so young so that only takes about 10 mins plus story time a couple times a week. Thank you again for posting.
Yes to all of this! We are in year 3 and just dipping our toes in going out with our field trip co-op. I hate unit studies and all the extra morning stuff lol. Also, on days I let my 8yr old take her time and expand on her stuff, we can take almost 3 hours for just her.
So similar on almost all of these topics!! And I am COMPLETELY ok with it!👍 We have never attempted poetry tea time. I do not have a themed morning basket, because by the time I realize seasons/holidays have changed, it's normally like a week away from whichever "theme" I should be on🤣 We are not involved in any groups right now, outside of Royal Rangers and Missionettes at church (both WONDERFUL programs and free🙂), Zoe dances with the church group (only at Christmas and Easter usually), and Easton sings with the kid's worship team on select Sundays. We are about to start a children's choir at church for the Christmas season, which will require another evening of practice. I feel slightly overwhelmed thinking about it and I cannot imagine running around every single week night like some of my friends do! I love our evenings at home all together and for now, that's going to be a priority❤ We have had shorter school days lately, in the midst of packing/moving, but as soon as we are settled, we will have to adjust back into fitting more in. My kids will be thrilled🤭😬
I’m the same way! Holidays and all that sneak up on me too 🤦🏻♀️
Our morning basket is the reading part of different curriculums!!! We don’t do poetry teatime as it’s not us!!! We do coffee sessions for me to catch up on my older kids school!!! I grew up with the traditional nature study yet I don’t do it we do it on the beach often!!!recording happens naturally so not often!!! We love our homeschool group but we started it when we got to Sydney!!! I’m glad we left it as we started homeschooling a couple of years before COVID!!! I don’t always go to the homeschool group with my kids as it depends on my schedule!!! My older daughter loves her gran to take her!!! We don’t do many read alouds!!! The reading we do is mainly curriculum based!!! Our main activity is surfing!!! We don’t do handwriting after my kids can write well enough!!!
I love coffee sessions to chat ❤️❤️ totally up my alley!
We don’t school 5 days a week. My husband and I homeschool our three granddaughters, (ages 7, 8, 11).
We school MWT, 12 -4, and afternoon social co-op on Fri. afternoons.
They only live 5 min from us.
We may have to adjust days & time in the future but it’s worked well for the girls so far.🎉
We don’t teach money or time/clock skills until the third grade.
We do have a timed schedule we keep, much like a traditional school, but
our teaching style is eclectic and each girl is taught in the manner that she learns best.
We all have a good time in our “school”. 😁
I call our read alouds time our morning basket though it's not in a basket. I don't do themes for our read alouds. I just pick books I think my son would like and all the books are different topics (not just one topic).
We don't do tea time. It is not my thing nor do I think my son would enjoy that.
I want to do nature studies but at five years old he's still young. We go outside a lot.
We do a co-op and I'm ready for a break. We love it but I am tired.
Don’t wear yourself out mama!
So grateful for this video! I swear I thought I must be the only homeschool mama that doesn’t want to read aloud big books! Lol!
Not alone 🙋🏻♀️😮💨❤️
Yes! I don’t do anything on this list either, except reading chapter books, which I love. But I’ve tried and discontinued all the others.
I call myself a “minimalist” homeschooler. We keep it simple, relaxed and to the point. Our family is all neurodivergent so otherwise we all get overwhelmed too easily.
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I think I've found my tribe!!! OMG I've been thinking I'm a bad homeschool mom since we don't do all the extras and try to keep up with the ones who seems to "do it all". We are so laid back and probably mix traditional homeschooling with unschooling. We don't rush either but we do finish on a couple of hours. You rock and thanks for your honestly!!!
So glad you can relate ☺️☺️
This video was just what I needed to hear, right when I needed to hear it! THANK YOU ❤ Here lately we’ve been busy with all kinds of unexpected life situations, and I haven’t gotten to all of these things, or other things that are so popular.
You have reminded me that that’s completely okay. I appreciate you and your honesty, and encouragement to do things that work for our family, not everyone else’s.
So glad to hear that ❤️
I agree with you...when I talk to homeschool parents they act like I am crazy 🤣 nice to hear. School takes us 4 to 6 hours.
No co op for us either takes to much time, energy and money. We don't do formal nature study. Also just because we homeschool doesn't mean we stay home all day and do nothing. Just because we homeschool mom the educator doesn't mean im going to teach everything to my kids I get tutors/professional or someone that knows their stuff well to learn from them no need to do this alone.
Absolutely agree thank you for making this video sometimes we need to know other people are like us.
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Love and appreciate this video so much! ❤️ I can relate on so many levels.
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School takes us 3 hours. Mainly because my son wants science every day. We do geography two days a week. We do math, language arts, science, Bible, spelling, and science every day. We do geography and handwriting two to three days a week. We do health and Spanish one day a week.
I don’t know how they do it in 2 hours either! Lol. It takes me 4 hours minimum.
We have a very low key co-op with about 12 families from my church. It is fantastic and just enough for us. It's enough families that not everyone has to be doing something the whole time, and I absolutely love the community it has created for my kids.
But it's just as much as for me as it is for my children. I love getting together with other adults. 😂
Sounds great! I get that… the needing adult interaction too ☺️☺️
We're 13 years into homeschooling and have always wondered how people finish in an hour or two. We enjoyed our time. We read, looked things up online, and did all the Saxon Math activities lol.
I thought I was the only one- or one of few thinking this. I’m so glad I found someone relatable. 😂 I will say we have too many (imo) activities and I’m gonna play the part where you discuss that to my husband because he just doesn’t get it.
Yes…some people love being on the go more than other others
I totally agree with this video!!! Especially how many hours it takes to finish our day. I have a 10th, 8th and 6th grader and it takes us 6-7 hours. I always wonder if the families who finish in 2 hours are teaching anything? Thanks!!
Pensaba que yo era la única que me sentía así! Me identifico con todas.