Homeschooling Day in the Life: Annie, Homeschooling Mom of Three That Love to Incorporate Family Subjects
A homeschool day in the life looks different almost every day, right? Over on our Instagram page, we love to give you a peek into lots of homeschool days regardless of how they change day to day.
Today, we’re going to give you a peek into the homeschool day in the life of Annie, homeschooling mom of three children that loves to incorporate family subjects.
We can all learn and be inspired by one another, regardless of our homeschool approach. It’s not about looking good for social media, it’s about the connection going on inside our homeschool walls and sharing with others what works for us.
Learning Well LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Affiliate links from Amazon or other programs are used on this website. For more info, please refer to our disclosure statement.
We might all homeschool a little differently, but we can always look for ideas from each other that inspire, encourage and equip us in our own homeschool days. So each week we create blog posts for you to access later of each of those “days in the life”. We hope you keep coming back for more inspiration. Keep going, mama! These days at home are so worth it!
Meet Annie
Hi! I’m Annie
I am a homeschooling mom of three kids (8th, 6th and 4th), and wife of 23 years, living in the beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota. We are currently in our 9th year of homeschooling and all absolutely love the lifestyle it allows. My husband was a public high school teacher for many years so we had a front row seat to that system and quickly knew we desired something different for our own family.
When I’m not teaching my kids, I can most likely be found reading a book, baking bread, or doing something creative.
Early Morning
I’ve always been an early riser. I love the quiet solitude before the demands of the day pull me in multiple directions. I’m an avid reader and usually make sure that I have about an hour to read something fun for myself. After that I get completely ready for my day. I don’t always love doing this so early–some days I would rather sit and be cozy for awhile longer–but the truth is that everything goes smoother in our home if I am available for them and not fighting to get my own things done once they are up. Once I’m ready I sit down with my husband and a fresh cup of coffee and I read Scripture and a few pages out of a theology book. Currently, it’s Truths We Confess by R.C. Sproul.
Kids Are Up!
Kids get up around 7:15 and we take a slow approach into the day. They get whatever I have set out for breakfast and gather at the table for our read aloud. We are currently reading Little Britches. We listened to this on audio several years ago, but no one remembered it well and my son is finally old enough to truly love it, so we are taking it for another round and loving it!
After we have read a few chapters, the kids get ready for the day and practice their instruments. My oldest and youngest both take guitar/ukulele lessons from my dad via FaceTime. It’s such a precious time of connection with him each week and I’m so thankful for it. My middle daughter takes piano lessons locally and it has been so much fun to watch her grow in this skill!
Morning Time
The goal is to be at the table by 9:30 where we start with all of our combined studies. We watch WORLD Watch and then do our Bible time together. After that we do any combination of Latin/Greek root word study, financial stewardship, science or history.
History + Science
Most years we do only history for the first term and then we switch to only science in the second term. I find both of these subjects to be more hands-on and time consuming, so giving them sole focus for a time works well and helps to change things up mid year. This year my oldest is doing Physical Science through Compass Classroom on her own so our combined focus has been solely on history.
Individual Studies
Next we move into our individual studies. Each of the kids has their own grade level for math, grammar, handwriting, and spelling. They don’t do all of these subjects everyday (except math), but I choose one or two to accompany their math and complete each day.
My oldest has had extra studies to focus on this year. She participated in a leadership school called Teen Pact that trains them to understand the political process and engage the culture around them. The preparation and homework for the in person part of the class took a fair amount of time for her, so while she focused on that, I assigned a book to each of my younger kids and once they have completed it, they will do a cereal box book report on it (these are so fun!)
Afternoons
Our afternoons can vary from day to day, but we try to be done with school by 1:30. The rest of the day is filled with outside play, reading, handicrafts and art, Spanish class, trips to the library, and any errands that need to be done. My son loves building a fire for no good reason, and working on our house build with my husband.
Evenings
I cook nearly every single night with the exception of Wednesdays when we have church activities. We make it a point to sit and eat together most every night. I know this isn’t a priority for everyone, and that activities can keep families from this, but we have worked hard to keep this sacred in our home, and I love that it’s normal for our kids. Even if it’s quick, we gather together.
Encouragement
I know someday my home will be free from clutter and I’ll have more time to devote to the many things I desire to learn and do. However, my table will be empty, I won’t walk by beautiful art projects or step on a nerf gun bullet for the eighteenth time that day, and I’ll remember how our days were full to the brim of learning, good conversations, moments of growth, and so many precious memories. I cherish it all. Homeschooling is the best, even on the most difficult of days. Every single hardship, difficulty, poor attitude, impatient action, or selfish thought is a moment for sanctification for each one of us. What a gift.
