Homeschooling Day in the Life: Beth, homeschooling mama to teenagers
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 Beth, homeschooling mama to three teenagers in the Central Valley of California.
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.
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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 Beth
Beth @where.wildthings.grow is a soon to be 39 year old wife and mother of three. She has been homeschooling for about nine years in the Central Valley of California. She is truly a California girl who loves southern style sweet tea and true crime. Beth gleans a lot of her inspiration from friends she has made through Instagram, and describes their homeschool as eclectic, balanced and free!
Good Morning!
Good morning! I’m Beth from @where.wildthings.grow . I’m so grateful to be sharing some of our day to day with you all. Today is Wednesday and that means it’s a work day for me. At the age of 38 I got my very first job. A “guide“ at a wild schooling type enrichment program that my kids have been apart of for four years now.
Working a few times a week has changed life a bit. Today we have Bible time, breakfast and then head out the door. On a regular day at home everyone takes their time getting up, I put on a sermon or music as we make breakfast. The kids prepare for the day, eat, and then each child naturally starts something interest led.
This Is How We Do It
We are pretty eclectic in our learning. Our oldest at age 17 has been unschooled for the last four years. You can usually find her with her nose buried in a book, pursuing her three year love affair with the study of death care, her hand holding a paintbrush or studying some natural science.
My son is 15. He has a bit more guidance and structure with English and math but definitely takes charge of his own education. The first thing he does each morning is read some kind of history book. After book work is done, he spends his time creating with his hands. Whether engineering something, making a skateboard, a hatband or practicing his art, he has to keep moving.
Lastly is our 11 year old daughter. We take a more Charlotte Mason approach to her learning. Math, LA, and reading is done in the morning after she’s done something interest-led. After that we take a break before either science or history.
Afternoons
The best afternoons look like this. The kids are gathered in the kitchen, so into whatever they’re learning or doing that they lose track of time. Some of the best memories have been made in the kitchen. I know it can be hard to say yes to messy projects or cooking. However, don’t let that stop you. The messes don’t last long. During the afternoon we love listening to music, finish up projects, cleaning up and getting ready to rest.
Homeschooling Teenagers
I shared about a day in the life of homeschooling teenagers a few months ago. It’s pretty common to get lots of comments like “oh just wait until they’re teenagers”. I want to assure you, that does NOT have to be the case. The seeds you’re planting now will surely start to bear fruit in the later years.
Today, just like our other days we spend the day at home, each kid knows what needs to be done and what is expected. They are able to do that because of the rhythm we established over the years. It was so wonderful to walk in the door to music playing and kids working at the table together. The younger years are so full of wonder but it doesn’t stop there. The wonder you gave them continues on. Maybe not exactly the same but in other ways that are also rewarding to watch.
Evenings
On Wednesday nights we spend the evening enjoying midweek church. Any other day of the week we’re home enjoying time together and winding down. Our favorite nights during this time of year are spent around a bonfire.
Thank you so much for taking the time to join in our day! I’ll leave you with this thought. What they say is true– “The days are long but the years are short”. Know that as long as you’re trying, that is enough. What you’re doing is enough. Enjoy the moments engaging with your kids. Only today will they be this little. The messes won’t last forever, so extend yourself grace, and don’t overthink what could have been better today. Tomorrow is a new day and it is a blessing for us as homeschool moms to be that constant rock in our children’s lives.
Thank you so much to Beth for sharing your family’s day with us!
If you want to see more Day in the Life photos and videos, be sure to check out our Instagram profile. There are highlights of each takeover at the top.
