A Day in the Life of Homeschool Mama Elizabeth
A Day in the Life of Elizabeth, Homeschool Mama of Four
I’m Elizabeth, a homesteading/homeschooling mom of many from Ontario, Canada. This is our eighth year homeschooling and our children range in age from 3-11. My philosophy on homeschooling has changed a lot over the years and I finally feel like we have found a rhythm that really works for our family. Spoiler alert: it often includes me letting go of perceived conceptions of where my children “should” be and embracing where they are at. But we’ll chat more about that during tomorrow’s takeover. Hope to see you then!
Hi friend!
I’m so glad that you’ve chosen to spend your day with us. I’ve already shared parts of our morning in stories but I thought I’d give a quick break down here on how our mornings start as well!
We usually start our day together between 7:30 and
How do you start your mornings? Do you have a set start time?
PS: If you know how to keep the table cloth wrinkle free with a house full of children I would love to know your secret!
Morning Chores
After breakfast, it’s time for chores! I created these chore lists last spring and we are still using them with great success! Along with their bedroom, each child has a room of the home that it is their responsibility to keep clean. We have three chore blocks during the day where they go and make sure that their rooms are neat and clean. Currently, my 11 year is responsible for the living room, my
I started having the children help with chores right from when they were toddlers and they never looked at it as work but as something fun to do together. From folding dish clothes to rinsing cups and vacuuming they all loved helping out Now that they are older they’re not always so keen on doing their jobs, but for the most part, they do their work with good attitudes.
Do you have a chore system in your home?
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Morning Schoolwork
After chores, we head to the classroom for school! We start our day by having our morning time around the rocking chair where we pray, sing our monthly hymn, do our calendar work and read a poem or short story. After that, we head to the table for independent work!
I am so grateful for our classroom, (because minimalism isn’t my strong suit) but a beautiful schoolroom definitely isn’t necessary to have a rich, fulfilling homeschool experience. Some of our best learning happens outside, or gathered around the kitchen table or cuddled up on the couch. So just know that no matter what your school space looks like, it is beautiful because it is the place where learning and wonder happen. Together.
History Study
After they finish language arts they have a
Over the years we have homeschooled through some difficult situations and this past school has probably been the hardest. These hard seasons have made me even more thankful for all of the time that homeschooling gives us together as a family. Time to grieve, time to cry, time to answer some hard questions. And, also, time to pray and give thanks for all the blessings we have received, as well as for the ones withheld. It is such a blessing to spend these days together, even if we don’t always accomplish what we set out too in the time frame that we give ourselves.
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Lunch + Outside Time
After history, we had lunch and headed outside for some free play and explore! We live on a farm where we have rabbits and chickens but they were all in the barn and in their coop staying out of the rain so the children settled for playing in their mud kitchen!
We built this kitchen about a month and half ago out of wood pallets! Total cost was only $3.00 and it definitely was $3.00 well spent! Check out the tag #fortheloveofhomeschooling_mudkitchen to see the different ways we have used it over the past 6 weeks.
I shared more about the mud kitchen and how we built it in stories for those interested!
Building Confidence
We are inside early due to the rain so they still have a little bit of break time left! My 9 year old loves history, so he grabbed our history year by
One of the greatest things that homeschooling has taught me is how important it is to build confidence in each of your child no matter if they are early or late in certain subjects. Over the years my philosophies on education have changed quite a bit. The reason for that is that as my second child got older I saw that the way I homeschooled my eldest was not working for him. Anytime I would “make” him do his school work it would end in frustration and sometimes tears. I was trying to make sure he was just where he should be in math and reading and completely missing that he was several grades ahead in science, history, and Bible. So I decided to back off and teach solely to his interests with some math sheets and flashcards thrown in here and there for good measure. The results have been extraordinary! No more tears over school work and now, a year later, he is
How about you? Have your education philosophies changed over the years?
Nature Study
The last hour of school is spent doing nature study. As the weather warms up we spend more and more time outdoors exploring and learning in nature! I recently created these nature journals for my children as we plan on spending the next several months really gaining an
We are not strictly Charlotte Mason homeschoolers but I do appreciate the following quote immensely:
“A child’s main purpose for his first six or seven years is to find out everything he can, about everything he sees, hears, feels…Therefore, the parents’ first priority should be putting as much of nature as possible within the child’s notice.” (Charlotte Mason)
If you would like more information about the journals
Thank you for follo wing along!
Each day in our home is so different, as I’m sure it is in yours. Some days we start school on time and get all of our book work done. Other days we don’t technically start school at all and spend all day outdoors. Either
Have a wonderful night, friends!
Thank you so much to Elizabeth for sharing your family’s day with us!
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