Homeschooling Day in the Life: Emily, Homeschooling Mom of One Teenager, Living on a Ranch
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 Emily, homeschooling mom of one teenager, living on a ranch in 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 Emily
Emily @life.on.a.ranch.homeschool is a homeschooling mom living in the foothills of California. She has one son who is in 10th grade, and she has been homeschooling for 11 years!
She loves tea, teaching science, and her best advice to homeschoolers is to give yourself grace.
You are all in for such a treat because Emily is one of the most encouraging people out there and you are sure to be blessed by seeing her day.
Good Morning
Hi y’all, Emily from @life.on.a.ranch.homeschool here. Good morning and hello Learning Well Community. I’m so honored, blessed and thankful to be sharing our homeschool day with all of you.
I plan on sharing as much as I can. I hope that I bring inspiration, motivation, and an overall glimpse at how we homeschool here at the ranch. Many blessings and happy homeschooling.
I have been homeschooling my son for 11 years. My husband and I chose to homeschool after much prayer and thought. It was a calling, and we answered as parents. It’s been a fantastic adventure and I’m happy to share it here and on my personal page.
A Homeschool Mom Morning
Good morning! Homeschool mama morning here. Here on the ranch it’s harvest season. We have a small orchard and at the moment it’s oranges, so that means fresh squeezed orange juice. This morning I went and picked some. It’s so refreshing and delicious. I usually eat my breakfast as well during this time as I like to spend a good hour to myself deep in the word, with a fantastic bible study, devotional, and a chapter book. I also take this time to check out a cookbook and find a new recipe or two. This is my time and I find it so important to have that moment.
It’s almost 8am and my teen should be waking up and then it’s time for our homeschool day to start.
The Start to Our Day
Homeschooling is officially starting and this is where we’ll be for next few hours. Over my 11 years of homeschooling, there are a few things I have found that helped to make each day successful.
Homeschooling space or room or area: This may look different for all, and that is a beautiful thing because homeschooling can truly happen anywhere. This has been our homeschool room since day one (our library and one day will turn back into a library) however we have homeschooled everywhere, so making a special space and routine to get school work done really helps.
Schedule and routine: From the start we have always made the mornings our time to school. Now trust me not all days look the same. However, I’m a strong believer in setting that routine/schedule and sticking to it (key word is FLEXIBILITY). At the moment with these teen years setting a schedule is key. It gives independence, accountability,structure and flexibility for what life has ahead (college, job, travel,life).
And last is to have fun: Happy homeschooling moments everyday! Friends, bad days do happen with life, seasons, curriculum and age, etc. However have y’all ever heard of that saying “don’t cry over spilled milk?” Make it fun because guess what…tomorrow or next week you might spill that milk again. Give yourself grace, mama.
I only get one shot at homeschooling, so I try my best to make it Fun, Memorable, Educational, Exciting, Enjoyable and Engaging.
Homeschool Art
I love to share our journey and on my regular page I share homeschool moments. Art is a fantastic way for your child or teen to express themselves and have fun. Today’s lesson was absolutely fantastic and we learned about a new artist and art form.
If you get the chance, add in some art! For those in high school, art is a fantastic way to earn credits and a fantastic way to meet others. In our town we have a few places that give lessons or classes so it’s a fantastic way to meet other teens. We can also dual enroll for art and there are a few places where art can be displayed.
We have included art in our homeschool since day one and my son enjoys it.
Dinner Prep
At this time it’s about 3:00pm, and it’s time to start dinner. I love starting with making a sweet treat from the Learning Well Journal–winter edition. Y’all I absolutely love every issue that arrives. Trying out a beautiful recipe by @overatalicias . I added some sprinkles to make it festive so I can also share on my regular page. I try my hardest to share every issue….. it’s beautiful and this recipe was 10/10 delicious!!!
Evening Ranch Duties
Thank you so much for spending the day with me! Every minute of the day is spent to its fullest, and I’m so honored and blessed I was able to share with y’all here at Learning Well Community.
As we finish our evening ranch duties, I always love seeing God’s beauty in a beautiful sunset. They are my favorite. Tonight Mr. Lifeonaranch is cooking dinner (steak and veggies over mashed potatoes) since I made dessert already. I set the table, for we are having some guests over for dinner.
I want to end saying to y’all that I’m so proud of you and your homeschool journey. Each one of you are doing something absolutely amazing. Many blessings and happy homeschooling!
Thank you so much to Emily 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.