Homeschooling Day in the Life: Jessi, Homeschooling Mom to 5 Children in Small Town Kentucky
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 Jessi, homeschool mom of 5 children living in small town Kentucky.
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!
Hi, I’m Jessi!
I am a full-time homeschool mother of 5. Last year, my husband of 21 years and I moved our children from the big city of Las Vegas to a small country town of 400 residents in western Kentucky. We use the Charlotte Mason method in our homeschool, and specifically Ambleside online, which we have used since my oldest began school 9 years ago. In my very limited free time, I enjoy writing, researching genealogy, cooking, and taking naps.
Early Mornings
I wake up at 5:30, before my children, because the more I get done before little feet hit the ground, the better. I read my bible, brew my husband’s coffee and prepare his lunch, take a walk down my favorite farm road, squeeze in a quick weight workout, then get myself ready for the day. As I begin breakfast the children start to emerge from their rooms and as they wait to be fed, they feed the animals: the girls feed the cats and the boys feed the birds. We aim to eat before 9 am. During breakfast they view World Watch and as soon as they’re done, everyone brushes their teeth and begins math.
Morning Time
We begin our school days together around the kitchen table with prayer. Then we cover a handful of subjects that everyone can do together which includes Bible, scripture memory, logic puzzles, Latin, Plutarch, Shakespeare, hymn study, folksong, artist, and composer. We rotate through these subjects and so don’t cover everything everyday.
Nature Study
On Wednesdays during morning time we do nature study together. Sometimes we take a field trip, some days we take a walk somewhere near the house, but most days we stay in our own yard. The children each choose something to study. They are required to sketch it, ask questions to determine what it is, and what it reminds them of, and enter in their journal the date, weather, and anything else pertinent to their study. They often to use a field guide as a resource.
Independent Studies
Once morning time is complete, the children each go off on their own to complete their assigned readings. The older ones do most of their work on their own, although there are a couple of books I will read or they will read to me. They are each also expected to write a narration. The younger ones have a mix of readings they can do on their own or on audio, or that I read to them. Every child narrates orally every reading.
Afternoons
Once schoolwork is complete the kids are free to work on any kind of handicraft, paint, play outside, practice piano, or just play in general. Most of the time, they will end up creating or building something. They are permitted to watch YouTube IF they are using it to make something. This has resulted in one child becoming very good at origami. Another has learned how to sew quite well. Often the boys whittle sticks and recently built and roofed a house for the ducks.
Evenings
When it’s time for me to begin dinner, the children are expected to clean up from the day so that the house is tidy when their father arrives home. After dinner together, evening activities vary. Sometimes we watch an old television show together: Star Trek (the original) is a family favorite. Sometimes we play a game. Usually we gather together for a read aloud before bed. Currently we’re reading this Adventures in Odyssey book because my kids adore AIO and we’re nearing Thanksgiving; it seemed a perfect fit. Kids are in bed at 8pm, even the older ones. They can read or do something quiet in their rooms until they go to sleep in anticipation of doing it all over again in the morning.
