Homeschooling Day in the Life: Leigh, Veteran Homeschool Mom of Three, Encouraging Moms to Stay the Course
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 Leigh, veteran homeschool mom of three, encouraging moms to stay the course!
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 Leigh
Leigh Nguyen @littlebylittlehomeschool is the host of Little by Little Homeschool podcast. She never meant to homeschool, but she now finds herself 14 years into it with 2 homeschool graduates and 1 more to go!
She spends her days in the northeast, learning how to live a more simplified and intentional life with her husband, James, and their 3 children. In her spare time, she loves home DIY projects, working out, reading, and spending time outside.
Her heart has become fiercely passionate about encouraging homeschool moms to stay the course and to, little by little, thrive in this season of life.
Homeschool Transitions Over the Years
All the years of homeschooling young children feels so long. And you wonder if you’ll come out the other side with your sanity. That was me! And then suddenly, but also many years later, I am almost to the end of my homeschooling years.
Looking back, there were definitely transitions during that time. They happened gradually, which means it’s easy not to take notice. Some of these are:
- when you aren’t needed for every single lesson for each child
- when the toddler is no longer interrupting every read aloud
- when they do independent lessons without you asking
- when they begin to plan out their own day
- when they choose their own electives
- when they are trustworthy to do a math worksheet in their bedroom
- when they drive themselves to work
- when you become a sounding board for their future careers and dreams and not the organizer of their every day
Over the past few years, I have moved into a more supportive role for my young adults and teens. They ask for advice and insight, but ultimately, make their own decisions. My heart has had to align with this. If I didn’t, bitterness would creep in and I would dwell on the what if’s instead of the what is now.
The end of your homeschooling because your children have all graduated may be many years away. And if it scares you, don’t let it. Embrace the changes and see where God calls you to spend your time.
What Homeschool Has Given Me
Homeschooling tends to be all about our children. And that’s kinda needed. But what if during these years, you grow up too?
I started out homeschooling as an anxious mom who just copied the school system and worried my kids wouldn’t measure up. I had to go on my own journey of de-schooling and learning what education can be. I had to confront all of the ways I was not glorifying God in my motherhood. I had to see my children with His eyes and learn to guide and disciple their hearts above all else.
There is no step 1, 2, 3 guaranteed method of raising kids that will churn out perfect young adults. But, I can say that for my family, homeschooling has given us relationships with each other that we would not have had otherwise. And it’s given me a heart and perspective that I would not have gained any other way. It’s also given me the ability to march to the beat of my own drum. When we started homeschooling, it was not popular and we met resistance. I had to grow a thick skin, knowing that God called us, therefore it was right for us.
There is so much learning and growth in homeschool…for the kids and YOU! Lean into it and see how God works in and through you.
Thank you so much to Leigh 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.