A Day in the Life of Homeschool Mama Lindsay
A Day in the Life of Lindsay, Homeschool Mama of Three
Aloha friends! My name is Lindsay, and I’m a mama to three (Silas,6, Delia, 4, and Cora,2) and abstract artist living in Hawaii! I’m always looking for ways to infuse creativity and beauty into our wonderfully chaotic life, and it’s not too hard to do that here on this magical island home of ours. We are a Navy family and have called many places home (including Boston, MA, and Ottawa, Canada in the last six years), but Hawaii has always had a stronghold on our hearts.
We are six months into our homeschooling adventure, and honestly, I have more questions than answers these days, but it’s been a beautiful season of growth and intentionality, and I love learning alongside my kiddos as we explore. We jumped into homeschooling unexpectedly this fall, after I swore that I would never do it. Funny how life works that way! We love the freedom, spontaneity, and connection that homeschooling allows us, and even on the hardest of days, I’m thankful that we’re able to do this island, beach, mountain, park, backyard hammock, homeschooling together.
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I’m excited to share our day with you tomorrow, and impart a little bit of color and warmth into your day!
Morning Time
My littlest decided to finally start sleeping through the night recently, so I’m back to the days of setting my alarm for 5 am, and I’m in heaven. I love waking up to have an hour and a half with just the sleepy bird songs and my own thoughts. Our mornings are so much smoother when I can greet these munchkins with a hug and a warm breakfast.
I’d love to hear what makes your mornings run smoothly! Do you set out clothes the night before? Let them snag their own breakfast?
Self Care is Important
To be honest, I was tempted to rearrange my schedule just for today to take the kids on a hike or something, and show you how adventurous and fun homeschooling in Hawaii can be. But guess what? Wednesdays are my day for yoga and a bit of time to myself.
I get to our rec center early and spend some time with my sketchbooks before class. The kids hang out in kids care, and honestly, it really bugs me that they just sit in front of a tv in there. But an hour of that won’t kill them, and this bit of self-care is SO important to me. It’s the longest I’ve ever stuck with an exercise class, and I can touch my toes without my legs bending now!
In the midst of caring for, nurturing, leading and teaching, let’s not forget about ourselves, mamas. Find something that makes YOU come alive, and carve out time for that this week. Don’t make excuses, don’t feel guilty. Fill up your cup, so you can overflow into those kiddos!
Library Haul + Car Schooling
Whether we’re headed across the island for a field trip, or zipping over to the library, we spend a lot of time in the car. Probably close to an hour a day, if not more. So, I try to make the most of the time with car-schooling! It’s actually some of our most peaceful learning time because everyone’s strapped in, with good views and something fun to do. There’s usually a conversation about outer space or sharks going on, and I love hearing the random thoughts that come out of their mouths as they space out staring out the window. My go-to car schooling activities include:
✨ books, books, books
✨flashcards ( math or alphabet)
✨pretend play with calico critters
✨ phonics games (“let’s think of words that start with S!”)
✨I spy
✨workbooks or drawing sketchbooks
✨madlibs
✨podcasts ( our current faves are Circle Round, Earth Rangers, and Stories Podcast!)
Not Overcomplicating – Good Enough
Sometimes I think we make home education more complicated than it needs to be. As I scroll through Instagram for inspiration some days, I’m hit with anxiety and fear for all the things I’m NOT doing, all the supplies I DON’T have, all the things I’m NOT. Moments like this remind me just how simple it really can be if we allow it. A silly math game we made up with sea glass treasures from our neighborhood beach. Facing each other, laughing, and connecting without little sisters for just a moment.
Sweet, simple, good enough. I’m a big fan of “good enough”. It’s a sanity saver.
Working Together on Housework
Getting the kids involved in the kitchen takes a lot of effort. It’s messy, there are tantrums over who got to pour the sugar into the cookie batter, and everything takes ten times longer. But when I’m reluctant to invite them in, I try to remind myself that they’re learning so much more than kitchen skills. They’re learning hand-eye coordination, math, teamwork, spatial awareness, nutrition, and chemistry, among other things. Not to mention, I get to watch their tiny hands chop and scoop, and stare at their cute concentration faces as they figure out a new skill. Win-win.
Here are some of my favorite tasks for my 2,4, and 6 years old to take on:
2: peeling hard boiled eggs, dumping ingredients in a baking bowl, scrubbing dishes
4: grating cheese, unloading the silverware drawer, mixing ingredients
6: loading and unloading the dishwasher, making scrambled eggs, chopping fruits and veggies with kid-safe knives
Do you involve your kiddos in the kitchen? What are their favorite tasks?
Shout out to the Homeschool Dads
There’s no way to talk about our homeschooling days without mentioning my husband, Chris. Chris was homeschooled all the way through, along with his four brothers. His mama is my main inspiration, and a great encouragement to me. He was the biggest advocate for homeschooling and has always left it on the table for me to decide. When I felt a tug on my heart this fall to pull Silas from school, he was already on board, ready for the ride.
He instills adventure in their hearts, challenges them to push outside their comfort zones, chats about Jesus and math problems and wave theory while swinging in the hammock together, explains the most complicated ideas in six year old language, and makes the best swim coach. When I bring up my “shoulds” and worries to him, he gently reminds me that he is thankful his education never looked like anyone else’s and that I’m doing a great job. I literally couldn’t do this without him.
Grace to the Mamas
Things you didn’t see in my stories or posts today:
- coffee made with a paper towel filter because we were out of real ones
- a house plant graveyard
- multiple tantrums from various kids
- an Uno game that ended in tears
- a kids’ bathroom that smells like pee
- a crazy chaotic mess in the living room after two hours of imaginative playing
- some thrown together meals from random fridge contents
- squabbles over car seats
- bedtime battles
Just a gentle reminder that even though I was literally sharing all day, we just can’t see everything going on in someone’s life. No one has the perfect life- we’re all a mess. So much grace to you mamas. You’re doing a great job. Thank you for joining me here today!
Thank you so much to Lindsay 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.
Love how you keep it real in this post! (My kids’ bathroom smells like pee, too.)