A Day in the Life of Homeschool Mama Meghann
A Day in the Life of Meghann, Homeschool Mama of Three
Meghann is a wife, mother of three, writer, and proud lefty who lives in the Texas Hill Country on 6.5 acres with a large garden, two dogs, a flock of 20 chickens, and a pet bunny. She finds joy in simplicity, deep connections, nature, and meaningful craft projects.
Good morning, homeschool mamas!
I’m Meghann from @rootedchildhood and this is our day in the life…
We’re unexpected homeschoolers, but this lifestyle just suits us. My kids are still little- 7, 4, and 2, but I’ve known I wanted to homeschool since my oldest turned 2. When we started preschool at home, somehow I traded the sweet rhythms of our days for a rigorous schedule and genuine moments of connection for marking things off of a list. We were “doing school”, but our hearts were longing for more.
I stumbled on the Charlotte Mason educational philosophy and discovered the beauty of delaying formal academics. I started making our homeschool more about home and less about school. We got out in nature, started doing real work and meaningful arts and crafts, and we found the joy of connection and a simple, slow childhood.
Breakfast is a big deal around here. We eat all of our meals as a family at the kitchen table. My husband and I bought this table before we were married, and I never imagined how many family meals we’d eat here. Meals are just about eating for us; they’re about connection. It’s a time for everyone to contribute to a common goal, a time for good conversation, and a time to give thanks for the blessing of a new day.
During breakfast, we always listen to selections from our current composer study- which this term is Vivaldi. We also read a poem from our current poet (Phillis Wheatley this term) and talk about what’s on the agenda for the day. We end breakfast with our kitchen chores- I load the dishwasher with my 2yo’s “help” while my big kids wipe down the table and sweep up crumbs.
Having little ones help with chores is an investment up front- everything takes longer than it should and it’s not always done perfectly. But it’s so worth it! I don’t “make” anyone do these chores, but we do them as a family and honestly, they think it’s pretty fun most of the time! In the early years, I think focusing on building strong rhythms and habits is one of the most important things we can do for our children to set them up for success when they start school.
What about you, do you have your kids help out with chores and household tasks?
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Our breakfast rolls into the living room for morning time which is mostly a chance to focus on my little ones for a bit before we start our lessons for the day. Our morning time is really relaxed and I don’t spend a lot of time planning things out. I have a lot of love for #waldorfeducation in the early years and incorporate many Waldorf ideas into this part of our day. Our morning time staples are:
* singing: hymns, folk songs, nursery rhymes
* movement: we love circle games, yoga, or a good old fashioned dance party
* recitation: just for my 7yo, usually a poem from our current poet and then something of her choice
* a story: usually something told from the heart, but sometimes a picture book
We have a playroom upstairs that houses all of our toys so each week I try to bring down one “new” toy for my little ones to play with. They usually start playing during morning time, which allows us to move seamlessly into our more structured school day.
How about you, are you fans of the #morningtime concept? Do you have a morning basket or do a morning meeting?
In our two hours of lessons, there is a lot of life happening. We do a lot of reading and oral narrations so I try to have some type of sensory activity available especially for my little ones. We love creating with beeswax, playing with play dough, or scooping items in a sensory bin.
We also stop for snacks, diaper changes, big emotions, and about a hundred other things! This used to frustrate me, but now I try to embrace it. It’s the beauty of homeschooling that we can put people first and take care of each other in these simple, sweet ways all while still getting school work done.
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Our morning lessons take about two hours, and we do this four times a week. A Charlotte Mason education includes about 20 different subjects so lessons are kept short, which I really love. We use beautiful living books- the hallmark of a Charlotte Mason education! We don’t do every subject every day and we don’t use a block or a loop schedule.
Most of our books are read over a long period- a 12-week term, the whole school year, or even over two school years. Each subject is done a set number of times per week and I spread out the books in that subject over those lessons, but on average, we read from each book about once a week.
There are so many great options out there to put together a modern #charlottemason curriculum and our selections come mostly from Wildwood Curriculum (a free, secular resource) and the lovely ladies at A Delectable Education.
Does this method of incorporating so many subjects at once intimidate you? I know it did for me! I’d love to hear how you balance spreading a feast of knowledge for your children without over-doing it.
Each of our lessons is short, which means we have to pack a lot into them. Our lessons are based on the foundation
But Charlotte Mason lays the framework for a lesson, and I’ve realized that it can be engaging and exciting with a bit of effort. We talk about our last reading, read a few pages, my daughter narrates, and then we look at a map, picture, video, or something that demonstrates what the lesson was about. We’re currently reading The
I’m curious, how do you keep lessons fresh and engaging?
Meeting the needs of all of my children at the same time is probably the biggest challenge in our homeschool. I have one school-age child, one eager learner who isn’t quite ready, and one 2yo tornado.
I try to think ahead and have some activities ready for my 4yo when he asks to do school too. We’re exploring letters and numbers through everyday life and some simple learning tools. We don’t start formal lessons until 6, but when a child shows interest, we make learning a fun game. He really loves learning alongside his sister while she does her lessons. Preschool is such a special, sweet time. These moments are just a fraction of our days- mostly this little guy is building forts and racing around on his bike and digging holes to China, you know, all of those really important things for 4
My 7yo is starting to become more independent in her work which is so helpful! She is a fluent reader and can read many of her own lesson books now. We still work one-on-one for math because we’re using a method that is mostly mental math and not worksheets. We’ve come to a nice balance where I can spend individual focused time with each child throughout the morning while the others are engaged in their own learning.
What’s your secret for meeting everyone’s needs and giving each child one-on-one attention during the school day?
When morning lessons are over, I usually cannot contain the kids for a second longer and they are outside swinging, riding bikes, building, exploring, creating, and enjoying the fresh air. We moved into this house two years ago specifically because this is what I wanted for our homeschool. We lived in a typical suburban home before this, and it always felt like we had to go somewhere to find adventure. I know it’s not for everyone, but we are so thankful that we have adventure literally just off of our doorstep.
I use this break in the day to do some chores, catch up on email, and make lunch. Lunchtime is another special affair because it’s our
We aim to spend 4-6 hours outdoors during our
We also head out on nature hikes and adventures with friends at 1-2 times a week as well.
How do you fit nature study and time outdoors into your homeschool?
Our afternoons are left largely unscheduled so that my kids have the freedom to play outside, dream up projects, and put the knowledge and skills we learn in the morning to work in the real world.
My 7yo practices piano and recorder most days, we nature journal together two days a week, we complete a
Once we’re done with our inside projects, we’ll head outside to spend the rest of the afternoon outdoors. Our afternoons feel lazy but so full all at the same time. It’s definitely one of my favorite parts of the day! The kids will stay outside until daddy gets home, and I’m usually in and out reading, prepping dinner, and refereeing as needed.
We’ll do chores outside as a family, and then get the kids ready for bed by
Thanks for following along on our day in the life!
Thank you so much to Erica 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.
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