Day in the Life – Homeschooling 4 Kids

Here is a glimpse into what my day looks like.

 I sit at the schoolroom table with 4 kids (with 4 different grade levels), 2 dogs, 3 cats, and my cup of coffee.  It is a Wednesday and we are working on our schoolwork. Two kids are reading on the couch, a dog is playing with a toy, Classical music is playing, my high schooler is at her desk with her headphones on, someone is at the computer doing a math lesson, a cat is usually sitting on a textbook, and I am meeting with one kid doing a grammar lesson.  

I will be honest, it is messy, loud, and busy. I have a bunch of kids and way too many household pets that demand attention.  

---

Questions I am often asked:

• What does homeschooling look like? What do you actually do?
• What does a typical school day look like for us? 
• How do you teach several grade levels at once?
• Where do you find what you teach?
• What grades are your kids in?

These are all valid questions. I often ask other homeschoolers about how they structure their days. I am often trying to find a rhythm that works for me.

This post is a peek into our homeschool room and a question and answer session.

(With some tips and ideas for your homeschool day.)

---

A Peak into our Homeschool Day

[Notes and info from March 2021]

We typically do school work from 9am to 1pm. After our morning chores, we all head up to our schoolroom. After school, we have a late lunch and the rest of the day for other things.

In that time frame, there is a mix of things going on. Sometimes there is conversation, usually most of us are working independently, around 11:00 we have a snack, and for a short time we do group work activities.  

Homeschooling is exhausting work. In one morning school session I am teaching 4 very different grade levels, over 20 different subjects, 4 unique personalities, and a variety of abilities.  

I go from quickly grading and discussing a High School Chemistry test to slowly sounding out phonics flashcards. In a 15 minute time span I am answering questions about 4^th grade math, 8^th grade science, and doing skip counting of 5’s with my kindergartener.  

It is enough to make your head spin. And it often wears me out and requires large amounts of coffee. Just writing all of this makes me shake my head.  

Each year has its own challenges and a list of varying subjects. Even my friends who homeschool an only child talk about the strain of multitasking and subject switching.  

• 

• 

Adding Calm & Focus

So how do we do this difficult task of homeschooling and still keep some amount of calm? 

How do we follow through with our well-laid plans and check all those little boxes? 

I will share some ideas I have discovered in the past 12 years of homeschooling.  Use what you can and leave what does not make sense for you. Every homeschool family is different. Every homeschool schedule is unique.

Please share with me if you have something helpful to add to this list! I am always looking for tips and hacks to change things up!  

Practical Ways to add calm and focus: 

• Individual Task Lists – Each student has an individual list they are working on.  They know what is expected and what needs to be done today before lunch. The information is in front of each student and they do not need to ask me questions about it. See this article for more info.
• Individual work space. – whether it is desks or spots at the kitchen table – Each person has a place to work and space of their own. When I had toddlers they would do their “school work” in a high chair or on a special blanket laid out on the floor. 
• Rotation of lessons with me – I have a list that looks like this: (add photo of written list see below)  My teaching time looks like a rotation of different subjects and students. 
• Background music – Create a music playlist to have in the background while you work. This was a favorite from my public school classroom and now I use it in my home. Music creates a mood and brings us back to what we are doing. The rhythm and pace of beautiful music and inspire/encourage the whole learning environment. 
  • Here is one of my favorite Spotify playlist for focus.
• Give yourself grace – We are all doing what we can in the time we have and with the energy level we have for that day.  Some days are super productive, others are not.  That is okay. Anyone working at an office will tell you the same thing. It is not possible to do all the things every day of the week for 30 days a month.  
  • If you are homeschooling with littles you deserve some extra chocolate and heaps of kindness!
• Snacks and drinks – this is not public school, you can eat and drink whenever you want! In my house food makes everyone much more agreeable. We have special snacks that are only available during school times and water cups that we keep at our desks.  
• Physical movement breaks – I will often stand up and stretch, take deep breaths, do some arm circles, ask the kids to do jumping jacks, or windmills. Even just getting up, rolling my shoulders, and getting a drink of cold water will give me a physical reset. 
  • This is my favorite resource for fun and easy movement activities.
• Headphones/Ear buds – Allow older students to use headphones and listen to music to concentrate – even those who do not want to listen to music can just have noise cancelling on.  This teaches them how to be productive in a busy environment and prepares them for adult life. (So many companies have an open office concept.) 
• Snuggle breaks – learning is hard work! Sometimes my littles just need hugs, tickles and squeezes. I used to put sticky notes with hearts written on them in the lesson book to remind me to stop and give them hugs and kisses.  
• Stop distractions – Put your phone away, ignore household tasks, stay in the same room as the kids 
• Teach diligence – Knowing when to dig in and push forward is a crucial skill for education and for life.
• Model Rest & Sabbath – Knowing when to when to take a break is something that must be taught. I am still learning the careful balance of pushing forward and stopping to rest. (read about that here) 

---

• 

• 

• 

Questions: 

• What are the ways that you focus?  What does learning look like for you? 
• How can you let each person learn in their own space at their own pace? 
• What kinds of physical movement breaks can you include in your morning? 
• What does your homeschool day look like?
• What do you want your homeschool day to look like? Sound like? Is that possible?
• How can you give yourself grace and kindness this week?
• What are some learning activities that you enjoy doing with your kids that makes you feel like yourself?
• How does your morning routine affect your homeschool day? (need some ideas? – read this)
• Do you have a playlist that gets you in the mood for school work?

---

You can do this! You can be successful in homeschooling no matter what the day holds. This is a long game we are playing. We are in this for the long term and teaching a lifestyle of learning. Even if you only homeschool for one school year, that is still over 10 months of teaching. Don’t let the activity and noise of one bad day derail you from where you are going.   

You Got This!! – April    

Photos by: Mary Edwards

(& also Jessica Lewis, and others on Unsplash.)

---