What Our Homeschool Day Looks Like & How We Keep Going (and How You Can Too)

😁Guest Post by Joanna Bischoff

Homeschooling from a Mom of 3

How It All Began

I look up from my desk. Three little heads, of varying heights and sizes, are intently bent over their desks, each at a (hopefully) brain-building school activity. In front of me is the homeschool area that I saw on Pinterest and adapted to fit our own space. I love it. I love the quiet pace, the ability to teach, and the learning and growing that’s happening.

Early on, my husband and I had discussed homeschooling, and so it was a fairly easy thing to step into. My son and I would plop ourselves down at the dining table, spread out our books and assignments, and, side-by-side, work through them together. I was learning how to teach and how my son was wired, as much as getting ABCs and 123s recorded in his mind.

We’ve now been at it for six years and added two more kids during that time. I know it’s an over-used saying, but time really does fly by!

---

How Does Our Day Go?

Our Typical School Day Routine:

Normally, we get ourselves ready for the day and I call the kids to the couch for Bible and prayer.

Then we go over to our desks, and the kids start phonics and reading and memorizing poems, memory verses, and spelling words.

We tackle math next, hopefully before lunch

then have a lunch break and “recess” (“everyone go play outside”!).

Language (they’re in classical school, so Spanish for kindergarten and first; Latin for upper grades) is in the afternoon, along with handwriting practice, silent reading to themselves, and practice for math facts and maybe a fun educational video.

After that, we wrap up the day, moving on to chores and a relaxing time or errands.

Everything else-all the history, science, art, P.E., grammar, and music classes-happens at the classical school itself on their in-person days.

I bounce around all day between kids so that each gets the one-on-one help that they need. Nowadays, my oldest reads his assignments, does the work fairly independently, and, unless he needs my help or it’s a subject I teach, can really sail through his day on his own.

Now I teach his little brother the same as I did him, except that they now have their own homeschool desks and my oldest is capable of and willing to jump in and assist his little brother, especially if I’m busy with our youngest.

My youngest child is saturated in a homeschooling environment, so it just follows that she learned numbers and letters early. She, too, benefits from her big brothers’ teaching abilities, and they look after her needs, as well, especially if I’m working one-on-one with the third sibling. They’ll set up her activities or toys, help her find stickers, or whatever is needed. She has the same little homeschooling workbook that they both had (Alpha Omega Horizons for 3s and the one for 4s, I love it and recommend it), practices her letters, numbers, and such with that curriculum, and does things like playdough and tile shapes. At three, she did more playdough, but now at 4, she’s getting a longer lesson from me and learning more about using scissors and glue properly.

Although I have tried to take small “recess” breaks before, honestly, we are kind of a “block” family; we like to take our time in the morning and then just sprint through the schoolwork and then work on the next “block” of tasks. Maybe I’ll work on taking more little breaks this year!

So, that’s a typical day for us! I know lots of other families do other types of homeschool days. It’s a lot, but it gets a lot done. I’m always so impressed with how much they are capable of! It’s so neat to be able to see their abilities just skyrocket, right under your nose, day after day!

---

Real Talk, Homeschool Style

Like many others, our days have a rhythm of peace and noise, of lagging reluctantly and working eagerly. I have found that certain times of the year are slower and less motivated than others; I have found that I, personally, need a clean (picked up, at least!) home Monday morning if I’m to concentrate on the schoolwork that week. I also love to know that lunch is going to be ready and quick to prepare!

It’s easy as a homeschooling, stay-at-home mom to feel invisible to the world. I live in a culture that really values daycares, public schools, and full-time employees. However, I don’t feel pulled or called to it in this season, and I’m okay with being “invisible”.

As a woman who believes in God, I know that He sees my every mundane move and that my time investing in the children He gave me will have an impact in eternity, unseen here in this life perhaps, to a large extent (some we will see- especially when they are adults!), but incredibly important.

My thought on this is: do whatever you are called to do. If it’s full-time work, then work as unto the Lord. If it’s teaching, teach your kids as unto the Lord. You know? I will take my own path not by my own choice, necessarily, but I do choose to be led of the Lord in the way I will go. I want to be of service to whomever I am working with, at whatever stage or season I’m in.

Sometimes I feel the pressure—to get done “on time”, to be like what “all the other homeschool moms” are doing. (you know-perfect!). Sometimes I’m impatient and just want to get it over with; and wonder if it’s all really worth it, anyway.

---

Don’t Forget Your “Why”

I’m not always pining for something I’m not living, though. Often I remind myself in those moments of how much is working well and that we all have room for improvement, and that’s a good thing. A part of the journey. And I never forget my “why”. I think everyone has to have a “why” for what they do. Why do you go to work? Why do you spend your free time the way you do? Why do you eat right? And for some of us-why do you homeschool?

Knowing my “why” helps me in those moments when I lose sight of it, because all I can see is the pile of unchecked homework or undone tasks or the million other challenges we face when we take on this job. (it is a real job, certainly!)

Some of my whys are:

• To spend time with my kids
• To be able to instruct them in Biblical wisdom and counsel
• To be involved in their education
• Because I’m their momma; and consequently have the biggest motivation to bring out all the latent greatness in them
• Because I feel I’m called to do it by God
• Because it’s a blessing to my family
• Because I want to spend this short (18 year season) living life as fully present as possible, so in this season, that looks like homeschooling for me

Knowing my “why” helps me in those moments when I feel overwhelmed.

So, some of those may be your “why” and you may have some that I don’t. What is important is that you know yours. And if your season changes, you’ll know why it’s good to let go and move on, or hang on and make it through the hard seasons. Will we always homeschool? Maybe, and maybe not. We will find out what’s best for each person as we progress. And we will do life as a family.  

Whatever your “why” may be, I hope you can find the motivation to try it out; fresh motivation to keep going; or, rediscover your motivation to end the season well, with excellence.

Whatever stage you may be in, I hope you now know that you are not alone, that although the struggle is real the rewards are real-er (yes, I made that up!), and that if you have it in your heart to do, you can absolutely find the resources, training, patience, and endurance to enjoy it and live your homeschooling life well!

May your homeschool days be filled with purpose – Joanna Bischoff

---

---

Photos by Annie Spratt and others on Unsplash

---