I really hate this question: “What do you do all day?”
It implies that my time isn’t as valuable as someone else’s or that I goof off since I have no authority to report to nor do I make a salary.
It often makes me want to reply all snarky: “Yes, we actually do sit around in our pajamas and watch Netflix all day, every day.”
While I am not a Type-A personality with a creative color-coded Washi-tape bullet journal schedule planner nor a timer to limit our binge-reading of Shakespeare, we actually do important stuff.
We’re not homeschoolers who count leaves for upper level math and call it a day.
We learn a lot of real life skills like cooking and cleaning and helping and reading and exploring the world around us.
We are actively preparing our teen for the SAT and real life, unlike some we’ve known who let those things slide. She begins a drivers ed course next spring!
And we watch plenty of Netflix, so don’t worry about that.
I’m not a morning person at all, but I usually wake up before 0800 M-F and always make a hot breakfast for the kids. It’s usually just scrambled eggs and bacon, but sometimes, I break out of a rut with muffins, biscuits, sausage egg casserole, oatmeal or porridge, even egg variations like spinach Parmesan omelets and ham and cheese scrambles. If the kids wake up super early, they get themselves some cereal and watch cartoons and wait for me to rise. Sometimes, Katie even makes a lovely breakfast cake or muffins. Breakfast is super important.
We don’t waste time nor do we rush around. We like our home and homeschool to be restful and peaceful.
I’ve found that everyone gets along much better this way. Stress causes nerves to fray and tempers to flare, so when we limit our activities and focus on the most important tasks, we are much happier. We seldom have negative behavior to deal with because we actively work on relationships and learn together. We have very little conflict and I like it that way.
We don’t do busy work or worthless activities. We’re not into coloring books or Bible journaling or crafts with no value or purpose.
We’re always learning, year-round too! – so there’s no real way I can say our academic work takes 2 or 4.5 hours each day. We do a lot in the mornings and sometimes more in the afternoons or evenings. And the kids are always finding something to explore or learn through play and life skills.
We do what needs to be done when it needs to be done. I wash bedding every other week or so. We sweep and mop when the floors are dirty. We clear clutter off windowsills, counters, tables…wherever they pile up.
I don’t do planners or artsy journaling. I don’t waste time on activities that don’t enrich me. I am always reading a parenting or education book, along with novels, both classic and popular.
I love having a clear schedule so we can plan trips or be spontaneous for any opportunities that comes up.
Here’s a rough weekly schedule:
Mondays
My teen daughter goes to the gym with Dad in the morning and completes a lesson of physics and math before work. She works all day long as a Red Cross volunteer at the maternity ward of our local hospital.
After breakfast, I do read-alouds with the other three kids and we complete notebooking journals with science. The girls complete a DVD Latin lesson. They all complete math, spelling, and Bible workbook lessons.
We clean up and organize from the weekend. We do a load of laundry and load the dishwasher.
Lunch is usually leftovers.
They go to the park or ride bikes after lunch. Sometimes, they hike into our forest or play at the creek if it’s warm enough. They bring home leaves or dead birds (yes, really) to study and draw. If the weather is bad, they play Legos, dolls, or do art projects. We play games or watch Netflix in the afternoon and evening.
The girls often like to just lie around, reading for fun:
I try to complete the bulk of my writing and social media scheduling on Monday afternoons so I’m freer (and stress-free) the rest of the week.
Monday dinner is often super simple. Leftovers or sandwiches or something quick and easy. Sometimes, we even eat on trays in the living room with a video or Netflix.
After dinner, we have more read alouds and Bible time before bedtime by about 10.
Tuesdays
Breakfast and clean-up by about 8:30.
I do lots of read-alouds with my teen and the other children. The girls complete math, spelling, Bible, and Greek workbook lessons and we do history together.
My teen completes her notebooking for history and literature. I do government and philosophy reading/discussion with my teen.
We often experiment in the kitchen with baking a treat or bread. We clean up. More dishes and laundry.
We like to be outside for as much as possible in the afternoons, then play video games or Netflix until dinner.
Dinner is usually grilled meat with rice or potatoes and vegetables and salad.
Lately, we play trivia at dinner or listen to music on Spotify.
After dinner, we have more read alouds and Bible time before bedtime by about 10 in summer and by about 9 in winter.
Wednesdays
Breakfast and clean up.
We don’t do much “school” on Wednesdays.
We have our morning read alouds and sometimes work on French and German together.
The teen works on her notebooking for history and literature.
We have a simple lunch and clean up.
We run errands and do all the weekly grocery shopping.
We put away the groceries and then the kids usually play outside all afternoon if the weather is agreeable. Otherwise, it’s play time with Legos or dolls or art.
I’m often surprised by emails from my girls with attachments like this, made with an iPad app:
After dinner, we have more read alouds and Bible time before bedtime by 10.
Thursdays
Mostly a repeat of Mondays.
Dinner is usually grilled or roasted meat with rice or potatoes and vegetables and salad.
After dinner, we have more read alouds and Bible time before bedtime by 10.
Fridays
Breakfast and clean up.
Morning read alouds.
We finish up whatever is left to be completed from our history and science and literature reading and notebooking. The three younger kids complete their workbook lessons.
We eat lunch and clean up.
We play a lot outside, inside, games, whatever.
We usually have homemade pizza for dinner with Netflix or a video.
Bedtime is usually after the movie. We don’t usually have the bedtime read alouds because it’s late.
Saturdays
Dad makes breakfast – usually pancakes or waffles or hash.
We often go out to visit a castle or park or zoo. We pack a picnic lunch. Sometimes, we just have a lazy day to rest and play.
Dad makes dinner.
Sundays
Dad makes Scottish oatmeal for breakfast.
We have church at 0830 and then Sunday school.
We have lunch together, usually leftovers or sandwiches.
My teen and I go to the gym, then grocery shopping or to a movie.
Dad makes dinner.
School work just kinda flows with the seasons.
We do fewer organized academics in summer, when we try to enjoy the outdoors more. We do more art when the weather isn’t pleasant to be outdoors. The kids all love to read, so there’s plenty of time for that – living books aligning with our school units and fun reading based on interests. We take time to explore topics in history and science that aren’t on the assignments list sometimes. We travel frequently, usually to see places we’re learning about in history.
v
by Homer
by Sophocles
by Plutarch
by Boccaccio
by Geoffrey Chaucer
by William Shakespeare
; or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley
by Alison Uttley
by Robert Frost
