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A Sacred Balance

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You are here: Home / Homeschool / What Do We Do All Day?

What Do We Do All Day?

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August 18, 2016 By Jennifer Lambert 21 Comments

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.

What Do We Do All 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:

Natural Medicine

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:

I Love You

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.

We like having a peaceful home.

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Filed Under: Homeschool Tagged With: homeschool, schedule

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Comments

  1. Amanda says

    August 22, 2016 at 10:25 am

    So many people who haven’t run a home have no idea how much work it takes. We don’t have children but with 3 cats, 1 dog a garden it all takes time… I’ve just found out about the bullet journal and am having go though at the moment it’s getting in the way of the floors being mopped! I need to start scheduling my social media stuff to keep me sane the rest of the week, how to do you manage it? Thanks for sharing

    Reply
    • Jennifer says

      August 22, 2016 at 2:01 pm

      I just do what needs to be done when it needs it. We all work together as a family. I don’t stress about online stuff anymore as it’s not near as important as it used to be.

      Reply
  2. Kendall says

    August 22, 2016 at 2:18 pm

    There certainly is an incredible amount of work and learning that goes into simply running a home & family. But, when you add in the challenge and desire to ensure our children learn more than what’s in books, it adds another dimension entirely. I love having Monkey Boy learn not only through his own play, but in working and helping me around the house, as well as our adventures out and about! :)

    Reply
  3. Jana @ HowToRunAHomeDaycare says

    August 23, 2016 at 4:22 am

    Visiting from Mom-to-Mom Mondays. I liked how you mention that the overall tone of the day is relaxed however it sounds like you all accomplish quite a bit. I’m working towards achieving this type of relaxed “feeling” for the day with my two children (with their homeschool work and my blog).

    Reply
  4. Michele Morin says

    August 23, 2016 at 12:39 pm

    So good to get a glimpse into the details of another SAHM. I had the opportunity this summer to realize — along with my whole family! — just exactly what it is that I do all day because I took a full-time outside the home job for the first time in 22 years, and we all noticed that a lot of things that we took for granted just were not getting done!

    Reply
  5. Beth says

    August 23, 2016 at 1:46 pm

    Love this post! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  6. Melissa Ruddy says

    August 23, 2016 at 10:20 pm

    You are so right. You are the best judge of how you use your time. I know homeschool families who are far beyond the regular academic year of public school. Set the pace that is right for you and your family.

    Reply
  7. Kathryn Ross says

    August 24, 2016 at 5:42 pm

    Delightful Jennifer! Love the flexibility and creativity flowing through your days within a framework of structure to keep everyone on target for your teaching and learning goals. I don’t like busy work, either–but I do love to find bunny trails that shoot off our literature and history (my geeky place), interactively exploring topics through the arts. Sounds like you prefer to have a purpose to your arts explorations, too. Joy to you with much widsom as you walk in your homeschool family calling.
    Joy!
    Kathy

    Reply
  8. Angela Craig says

    August 25, 2016 at 9:20 pm

    Sharing with a friend who is just starting to homeschool this year! so glad I found you on #RaRaLinkUp
    Your friend, Angela Craig

    Reply
  9. swapna says

    August 25, 2016 at 11:04 pm

    That’s quite a week! I don’t think we need to justify what we do all day though. Most of the times people jump and say “oh but your kid must be keeping you busy” and I’m like “naah, not really”. It is what it is!

    #practicalmonday

    Reply
  10. Karen says

    August 26, 2016 at 8:09 pm

    I have homeschooled my kids for 19 years and I always tell people that it’s not for the faint of heart. It’s tough some days. But the kind of tough that I wouldn’t trade for anything. Thanks for setting the record straight!

    Reply
  11. Karlene says

    August 26, 2016 at 9:41 pm

    I agree, you own no one an explanation for how your time is spent – but it can also be good to make it plain. Most people have no idea how much goes into homeschooling, combined with running house and home. Love that your hubs does most of the cooking on the weekend! What a blessing that must be. {Visiting today from #MomentsofHope where we’re neighbors.}

    Reply
  12. Mother of 3 says

    August 27, 2016 at 3:02 am

    Oh so true! The days just seem to fill themselves up; we have a routine and we’re busy learning, keeping house, and exploring the world around us.

    Reply
  13. Edye says

    August 27, 2016 at 6:25 pm

    I’m so glad I found your blog! I’ve been home-schooled all my life and people presume that I do nothing all day – every day. Wrong! I love how you showed what your days are like and that your life gets busy also. Have a great weekend :)

    Reply
  14. Lori Schumaker says

    August 28, 2016 at 6:53 am

    I love the idea of no stress and less rushing around! I have never felt called to homeschool, but I admire Moms who can pull it off! It was a great glimpse into your days!

    Thanks so much for sharing at #MomentsofHope!
    Blessings and smiles,
    Lori

    Reply
  15. Mary Hill says

    August 28, 2016 at 5:28 pm

    Thanks for sharing your week with the #LMMLinkup this week.

    Reply
  16. Karen Grosz says

    August 28, 2016 at 9:46 pm

    After 16 years it doesn’t bother me. I realize that some people just can’t fathom what it is like all day and it is curiosity. Not a bad thing. Thanks for sharing at Let’s Get Real Link Party.

    Reply
  17. Lori says

    August 29, 2016 at 1:39 am

    It’s amazing even after all the years of homeschooling being a normal thing, people still ask what you do during the day. I love the idea of a stress free home and homeschool. It really does help keep attitudes on the right. Thanks for sharing with Thankful Thursdays.

    Reply
  18. Erin Vincent says

    August 31, 2016 at 12:53 am

    Fantastic! Everyday is different but everyday is full.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. My Thoughts on Socialization says:
    September 10, 2016 at 1:25 pm

    […] We have a peaceful home and restful homeschool. […]

    Reply
  2. How We Learn says:
    January 23, 2017 at 10:04 am

    […] I love the natural rhythms of our lives as the kids and I learn together. See our schedule here. […]

    Reply

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