How Do You Do It!?!

This is probably one of the most common questions I get about homeschooling. The unspoken question is "Why would you do it?" but I'll probably NOT blog about that one. If you really want to know, just ask :) So I'm going to shed some light on the "how" we homeschool question. First of all, you must know that we LOVE homeschooling! It has been such a blessing. We love our flexiblility, being together, and learning! We are all learning through homeschooling, I'm getting the education I never got in the government school. That said, it requires discipline, sacrifice and focus. That is not always easy with two toddlers in the mix. Here are some invaluable tools that help us get it all done, happily.

#1 Organization: I have learned to be very organized. Each summer, and again during Christmas break I take the time to evaluate what each child needs to accomplish this school year and how it will all fit into a month, week and day. The final result is a spreadsheet to help me and the boys stay on track so we don't end up running around frantically without getting anything accomplished. (You all know you've done it :) It's just a guideline to help us, not a form of bondage.

#2 Roomtime: Both babies spend 45-60 minutes every morning and 30 or so minutes every evening in roomtime. Their rooms are baby proofed and gated and we turn on music and get out special toys and play, play, play. They are learning to focus and entertain themselves and we can get some work done without worrying who is getting into what. We did this with the boys and they learned to love that time.


#3 Blanket Time: William still takes two naps so his awake time fills up quickly but Emma only takes one nap so there is a lot of time that she needs to be occupied. I started blanket time with her at around 18 months. We have a special quilt (Thank you Mrs. L) that we lay out and she gets a basket of books and (because of a cool Christmas present) an activity tub. We set a timer (her favorite part) for 30 minutes and she sits and plays quietly until the "BEEP". This skill has been a lifesaver for bible studies and other activities where I need her to stay quiet and in sight.


#4 Self-Driven Boys: The boys know what work needs to get done and when and much of it they can do without me. I'd like to think it's a pure desire to show love and honor to their mom that makes them so good at this but it might be that it means more free time for them if they get it done in a timely fashion. They do their piano, Latin, handwriting, typing, spelling, reading, and chores with little to no involvement from me. I help Nate with his Math, teach history and grammar and check their other work. This frees me up to spend time with the littles and cook meals, etc.














#5 Taxi Service: These are not in order of importance by the way. I don't know what I would do without Grammie and Papa (my parents). They live close by and actually "enjoy" picking the boys up from Piano and Co-op and keeping the toddlers when we go on field trips. They are such a blessing to us! They go to Showlow from May until October so I have to make sure we are done with school before they leave (not really!) but everyone gets less naps when they aren't around.



Hopefully that answers some of the "how do you do it" question. So if anyone is considering homeschooling don't let the idea overwhelm you. It is well worth the sacrifice! Lots of people ask, "Do you ever get time for yourself?" This is an over-rated idea, and a very selfish one. So don't be duped into thinking sinfully! I'll take a day with my kids over a day with myself, anytime!