Tuesday- Teacher’s Corner: A Day in the Life of a Preacher’s Wife and Homeschool Mom– An example of my day today.
So many times the most common question in a room of new homeschool mom’s is, what does your day look like. Like I see it on paper, but what does it actually look like? First, we are not the “perfect” homeschool family, and yes, there can be interruptions because of daily life or because I am a preacher’s wife. However, most of our days are fairly similar. So, here is an actual day of ours. A few bumps, we roll with; but beautiful none the less.
Tuesday’s Teacher’s Corner: A Day in the Life of a Preacher’s Wife and Homeschool Mom
My day started at 5:25am, with time in God’s word. I love days that start similar to days like this. It is not everyday in my current season of life, but I have more and more days like this and I absolutely love it!
Time with the Lord is key for successful days. I love being bright-eyed and ready for the day. Today, is not that day after a week of flu in the house. However, laundry is started, I’ve spent some time with the Lord already and coffee is brewing. I have time to sit, read and spend more time with the Lord. Yay!
After Bible reading, a devotion, memory verses and our February meditation verse for the day; I spend more time with the Lord, picking up tasks along the way. I start today with the church schedule, family appointment book, menu plan and teen challenges for the month.
Next, I do some food prep in the kitchen. Start the instantpot.
Make some weekly lunch sides for dad, and snacks for the kids.
Mix and bake some cornbread for our main meal that we vacuum seal after buying in bulk.
And I made some cinnamon mix corn “cakes” box style, we were gifted with my little early riser and helper. (We tossed some carrot bits in the blender and added them as well- they turned out wonderful for sweet toddler kitchen time and tasted great!
(Shhh! And some chocolate chip cookies for an afternoon snowshoeing snack with our packed lunches.)
After, I hear one of the children beginning to turn. Most likely from the smell of fresh baking cookies, I quickly tuck them away. So, I changed out the laundry and begin to vacuum. With sickness passing through the house, most of the upstairs is already wiped down by now, and the table is set for a simple warm breakfast. I lay out clothes for my little ones.
One of my students likes English before breakfast, and the house stirs with noise. So we complete lesson instructions before the house is hustling and bustling.
As he washes and gets ready for the day, food is placed, and we eat. I usually finish my first cup of coffee or tea & quickly get ready for the day. (7:40am-ish) Depending on when the kids arose, they either get ready for the day, or directly start school. Most of the time the older half have already spent time with the Lord, showered and have gotten ready for the day. (Personal devotions, made beds, quick floor check & tended to pets.) We then proceed with school.
I spend no more than two hours teaching “tableschool” and helping with “tableschool” subjects. Then do morning basket daily with my littles while the older children proceed with English, Spelling & Reading.
After, my littles come to the table for a project, playdough or art. They sit up with the older children for our final bit of tableschool with a veggie snack. (Usually their project, art, music or geography fun.)
Then I prepare our main meal as the children wrap up their work. Some help, or they take turns helping. Others will practice instruments or go outside and play before mealtime.
We sit as a family and eat. After, meal chores are done family style. Many hands make light work! Kids take a break for personal time. A few do their online courses by choice, to be done early for the day. But, I finish up chores, check-ins, return phone calls, make appointments, swap out laundry, make lunches for the week for my husbands work, and more laundry. I am also able to squeeze a lot of one on one time with the younger kids. We make forts, pop popcorn and read. Or go to the “igloo fort” outside and play house or just “hang out”!
Mid afternoon the littlest takes a nap and we power through the remainder of school. Each student has different preferences. Some are almost done with just a bit of instruction, while others have math and a personal subject left. I am available to do just that. My task is to complete school with them. Most days we finish by the time the little one gets up and then have the rest of the evening for outdoor time, adventures in the woods, fishing, and other favorite past times. Tonight we have a commitment to meetup.
Since it is not right away, we are going for a snowshoe trek and then to our meetup.
Upon returning home, the kids are tuckered out. Packed lunches (our later meal) are gone and the littles are ready for bed. Reading, Bible time, and bed it is. My oldest teens desire food and I love the fellowship. We fry some taters and sliced venison salamini with onions. After divvying it up, I fry a few eggs. Because they are awesome (perhaps because they want to stay up later too) they have already swapped laundry again for mom and emptied the dishwasher while we are all in the kitchen. As I clean up, empty and polish the sinks, I place plates heaping with food as my oldest teen prays. Flooded with thanks, I acknowledge I cannot have been more blessed! We eat, enjoy fellowship and I make coffee.
I decide to tuck and pray with each of the younger children. Because although I am spent, my teens and I stay up. We play 20 pile. (A card game- I may loose some followers because we play cards, but this blog is real life. Sorry- not sorry. It is good clean fun, not gambling. 😛 ) We laugh a little loopier, chat a little wilder and listen to music a tad louder. Before midnight tonight, everyone gets ready for bed. And my older teens turn in. Time well spent and cherished.
I make my rounds tucking everyone in. We pray, and I spend a few minutes answering questions, discussing the day, and/or going over tomorrow’s agenda. After final door and light check, I swap out the laundry and change. I work out- thank you Beachbody On Demand. (Yes, they have a workout without worldly music too if you are concerned, seriously I have had Christians say this because I am a preacher’s wife. Which is funny, because I did not suddenly gain standards because I am a pastor’s wife. And everyone has a volume button- so every workout can be soundless and acceptable.) But, only one workout video tonight folks. I finish my video, take a shower, get ready for bed and have a treat. (A berry fruit smoothy tonight.) Since I cannot fall asleep right away after a workout, I usually have time to devote to a study or Bible lesson I am writing, reading or going over for an upcoming class or meeting.
Last, but not least, I do rounds again to check everyone and everything, including the critters. Layout anything I need to do first thing in the morning, and happily head to bed full of peace and gratitude. Thankful and blessed, I am! That is my day today, a day in the life of a homeschooling preacher’s wife.
Let me clarify this is one day. If you are tossing thoughts of homeschool, remember it works best differently for everyone. Your season of life, the ages of your kids and even the size community you live in or near may influence how you do school. When the kids were younger, we planned often around meet ups and the library programs. Our year today looks different depending not only on the day, but the month and season. We have tried the traditional school year and my kids begged to go back to year round school. So, the season makes a difference as well. In the heart of summer we do school early in the morning and spend all day outside, in the woods, at a private swimming area on the lake or in kayaks & canoes.
Some days we have commitments with lessons outside the home and/or seasons we do not school 5 days a week. Other days look a bit different because we volunteer outside the home or find active classes different times of the year as well. We also meet up with other homeschool families, nearby out of state homeschooling communities, and/or groups for learning, activities or just to get outdoors with friends. There are so many opportunities to explore, depending on where you live. When we served another area, it was a larger community and a lot of afterschool scheduled activities so our schedule was in more of a traditional time frame. Do you! Right where you are, with all it entails. You won’t regret spending too much time with your loved ones!
It is a blessing to not only have the flexibility with homeschooling, but also the flexible time to see family, travel, meet needs of the people of our church, visit traveling homeschool friends from other states AND the million other reasons we love to learn unconventionally. If you are thinking about homeschooling, pray about it. It is not a journey to be sold as “easy” but beautiful and life changing for your family!
Happy Homeschooling!
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