A lot has changed since my first “Day in the Life” post seven years ago. We live in a different state. I’ve published a homeschooling book. And my youngest daughter is now as old as my oldest son was in that first post!
If you want to check out other days in our life, here are links to all the posts in this series:
- October 30, 2019 – A Day in the Life of a Homeschooling Family
- January 21, 2020 – A Day in Our Homeschooling Life
- January 13, 2021 – Another Day in the Life of a Homeschooling Family
- January 11, 2022 – One More Day in the Life of a Homeschooling Family
- November, 10, 2022 – Just Another Day in the Life of a Homeschooling Family
It’s our 13th official year of educating our kids at home. I’m homeschooling “Oldest” (12th grade son), “Middle” (9th grade son), and “Youngest” (5th grade daughter). And after all these years, I’ve still never come up with cute online codenames for them.
Though much has changed, I’m still as grateful as ever that I’ve had the opportunity to homeschool my three kids! It’s truly been one of the best and most impactful decisions of our lives!
I hope this glimpse into our homeschool shows you how homeschooling can work for imperfect, everyday families with kids of all ages. If we can do it, you can, too!
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Thursday, October 29th, 2026
7:30am
My alarm goes off and I bumble my way downstairs, not yet fully awake. Youngest, wrapped in a cozy blanket, is already at her desk checking her school list for the day.
7:37am
Middle moseys downstairs and rests on the sofa in a cozy blanket of his own (his usual wake-up routine).
I remember to switch out the SD cards on my camera since I know how Oldest feels about my blog photos ending up on his photography class SD card. Phew! Crisis averted!
7:40am
I read a chapter of Romans while Youngest warms up to the day with some Garfield comics.
Middle catches up on his emails, checks to see if the results of the latest Club Crochet contest are in yet (they are not), and recalls he needs to finish up an English paper before his class this afternoon which he proceeds to do.
7:59am
I try to quickly clean up the kitchen that unfortunately was left messy yesterday evening. Fly Lady would definitely be disappointed in my kitchen sink this morning.
8:06am
Youngest entertains me by reading her favorite Garfield comics aloud while I cook breakfast.
8:10am
Oldest appears and sees the camera in my hand. As predicted, he is immediately concerned for his SD card. Like a tutor whose student has just aced a test, he beams with pride when I show him I remembered to switch the cards.
Dad emerges and I overhear him and Oldest discussing some technical computer jargon I won’t pretend to understand. (My husband works from home a few days a week and this is one of those days.)
8:12am
I let the kids know that breakfast is ready. “Come get your food before the cat eats it,” was my exact wording, I think.
I also cue up the next episode of Practical Apologetics, our current morning podcast. We listen to “What is a Christian?” (Episode 14) while we eat together.
Incidentally, breakfast time is a great opportunity to focus on character training, apologetics, Bible reading/devotionals, music or art appreciation, memory work, or anything else you want your kids to learn together. Some homeschoolers call it “Morning Time” or “Morning Basket”… but whatever you call it, it’s a great habit to start! Lately, we’ve been rotating between the apologetics podcast, World Watch kids news program, Bible reading, and the financial devotional readings from the Dave Ramsey’s Foundations in Personal Finance curriculum.
8:38am
Youngest goes to get dressed while I start her laundry (usually her job but our washer is acting weird, so I did it today). Middle finishes up the final touches on his rough draft, and Oldest works on his dual enrollment communications class homework.
8:50am
I have Youngest start getting a handle on the kitchen mess while I reluctantly go get dressed in an effort to be a good role model. I’d much rather stay in my pajamas.
I get distracted with some other chores and then remember to go homeschool the children.
9:09am
It’s a big math test day for Youngest. Today is a quarterly exam which takes much longer than her usual lessons. She decides to take her test in a tent – this time she chooses the fan-blowing-into-a-duvet-cover tent construction method. She gets all the supplies (box fan, duvet cover, binder clips, plus optional pillows). I help her climb into the tent, and she gets started on her test.
9:14am
When I come downstairs, I find Middle at the piano (not unusual), waiting for me to edit his IEW rough draft. While I edit Caesar and the Pirates, Middle gets showered and dressed (definitely because I modeled that responsible behavior earlier), and Oldest does his laundry and then starts working on his dual enrollment chemistry homework.
9:41am
Everyone is working productively, so I take the opportunity to check emails and catch up on the excessive number of chat apps I’m forced to use for all the kids’ activities. I get some dinner prep done, help Youngest with a math question, and coordinate schedules with Oldest for a brief moment since I know he’ll be gone the second half of the day.
10:00am
I realize it’s eerily quiet and decide it might be prudent to check on everyone’s status. (When they were younger, complete silence was often a bad sign). Thankfully, everyone is fine.
Oldest is showering and Middle is gathering what he needs for English class. I hear Youngest’s voice from the depths of her billowy math tent telling me she’s “on the second to last page!”
10:10am
I go back to my dinner prep, cutting copious amounts of carrots and realizing I now have enough vegetable peelings to start another batch of homemade broth, so I get that started. It is the beginning of soup season, after all. One must be prepared.
10:38am
Youngest needs help with her math test – I find her playing with her little model airplanes for a break. I fear this might be the end of our progress with the math test for the day.
Oldest, now dressed and ready for the day, gets back to his chemistry homework while I help Middle get started with his next Latin lesson.
10:45am
We all take a short cat break and then Youngest puts away the planes and gets back to her math while I start writing this blog post.
11:06am
I work on some Latin study sheets with Middle and, after a few short minutes, Youngest appears again with model airplane in hand. I know now that the rest of the math test will need to wait until tomorrow.
Sensing she needs a brain break, I have her gather whatever pittance of produce might be left in the garden.
Our (indoor) cat attempts a daring escape, but, after seven thoughtful seconds on the patio, decides not to risk it and comes back inside. He reconsiders his decision as he longingly watches Youngest, who is now playing in the sandbox.
Somewhere in here, I smell the scent of chicken soup and suddenly remember the broth. Thankfully, I catch it just before it boils over. You’d think this close shave would encourage me to set a timer… but, alas, it does not.
11:45am
Oldest is still plodding through chemistry and Youngest is still enjoying the beautiful autumn weather outside. At some point after finishing Latin, Middle migrates once again to the piano.
12:02pm
We eat lunch together and watch today’s episode of World Watch (I highly recommend this children’s news program, by the way – check out my full review here).
Suddenly, I realize we need to leave 4 minutes ago for Middle’s English class! He gulps down the last of his lunch and we race out the door.
12:51pm
Phew, he made it. And it’s a lovely day for a drive!
When I get home, I ask Youngest what she got done while I was gone. “Nothing,” she replies. At least she’s honest. She starts her Story of the World history reading.
1:00pm
My husband goes to the early voting location to vote in the midterm elections on his lunch break, and I do a few quick chores and work a little more on this blog post.
Oldest leaves for a meeting, goes on to his chemistry lab at a local community college, and then heads out with friends for a much-needed break. We don’t see him again until bedtime.
1:56pm
After a while, I notice that Youngest has finished her history reading and has moved on to other reading. We go outside to work on her history map and outline. It’s a beautiful day, so we decide to stay on the patio to do Spanish, too.
2:47pm
Despite not having set a timer, I manage to remember I have broth simmering and turn off the stove.
I do a little more cleaning and catch up with my husband about our midterm election votes while Youngest finishes her Spanish homework outside.
3:10pm
Youngest takes another look at the page left on her math test and we both weep decide together that it might be best if she finishes the rest tomorrow. She finds the Laser Maze logic game and scours the house for batteries to bring the laser to life (thankfully some of her Nanobugs use the same kind). Success!
4:00pm
I pick up Middle at the other carpool mom’s home. After a “mommy minute” of catching up with my friend, we head back home.
4:38pm
About 1.5 seconds after we get home Middle is back on the piano working on his latest composition. I make him pause and make a loaf of bread before he keeps playing.
I realize Youngest needs to eat soon if she’s going to digest her dinner before soccer practice. I get our smash burgers ready and roast the pre-prepped carrots.
5:15pm
Normally we eat as a family. Normally no toys are allowed at the table. But I allow some exceptions since we’re in a hurry.
Youngest and I eat quickly and then she gets dressed for soccer. We help our neighbor gather our firewood for the Annual S’mores Night event (I dubbed it that just now) and pile it at his fire pit for later tonight.
5:45pm
Middle finishes up some reading in Church History in Plain Language as Youngest and I leave for soccer practice.
7:20pm
We come home to Middle playing a charming and peaceful Steam video game called Dorfromantik. (It’s not often you’ll hear me refer to video games this positively, but this puzzle tile game actually is delightful). Dad is relaxing after work while supervising his latest 3D print.
Side Note: If you’re looking into 3D printers, we’ve had a great experience with this 3D printer from Bambu Lab. I wasn’t sure about getting one at first, but it’s been so useful to have as a household tool and also a new hobby for my husband and kids to explore together!
7:30pm
We head next door for the highly anticipated Annual S’mores Night we have with our neighbors. The kids run and play while the grownups chat. It’s a lovely way to end our homeschooling day!
9:00pm
Back home now, the kids turn in for the night and Oldest texts that he’ll be home soon. I decide not to take a final picture of the disastrous kitchen mess.
My t-shirt-inspired motto for the year is to “relish today, ketchup tomorrow” so, tonight, that’s just what I plan to do.
If you were taking notes while reading this, you may have noticed some alarming things. Youngest didn’t do science or language arts! And neither of my boys did any math at all today! Talk about serious gaps, right?!
Thankfully, over the years, we’ve learned to embrace the freedom homeschooling offers. The less we try to force our homeschool into a public school box, the more effective, efficient, and relaxed we’ve become. In my book, Think About Homeschooling: What It Is, What It Isn’t, & Why It Works, I dispel many misconceptions including the lie that there is one right way to “do school”. Discover the many benefits – both expected and unexpected – of home education; get Think About Homeschooling today!
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