Amber’s Homeschool Day in the Life (with a 8-, 10-, 12- and 14-year-old)

Amber’s Homeschool Day in the Life (with a 8-,10-, 12-, and 14-year-old) ~ 
Written by Amber O’Neal Johnston from Heritage Mom

The longer I homeschool, the more I realize that a typical homeschool day in my family changes from year to year and sometimes even each season. A year ago, I was tethered to the house while recovering from a catastrophic illness. I’m happy to say that my health is much improved, but just as we started to get into a fresh, more active routine, I became caretaker for my sister, who is bravely battling breast cancer.

This season, our schedules dance around her doctor’s appointments, surgeries, and treatments, and we’re back to many homebound days as we do what families do best: lovingly care for one another.

Amber’s Homeschool Day in the Life (with an 8-, 10-, 12- and 14-year-old)

Today, I woke around 6:00 AM for a shower and a bite to eat. I listened to an audiobook while braiding my hair and sipped my daily cinnamon-spiced hot tea while waiting for my sister to join me in the kitchen. We briefly lingered around the breakfast table before visiting her oncologist at 7:30 AM.

Before we reached the office, my youngest (age 8) woke and called me from the kitchen Alexa to say he was hungry. I told him breakfast was in the microwave, and Daddy was downstairs in his home office if he needed help. I reminded him to unload the dishwasher and start working on the checklist I left for him on the kitchen counter.

At this stage, he can do almost half of his work independently, though the experience is not nearly as rich as when I’m home and fully attentive. The older kids wake at staggered times and make their way downstairs to eat, each one calling me to say good morning and ask me something about the day.

I appreciate the check-ins because it allows me to remain tuned into what’s happening in my absence, but it also means that the phone rings incessantly while I’m away.

My sister and I stop at a bagel cafe on the way home from the hospital. Though I’m anxious to get home, I’ve found that spending one-on-one time with her does much for her emotional health, and it’s absolutely worth the sacrifice.

When we’re done eating, we head home, and I immediately assess where everyone is in their day.

I answer a few questions for the older kids, slip into my sweats, and slide in next to my 8-year-old to review his work. I’m happy to see that, with some help from an older sister, he’s much further along than I anticipated. We work together to finish his lessons – reading practice, math, and history – and wrap up just before lunch.

After my little guy heads off to play, I check in with my hubby to see how his day is going. We make plans for him to run to the store for a few dinner ingredients. After that break, I spend about thirty minutes with each of my older kids to teach a lesson or review work they completed earlier in the day.

This midday one-on-one time is a critical time of our day because it shows each child that I care about what they’re working on, and I’m fully engaged in their activities, even when we miss our beloved morning routine. By mid-afternoon, everyone completes their work and scatters.

My teen spends her time painting in her room while listening to music. The 12-year-old hangs outside with a neighbor kid after the school bus drops her off, while my boys play darts and argue much of the afternoon if I’m being honest.

Scott and I work side-by-side in the kitchen to prepare dinner. He’s recently shared that he’d like our family to eat earlier to cut down on the snacking our kids do late in the day. This is a big adjustment because our last meal of the day has always skewed later, so he’s pitching in more than usual to help make miracles happen.

During dinner, we laugh over the conversation starters in The Hygge Game (afflink) that we love to use while eating. When everyone is done, my oldest son clears the table and loads the dishwasher while I begin our evening read-aloud.

I used to read closer to bedtime, but these days, I’ve found it easier to do it right after dinner when I already have everyone’s attention and their bellies are full.

We all do our own thing on the main floor for the next couple of hours. I catch up on emails while the boys play a board game, and the girls FaceTime my mom. Each night is different, and the kids have quite a bit of autonomy during these hours. Tonight, I spent an hour or so in the basement apartment with my sister, which is typical.

It’s lights out for the boys at 9:00, but the girls are just starting the next part of their day. They’re night owls and stay up late reading, listening to music, and laughing too loudly (I can often hear them through the vents). I wish they’d skip the nightly “sorority” meetup because I’d prefer to kick off our morning routine earlier, but I wouldn’t dare interfere with their late-night sister sessions.

I lay out our books for the next day and cue up videos I want the kids to watch before retiring to chat with Scott and read. Sometimes, I go to bed with him, but tonight, I listened to an audiobook in my earbuds after he was ready to turn out the lights. Reading is one of my favorite things to do, and I’ve become very reliant on audiobooks in this season of limited alone time.

Eventually, my family will resume our days of more active outdoor romps and community involvement. But for now, I’m thankful for the opportunity to serve my sister as a family while growing together.

Our days are full and our homeschool keeps humming when we’re in valleys or on mountaintops. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

My, how the days have changed:

• 2023: Amber’s Homeschool Day in the Life (with a 7, 9, 11, & 13-year-old)

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