Jamie’s homeschool day in the life (with a 16-, 17-, & 18-year-old)

Jamie’s homeschool day in the life (with a 16-, 17-, & 18-year-old) ~
Written by Jamie C. Martin of Simple Homeschool and Introverted Moms

Welcome to my 12th day in the life shared here on Simple Homeschool! Check out the links at the bottom of this post if you’d like to read any past years.

With older teens it’s tough to pin a homeschool day down with everyone actually at home.

I always loved the idea of homeschooling the teen years because of the extra freedom I imagined it could offer students – a chance to dive deeply into their interests and take advantage of opportunities that might not be possible when tied to the public system. I’m pleased to report that’s exactly what’s happened!

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My kiddos currently have daytime volunteer roles, part-time jobs, nature school, and homeschool co-op. But one day each week tends to be a little calmer than the rest, Wednesdays.

So here’s a peek at our Wednesday Homeschool Day in the Life with Trishna (18, graduated last year), Jonathan (17, graduates this year), and Elijah (16, 11th grade):

Jamie’s Homeschool Day in the Life

7:00 am – My first move is always heading downstairs for tea. I hug 17-year-old Jonathan, currently in the kitchen making toast for what we’ve nicknamed “Toast with the Trinity” – AKA his quiet/devotional/Bible time.

On the way back upstairs I notice my other two teens are still sleeping, which I don’t mind at all. Another perk of homeschooling teens – they can actually get enough sleep! 

7:15 am – I sit down at my bedroom writing desk to prep new episodes of the Simple Homeschool podcast, which has been downloaded in over 50 countries since I began it two years ago:

8:15 am – I pause to go get ready and pass my computer over to Jonathan who currently manages my social media.

9:15 am – All three kids and I gather at the dining table to watch CNN10 with our breakfast, a routine we continue to love (see top pic).

Then I read aloud for a few minutes from our current book (afflinks throughout this post) and say a quick prayer for our day before everyone leaves the table.

(Note that even Trishna, our homeschool graduate, joins in. We have an informal expectation that certain routines continue for whoever happens to be home, since lifelong learning has always been the goal around here!)

10:00 am – Then everyone begins their next task or project. For Elijah, that’s vacuuming the upstairs. For Jonathan, who cleaned earlier, it’s his Senior Year writing project. And for Trishna, it’s prep for our evening meal.

One of the BEST decisions I made this school year was to research meal subscription boxes, looking for a hands-on cooking class for Trishna, now that she has a bit more time on her hands as a homeschool graduate.

We tried a couple of options, but in the end our favorite has been Every Plate. We get three meals a week and it has been perfect for trying new recipes, not having to meal plan (hallelujah!), as well as giving T tons of culinary experience. She’s learned so much!

(If you’d like to try it out, you can use my link here to get $20 off your family’s first box! – afflink)

As they all get busy, I sit down with the daily office. It’s a way I’m attempting to slow down and remind myself that I can’t make it through this day in my own strength.

10:45 am – Trishna keeps cooking, Jonathan continues to work on his writing, and I call Elijah down to get started with his spelling, math, and phonograms.

11:45 am – After sitting down to eat lunch alone (yay!), I tidy up the kitchen. Then I answer a few of T’s questions about the job application she is filling out and preparing to send.

12:15 pm – Jonathan and I get cozy in front of our wood stove with blankets and books – our winter happy place!

He’s currently reading titles for his British Literature course; this week it’s The Importance of Being Earnest and he looks up frequently to share a quote or a chuckle, and to ask if we can watch a movie version of it soon.

1:00 pm – One of my big projects for 2022 is to find a neuropsychologist who can do full diagnostic evaluations for Elijah and Trishna. As homeschoolers, we’ve naturally made accommodations for their special needs over the years and haven’t really needed official labels.

But as they’ve gotten older, official diagnoses would be very useful at times. So I sit down to research and email a few options to get more information and figure out our next step.

1:30 pm – Now Jonathan and I sit together on the couch, my laptop between us (still near the wood stove!), to do a “co-writing session,” one of my favorite ways to teach writing and editing.

It’s the same way you might pass on other skills – like making Grandma’s famous spaghetti sauce: the child watches you make it, participates where they can, then slowly takes over until they’re a pro and can teach someone else.

We take turns reading aloud one paragraph at a time from his draft, then stop to edit as we go. Reading passages slowly aloud is how I have edited for years – you begin to hear what needs to change and it jogs new ideas.

I have to remind myself during our co-writing that my goal isn’t to get through the entire draft, but to build relationship and writing skills at the same time! So when Jonathan leans over and says, “This is so fun!” – it means more than any other success of the day, especially coming from this boy who used to say he didn’t like writing at all.

2:30 pm – After nearly an hour, my brain is ready for recharging. I light a candle, pick up my Kindle, and am happily visiting Mitford (afflinks) in no time.

Elijah finishes listening to his audiobook for the day, and heads down to our pond to see if it’s still frozen. Jonathan goes upstairs to take a shower before leaving for his part-time job, and Trishna continues to work on her job application.

And that wraps up this 12th homeschool day in the life – thanks for tagging along!

Check out ALL of Jamie’s Homeschool Days:

• 2011: Jamie’s homeschool day in the life with a 5, 6, & 7-year-old (UPDATED in 2024)
• 2012: Jamie’s homeschool day in the life with a 6, 7, & 8-year-old (UPDATED in 2024)
• 2013: Jamie’s homeschool day in the life with a 7, 8, & 9-year-old (UPDATED in 2024)
• 2014: My homeschool day with an 8, 9, & 10-year-old
• 2015: My homeschool day with a 9, 10, & 11-year-old
• 2016: My homeschool day with a 10, 11, & 12-year-old
• 2017: My homeschool day with a 11, 12, & 13-year-old
• 2018: My homeschool day with a 12, 13, & 14-year-old
• 2019: My homeschool day with a 13, 14, & 15-year-old
• 2020: My homeschool day with a 14, 15, & 16-year-old
• 2021: My homeschool day with a 15, 16, & 17-year-old
• 2022: My homeschool day with a 16, 17, & 18-year-old
• 2023: My final homeschool day with a 17, 18, & 19-year-old
• Homeschool Day in the Life podcast episode #103

What’s Your Homeschool Mom Personality? Take Jamie’s quiz now and receive a free personality report to help you organize your homeschool based on what your personality type needs most!