5 Things I DON’T Do in Our Homeschool
I always feel so much better when I hear what other moms say they don’t do.
I don’t cut the crust off my kids’ sandwiches.
I don’t bathe my kids every single day.
I don’t read a bedtime story every single night.
I don’t go to all my kid’s practices and games because I have work.
You get the point.
While motherhood can have it’s own set of unspoken, unnecessary expectations, so can homeschool. There are so many things I felt like I should be doing but a) didn’t want to b) we’d be doing school all day and c) it was too much. You gotta keep your eye on the prize which is your own family. Just because one family does x, y, and z doesn’t mean I have to or that YOU have to. While it might seem helpful or fun, it can simply be way too much.
Here are five things I don’t do in my homeschool. Some were a no brainer for me and others were really hard to let go. Hopefully this makes you feel a bit better about not doing something or simply letting it go.
5 THINGS I DON’T DO IN OUR HOMESCHOOL
testing
The only testing I did this year was the mClass testing for reading because I am a lazy daisy and didn’t want to make a portfolio to show my daughter could read. I’d rather do a ten minute phonics screener and call it a day. Otherwise, I don’t usually test if I don’t have to. I also don’t do end of chapter assessments or weekly spelling tests. All my daughter’s instruction is direct so I know what she needs to work on and where she excels. I don’t need her to take a test for me to collect the data.
purchase planners
I’ve never purchased a physical planner but I’ve made digital ones for myself. I ended up writing the same thing over and over. It seemed pointless to keep doing it. Maybe when my girls are older and they are into more subjects and activities a planner will come in handy. Until then, I stopped using them.
keep grades
I’ll just say what everyone is thinking… elementary grades are pointless (in my opinion obvi). 😂 No one asks for them for anything. Do they need them for college? No. Is an employer going to ask, “What were your grades like in elementary school?” No. Do they count for credit towards anything? No. They are totally unnecessary for younger kids.
I do have to report them each semester but I know how my kids are doing because, at this point, all of their instruction is direct instruction. I don’t need to keep a log book of grades and average out their scores each week. One, that is way too much work. Two… yeah, that’s it. It’s too much unnecessary work.
do co-op
I have commitment issues. The only long term commitments I’ve been able to keep are to my husband and Jesus. I did not want to be expected to teach a group lesson each week and I did not want to be required to show up on a Tuesday at 10:30 AM if we didn’t want to for whatever reason. I didn’t want to be tied down to going to all these groups. While I’m sure some CO-OPs are awesome, I didn’t want to commit to one because it sounded like a really big commitment that would eventually put me in an awkward situation of trying to get out. Then I’d feel bad and get anxious and it would be a whole thing. So I didn’t even go there.
nature journals
I tried so so hard to implement nature journals. I did the whole Regio Emilia documentation style and then tried to mimic Edith Holden’s nature journals. Then I made these cute framed text boxes on a word doc and thought we’d draw pictures of what we saw outside. Guess what? The first time lasted a few rounds. The second time we did it once. The third time, I didn’t even cut out the cute framed text boxes.
It is really hard to get outside in winter when it’s negative degrees. Winter lasts half the year. 🙄 And I realized not everything we do has to be documented or turned into a sit down lesson. We can learn about nature by existing outside. That’s enough. I don’t have to come inside and turn it into a mini lesson.
I was sad. But I let the nature journals go.
There are so so many things I can choose to do during homeschooling. It is extremely overwhelming, for me at least. I’m a lover of so many things. It’s hard for me to not do it all. I have to remind myself that it’s okay to not do nature journals even though it seems like everyone and their moms are watercolor painting the bugs they found in the dirt while eating the homemade bread they made. Which happened to be baking in the oven while they were out playing in the dirt. I used to wish I could be like that. Now I’m good with not doing what feels right for me and the way I like to homeschool.
Hopefully this helps you realize that not everyone does what “should” be done. You don’t have to either. Obviously do what is required by your state and charter school if you are a part of one. But when it comes to optional things, release the pressure to do what everyone else is doing. Or if it just isn’t working, take a break from it. Maybe it isn’t the season for that particular activity or subject. It’s all good. You are not a failure and your kids will not fail. No one needs the burden of unwanted, self imposed expectations.
What’s something you don’t do in your homeschool that has been for the better? Leave a comment!
xo L.
