Homeschooling the Huge Family - Seven Steps to Staying Sane

Kimberly asked Ginny and Mary Ellen how to juggle homeschooling when you have a huge family. You'll love every minute of their humorous reflections and insightful advice. 

You may have a married kid or two with grandchildren dropping by while you're planning weddings and still homeschooling high school, middle school, and elementary school.  Oh, and you're trying to keep the house clean enough so the Board of Health doesn't put your kids into foster care.  Don't miss it.

Show Notes:

Let's talk about how moms of big homeschooling families can stay sane.

1. Have a School Schedule

Start schooling at the same time every day.  An earlier start is better.  If you have children too young to work independently, start with them.  

2. For the Young Ones - Do the Essential Subjects with Them

But EVERY child has something they can do on their own: copy spelling words, finish a math page, etc.  Be specific:  "Those two pages have to be finished before you eat lunch, so don't dawdle."

3. For Students Who Mostly Work by Themselves - Have a Daily Appointment

Make sure they are staying on track.  Set goals.  "This chapter has to be read before tomorrow so you can start on the assignment.  If you can't finish it during the school day, work on it after supper."

4. Don't worry about unessential subjects

Music in our family was piano lessons, voice lessons, or dance lessons.  Anything I did not have to do!  They were not cheated; two of my kids pursued fine arts after high school.  Art lessons mainly were appreciation – Seton books and the Art Institute of Chicago.  You can tour famous museums online, too.  PE was town sports – that was enough.

5. Skip unnecessary busy work

If Junior is a good speller, give him a pretest on Monday.  If he only gets one or two words wrong, have him write them ten times each and give him another oral test on Tuesday.

If there are twenty English problems identifying proper and common nouns, assign the first ten.  If Janie gets them all right, move on to the next subject.  Do the same thing with math fact problems.  Repetition is the key to learning, but if you have it, you have it!

6. Schedule tidy time.

Having polished floors and sparkling windows can be challenging, but a tidy house makes all the difference to your peace of mind.  Assign chores that include washing dishes and cleaning counters.  Jackets are hung up, and laundry is folded and put away.  Half an hour after school and another after dinner often does the trick if everyone chips in.

7. EVERYONE Chips In

If kids have moved back after college or are attending college while living at home, that's great.  But a free ride does not include free maid service. They must take care of their laundry and clean up after themselves; they have to contribute their labor to the household:  mowing the lawn, mopping floors, cooking dinner, whatever.  

You Won't Regret It: 

Young adults living at home should not be a burden – they should be just the opposite – fully contributing household members.

Thanks to Kimberly for sending us this idea.

Homeschooling Resources

Seton Home Study School

Seton Testing Services