Sweet Simplicity…

Some of the things that I love about homeschooling are the simplest things.  Our life may seem busy to those on the outside, and it is to a degree…but it is also less complicated in many ways.


We are all together during the day, so there is no worry about getting everyone to different places.  


We do a lot of schoolwork together, which makes for much easier planning.

We don’t stress about doing “school at home.”  If I wanted my kids to be having the same education as the schools use, then they’d be in school.  But we use everyday opportunities to learn.  We learn by doing.  We learn by seeing.  We learn by being immersed in life.

We get to take notice of the world around us, and not just let it pass by.  This struck me the other day, when Grace (almost 10) called me in to her room.  She was going to sleep and it was about 9:30 pm.  She said she noticed that she looks at the sky every night at 9:30 pm and she sees the big dipper.  She told me she noticed that it’s placement in the sky had changed over the past few weeks.  So then we got to talk about how it is fun to notice how things change with the seasons, and how it is so cool that every year we can observe these changes, and God always stays the same.

Even the other day, John and I were sitting at our table in the schoolroom/office, and it was a very snowy day.  There in the tree appeared the most beautiful cardinal.  It’s red feathers so bright against the freshly fallen white snow.  We both watched it for awhile, and then another one came.  We had a chance to talk about how the red one was a male, and it’s bright colors are to attract the females.  We got to talk about how God made it that way, and isn’t that amazing?  It was another moment that I savor in this time that I know will pass so quickly…

Another thing about homeschooling that I love, is that the kids can be kids. I love that in the afternoons they can play outside, use their imagination, and just be kids.

Homeschooling really doesn’t have to be complicated.  In fact, it can be one of the most natural things for a family to do.  No, it is not natural compared to the society we live in (although the numbers of homeschoolers are booming!!), but once you start doing it you realize, wow, this is a great way for families to live.  Learning together each day, and embracing life…together.

Homeschooling doesn’t have to involve fancy curriculums and supplies.  There is a world of information out there, and if we just utilize it properly, our kids can be educated just as well as any fancy curriculum.  In fact, I bought one of those fancy all in one curriculums a few years ago.  It truly is one of the best out there.  I needed it that year because I was pregnant and figured I would let the curriculum do everything for me.  But now, I choose not to buy one like that, but to gather different things from different sources.  The library is really our best resource out there.  We have really simplified our curriculum.

By simplifying though I do not mean lowering my standards, I just mean cutting out lots of “fluff.”  Focusing on what is important.  Our kids days don’t have to look like the public/private school’s days.  They’re not supposed to.

Our learning goes on from the moment we wake up until we go to bed.

And most of all, we are doing it all together…I see the kids interacting with each other and becoming so close.

And to me, that is simply the best!