Homeschool Mom Confession | 6 Popular Things We Don't Do In Our Homeschool

[@mandy-maltz]

I just love all of your comments on this video. Come join out community here: facebook.com/groups/369826030274134

[@mandeecandee3424]

Been homeschooling for 7 years and have no clue what “morning basket” is lol!

[@hayzr9056]

Me either!

[@Katie-iu9rr]

Me either 😂

[@goatlovefun]

One reason I homeschool was to have less commitment lol not more 😂

[@heathergregory2818]

I’ve been homeschooling for 13 years. 5 Kiddos ages 23-13 currently. You’re doing exactly what God intended for you and yours. No more guilt. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ Any loving mother this interested in her children’s hearts and souls cannot fail them. I promise. BTW....4 out of 5 are boys. 🤪🥰

[@OurHomeschoolCastle]

We have 5 kids too! We are 4/5 girls though 💜 I feel we all find inspiration with each other but always make our own decisions💙

[@sorayad4642]

We only do 2 and a half hours of school, and we still learn everything we need to know. I learn a lot of stuff on my own, too

[@gloryinourmercy]

Ditto! 🤗

[@shannonmclart]

This video made me giggle! My daughter learns best through these things. Very hands on, visual, discussion oriented, gets focused in on a certain subject and learns it quickly, and social. I'm working on switching to making unit studies, she wants a morning basket, wants lots of books, and generally despises "curriculum". I ended up feeling like I'M sitting alone at a table because we don't really like curricums except TinkerActive and Mad for Math workbooks, but I see curriculums shouted everywhere. With that. I just told my hubby I was gonna go have coffee with my youtube friend and then I clicked your video. So, you just had coffee with a friend who homeschools differently than you and I love that!

[@childofyah9636]

My kids favorite tradition on the first day of school..is getting to sleep in😉I mean..what kid can say, I slept in on the first day of school🤣

[@GracewithHumility]

The freedom in doing homeschool is not being bound to what others are doing. Every family is different and homeschool should reflect that. Thanks for the honest video!

[@zmachines2185]

Thank you for sharing! I’m new and overwhelmed with “all the things!”

[@annacbrown1986]

Love this video so much. Here's my confession: I'm not a fun mom, I'm impatient and my teaching style is dry. That's why I got Abeka video. Their teaching is fun, thorough and they never get annoyed with my kids 🤣

[@gingercrowell7816]

🙌🏻😃

[@Katie-iu9rr]

🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@christyghaffari9382]

😂😂😂👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@missywhite356]

I enjoy watching your videos, but this one was so great! I'm a homeschooling mom of 16 years, my kids are a senior in college, 11th grade & 8th grade. We never did a co-op, I have no idea what a morning basket is, and we just do school too! My kids all have full lives with wonderful friendships and have done amazing academically. Well done, Mama!

[@thelifedctr]

I love your transparency! Very refreshing!☺️

[@mandy-maltz]

Thank you so much!!

[@troberson82]

I appreciate this so much. This is my first time homeschool and we just started last week. I have two in elementary and 1 in middles school. I'm not doing morning baskets, I have thought about a co-op but I work as well and wondered when I would find the time. I does my heart good to know that if I don't do these things I'm not alone.

[@compassionateheart8652]

Tiffanie Roberson same here! I’m also doing homeschooling for the first time and so glad to have watched this video.

[@simplyhymns1324]

my mother in law has been homeschooling for 28 yrs (her oldest is 32 and youngest is 7) and she just started morning basket like 3yrs ago so dont feel bad i havent even been able to do it and i have been homeschooling for like 8yrs

[@OurHomeschoolCastle]

I know many homeschooling families that have a lot of out of the house activities but it just caused so much stress for our family. We got it down to once a week going out. (Maybe an 1 extra day at the library) I have 5 kids and 3 of them are under the age of four. Just not safe to go out by myself and chase little ones. 💜

[@nicholhall3739]

I've always said if I can install a love of learning and teach them the basics they can learn anything they put their minds to. Why do we need to pile more on them and mom and cause us all to hate learning.

[@leenaabuqamar9678]

I'm starting to homeschool this year, hearing that you don't do morning baskets makes me feel AMAZING! Honestly, my son is like your kiddos, he just wants to do his main curriculum work! There's absolutely nothing wrong with that! So we already do readalouds which is a big thing in morning baskets! Honestly, I love the fact that he initiates and starts asking me to read and picks random books outside of his curriculum and I feel that morning baskets are going to overwhelm him and makes him hate learning!

[@aliciam.7855]

With 5 kids in 1st to 8th grade, we are focusing on just surviving! We also try to get school done so the kids and I can get on with life. And the kids are perfectly fine! I know we all have different circumstances and are in different seasons. So, hats off to those moms getting all the "extras" in...and way to go for us moms just getting by! We are all doing our best for our families and we should feel great about that! 🥰🥰

[@erint6540]

You’re my homeschooling sister! We don’t do any of these things except occasionally we will do nature walks. Thanks for being real!

[@32amalia]

I agree. I haven’t found that my kids get much from co-op. It feels like a waste of a day.

[@cgonzales9884]

We AVOID the library 🤣🤣🤣🤣 we always lose something and have fines

[@flaviamel0]

Ok, thank you so much! I’m just an immigrant who never saw homeschooling as an option. Now that I live in America I just want to give the opportunity to them to learn and love God through His world. God bless your family. I’m so impressed, you homeschool, have another work and do YT videos. Wow! Thank you, again 💕

[@meganbell6492]

I just love you!!! We are just starting out and pinterest and IG are total joy thieves. I'm really trying to put my blinders on and not compare and find our own groove. This was a breath of fresh air

[@mandy-maltz]

Right back at ya! Thank you. We only do “real life homeschool” over here 😂

[@tjalvarez24]

I’m so glad I don’t have an Instagram anymore 😁

[@MomDawg]

Homeschool momma of 6 here! From high school down to preschool. Love your video and we are alot alike!! We keep it simple. 🥰 I stay off social media because I start comparing myself to other moms but that can be WAY too overwhelming! We got this!

[@dianeswanson6676]

So sad for current homeschooling moms… just do what you love without the comparison! You love your kids, you love helping them learn in their way and in your way of teaching! Let the rest of this go! Stay off social media till your kids are in College!! Haha. As a former elementary school teacher, we all had different styles of teaching and different this we did in our rooms… bottom line is, are the kids learning and are they happy. That makes me happy and energized! Don’t be apologetic, just confident that they are getting the best right now!! Enjoyed your video.

[@stephaniestorybookhomescho1078]

I love this video because it goes over all of the things that I don’t do either! One of the reasons why we do not do anything special on the first day of school is because we do not really have a first day of school. When we finish a curriculum in a certain area we just move onto the next level with out any ceremony. It does not seem to bother the kids and they are just excited to be moving on.

[@angelsuniverse6021]

Same here😅

[@nicholhall3739]

Thank you for being honest about library visits and the stress. I have said and done the same thing buying from thriftbooks I'm so much less stressed and the kids enjoy the books more.

[@faithfullyinfertile]

We do some of these but not all! This is the beauty of homeschool. We have freedom to make it fit our kids!

[@anissawicht1137]

I have home schooled for over 20 years. We have never done any of these things except co-op once. :)

[@jessiekingman9381]

I'm considering homeschool this year for 8 year old and it's overwhelming. Thank you for this video. It helps

[@yelimarmaisonet1850]

Same my son is 8 going to 3rd grade we are homeschooling. And everything she said. Sounds about right. That I will not be adding to my sons homeschool. It’s not on his schedule

[@DebbyeCannon]

Jessie Kingman I learned the less I did, the more they learned.

[@LoveIsInTheHouse]

Don’t worry it’s overwhelming but you’ll get it in time and yes there will be times you think you are doing things wrong or that you should quit.. but don’t give up keep going.. been doing it for over 13 years and I love it and wouldn’t change it lol..

[@newmamaful]

You might want to check out Time4Learning.

[@heidis6210]

@@newmamaful online or KZbin?!

[@Kelida73]

I'm considering homeschooling my 8 year old granddaughter. It is good to have your videos, now that i have found them, to watch. Thank you.

[@holdenerfamily7921]

😂 I’m feelin this video. I’m pregnant with #7 but even when I had an only child I was a “no fluff” mom. I don’t have chickens, I don’t do sports, I don’t bake and I’m not fashionable. You look gorgeous in this video BTW. We have a very tidy house, workbooks and lots of gatherings at church. My schedule for the last decade: 7-9am breakfast and CHORES 9-11am Math and Phonics Afternoons = naps and finish up with mom

[@rh10033]

I just had number 4 last year and my house is a wreck...How do you stay tidy? Also our school days often go until 2. How do you get done so quickly? I feel so overwhelmed right now. I have such respect for moms with big families that homeschool! I have no idea how they do it...I do a co-op for art, science, physical education, and social studies. Sometimes they do lit studies too and I still have a hard time getting through all of the curriculum and I still have a pre-schooler and a baby. Next year is going to be even worse with 3 grades...

[@TheGLOSSette]

I don't bake or do sports either.

[@TheBalancedMom]

@@rh10033 3 grades has definitely bin a challenge -- but truthfully, adding another grade to teaching is always an adjustment! And then adding a new little one to the family adds its own set of challenges. I'd focus on a loose schedule-- have your main subject and then have them do independent work if your kids don't have quiet time anymore. Losing quiet time a few years back was probably the biggest adjustment because what I was able to get done with the oldest during that time, I couldn't do anymore. We typically start school by 9 am and finish between 3 pm and 4. That includes LOTS of interruption with our youngest currently 2 and this mama is expecting in a few weeks so I'm almost immobile and am really sloooowww at taking meal times, potty break for 2 year old, etc. You get the point! In terms of home--- systems in place for everything is key! Laundry system, nightly reset, meal planning, etc will all go along way to keep you and the family happy and sane!

[@uke7084]

When do you do history, science or geography?

[@christyghaffari9382]

@@uke7084 I do My Father’s World and we knock out Bible, History & Reading Aloud first thing in the morning as a group (ages 13, 11, and 9). Then they all split into their independent work to complete Language Arts, Math, and Science (each child is in a science class at our tutorial). Then we complete chores after lunch before our busy afternoons take over with sports and music classes!

[@TheUnraveledMitten]

I had intentions of doing morning basket, nature walks & poetry tea times this year..... 3 days in and I'm ready to scrap all 3. LOL. My girls just want to get their work done so they can play. Thanks for posting this video! Our brand new first-day tradition is going out for ice cream after they get their schoolwork.

[@tjalvarez24]

Awww 🥰 I love this idea so much !!! 💕

[@kaleighbunch8603]

I knew I started following you for a reason!! Been feeling guilty for not implementing some of these things. Thank you!!

[@dtr6863]

😍😍😍you don’t owe anyone an explanation. You continue to do what’s best and what works for you and your family. I ❤️ your honesty.

[@mae-linghuertas9855]

I am new to homeschooling and your channel and I absolutely love your transparency. You have been a breath of fresh air. Because of your channel we decided on My Father's World. Received my first box today. I am absolutely in love with it. A prayer answered. I have not done most of what you talked about. Tried a co-op and it did not work for us. Less is best! Love your videos. May God continue to bless you and your family🙏🏽❤

[@ashleyhume7402]

Loved this so much friend!!!! You are so amazing and such a good mama! Thanks for sharing and making me feel less alone!

[@mandy-maltz]

You just made my day. I read a pretty mean comment on one of my videos and this cheered me right up. Thank you, Ashley ❤️❤️

[@Icummings09]

You are NOT the only one! Love your mug! I’m a first time homeschooler. But I work so I don’t do anything extra. But we also live in HI so nature walks is beach time I guess. This video makes me feel so much better too.

[@Pixics]

Wow, you live in Hawaii? Nature is all around you pretty much. Well the thing about Homeschooling is that you don't need to do what other do. We love homeschooling.

[@1stamendmentt]

This helps me a lot!! I'm a 1st time homeschooling mom, thank you Stupid Covid lol but God said do and I listen and here I am lol God is good

[@MyAlmaModern]

There is no one size fits all for homeschooling, every family is unique! Thanks for sharing. I don’t do morning baskets, co ops, poetry tea time. We enjoy going to local arboretums and botanical gardens to clear our minds and get exercise. But I’m glad I’m not the only one that doesn’t participate in a lot of the popular homeschooling practices.

[@kiryssabostick5629]

I’m so glad I watched this. All of the homeschool videos I’ve watched are so overwhelming. I have 5 kids and I wanted to do all of this but I’m not that super lol. The morning basket thing sounds nice but it’s extra. I told my husband the poetry tea time Idea and he gave me a glare lol. I tried 2 co ops and one was great and laid back. The other asked me to volunteer in classes with my 6 month old etc and just felt stressful. If I go to the library it’s like 10 min in and out because I have a 2 year old and 1 year old. I want no more fluff

[@bethanytaylor7656]

We do Classical Conversations and the library. Other than that, I think we do the same. No morning baskets, nature walks or tea time and poetry. Thank God for freedom of homeschooling! So much liberty.

[@doomsdaymama6072]

Oh my goodness! Thank you for this! I hate the library. I never return things on time. I'm done there. None of those things fit for me. You are my equal!

[@shannonadams215]

About to start homeschooling for my middle school children, thank you. These are all things I thought would not fit with our family. So happy to hear that others don't do them. Same, not doing any of the things you listed

[@erikamurray1818]

This video made me feel so much better and less alone! Thank you for being so candid and honest about your homeschooling journey! ❤️ your channel! 😊

[@zoeware6926]

I'm glad I won't be the only one! We definitely do library trips, because it gives my littles a chance to browse and pick their own "for fun" reads. But I also feel the stress of realizing i almost missed the due date. Thank goodness for online accounts letting me renew!

[@ashleighmcwethy6747]

LOVING your videos. I was a homeschooled kid, about to start homeschooling. You are so encouraging.

[@dawnb9695]

Yes! Yes!! Yes!!! I thought I was the only one who didn't do these things! Especially morning basket!! So glad to see that I'm not alone!!

[@crystinanna7829]

I love how you almost covered your mouth and hid when you said “morning baskets” as if you said a bad word😂 isn’t it true!? We all always see so much (like SO SO much) on social media and we always feel compelled/pressured to replicate these lifestyles and routines and fancy everything. We just CANT do it all, and we should feel free not to! 😉💜⭐️ thanks for sharing

[@melissalee2286]

I'm glad I'm not the only one that doesn't do all the things! We are trying morning basket this year to see if it works for us. And we do use our library a ton. But I have a teacher account and can have up to 150 items checked out at once, plus teachers can keep things for up to 9 months. I read somewhere that comparison is the thief of joy. And that's certainly applicable to homeschool families. The whole reason most of us choose to homeschool is to do it on our own terms. But so often we're caught up in keeping up and it completely robs us of the joy in homeschooling. I love that you did this video. ❤

[@rachaelsuiter1740]

Oh you nailed all the things I don't do as well! My kiddos are more productive and we are all happier to JUST do school daily!

[@rebeccakilcullen5067]

I’m so glad I’m not alone. All these KZbin and Pinterest Mom’s have me feeling like a slacker. I am happy that school gets done, my ONE child is fed, and the house hasn’t called down. That means it was a good day!

[@andreabowersox6318]

This was a refreshingly honest video. I'm looking into homeschooling and a lot of the videos about homeschool make it seem very overwhelming. Co-ops are super overwhelming to me, so it was nice to hear your reasons for not doing them.

[@westofhere8643]

We also skip library visits, co-ops, and poetry tea time. My kids are younger so they enjoy nature walks and we do morning basket because it’s an easy time to do seasons, the calendar, counting, and a quick reading. We school year-round so a specific first day of school isn’t necessary for us. Glad to know we aren’t alone in some of these areas!

[@Foltzies02]

We don’t do any of these either! Glad we aren’t the only ones! It’s Just not our style. I have 2 girls and 2 boys and even my girls would not want anything to do with most of them and honestly it’s not my thing either. The one thing we do for beginning the year that I started because of a friend was the week before we start we do a breakfast date with each kid and set goals for the year and just spend 1-1 time together.

[@Stacey.Hamrick]

Oh girl... thank you for making this video! I am the same kind of mom and it’s so refreshing to hear there are others out there like me 😊. We do not do any of these things either and I don’t feel bad about it for one minute!!!

[@nndougls]

Yes to all of this!! This is our second year homeschooling (we are doing 1st grade this year) and we don’t do any of these either with the exception of visiting the library occasionally (before it closed for covid). Thanks for posting this! Makes me feel better to know not everyone does all the extra fluff stuff 😄

[@kristenbarnes6532]

Honesty! Thank you! We are just starting this journey and I'm watching sooo many videos with all of these routines you need to follow. It is overwhelming. So thank you

[@vanessaalmada2860]

Thank you so much for making this video! I tried fitting all those things in last year and it took a lot of the joy out of our homeschool days. We also took out our artist, composer, and poetry studies out and I felt so bad about it at first but I’m looking forward to taking it easier and just learning about those things if we have interest and then just get library books to read together.

[@EZAHomeschoolAcademy]

Thanks so much for sharing! The great thing about homeschooling is that you can make it your own!

[@kristinnarveson]

Yes! I'm feeling all this! We do what works for us and forget the rest!

[@MrsKodman]

Love this!!! I feel like the pressure to do these things is so real!!! I don’t even know what poetry tea time is, but I’m glad because I definitely don’t have time for that lol!! Thank you for being real and sharing!!

[@annemariesamples5582]

I love it!! You are not alone! We don't do any of these things, however, I am using a "morning folder" to keep some daily practice and worksheets in, mostly for organizational purposes! This is mostly independent work, but I still sit with them and guide them in a way. My kids are 12, 14, 15. We also don't currently do "unit studies".

[@kater7855]

This really speaks to me! I have had to let go of CM guilt too. For years I felt like a failure bc nature walks and tea time weren’t happening. We do waaayyyy too much screen time. But like you, I feel my kids are learning and growing and it’s much better not to fight their personalities for the extra fluff stuff. Oh and my oldest started the school year on her own yesterday with no celebration or fanfare. I did get each kid a little $1 present for the start of the year but that’s it. Oftentimes simple is best for everyone involved. I chose homeschooling so we could decide our learning style, and follow our kids’ passions, not so I could wallow in guilt over not following a prescribed method perfectly. Many blessings to you this year!

[@annifloro8470]

❤️

[@sincerelyerika4498]

🙌🏼 THANK YOU. I stressed about doing these things our first year but not anymore...we keep it AS SIMPLE AS POSSIBLE. We are all about “just getting it done” too. Good to know we’re not alone! Also a boy mom 💙

[@TheExcellentFamily]

Yes girl! I'm totally feeling this vid! We use to go to the library pre-covid; because our library is awesome. We go walking because I'm a physical person and I like to move. However, all of the other stuff. No ma'am! I've been homeschooling for 5 years as well; and we do what works for our family. Love your vid! Thanks for posting.

[@btagg2024]

You are not alone! The only thing on the list we do in our homeschool is library visits. The thought of a co-op stresses me out.

[@LucasLiteracyLab]

Books are my favorite things to buy. My kids have probably been to the library once in their lives.

[@cominginthecloudsforus]

Same here for all you said. :-) 3 kids ages 7-17. We homestead and my kids' days are packed with home activities when they aren't in their books. We all prefer home or visiting with friends.

[@Simplehomeschoollife]

Thank you for being real and relatable. I am new and I was already stressing about the morning baskets.

[@anotefromerica]

This made me feel very seen lol. Choosing not to do nature walks and poetry/tea times was a huge step but also a huge weight lifted. Thank you for that confirmation lol. We do a big pancake bar for first day of school. Tons of toppings. We also did a fun outing and an ice cream sundae bar in the afternoon.

[@jamiemanges3935]

I am so glad you did this video! This is my first year and was feeling bad about not doing any of the things you listed. I am feeling much better about skipping the fluff. I have a 9 year old girl and an 11 year old boy. We are doing elementary zoology together first thing in the morning but not in a morning basket style. I love your videos and appreciate keeping it real. I did do back to school hooded sweatshirts for both of my kids on the first day. My son's from a you tube merch shop he had been asking for and my daughter's a movie theme she wanted.

[@layceestory6941]

With you here!!! We do NONE of these things. Glad we aren't the only ones😁👌

[@schugfamily4972]

Right there with you!!! I don’t do any of those. Don’t be embarrassed Mama!!!

[@zoejohnston588]

one thing we don’t do that others do is art 😬 i mean sometimes we do for fun, but it’s not part of our school

[@theresacreativestudio]

Oh my! I so needed this video today! Felt like I was sooooo failing because I am not doing most of these things either! Fluff, my new favorite word, I dont have time for fluff! Feeling so much better, I know my son is learning and happy too so all good🥳🥳🥳

[@ambercubbage4253]

Love your honesty! We don't do most of them either. And the library I totally get the anxiety over finishing them or or getting them back in time. We love MFW! This is my second year homeschooling my 3 kids.

[@martinaleu4454]

Girl that is so me, and believe me the pressure is there but sometimes I just have a hard time getting my kids to do the basics required for the given day adding extra just causes nothing but stress. So no worries you are not alone

[@edithsens4868]

This will be my first year homeschooling my 6th and 1st, so thank you for sharing how you make it work. Eliminating any unnecessary stress is always good. :)

[@racheld.8364]

LOL!!! Thank you so much for your honesty. If something is an extra and it's not fun or just doesn't work... Not worth it!! We don't do anything on this list, per se... We don't do a routine nature walk, but we go hiking as a family every once in a while. We don't do a morning basket, but I do keep a basket of books in the living room that I rotate based on what we are studying. Finding, with God's guidance, what works for your family is the key. Not whatever is trending at the moment. 👍

[@meg4141]

Girl, I am right there with on all 6 things!!! 3rd year homeschoolers. I know exactly how you feel. No worries at all. You do you. Lots of love!

[@Furbaby5785]

Salute 💖🙏🏼💙❤️🇺🇸Lol you crack me up. We Just found your channel. Our family has been homeschooling for 6 years now. We understand alot of the extra fluff is time consuming, but all that truly matters are our children are getting an excellent education and are happy!! Ty you for great info on you channel 😊

[@connievanmeter3206]

I technically haven’t started yet but... 1. I have no desire to find a co-op, I don’t think my kids would be into it either, and I don’t have time. I’m not good with “scheduled” things. 2. I don’t understand morning baskets, and don’t plan to have one. 3. I’m not an outdoor adventure person...walks I’m ok with but I have a feeling I won’t plan any 🤷🏼‍♀️ 4. Ok, what in the world is poetry tea time?!?! 5. I wasn’t planning to have a special first day thing. Maybe I should...🤔 especially for my kindergartener! 6. I USED to be ok with library time before covid. Now, I’d rather just place a hold on what I need and grab them quickly. Plus, yea, I’m not big on planned trips anywhere. It sounds like I’ll be sitting at the table with you!😉

[@kristinastyers3004]

I'm so glad I found this video!!!!! You are not alone, mama...I don't do these either, except co-op.

[@acarolinahomeschooler7727]

I am sitting at that table with you! I don't do any of these things. Our schedule is very hectic and it's hard to add these things in. My kids are the same age as yours and they have no interest in many of these things either. We have tried different "traditions" but nothing has stuck. Doesn't mean we are bad parents we are just doing what works for our families. I appreciate you sharing. Sometimes these posts/videos are hard to make.

[@missantonia]

Oh my gosh thank you for this. Started homeschooling when Covid hit and just so this is going to be our first homeschooling year. We are also doing a Charlotte Mason-ish style but I have been wondering how to get my 7 year old son to do any of these poetry tea time, or nature trail, or morning baskets, and was feeling bad. My son is very practical and likes to just get it done and move on, too many frills and fussing and you lose his attention. I have a full time business so I need to use my 3 or 4hours and get the work done so I can get to work! Very comforting to know I don't need all this. God bless you! Your channel has been such an asset to me!

[@christophercisneros6360]

I just started homeschooling this year and I didn't know what any of these things were. So don't feel bad, keeping it simple has helped me not become overwhelmed and grumpy while teaching!

[@pjengland286]

ZERO first day traditions, haven't done co ops in years and definitely don't miss it! Your not lame, you are awesome! 😁🤩

[@smrkrr]

I love this... :) This is our 4th year homeschooling and we do a couple of these things simply because we enjoy them. If we didn't, we wouldn't. The LORD spoke a word to me in the beginning of my walk with Him years ago, before I had kids. He said only one word, "Simplify." And I have been able to effectively use that in every phase of life. Even if I have to come back to it and remind myself over time.

[@staceyshaw564]

I'm so with you!!! Coops are not my thing either. I have twin boys who are 14 and they would kill me if I tried poetry tea time! 🤣 I have them fill out a questionnaire on the 1st day of school of all their favorite things and what they want to be when they grow up, etc. That's the only thing we do though. We do the library, but only a couple of times all year. It is very encouraging to know I'm not alone!!!

[@Anibanani501]

Because you were so real and I felt your authenticity in this video...I'm sucked in now! I subscribed! I like you!

[@CampHorton]

This was so refreshing! Thank you-it’s nice not to feel alone!

[@hannahhorton6207]

Oh my gosh you are my people! We technically do a morning basket, but nothing fancy. Right now while our girls are little, it's how we do Bible, and it's when my oldest reads for me to practice her reading. But that's it as far as what we do that was on your list! I feel so much better hearing that other families DON'T do nature walks, poetry tea time and all the "in" homeschool things!

[@robandnikkiburris5393]

Guuurrlll. I am with you on 5 of you 6 things and even library visits, I echo your sentiments on not getting to the books. We haven’t been to the library at all this year though. But morning baskets? Tried it, love the concept, couldn’t get it to work. Poetry tea time? I hate poetry so I will be hard pressed to convince my kids to enjoy it. And I was homeschooled myself and still didn’t do any of these. Giving you a virtual hug and high five because I could have made this video myself.

[@alyssaknox9188]

"Even if snacks were involved." Bahaha I have two girls (6 & 8) and this rang true for us! Snacks generally can entice them, and if its still a no its never going to happen!

[@thewordrules]

Home schooled 2 who are now grown with families of their own. We never did co-ops; morning baskets; nature walks (ever hear of playing outside or going to the park--Hello! nature; tea time and poetry, never heard of that one; no first day traditions though I did a school pic each fall at Walmart. Now my two were middle school through high school, so they loved going to the library or a coffee shop to do school for a change of scenery. They did well and are both gainfully employed with kids of their own. Never compare your situation to another's.

[@littleclawscats7447]

LOVE this video! I’m so glad you admitted to all this! IG makes you feel so bad if you do all the things you mentioned. “Am I giving my kids quality schooling?” “Are they missing out?” Geez so much pressure!

[@mandy-maltz]

YES! I totally feel it on IG and it sometimes makes me feel out of place.

[@maghentata]

Just starting out in this homeschool thing and being working outside of home parents we don't have the flexibility of doing many of these during the day. So I will say, without any guilt, that we don't do many of the same things you mentioned. At least not today. I think the kids would enjoy Tea Time. We do nature walks but more to get fresh air than a forced learning exercise. I have noticed in me that I question more. Every day activities I use as a means to learn. Helpful video. Thank you.

[@crystinanna7829]

Oh we don’t do poetry or poetry memorization and we don’t sing the national anthem or do pledge of allegiance 😬

[@aryellewilstead344]

I was just wondering if I should add the pledge of allegiance....

[@Cachick9184]

@@aryellewilstead344 I’m adding it!

[@MrAlexmiele8910]

@@aryellewilstead344 I'm a veteran (if that means anything) and I dont plan on doing the pledge or national anthem.

[@legacybuilder9664]

All of my children have learned the pledge of allegiance and we incorporate this into our educational time. My husband and I want to teach our children to respond respectfully during the national anthem and pledge of allegiance. We appreciate the limited freedoms we still have left, yet we've pledged our allegiance to Christ.

[@elatewithellisha]

I appreciate all your videos for the realities you share! There are so many people out there pushing this image and perfection. Your videos are so honest and casual. I feel like we're just girlfriends chatting about homeschool at the library or park lol

[@alinae78]

I LOVE this video. You made me feel soooo much better. I don't do any of those things either: co-ops, book baskets, poetry, first day traditions, etc and for 6 years I have felt guilty. I have a 10 year old boy and work part time from home. I don't have time for those extra things nor would we as a family enjoy them. Thank you for being real and helping this mom let go of some major homeschool guilt!

[@allaboardreading]

I don't do most of those things, except for the library visits! I actually like the fact that I have to return the books because I have too much stuff as it is (and not much space) so it allows me to have access to more books without adding to the clutter (and it saves money). I did try morning time for a while, but we are just not morning people! One thing I don't do that you didn't mention is give grades (as much as I can avoid it)! I don't feel like grades are really conducive to learning, and even distract from it, and I can evaluate my daughter's progress just by working with her.

[@shannonbolton553]

I could give you a huge hug bc I have been thinking literally just the last few days about how I feel like if you aren't a full CM style homeschool mom, you're somehow less of a "good mom". No one has said that to me in any way but it's very felt. You are not alone in these things and maybe it's more of a boy mom thing? Mine are little but still, 3 boys. And as far as the library, I don't work and we still don't go bc i have 2 toddlers that don't understand how to be quiet 🤷🏼‍♀️

[@intentionallymade]

Yeah I had the same thoughts. The idea of the whole picture of CM sounds beautiful and probably is. But to me what’s most joyful is what we make of it ourselves and that’s why they have so many methods out there. I’m more eclectic and don’t want to fit in a box. Even as a first time homeschooler I knew already my style was to freestyle some but I do like having a guide. If I put myself into too many constrictions, my perfectionism can hinder me from really enjoying a process. I love the freedom homeschooling gives and just like anything, it can become an idol or another form of a rat race.

[@brittneysmall1152]

I have girls & we still don’t do these things. We do try to make the first day special but my kids are 4 & almost 10 so I think that’s why. But it’s still basically just a picture & some cute back to school coloring pages. Nothing crazy. Lol