Janet's Homeschool Day in the Life (with a 13-year-old)

When I started my blog in January of this year, I knew right away that I would write this post, even though it is pretty different from what I typically write. I have been reading at https://simplehomeschool.net since we first considered homeschool as an option for our family back in 2013. I devoured all of the posts and information, especially the annual homeschool day in the life posts. It was so fun to read what each family was doing, celebrate the uniqueness of homeschooling, and try really hard not to compare! Each year there was a link-up where readers could share their homeschool day in a life as well. I almost started a blog a few times just so I could have a link to share! I am so excited to share my homeschool day in a life this year!

This is my tenth year of homeschooling. I started when my children were five and three and have been going ever since. My oldest passed away unexpectedly the summer after his 4th grade year of school. I couldn't imagine homeschooling without him, but I also couldn't imagine not homeschooling my youngest anymore. We decided to keep homeschooling, and while homeschooling a single child for the past five years has had its challenges, we still find a lot of joy in our homeschool journey. Here's what a typical Monday in early spring looks like for us:

My alarm has been set for 5:20 since the new year. I have done a pretty good job of actually waking up when it goes off, but this Daylight Savings thing throws me off a little this morning! I scroll my phone for a while, then pray, do my Bible study (I am currently studying John with Bible Study Fellowship), and start writing.

My daughter, 13 and in 7th grade, usually wakes up a little after six and reads before heading downstairs for breakfast at seven. She also didn't wake up as early as usual this morning. She is currently reading "The Selkie's Daughter", a new fantasy book she found. We work together to make something quick but filling for breakfast, and then jump right in with our homeschool day while eating what we made and saying good-bye as my husband leaves for work. We start by playing worlde and quordle together, then we watch CNN10 (https://www.youtube.com/@CNN10). I had heard good things about this ten minute current events program for middle and high schoolers and have been very impressed with the fact-based, age-appropriate reporting. Then I read aloud a book. We rotate between classics, books from the Sonlight curriculum, things I see recommended on the readaloudrevival.com and a few other spots on the internet, and random things we find at the library. Our current selection is a random find, "Braver: A Wombat's Tale".

Our dog, Ash, is watching my husband leave for work.

We migrate from the kitchen table to the couch. 
I am usually still in my bathrobe, but not today!

We've gotten into a good rhythm lately where we do one more thing together after I read aloud but before starting the meaty part of her studies. This month we decided to do a nature journal challenge, where we are trying to journal 25 times in the month of March based on 25 nature prompts. We are working on our journals by ourselves and keeping the entries a secret until the big reveal at the end of the month. Other things we have done during this time are poetry, music, and artist study.

Then we start working through her core subjects. First up today is science. We are using Berean Builder's "Science in the Atomic Age". I read aloud the first section of the chapter on the digestive and renal systems. She performs a demonstration about the importance of physical digestion using vinegar and TUMS, takes a few notes from the reading, and completes the comprehension questions out loud. For history we are using Notgrass History's "From Adam to Us". We have been working through this world history curriculum for the last two years. Today's reading is about India and Ghandi. My daughter narrates the reading, and I assign her one of the assignments, which she will complete on her own later. There are several assignments left which she will complete tomorrow.

We were a little short of vinegar, but thankfully it was still enough
to make the TUMS fizz.

Next is math, which is my daughter's least favorite subject. She started the year working through a pre-algebra curriculum, but it ended up not being a good fit. At first I just had her move slower through the curriculum, but after Christmas break we shelved it and started some review using "Mastering Essential Math Skills Book 2". She completed that a couple of weeks ago and now is moving through "Mastering Essential Math Skills Pre-Algebra Concepts". Today she worked through a page on adding and subtracting integers with decimals. No tears! Yay!

I would take a break at this point, but she always wants to keep plugging away. Next we do a spelling lesson on -ible words using All About Spelling Level 6. And finally, we start a chapter on biographies using "Jump In: Middle School Composition". This week will be focused on skills specific to biographies, and next week she will write a biography. Today's assignment defines biographies and has a fun game where she matches ten people from history with ten introductory sentences from their pretend biographies.

While my daughter works through these math, spelling, and writing assignments, I rotate between facilitating/answering questions and reading a few pages from a book (currently working through "Do You Believe" by Paul David Tripp) or catching up on my Bible study. I try really hard to stay off my phone as it is distracting and doesn't put either one of us in a good mood, but it is so tempting.

At this point we are finished besides piano, typing, and Bible study, which my daughter does on her own time. She heads up to her room to read and work on a paint-by-number created from a picture of our dog that my husband and I got her for Christmas. While she paints she listens to an audiobook. She is currently listening to "Holes". I walk our dog. When I get back I make us some lunch, and we eat while watching college gymnastics on youtube. After lunch we do the dishes together, and then head outside to practice softball. It's mostly fun to watch her pass me in ability, but occasionally annoying when I tell my legs to move and they stay put! She really wants to pitch and practices a couple of times a week if the weather cooperates. Then I head inside to work on this blog post, and my daughter finishes pitching, practices the piano, and does her history assignment.

When she is finished, we head out to a nature preserve near our house with our dog to take a walk and work on our nature journals. We listen to "Half-Magic" on audio during the drive. It's so funny! I highly recommend it for all ages. We see spring ephemerals, a bunch of turtles, and some friends on our walk. I love getting outside as much as I can with my middle schooler!

When we get home we both grab a snack and head off in our separate directions again. I exercise, shower, pick up all the things we scattered around the house all day, and warm up leftovers. My daughter listens to her book, paints, and reads. My husband comes home during this time as well and is vigorously greeted by our dog and eventually the rest of us get a turn to say welcome home as well.

We eat dinner and clean up. My daughter finally does her typing lesson, and then it is off to watch her play volleyball. We get back and chill for a bit, and then she meets for an on-line Bible Study with Bible Study Fellowship. My husband and I read, scroll the internet, and try to stay awake until she finishes. 

The morning part of our day looks the same every day except Thursday, when I go to Bible study and she works on her own, and Tuesday, when we go to a homeschool co-op where I help teach the K-2nd classroom and she learns art, writing, science, and debate with a class of 6th-7th graders. Our afternoons are usually a mixture of activities together, by ourselves, and with others. The activities vary, but often include sports, art, crafts, baking, board games, puzzles, books, and exploring outdoors. Her volleyball is two nights a week. On other nights she has youth group or we stay home and hang out together, playing games and watching a show or two. My daughter and I both thrive on the mixture of routine and free time we have found, and I treasure these days together!