Some Candid Thoughts From Our First Week of Homeschooling…

We are officially done with our first week of homeschooling…

Here are a few candid thoughts on the whole thing, with the hopes of giving you an inside look into my “real life” and how wellness plays into that.

If you had told me a few years ago that I’d be homeschooling full-time, I would have laughed. I never saw myself as the mom who would be fully in charge of her kids’ education. My plan was always something hybrid—half at school, half at home. I liked the balance of structure and flexibility that it offered. But as the saying goes, we make plans and the Lord directs our steps.

This fall, the doors I thought would open just didn’t. The hybrid option I hoped for ended up not coming to fruition, and after a lot of prayer and waiting, the answer became clear: homeschooling was the path we were supposed to take.. at least for right now. So here we are—one week in.

The Reality of What This Week Looked Like

This week also came with the much-anticipated harvest of our potato plants! This turned into an impromptu learning opportunity and the absolute highlight of my kids’ week.

My sweet girl is currently doing preschool, so we are by no means tackling a heavy load of coursework. It has taken us less than an hour to complete each day. And she is loving it. Every day she is eager to do her “school work” and she is so proud of every knew thing she is learning. It is so amazing to watch and be a part of.

That said, I have a very busy two-year-old who wants to be a part of all of the action. I think it has been most challenging to try and be present with both of them— one sitting and learning her letters, and one who is trying to climb the bookshelf 😅 My goal was always to do the majority of her school stuff while my son naps, but naturally that didn’t really fall into place this week.

Moving forward, I think that will be the goal— but again, we will see how it works in real life.

Realigning My Priorities

I won’t sugarcoat it—this has been a stretching week. There’s something humbling about realizing how quickly your priorities come to the surface when your daily life changes. The first week of homeschool has shown me that I can’t do it all, and maybe I’m not supposed to. I think it is always something I have known, but putting it into practice (again) just keeps me humble 😅

I’ve had to let go of the pressure to make things Pinterest-perfect and instead lean into the essentials: creating a safe, joyful environment where my kids can learn, grow, and be curious. I’m learning that my priorities aren’t about how many enrichment activities I can cram into a day. They’re about presence, patience, and showing my kids that learning can be a natural, life-giving part of our everyday rhythm.

It’s the same thing I always encourage my coaching clients to remember: intentionally choosing less is more.

Wellness, But Simpler

The biggest personal shift I’ve noticed is how much I need wellness to be simple. My own health can’t be complicated or time-consuming right now. Wellness needs to look like easy meals that still nourish, quick workouts squeezed in between lessons, and a prayer life that is woven into the noise of daily life instead of reserved for perfect quiet moments. (Honestly, my morning routine kind of went out the window this week and I think it is evident that a routine switch is in need).

Before homeschooling, I had more margin to experiment with new recipes, linger at the gym, or plan out more elaborate self-care routines. That margin has shrunk, and I’m realizing that true wellness doesn’t have to be complicated. It can be grabbing a protein shake after math, a five-minute walk outside with the kids, or squeezing in a devotional with my husband before bed.

Wellness has to be accessible and doable right here, right now.

Here are a few things I am bringing back into practice, or focusing a bit more on in this season:

• Cook once, eat twice. This is one of my favorite strategies for storing up some pre-made meals to heat up in the future. Double up the recipe you are already cooking and then freeze the second portion. This is extra easy to do with soups and stews and adds a lot of convenience to meal times.

• Sticking with our meal rotation— some of my most popular blog posts are my seasonal meal rotations. It is basically setting a meal plan that our family will follow week after week (for the most part, or until we need to sub in a new recipe). It minimizes decision fatigue and helps to add routine to our meal planning.

• Batch cooking snacks on the weekend- I feel like my kids are always asking for snacks. And while I have nothing against some pre-packaged snacks to grab, especially for on the go, I try to prep some homemade options for the week. Some of our favorites are sourdough muffins, homemade granola bars, and trail mix. Quick, easy and nutritious!

• Outsource workout planning- Working out and weight lifting is something that I have regularly had in my health routine for nearly 15 years. It is a non-negotiable for me. But sometimes, planning out a workout seems like an extra step. Since March, I have been going to a circuit workout class 3 times a week. This is my first experience with “group fitness,” and it has been a blast. Not only does it allow me the opportunity to just show up and work out (without any planning on my part), but I have met some really cool people!

These are some ways that I am setting myself up for wellness success in this season.

What I’m Holding Onto

I don’t know if we’ll homeschool forever. Maybe the Lord will open up that hybrid option in the future, or maybe this will be our long-term path. What I do know is that this first week has already been refining. I’m being stretched to see the bigger picture and to accept that faithfulness looks different in each season.

So for now, I’m holding onto:

• Grace for myself and my kids. To be fair, it has only been one week and I know things will become more routine as we continue practicing.

• Simple rhythms that support our family’s health and peace.

• Trust that the Lord will continue to guide us where He wants us to be.

Homeschooling full-time wasn’t my plan, but maybe that’s the point. Sometimes the unexpected paths are where the richest lessons are found—for both me and my kids.

If you homeschool in any capacity, what are you favorite rhythms? I would love to hear from more experienced parents in this area!

Kaelyn

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