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makingeverydaymagic

Secular Homeschool Mom Helping You Add Magic to Everyday Home Life
New Videos Weekly @ 8:45 AM Central

I recently got a hateful comment about my homescho

I recently got a hateful comment about my homeschooling.And y'all.It was impressive.Apparently, I am immature, smothering, narcissistic, emotionally needy, and actively ruining my children.The nose ring was apparently also suspicious.😂😂😂And listen.I know that some people get genuinely hurt by comments like this, and I am not making light of that.But for me?I find it fascinating.Because someone can watch a few minutes of your life and become absolutely convinced that they know the whole story.They can decide why you homeschool.Why you parent the way you do.What kind of mother you are.What your children need.What your marriage is like.Who you are as a person.And they will do all of that with the confidence of someone who has apparently been hiding in your closet for the last decade.But people don't know the full story.And honestly?They don't deserve the full story either.I share our homeschool because I couldn't find someone doing it the way we were doing it when I needed that voice.I share what works.What doesn't.The things we're figuring out.The mistakes.The wins.The weird stuff.The "well, that didn't go according to plan" stuff.But sharing part of your life does not mean strangers are entitled to all of it.You do not owe every critic an explanation.You do not have to defend every decision.You do not have to accept every invitation to fight.Sometimes the response is a thoughtful conversation.Sometimes the response is a boundary.And sometimes...😂So, homeschool moms and dads:Give me your best comeback to a ridiculous homeschool comment.I am building a collection.For educational purposes, obviously.

One of the ways we make homeschooling a 5th grader

One of the ways we make homeschooling a 5th grader and a 9th grader work?When we combine subjects, **I don't pull the older kid down. I pull the younger kid up.**They can learn the same core information.The difference is in what I expect them to *do* with it.Different ages. Different outputs. Same family learning together.And honestly? It's one of my favorite ways to homeschool. ❤️#homeschoolingmultiplekids #homeschoolmom #secularhomeschool #homeschooltips #homeschoolhighschool

One of the biggest misconceptions about homeschool

One of the biggest misconceptions about homeschooling is that we're all trying to keep our kids away from the world.That has never been our goal.We homeschool because we want to build an education around *them*—their interests, their strengths, their goals, and the things that light them up.For us, homeschooling isn't about limiting their options.It's about making as many options as possible available. ❤️#secularhomeschool #homeschooling #homeschoolmom #intentionalparenting #alternativeeducation

**One week down. Ten years in. And somehow, it sti

**One week down. Ten years in. And somehow, it still feels a little surreal.**This year I have a ninth grader starting high school and a fifth grader beginning her final year of elementary school.Two very different kids.Two very different paths.And somehow, we are still finding ways to learn together.We're combining world history. We're combining biology. We're learning French as a family.And when we combine subjects, I'm not pulling my ninth grader down.**I'm pulling my fifth grader up.**They can absolutely take in the same information.What changes is what I expect them to do with it.This is also the year we're beginning to build a much more intentional high school experience around my oldest's interests in performing arts while my youngest continues following the things that light her up—and is starting to explore where her love of animals might eventually take her.But honestly?One of my favorite moments from week one had nothing to do with curriculum.I had a dentist appointment on our second day of school. I came home, and the kids had almost everything done.They just kept going.And after ten years of homeschooling, that felt like one of those quiet little reminders that all the habits and systems we've built over the years actually matter.Do I think I have this whole year figured out after one week?Absolutely not. 😂But so far?**Week one was awesome.**And I am so excited to see where this year takes us. ❤️#secularhomeschool #homeschoolmom #homeschooling #homeschoolhighschool #homeschoolfamily #9thgrade #5thgrade #intentionaleducation #alternativeeducation

10:47 a.m. and our first day of homeschool was off

10:47 a.m. and our first day of homeschool was officially done.And before the comments start 😂—no, that doesn't mean my kids only learn for two hours and then stare at the wall for the rest of the day.This was our official homeschool time.Outside of that, there is still music. Piano. Voice. Dance. Archery. Girl Scouts. Science classes. Theater. Independent interests. Books. Life.One of the things I love about homeschooling is that learning doesn't have to fit neatly into a 7-hour school day.And after 10 years of doing this, I've learned that sometimes the most important question isn't:“How long did school take?”It's:“Did we actually accomplish what we needed to accomplish?”Day one was done by 10:47.And honestly? I'm calling that a win. 🙌#homeschool #homeschooling #homeschooldayinthelife #firstdayofhomeschool #homeschoolhighschool #9thgradehomeschool #5thgradehomeschool #secularhomeschool #homeschoolmom

Just because it's in the curriculum doesn't mean w

Just because it's in the curriculum doesn't mean we have to do it.One of the things that changes as your kids get older—at least in our homeschool—is that I am giving them more ownership over how they learn.My ninth grader has used Michael Clay Thompson for years. So when we opened the new level, I gave her a choice: Do you need to sit through every introduction and explanation again? Or do you already know enough to jump into the parts that are actually going to challenge you?She chose to jump in.And honestly? I support that.Homeschooling gives us the ability to stop asking, “What does the curriculum say we're supposed to do?” and start asking, “What does this particular kid actually need?”That doesn't mean we never do hard things. It doesn't mean she gets to skip everything she doesn't feel like doing.It just means I don't see the value in making her sit through pages of information that she already knows simply because they happen to be printed in the book.Curriculum is a tool. It isn't the boss of us.Are you a “complete every page” homeschooler or a “use what works” homeschooler?#homeschool #homeschooling #homeschoolhighschool #9thgradehomeschool #homeschoolmom #secularhomeschool #homeschoolcurriculum #personalizedlearning #studentledlearning

You can research for months. Watch every curricul

You can research for months.Watch every curriculum review.Build the spreadsheet.Organize the books.Make the schedule.Have an entire vision in your head for how everything is going to work.And then eventually...You have to actually start. 😂That is where we were on the first day of our 10th year of homeschooling.I had a few things I was genuinely nervous about. Would Nomadic Professor actually work for us? Would the biology plan fit into our day? Was my big French plan going to make sense once we actually started using it?Because here's the thing:A homeschool plan can look absolutely beautiful in your brain and still completely fall apart when actual children get involved.So day one wasn't about perfection.It was about finding out what worked.And thankfully? A few of the things I was most worried about ended up being the things that went better than expected.Now we just have to see if that optimism survives week two. 😂#homeschool #homeschooling #homeschoolmom #homeschoolplanning #firstdayofhomeschool #backtohomeschool #homeschoolreality #secularhomeschool #homeschoolhighschool

10 years. ❤️ I don't think I realized what that n

10 years. ❤️I don't think I realized what that number would feel like until I stood in our homeschool space on the first day of this school year.Ten years ago, I was just figuring out how to homeschool. Now I have a 9th grader starting high school and a 5th grader starting her final year of elementary school.And the biggest change isn't our curriculum.It's me.After 10 years, I'm much less interested in making our homeschool look like it's supposed to and much more interested in whether it actually works for us.This year that means French, biology, world history, language arts, Algebra 2, Math-U-See, and all the other pieces I've been planning for months—alongside piano, voice, dance, archery, Girl Scouts, science classes, and everything else that makes up our lives.I'm also beginning to build the high school I've been imagining for years: something that feels a little more like a performing arts magnet program, with academics built around serious areas of interest.It looked great on paper.Then we had to actually do it. 😂We started late, got home from vacation after a massively delayed flight, and I was exhausted. And somehow… day one went really well.The things I was most nervous about were manageable. The kids worked independently. We finished faster than I expected.I'm not declaring the whole year a success after one day. 😂 But after 10 years, I've learned that I don't need to know exactly how the year will go.Start. Pay attention. Adjust. Keep going.Welcome to year 10. ❤️The full first-day video is up on YouTube.#homeschool #homeschooling #secularhomeschool #homeschoolhighschool #9thgradehomeschool #5thgradehomeschool #homeschoolmom #firstdayofhomeschool #homeschoollife #backtohomeschool

Can we talk about the mental load of feeding peopl

Can we talk about the mental load of feeding people?Because honestly…Sometimes dinner isn’t hard.The CONSTANT thinking about dinner is hard.What are we eating?Do we have ingredients?Did I forget something?What does everyone like?What can I make that won’t create more work?Creating a meal system was one of the biggest gifts I gave myself.Not because every meal is Pinterest-worthy.Because I stopped having to reinvent dinner every single day.That’s the magic of systems. ❤️What household task takes up the most brain space for you?

The secret to a peaceful morning? It might actual

The secret to a peaceful morning?It might actually happen the night before.Our evening reset is one of the biggest systems keeping our homeschool running.Not because we are perfectly organized.(We are absolutely not 😂)But because we have a few things that happen consistently:✨ Kitchen reset✨ Calendar check✨ Prep for tomorrow✨ Everyone knows what’s comingSmall systems create breathing room.What is your biggest morning struggle?

After 10 years of homeschooling, I finally figured

After 10 years of homeschooling, I finally figured out why some routines stick…and others fall apart.It’s not because you need a better planner.It’s not because you need a stricter schedule.It’s because you need systems.A schedule tells you WHEN.A system tells you HOW.And that difference has completely changed how we homeschool.What is one system in your home that keeps everything running?

After 10 years of homeschooling, I can tell you on

After 10 years of homeschooling, I can tell you one thing:Our homeschool does NOT run because I am incredibly organized.😂It runs because we have systems.There is a huge difference between a schedule and a system.A schedule says:“Do this at 9:00.”A system says:“This is how our family functions.”And those systems are what carry us through busy seasons, extracurriculars, messy weeks, and the inevitable moments where nobody knows what day it is.Our current systems include:✨ Family command center✨ Morning + evening routines✨ Homeschool planning✨ Chore expectations✨ Laundry✨ Meal planning + grocery listsNone of this is perfect.Actually, a lot of it has changed over the years.But the goal has always stayed the same:Create a home where everyone contributes, everyone knows what’s happening, and we have more room for connection.Because for me, that’s the magic.Not perfection.Function.❤️New video is up sharing all the details!What home system saves your sanity?

Your homeschool isn't supposed to look like mine.

Your homeschool isn't supposed to look like mine.Or anyone else's.Your kids.Your goals.Your family.That's the whole point.Comparison steals so much joy from homeschooling.❤️

If you only hear one thing from me this homeschool

If you only hear one thing from me this homeschool year...Hear this.Home first.Parent first.Teacher second.Because your relationship with your child lasts a whole lot longer than any curriculum.❤️

Unpopular opinion... Co-ops aren't the secret to

Unpopular opinion...Co-ops aren't the secret to a successful homeschool.Consistency is.If your homeschool depends on one outside activity to work, it might be worth simplifying instead.(And yes...I know this one gets people talking 😂)What's your opinion?

Ten years of homeschooling have changed my mind ab

Ten years of homeschooling have changed my mind about almost everything.Not because homeschooling changed...Because I changed.After a decade, I've realized the things that make the biggest difference usually aren't the expensive curriculum, perfect schedule, or Pinterest-worthy homeschool room.It's consistency.It's flexibility.It's protecting your relationship with your kids.It's remembering that every homeschool should look different because every family is different.And maybe my biggest lesson of all...Home comes before homeschool.I'd love to know—What's one homeschool lesson you've learned that you wish someone had told you sooner?❤️#homeschool #homeschooling #homeschoolmom #secularhomeschool #homeschoollife #homeschoolcommunity #homeschooltips #intentionalparenting #learningathome #makingeverydaymagic

After 10 years homeschooling, I've learned that th

After 10 years homeschooling, I've learned that the hardest part isn't choosing curriculum.It's creating a system you can actually live with.This year everything is organized in one place:✨ yearly plans✨ curriculum✨ student planners✨ schedules✨ extracurricularsNot because I want a Pinterest-perfect homeschool...Because I want a homeschool that still works in February.#homeschoolorganization #homeschoolplanning #homeschoolmom

Ten years. Ten years of first days. Ten years of

Ten years.Ten years of first days.Ten years of planning.Learning.Adjusting.Growing.And somehow we are here.High school.I knew this day was coming, but I don't think a homeschool mom is ever fully ready for the moment when the tiny kid you started this journey with becomes a teenager preparing for what's next.Excited.Proud.A little emotional.All the feelings.❤️#homeschoolmom #homeschoollife #highschoolhomeschool #homeschooljourney

Ten years. I genuinely don't know how we got here

Ten years.I genuinely don't know how we got here.This year we're starting high school while also wrapping up elementary school, and that feels like the biggest parenting milestone yet.This isn't just our curriculum.It's the entire system that holds everything together.The calendar.The planners.The digital organization.The schedule.The extracurriculars.The tiny adjustments that make homeschooling actually sustainable.After nearly a decade of homeschooling, I've learned that the curriculum isn't usually what makes the year successful.It's having a plan that's realistic enough to actually live.Here's hoping this one works. ❤️#homeschool #homeschoolmom #homeschoolplanning #homeschoolcurriculum #secularhomeschool #highschoolhomeschool #5thgrade #9thgrade #makingeverydaymagic

This might be my favorite homeschool organization

This might be my favorite homeschool organization setup we've ever had.✔️ Individual shelves✔️ Shared curriculum✔️ Mom resources✔️ School supplies✔️ Everything in its placeSimple beats perfect every time.✨ Full walkthrough is on YouTube.#homeschool #organization #homeschoolcurriculum #homeschoollife #ikea #smallspaces

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