Homeschooling moms of multiple children face a unique challenge. These homeschooling moms need to manage multiple ages and stages of children under one homeschooling roof. Basically, she needs to learn the art of a one room schoolhouse or a juggling act. Each option comes with its own challenges yet each can be successful. A mom must decide for herself how she will balance her day and her children’s education. There is no right way but oddly enough there are plenty of wrong ways. For example, if your home is a source of stress or children falling behind in their studies then your sign says “wrong way”. As a mom of four children ages 12, 10, 5, and 2, I have had my share of juggling routines.
Many moms choose to set up an area of their home as a classroom for their children stay together during learning time. She may put her focus on one child while assigning another quiet work. On other occasions she may give a math lesson that is easily adaptable to all ages so all children can be engaged simultaneously. A literature based approach is often used for moms who want to incorporate all her students into one activity. History and science are also great multi-level subjects. The teacher can give the same lesson but assign activities that fit the age of the individual child. The Charlotte Mason method and unschooling are examples of approaches that fit a one room schoolhouse balance. However, I must stress that it is not mandatory to have a traditional classroom set up in your home. My daughter uses her room, while one reads while swinging and the other will often sit on the porch off the upstairs during independent study or for projects.
Different children often require a different approach. With this in mind, many moms will purchase curriculum, literature books, unit studies, etc. for individual students. Often this mom will have to take a student driven approach to ensure her children’s individual styles are addressed. She will have to divide her day to address each child’s questions and lessons. This way will be structured and routine in order to keep students on track.
This past year, I have my oldest her textbooks and assignments for her to complete on her own within a specified amount of time. She works best on her own without distraction or instruction. My son needs to stay in a room where I can be sure he is not getting distracted by whatever is on eye level. My five year old craves attention and hands on learning. My littlest one just wants to do whatever everyone else is doing. So, I had a morning session where all children practiced Copywork, narration, and literature. Then they were off to individual assignments. In the late afternoon while my littlest napped, the rest of the kids had science of history class depending on the day. This works for us but may not work for all, so find your groove and your days will improve. Homeschool days vary and routine may not be in all homeschooler’s vocabulary, but find a balance that works for you on most ordinary days and you will alleviate stress.
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