Episode 154: Moves, Medical Appointments, & Military Life
What You’ll Learn
We want to talk homeschooling…more specifically….what an ACTUAL day in a homeschool looks like.
But here's the thing, every homeschool is different...because every child is different, every mom is different, and every family is different.
So, rather than share what Tiffany and I do in OUR homeschools, we thought it would be amazing to share all the real possibilities for what homeschools can look like and be!
In this episode, we have Erin, a Navy wife, mom of four beautiful girls, and a high school art teacher turned homeschooler.
Why Choose Homeschooling? (00:55)
Erin has four girls, ages 10, 8, 6, and 4; she’s officially homeschooling 3 of them (but the youngest is learning along with everyone). The kids are in 5th grade down to kindergarten.
The family is military and began homeschooling because they wanted more flexibility. Erin’s sister and a good friend are also homeschoolers, which meant she had some immediate community and support.
The Johnsons are a one-income family. Erin used her art skills to do parties and commissions, but she had to set it aside temporarily to dedicate more time to homeschooling. In this season, it’s ok for her to do that.
Living & Homeschool Situation (03:55)
Base housing is where they live currently (they’ve never lived on base before) and they have a duplex. Erin is looking forward to the next move that will bring them to Jacksonville and a single-family home.
As far as a dedicated homeschool space, Erin found a kids’ table on Facebook Marketplace, and she has a bookshelf inspired by Little School of Smiths (on Instagram). Each child has a bookshelf with some picture books, their curriculum, and a few other things they need.
Now…the kids don’t always use the homeschool space, but it IS nice to have. The girls also like sitting on the landing (on the stairs) to do their work.
Homeschool Routine (06:35)
The family homeschools mostly in the morning and likes to finish up before lunch. The oldest takes advantage of the one-on-one time she can get with Erin in the morning (while the other girls are sleeping), AND she’s figured out that if she gets up early, she can complete her work before 9:00 am! (The second oldest is learning this trick as well).
Erin has always liked the idea of a morning basket, but it just hasn’t worked for their family yet, and that’s ok. She’s learned that her school doesn’t have to look the same as anybody else’s. It’s fun to look on Instagram and see what everyone else is doing, but you need to pick and choose what works for YOUR family.
Erin and her oldest rise at the same time, and while she starts breakfast (and hopefully coffee), her oldest will begin school. The second oldest then gets up and if everything goes swimmingly, both girls are done by 11:00 am. The younger two will wake up a bit later, eat, and then do school and play.
Currently, the family is on a summer schedule, only schooling on Mondays and Wednesdays, with Language Arts and Math (the kindergartener chooses one of the two, while the older two girls do both). Even with the shorter summer schedule, Erin has learned to be flexible about where and when school gets done.
Breakfast is the first anchor in the day. Erin uses an adapted clipboard system, and the kids complete basic tasks before eating.
The family comes back together again at lunch, and then after dinner is read-aloud time.
Curriculum (14:20)
The family uses The Good and the Beautiful for almost everything. Erin loves that it’s open and go, and she doesn’t have to do the planning. The aesthetic of it is HUGE for Erin (and her girls), every subject is so much more than just the title of the book (math might include art and history, and language arts has geography).
Faith (16:00)
The Good and the Beautiful does a lovely job of including faith in many of the lessons. The family prays throughout the days, having conversations with the Lord here and there. They’re also using the Not Consumed, “My Brother’s Keeper,” study occasionally.
Extracurriculars (18:40)
The family is still testing different sports…they’re currently in Texas and it’s HOT. The 6 and 8-year-olds do gymnastics, and the 10-year-old does volleyball. Sports can get very competitive quickly, and time-consuming. While they were living in Pensacola, the kids did the Pensacola Children’s Choir.
Fear & Flex (20:25)
Some people asked Erin if she was qualified to teach math (because she was an art teacher), but she recognized that the curriculums were already created (and she wouldn’t have to reinvent the wheel). She does have concerns that if the girls DO go back to school, they may be behind or the standards could be different than they were at home.
As for the biggest flex…the kids finished the grade! The work was completed, and they’re starting year two (even WITH another move)!
Changing Things Up (22:08)
Erin’s second grader tried Math with Confidence in the first year, and they’ll be switching that up this year, so everyone’s working on the same math. The family will also be letting go of the comparison game.
The Johnsons are saying ‘yes’ to more science and history this year, as well as free field trips. They haven’t said ‘yes’ to co-ops so far, and they’re ok with that.
Homeschool Planning (24:20)
For planning, Erin first does a big-picture year-long plan, then breaks it down week by week. Initially, she was doing monthly plans but became frustrated when life inevitably happened, and things had to be moved forward to the next month (which can leave a mom feeling ‘behind’).
Advice for New Homeschool Moms (25:05)
Be confident in your decision! It’s easy to be wishy-washy, but you’ll do better if you just make a decision and stick with it!
Personal Time (25:35)
Erin’s ‘personal time’ is in the morning…while sleeping. It is one of her goals to devote more time to reading (so her girls can ‘catch’ her doing it) and to fill her cup!
Support (27:40)
When they first learned they were moving to Texas, Erin started a search through ALL the local Facebook groups! They started meeting up with other kids, her daughter joined a book club, and they were able to find non-co-op homeschool groups. A neighbor down the street also homeschools and was VERY helpful.
Erin’s sister homeschools and is just a call away if Erin has questions. Her husband is very supportive, and the extended family is also on board and supportive!
Erin's Unique Daughter (29:45)
Erin’s youngest daughter has what’s called a Genesis of the Corpus Callosum (which means she’s missing the middle connector in her brain), she has a duplicate pituitary, a soft cleft palate, she’s missing her right ear (she has a hearing aid), and she wears glasses.
When Erin was pregnant, the doctors gave her a wide range of how her daughter’s differences could play out in her life. On one hand, some people live their whole lives not realizing they’re missing this part of their brain…and on the other hand, some babies are born and never walk or talk.
Erin’s daughter does have some delays, but they’ve seen a TON of progress (due to the therapies, yes…but also because she has her sisters home to interact with and listen to). Currently, the family is in monitoring mode, keeping an eye on her and living life together.
A's to Our Q's (32:00)
The most impactful podcast for Erin so far has been Called to Homeschool , which she listened to with her girls as they were looking into homeschooling. It sold the girls on homeschooling, and helped Erin build the confidence to do it!
The family’s homeschool is “Firefly Academy” (named by the girls), and it’s special because of the level of flexibility. They just do the next best thing, and that works for them!
Dinner in a pinch for the Johnson family is Taco Casserole…flour tortillas, ground beef, rotelle, black beans, and corn, in layers with cheese.
Erin sets herself up for success by making a plan for the week, with her top three each day (so she knows what needs to be done).
She enjoys teaching art (particularly watercolor) to the girls. It’s also fun for her to see her third daughter picking up reading, and her second daughter working with math that’s increasing in difficulty!
We have some brand-new products on the website, AND we’ve been updating the site for the last few months, so we’d love for you to check it out! (While you’re there, use the code PODCAST20 for anything in the shop!)
And sweet mommas, never forget…
You are doing beautiful work!
