I am really hoping that new homeschoolers don't feel pressured to do all of these things. I promise, even some of us seasoned vets skip some of these things. Start slow and find your rhythm, add extras as you choose to.

Honey this is the truth, and nothin but the truth, so help me GOD! 😂 I feel my kids are getting a very high quality education and I don’t do most of these either (now we love the library! Lol)! Thank the lord for a homeschooling secular KZfaqr! This is the only social media I have and I truly enjoy connecting with other moms who are just real lol

We unschooled last year for 11 straight months while my family adjusted to me getting a job. My girls had never had me gone from home. When we began homeschool back up this August, my 10 year old struggling reader was pretty much reading at grade level after a 3 year battle with us both pulling our hair out & crying about rulebreakers & phonics rules. I asked her how she improved so much since we basically unschooled all year. Her reply: Roblox & watching KZfaq with the captions on!! Kids do always learn. We are hitting the books hard this year & my kids are flying through new concepts quickly, but the greatest lessons came from last year - self reliance, maturation, confidence in their own abilities & how to use the toaster oven when Mom's not home!

I needed this today 🖤 Thank you! I'm also in the south and also a secular homeschooler, so I relate to the co-op situation so much. It's genuinely so hard to find connection for my littles because every group around NC is religion-based smh. I'm glad to find that I'm not alone out here!

YESSSS Thank you for not sacrificing your principals. Thank you for sharing and representing the VERY underrepresented secular homeschoolers. I'm super super glad I have found you on KZfaq. Thank you for being realistic and honest. /sigh so refreshing! I love some of the ideas and things presented in some of the other channels are wonderful but not everyone has those skills. I read the other day if your kids are conscious they are learning. That's the best bar ever I can totally achieve that LOL.

You are my kind of homeschool Mom! This video is REAL!! You are reassuring some of us who are just doing the best we can at this! I appreciate this video so much!!

Holy crap another secular homeschooler exists!! I think it's great so many nonsecular homeschoolers share their knowledge but it definitely starts to feel like that's the only group of people that exist within the homeschool community. They also tend to look at you like you have two heads when you don't want daily devotionals, creation based "science" (like seriously how do you call it that lol that was painful to type) and etc. Plus it seems like they do the most. Morning baskets, perfect homeschool rooms, perfectly structured days...starts to make you feel like you're failing so THANK YOU for this video! Glad to see in the comment section that I'm not the only secular mama who is just trying to get through the homeschool days without losing what's left of my sanity haha.

I home-school my 2 girls, have a degree in elementary ed, and I *feel* this in my SOUL!

I love this! I would add something we don’t do- school every day! We travel quite a bit and need to keep things flexible. Also about the planner- I’m definitely a pretty planner person for my personal planner but not my homeschool planner! I tried for so long to decorate it and journal about our day in it and keep it cute but I just could not keep up. I finally decided that stickers were for my Erin Condren. The point of my homeschool planner is just to get the ideas on the paper so we have some general sense what the heck we’re doing, 😂. Also when you talked about not sitting next to your kids while they did every single assignment- I realized one of the things I like about homeschooling is the freedom to help my daughter in whatever way she needs. She has ADHD and some other neurological issues, as well as Type 1 diabetes. At the beginning of the school year, I started following another homeschool mom who really emphasized that kids need to be doing as much independently as early as possible. She has checklists for each of her kids that she pretty much hands to them with their books. I’m sure she reviews things with them and stuff but it made me feel like I was coddling my child. I tried the “here’s your checklist and books good luck” method and needless to say it didn’t go great. Checklists were actually really helpful for motivation and keeping her on task, but the total independence was overwhelming to her. So now we meet somewhere in the middle. Some days, if she’s having a good brain and blood sugar day, I can just hand her the tablet (we use Calvert). But other days, I read the material out loud to her and we work through the questions together. I like to think that I’m teaching her more than just math or geography or whatever. I’m teaching by example how to break big things into smaller chucks to make them less overwhelming. I’m teaching her to approach learning in a different way. And I’m teaching her that her mental health is important and it’s ok to ask for help when she needs it. ❤️

Thank you for keeping it real!!! It makes me feel SO much better that we aren't the only ones not doing all of these things you see in a lot of videos. And that it is ok!

You’re probably my favorite homeschool momma I’ve come to watch! Your vibe and how you do things is how I feel about homeschool and exactly the ways I do with my girls! I have learned that just 30 minutes a day with my 4 year old is making her thrive and she’s learned so much in such a short time because of the one on one time I’ve had with her. I am a very laid back homeschool mom myself!

I just found you and as a fellow secular future home school mom who still loves Jesus, thank YOU for this video. You have a new subscriber:)

This was SO refreshing to me as a brand new homeschool parent! 😀🙌🏼 Thank you for this.

Thank you for sharing this! it's such a relief to hear someone feels this way about homeschooling.

Thank you for this video! I’m homeschooling for the first time this year and have been feeling overwhelmed by all these seemingly “perfect” ideas of what homeschool should look like and this video helped me so much and made me more confident that I can do this and stay laid back and teach my 1st grader in between chasing after my 1 year old. There is a need for more secular co ops cause someone’s antiquated views on marriage and other topics shouldn’t be affecting education opportunities.

I stumbled upon your video this morning and I'm so grateful I did! Thank you for being so transparent. It's a relief to see that not everyone is so "PERFECT" my daughter is starting kindergarten this year and I will be homeschooling for the very first time so I've been doing lots of research and honestly I was feeling very intimidated by everything I found 😳 the morning baskets, the planning, the classroom settings, the daily nature walks, it felt like too much! But it's great to see that it's absolutely possible without all of those things! Thank you so much!! ❤

I truly feel you. especially with co-ops. All the ones in my area are out of a few churches and we tried but as a secular family, it just didn't work. so all we do is a few spots and music. Good video.

This video was so wonderful. I’m starting homeschool for the first time, and this has made me so much more happier about my decision. Thank you so much 😊

Omg thank you for this! I saved this for myself so that I can watch it again on the hard days. You are my homeschool pep talk ❤️

YESSSSS I ABSOLUTLEY LOVEEEE THIS HONEST VIDEO!!!! THANK U FOR SAYING IT LOVE LOVE LOVE

So happy I found your channel. I really needed to hear all this today. Thank you!!!

I am glad I found your page!! I have been trying to live up to the "perfect homeschool" and your page is so refreshing!! Thank you!

This is an excellent video. I'm all about everyone doing what works for their family. So nice to see a secular homeschooler.

I love 💘 this video!! It brings me JOY as a first year homeschooler.

I needed to hear this!!! Thank you so much for sharing!

Thanks for this video! My state is pretty relaxed too. Thanks for posting this, I can take a breath now!

Love this so much!!! Lol! We’ve been homeschooling for 5 years and although we have tried some of these things...we were just like NO! We’re following her own path! Thank you for this 🙌

I am a new subbie! I soooo love your viewpoints! I have a couple differences but I sooo love that you don’t stress over the homeschooling drama! I used to feel like I needed everything and to be everything or else I wasn’t doing a good enough job. But finally, after four years of homeschooling, I can sincerely say that I don’t stress over it and I no longer try to fit other molds. We homeschool for a reason! Freedom! Thank you for the video! Also, congratulations on the 500+ subs!!!! I can’t wait to reach 200! Lol

I’m so glad I found this!!! Thinking of homeschooling and this is exactly how I function ❤️

This video came right on time! First timer here and was ready to give up by week 5. Then I decided we'd work on rhymes with silly songs in the tub. And it clicked! It taught me to get the lessons in where they can fit in! And I'm in the same boat with coops/faith. It's a struggle for us when it comes to statements of faith. Listen, we keep it simple - love God, love people and keep it moving! Love your vibe!

We're about to transition to homeschooling and this was lovely to see. My goal for the rest of this year is just 1 english/reading/writing lesson and 1 math lesson per day 3 days a week and we'll let the rest come naturally though play and exploration. My kiddo is only in grade one, so I don't feel more than that is necessary for formal sit-down type learning.

As a mom potentially homeschooling this year, this was refreshing - thank you!

I do just about none of these things! I have found one co-op in our area (in Texas!) that is secular. It is wonderful. I was not going to sign any statement of faith and then my kid getting into trouble for the truth.

I love your perspective! Keep up the good work :) I agree about not replicating a school day. So terrible!

I homeschool because I'm a devout atheist living in the bible belt. Glad I stumbled on this playlist!

Yes to so much of this. Especially the morning basket 😂

Hi Shanna! Great idea for a video! ❤️ I hope your year is going well so far!❤️❤️

Omg! Thank you for this. I am a little more confident on our routine!.

Your the first secular homeschooler I found on here! So happy I found you. We are very similar with homeschooling!

Number 13 is my jam! Thank you! ❤️

LOVED this video! Thank you.

Realist list I ever heard. Thank you. Makes me feel like I am not alone

Omg! I just love this! And you! Thanks😊. I don’t keep a daily set schedule We don’t do morning baskets We don’t skip time with family and friends for school( this is the best part)

Thank you for this !!!

I loved your video, thank you. I'm new to homeschooling and I am a secular homeschooler. It has been hard to find homeschooling families in my area that accept a secular point of view. But you give me hope and inspiration! Because I don't see the point of a morning basket, or a homeschool room. And co-ops are not in the cards, and to be truly honest, I know I would not like to be tied to doing something on a regular basis, but would suck it up for my girls. It just feels good to know that how I'm choosing to do things is ok. At the very least I can check that worry off my list :) thanks!

LOVE THIS VIDEO!! I’m with you on almost every single one of these 😂

I like you a lot! This mama does the same thing and it is a relief to hear another Mom does the same thing ! My school work days are 5 hrs and that is it!

WOw! i love this! you r so cool and chill!

I absolutely love this video! Same here momma, same here

Love this! Thanks for sharing!! I so feel this :)

You are seriously the best for this! Thank you so much for sharing and keeping it 💯. You have no idea how much this reassured me that everything I DID NOT do the first year of homeschooling my son was OK. And guess what.... I will continue to NOT do these things! 🙌🏾

Secular homeschooling mama here 🙌🏼 Thank you sooo sooo much for this video. I honestly questioned myself so much and have been fighting myself to set up a homeschool space and I just do not want to recreate school in my house. I didn’t know another homeschool mama like me existed until now lol. I don’t do any of the 13 things either.. well maybe not to stress part only because I home school through a charter here in CA . New subscriber here! Great content btw😊

Just found you and love your energy. TYSM

wowowow! Good for you! I am so sorry the co-op situation is that bad in our area. Wow! So glad you are keeping your kid away from that!!

I love hearing someone talking real. It's unfortunate to feel like a less worthy homeschooler if you dont have a pinterest homeschool.

You are goals! Your humor in this video is everything! It made me feel better about my "slacking". 😉😂 Also, TOTALLY AGREE with your thoughts on co-ops.

Yes yes thank gosh I found you!!! Thanks for making this video.

The whole video I'm like yesss yesss yesss! OMG! 😂 thank you for this!

Thank you! Many of the things you mentioned don't happen here either. We started homeschooling about 1 month ago. I do have a designated area for schooling (my office), which helps with focus.

Omg, thank you for this video! I tried homeschooling last year and felt like such a failure because I couldn't stay focused like most of the other homeschool moms on here... but I would love to try to homeschool again this year, without all the "extra" stuff

I don’t do any of those things either. The morning basket use to guilt me or the lack of nature walks but I got over it. :-)

Such great advice! Wonderful!

Yes I love this lady!🤩

I agree with you on all of these points, except for POETRY TEA TIME! We love it so much! We just get a stack of poetry books from the library and once or twice a month have a treat aligned with something we’re learning, while reading poetry about anything and everything!! No schedule, no formula to follow, complete freedom. And it gets us reading things we otherwise wouldn’t have. It’s great:)

Yes! We are a Catholic school family of 12 years and for the 1st time we have decided to go secular homeschooling this year. We started with a beautiful homeschool space BUT I couldn't get things done. We have plenty of room but I need my fam in the heart of our house. The kiddos work in the kitchen & I zoom through & help with what is necessary while doing what needs to be done at home. I put the bulk of their learning into Mon. Tues. Wed. & they just do brain balance at the end of the week with grandparents so I can go to work. We use Outschool for some supplemental stuff so the kids see other kids online. We have a schedule posted but it's super flexible. I worry that my methods are flawed but this! This video! It's exactly what I needed to hear. No shame!

Omg I’m so happy I watched this video. I just decided to withdraw my son from school in Texas. He was supposed to start 9th grade this year. I’ve always wanted to homeschool him but was to afraid and lost. Covid terrifies me. My husband and I was planning to go shopping and turning one of the guest bedrooms into a classroom. I have this list of stuff I felt like I had to have and I had to make it look like a classroom. You made me feel like we can sit in the living room turn the tv off and use basic supplies. My family was even chipping in to by furniture for the classroom. Everyone had this big idea of what it should be. I love you for this video. Now I hope this flies with my husband mom and sister lol. I always say my son has a dad and 3 moms lol.

ugh did the virtual school thing last year. My kiddo wanted to continue learning at home rather than regular school so we are now a homeschool family. I just regret the year of virtual, it was miserable for all of us. Also, I feel you on the secular homeschool thing. It's hard to find other parents who feel the same as we do. Religion has its place for sure, just not in our classroom.

You don’t know how glad I am to have found your video. I’m a new homeschooler and I threw all the stress of having to follow videos, schedules, or whatever else precisely. We have a year to complete our curriculum so For a few months, my kid mostly watched tv and did almost zero school work. I’m a cosleeper we started the next semester recently, right now shaving a backpack next to the bed with everything in it is working for me. So I wake the kid up and we do schoolwork in bed. Until she says she’s hungry or I’m finally ready to get up and get ready for us to eat and go to the gym. I figured if I’m paying all this money to homeschool and the institution doesn’t require anything but test grades, why am stressing.! I’m trying to find a work from home job again so we can truly be free range with things !!!

Girl, thank you! We don’t do the majority of those in our homeschool house either :)

Love this thanks for sharing.

Thank you for this video! I really started thinking I was dropping the ball with my twins (kindergarteners..... like they need so much work to do🤦🏾‍♀️).

We are going to be on our 3rd year, an we are still figuring it out and switching things up. Just came across this channel trying to find some secular material. Thank you for this video, definitely refreshing to hear there are more non pinterest moms out there lol

You have definitely gained a new subscriber!!! 🙌🏾👏🏾

This is my first year homeschooling in Texas and we just go with the flow of our day. My youngest is in kindergarten and she does everything in the morning while my oldest second grader has her own time. Then after lunch my oldest gets her school time and my youngest her some time. When they want to do more I take advantage but as long as we get our daily post done for each one we had amazing day.

My kids are grown and flown now, and for many years we were a homeschool family. Back then, there was no such thing as pretty morning baskets. We did go to the library on a regular basis because my kids loved visiting the library and checking out library books. Our dog chewed a very expensive library book and there were times when I was paying late fees and apologizing to the librarian for not returning books on time, but it was all worth it. There was a somewhat, loosely organized, 'meet other homeschoolers at the library' where we all got together to socialize and did fun activities in one of the library rooms.

This was hilarious and awesome. I relate 100%, I don't do any of those things either; I even thought to myself, what the hell is Poetry Tea Time!? 🤣 Seriously though, that's what makes homeschooling such an amazing experience! Everyone's journey is different, have fun with it, be chill! It's definitely more enjoyable when you let go a bit. Loved this video! Also, shout out to states with relaxed homeschool laws. 🙌 Thanks for making life a little bit easier!!

Omg girl you crack me up! I failed as a homeschooler before because I literally did all of these things. Now I 👏🏻am 👏🏻not!👏🏻

So many great tips for newbies! 🙂

I loved, loved your video! I am very similar to you! I am embarrassed to confess how our schedule is!! I am Christian but use about 70-80% neutral/secular resources. And My husband and I feel pretty sure we will leave our a Christian homeschool group after this school year is over. We do have some sort of poetry tea time but it does not look pretty. We might still have our dishes from a full meal still on the table and it totally does not bother us 😁 I just do it to have one breather day a week. We don’t do any academic work, just look at art, learn how music is made, read poems, and that’s it. Usually that day my boy has his drum lesson on Outschool. I don’t have morning basket either but I know I have to pull my grumpy boy to get to work somehow and so I have to start with Science or Geography or a read aloud because that he loves 😊

The only one of those that we do is, we have a homeschool room. Or I would be searching for textbooks all through the house! Thank you for this video! This is my 30th year ( 7 children and now a grandchild), and I still need all the encouragement I can get😊👍

This sounds exactly like me! 🤍 I haven’t found anyone with a similar style on my side of the world, especially being secular.

I agree with most of your points. We don’t do those things either. I do hang up stuff all over my living room. 😂 We do field trip groups and 4-h but we didn’t have to sign a code of beliefs pledge for them. Uggg. I agree they will learn no need to make sure everything is done.

I don’t do any of these things either. I I don’t use a planner at all. I write out what we did after we complete it to know where we left off. I have a generalized list of weekly things to accomplish that I laminated and check off as we go. As for the library.. eek. You are doing better than me. We should have a plaque at this point for sponsoring the library with our late fees. I think of it as a donation. 😂😂👌

I am laughing 😃. You are awesome! I loved it. I just researching how to homeschooling and I just wanted a like minded person. Thank you... still laughing.

This is my first year homeschooling. I have felt like I needed to include literally all of this in my life and I have been so, SO overwhelmed with all the things “I should be doing”. This video was very relieving and while my OCD braid would definitely benefit from planning and record keeping, I’m glad I’m not failing by not doing so. I’m also In Texas. Any chance you live near Fort Worth? Cause goodness, I could use you and your guidance in my life!!

I liked and subscribed by tip 3! Because I loved you by then! Hahaha.

Lol. I'm one of the only secular homeschool moms that I know. Many other homeschool moms I know,are ex teachers. One of my good friends taught several different grades and is now homeschooling her three daughters. Any time I talk with her I feel like I'm soooo lazy compared to her. She does so much to keep her girls busy through the day. School,zoo, museum,farms,library. Like allll the time. Meanwhile,I have one daughter. And we took the month of December off,because I had to help my family out, and the holidays in general. And I don't feel guilty!! We just got back to school today,and it was a great full day to recap on where we left off. Gotta love those Texas homeschool laws,or lack thereof.lol.

You are my people!

Fabulous video!!!!

I'm SO with you! Like you, I think it's GREAT that other families are doing what works for them. But for me and my house...NO homeschool room, NO morning basket, NO poetry tea time. Morning basket--book on my nightstand for when my kid comes in WAY too early and I read to her with one eye open. Poetry--yeah. Tea--yeah. Not necessarily together, and never at any set time. If doing morning basket and poetry tea time makes those times special and meaningful for other families, that's really wonderful. Just doesn't work for me.

We do poetry tea time! So fun and easy. We just bake something together and have juice in a tea pot and we enjoy our snacks and then take turns reading poems. BAM! No analyzing or anything, I just want them to enjoy poetry. ❤️

You are way too funny and entertaining!! I’m a Christian homeschooler and I don’t do any of these either. I don’t do: 2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 (we do it but bc we want to, we hike together as a family a lot but it’s fun and spontaneous), 10, 11 (this is my 4th year and we are definitely way more flexible and lay back, we start when we start and we only do 4 days a week and also 5 weeks on and one off with longer break on Christmas time and summers off), 12 (I do not compare specially with public schools bc I hear kids are behind there at least where I live), 13 (I’m in my 4th yr of homeschooling and this year I’m officially not stressing and I’m enjoying it so much and even learning so much with them). Homeschooling doesn’t have to be complicated and it can be fun! Good video!

I love how a lot of religious homeschoolers on here seem to be like "I don't want my kids indoctrinated by the public school" and then raise them exclusively around equally religious children, indoctrinating them into that instead. I think every person should be given the tools and freedom to accept or reject a faith themselves, since it really is such an important and personal component of a person's life, and the Creationist indoctrination style just removes that completely. Like what kind of message does it really send to tell a child "oh yeah we don't believe evidence that the world is older than 6,000 years." Your faith should be strong enough that you can accept facts like that and still believe in God, if that's what your heart tells you is true. I also don't understand why so many can't accept that the bible was written by people. Even if it was the direct word of God at one time, it has been translated countless times, so a lot of the meaning has to have been lost. It just craps on all critical thinking skills.

I am starting homeschooling after this school year finishes up and I am so heckin stressed lmao. This makes me feel a little better.

Oh man I am in NY and i have to keep extensive records: hours, detailed lists of everything we did, listing out the curriculums, keeping alllllll the work in big binders. I'm jealous Ugh. And no morning basket here. We do have a school room but its nothing special.

You are my favorite. Looking for a secular hs mom! Thank you! Also, is your kitchen ikea? We are remodeling and going to do ikea.

I can't imagine how families do all these extra things. How are there enough hours in the day for co-ops, nature walks, poetry tea time, morning baskets, as well as all the bulk of your core curriculum/subjects? AND house chores, extracurriculars, and time for kids to play? 😬

"... gorgeous basket full of all these books that I'm theming out for seasons...." 😂😂😂 HARD NO.

Omg there's a coop by me that requires a signed statement of faith. I was like no freakin way. That's so weird. Reminds me of a cult or something.

I feel all of this so hard! I'm a LGBT mom homeschooling a girl with ADHD and PTSD in a small apartment, and it can feel so alienating! All these Instagram perfect homeschooling rooms with their perfectly mapped out schedules is just light-years from my life! They're over here talking about their Bible study and I'm like "let's sweep this glitter from your art project straight to the floor that I won't have time to sweep for a few days so we can quickly scarf down dinner on the same table we use for homeschooling and make it to your roller derby practice full of girls, gays, and theys on time." Even in Washington, a super liberal state, finding a secular homeschooling community has been hard. The statement of faith things you were mentioning would have me fuming, that's so horrible that people even feel comfortable saying that, let alone there being people who agree and sign it!!!