I just love all of your comments on this video. Come join out community here: facebook.com/groups/369826030274134

Been homeschooling for 7 years and have no clue what “morning basket” is lol!

One reason I homeschool was to have less commitment lol not more 😂

We only do 2 and a half hours of school, and we still learn everything we need to know. I learn a lot of stuff on my own, too

I’ve been homeschooling for 13 years. 5 Kiddos ages 23-13 currently. You’re doing exactly what God intended for you and yours. No more guilt. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ Any loving mother this interested in her children’s hearts and souls cannot fail them. I promise. BTW....4 out of 5 are boys. 🤪🥰

This video made me giggle! My daughter learns best through these things. Very hands on, visual, discussion oriented, gets focused in on a certain subject and learns it quickly, and social. I'm working on switching to making unit studies, she wants a morning basket, wants lots of books, and generally despises "curriculum". I ended up feeling like I'M sitting alone at a table because we don't really like curricums except TinkerActive and Mad for Math workbooks, but I see curriculums shouted everywhere. With that. I just told my hubby I was gonna go have coffee with my youtube friend and then I clicked your video. So, you just had coffee with a friend who homeschools differently than you and I love that!

My kids favorite tradition on the first day of school..is getting to sleep in😉I mean..what kid can say, I slept in on the first day of school🤣

Thank you for sharing! I’m new and overwhelmed with “all the things!”

I've always said if I can install a love of learning and teach them the basics they can learn anything they put their minds to. Why do we need to pile more on them and mom and cause us all to hate learning.

I enjoy watching your videos, but this one was so great! I'm a homeschooling mom of 16 years, my kids are a senior in college, 11th grade & 8th grade. We never did a co-op, I have no idea what a morning basket is, and we just do school too! My kids all have full lives with wonderful friendships and have done amazing academically. Well done, Mama!

Love this video so much. Here's my confession: I'm not a fun mom, I'm impatient and my teaching style is dry. That's why I got Abeka video. Their teaching is fun, thorough and they never get annoyed with my kids 🤣

I'm starting to homeschool this year, hearing that you don't do morning baskets makes me feel AMAZING! Honestly, my son is like your kiddos, he just wants to do his main curriculum work! There's absolutely nothing wrong with that! So we already do readalouds which is a big thing in morning baskets! Honestly, I love the fact that he initiates and starts asking me to read and picks random books outside of his curriculum and I feel that morning baskets are going to overwhelm him and makes him hate learning!

With 5 kids in 1st to 8th grade, we are focusing on just surviving! We also try to get school done so the kids and I can get on with life. And the kids are perfectly fine! I know we all have different circumstances and are in different seasons. So, hats off to those moms getting all the "extras" in...and way to go for us moms just getting by! We are all doing our best for our families and we should feel great about that! 🥰🥰

We AVOID the library 🤣🤣🤣🤣 we always lose something and have fines

You’re my homeschooling sister! We don’t do any of these things except occasionally we will do nature walks. Thanks for being real!

This video made me feel so much better and less alone! Thank you for being so candid and honest about your homeschooling journey! ❤️ your channel! 😊

Honesty! Thank you! We are just starting this journey and I'm watching sooo many videos with all of these routines you need to follow. It is overwhelming. So thank you

The freedom in doing homeschool is not being bound to what others are doing. Every family is different and homeschool should reflect that. Thanks for the honest video!

I have home schooled for over 20 years. We have never done any of these things except co-op once. :)

I agree. I haven’t found that my kids get much from co-op. It feels like a waste of a day.

Thank you so much for making this video! I tried fitting all those things in last year and it took a lot of the joy out of our homeschool days. We also took out our artist, composer, and poetry studies out and I felt so bad about it at first but I’m looking forward to taking it easier and just learning about those things if we have interest and then just get library books to read together.

😂 I’m feelin this video. I’m pregnant with #7 but even when I had an only child I was a “no fluff” mom. I don’t have chickens, I don’t do sports, I don’t bake and I’m not fashionable. You look gorgeous in this video BTW. We have a very tidy house, workbooks and lots of gatherings at church. My schedule for the last decade: 7-9am breakfast and CHORES 9-11am Math and Phonics Afternoons = naps and finish up with mom

I appreciate this so much. This is my first time homeschool and we just started last week. I have two in elementary and 1 in middles school. I'm not doing morning baskets, I have thought about a co-op but I work as well and wondered when I would find the time. I does my heart good to know that if I don't do these things I'm not alone.

About to start homeschooling for my middle school children, thank you. These are all things I thought would not fit with our family. So happy to hear that others don't do them. Same, not doing any of the things you listed

I knew I started following you for a reason!! Been feeling guilty for not implementing some of these things. Thank you!!

I love how you almost covered your mouth and hid when you said “morning baskets” as if you said a bad word😂 isn’t it true!? We all always see so much (like SO SO much) on social media and we always feel compelled/pressured to replicate these lifestyles and routines and fancy everything. We just CANT do it all, and we should feel free not to! 😉💜⭐️ thanks for sharing

Thank you for being real and relatable. I am new and I was already stressing about the morning baskets.

😍😍😍you don’t owe anyone an explanation. You continue to do what’s best and what works for you and your family. I ❤️ your honesty.

Loved this so much friend!!!! You are so amazing and such a good mama! Thanks for sharing and making me feel less alone!

I am new to homeschooling and your channel and I absolutely love your transparency. You have been a breath of fresh air. Because of your channel we decided on My Father's World. Received my first box today. I am absolutely in love with it. A prayer answered. I have not done most of what you talked about. Tried a co-op and it did not work for us. Less is best! Love your videos. May God continue to bless you and your family🙏🏽❤

This was so refreshing! Thank you-it’s nice not to feel alone!

Love this!!! I feel like the pressure to do these things is so real!!! I don’t even know what poetry tea time is, but I’m glad because I definitely don’t have time for that lol!! Thank you for being real and sharing!!

I love your transparency! Very refreshing!☺️

This will be my first year homeschooling my 6th and 1st, so thank you for sharing how you make it work. Eliminating any unnecessary stress is always good. :)

LOVING your videos. I was a homeschooled kid, about to start homeschooling. You are so encouraging.

Loved this video! Your honesty is refreshing.

Thank you for being honest about library visits and the stress. I have said and done the same thing buying from thriftbooks I'm so much less stressed and the kids enjoy the books more.

Yes to all of this!! This is our second year homeschooling (we are doing 1st grade this year) and we don’t do any of these either with the exception of visiting the library occasionally (before it closed for covid). Thanks for posting this! Makes me feel better to know not everyone does all the extra fluff stuff 😄

This was a refreshingly honest video. I'm looking into homeschooling and a lot of the videos about homeschool make it seem very overwhelming. Co-ops are super overwhelming to me, so it was nice to hear your reasons for not doing them.

I'm considering homeschooling my 8 year old granddaughter. It is good to have your videos, now that i have found them, to watch. Thank you.

Homeschool momma of 6 here! From high school down to preschool. Love your video and we are alot alike!! We keep it simple. 🥰 I stay off social media because I start comparing myself to other moms but that can be WAY too overwhelming! We got this!

I love it!! You are not alone! We don't do any of these things, however, I am using a "morning folder" to keep some daily practice and worksheets in, mostly for organizational purposes! This is mostly independent work, but I still sit with them and guide them in a way. My kids are 12, 14, 15. We also don't currently do "unit studies".

I am so glad you did this video! This is my first year and was feeling bad about not doing any of the things you listed. I am feeling much better about skipping the fluff. I have a 9 year old girl and an 11 year old boy. We are doing elementary zoology together first thing in the morning but not in a morning basket style. I love your videos and appreciate keeping it real. I did do back to school hooded sweatshirts for both of my kids on the first day. My son's from a you tube merch shop he had been asking for and my daughter's a movie theme she wanted.

Oh girl... thank you for making this video! I am the same kind of mom and it’s so refreshing to hear there are others out there like me 😊. We do not do any of these things either and I don’t feel bad about it for one minute!!!

This helps me a lot!! I'm a 1st time homeschooling mom, thank you Stupid Covid lol but God said do and I listen and here I am lol God is good

I had intentions of doing morning basket, nature walks & poetry tea times this year..... 3 days in and I'm ready to scrap all 3. LOL. My girls just want to get their work done so they can play. Thanks for posting this video! Our brand new first-day tradition is going out for ice cream after they get their schoolwork.

I just love you!!! We are just starting out and pinterest and IG are total joy thieves. I'm really trying to put my blinders on and not compare and find our own groove. This was a breath of fresh air

Thank you for posting! This helps!!

I just had to comment on this, you are TOTALLY not alone! I never plan to do any of those trendy Instagram Homeschooling mom things. I have definitely been inspired by the minimalist play and school area aesthetics that have been floating around for the last few years, but that's about it. You have nothing to be embarrassed about, my heart went out to ya for feeling like you had to make a confession about these things. ❤

Girl, I am right there with on all 6 things!!! 3rd year homeschoolers. I know exactly how you feel. No worries at all. You do you. Lots of love!

🙌🏼 THANK YOU. I stressed about doing these things our first year but not anymore...we keep it AS SIMPLE AS POSSIBLE. We are all about “just getting it done” too. Good to know we’re not alone! Also a boy mom 💙

Oh my gosh thank you for this. Started homeschooling when Covid hit and just so this is going to be our first homeschooling year. We are also doing a Charlotte Mason-ish style but I have been wondering how to get my 7 year old son to do any of these poetry tea time, or nature trail, or morning baskets, and was feeling bad. My son is very practical and likes to just get it done and move on, too many frills and fussing and you lose his attention. I have a full time business so I need to use my 3 or 4hours and get the work done so I can get to work! Very comforting to know I don't need all this. God bless you! Your channel has been such an asset to me!

Because you were so real and I felt your authenticity in this video...I'm sucked in now! I subscribed! I like you!

I love this video because it goes over all of the things that I don’t do either! One of the reasons why we do not do anything special on the first day of school is because we do not really have a first day of school. When we finish a curriculum in a certain area we just move onto the next level with out any ceremony. It does not seem to bother the kids and they are just excited to be moving on.

I’m so glad I watched this. All of the homeschool videos I’ve watched are so overwhelming. I have 5 kids and I wanted to do all of this but I’m not that super lol. The morning basket thing sounds nice but it’s extra. I told my husband the poetry tea time Idea and he gave me a glare lol. I tried 2 co ops and one was great and laid back. The other asked me to volunteer in classes with my 6 month old etc and just felt stressful. If I go to the library it’s like 10 min in and out because I have a 2 year old and 1 year old. I want no more fluff

Thank you so much for making this video. I was feeling guilty about not doing some of these (especially the nature walks😅) but hearing that I'm not alone in this is a much needed reminder that I homeschool my family and we choose what's best for us.

Thanks so much for sharing! The great thing about homeschooling is that you can make it your own!

Love this video 😆 I never heard of some of these things. It's our first year homeschooling. Thankfully I knew a couple moms who were veteran homeschoolers and simplified the process for me. It's freeing, and I feel like they are learning more at their own pace.

This made me feel very seen lol. Choosing not to do nature walks and poetry/tea times was a huge step but also a huge weight lifted. Thank you for that confirmation lol. We do a big pancake bar for first day of school. Tons of toppings. We also did a fun outing and an ice cream sundae bar in the afternoon.

Thank you so much for posting this video! This school year will be our first year homeschooling, our son is in 3rd grade. I've felt that homeschooling was the path we needed to take for a while, but didn't pursue it until now. I am so new to homeschooling that I don't know what a lot of homeschool families do. So I've been watching bunches of homeschool tips videos.

You are NOT the only one! Love your mug! I’m a first time homeschooler. But I work so I don’t do anything extra. But we also live in HI so nature walks is beach time I guess. This video makes me feel so much better too.

Yes! I'm feeling all this! We do what works for us and forget the rest!

Yes girl! I'm totally feeling this vid! We use to go to the library pre-covid; because our library is awesome. We go walking because I'm a physical person and I like to move. However, all of the other stuff. No ma'am! I've been homeschooling for 5 years as well; and we do what works for our family. Love your vid! Thanks for posting.

Oh my! I so needed this video today! Felt like I was sooooo failing because I am not doing most of these things either! Fluff, my new favorite word, I dont have time for fluff! Feeling so much better, I know my son is learning and happy too so all good🥳🥳🥳

Salute 💖🙏🏼💙❤️🇺🇸Lol you crack me up. We Just found your channel. Our family has been homeschooling for 6 years now. We understand alot of the extra fluff is time consuming, but all that truly matters are our children are getting an excellent education and are happy!! Ty you for great info on you channel 😊

First time viewer, and I love this video. I homeschool my 5, and we do none of these things except go to the library. I have to write due dates on the kitchen calendar to keep up. But everything else you mentioned just sounds like trends I hear on all the other channels, and I hate trendy things. Lol. I'll stick to what works for us 😊

"Even if snacks were involved." Bahaha I have two girls (6 & 8) and this rang true for us! Snacks generally can entice them, and if its still a no its never going to happen!

This really speaks to me! I have had to let go of CM guilt too. For years I felt like a failure bc nature walks and tea time weren’t happening. We do waaayyyy too much screen time. But like you, I feel my kids are learning and growing and it’s much better not to fight their personalities for the extra fluff stuff. Oh and my oldest started the school year on her own yesterday with no celebration or fanfare. I did get each kid a little $1 present for the start of the year but that’s it. Oftentimes simple is best for everyone involved. I chose homeschooling so we could decide our learning style, and follow our kids’ passions, not so I could wallow in guilt over not following a prescribed method perfectly. Many blessings to you this year!

Oh my goodness this is brilliant! I’m a new homeschooling mama in South Africa and I’ve been binging on all the home school channels and this one was so freeing 😆 I don’t feel so bad now for saying nope, nice idea but my kids would think I’m crazy!

Oh man, I love you right now 😂 Thank you for your honesty and helping me know I’m not crazy 😜

I technically haven’t started yet but... 1. I have no desire to find a co-op, I don’t think my kids would be into it either, and I don’t have time. I’m not good with “scheduled” things. 2. I don’t understand morning baskets, and don’t plan to have one. 3. I’m not an outdoor adventure person...walks I’m ok with but I have a feeling I won’t plan any 🤷🏼‍♀️ 4. Ok, what in the world is poetry tea time?!?! 5. I wasn’t planning to have a special first day thing. Maybe I should...🤔 especially for my kindergartener! 6. I USED to be ok with library time before covid. Now, I’d rather just place a hold on what I need and grab them quickly. Plus, yea, I’m not big on planned trips anywhere. It sounds like I’ll be sitting at the table with you!😉

This is a great video! While we do almost all of these things, with the exception of the coop, I love that you are honest about not doing them. New homeschoolers and old homeschoolers need to hear this. I do these things because its something that comes easy for us and something we enjoy. I don't feel we do typical morning baskets (we have a basket that I theme each month for fun..for example this month is camping so we have all these neat camping books and even a knot tying kit...and we never utilize the basket of a morning, but whenever we feel like it (not even daily sometimes)). And as far as poetry tea time goes, it works for us because I have a little 1st-grade girl that loves tea parties! So again we don't do them "normal" we have snacks and a drink, and then read picture books or any book of her choosing. These are all things that are working for us during this season of our homeschool, and it may not be something that lasts forever. And for those that are interested and want to try it, go for it, if it doesn't work its simple...just stop :) So even tho I do most of these things, I still would like to sit at your table if that's okay because I think as homeschool mommas we need to stick together no matter what our homeschool looks like :)

I'm glad I won't be the only one! We definitely do library trips, because it gives my littles a chance to browse and pick their own "for fun" reads. But I also feel the stress of realizing i almost missed the due date. Thank goodness for online accounts letting me renew!

I’m so glad I’m not alone. All these KZfaq and Pinterest Mom’s have me feeling like a slacker. I am happy that school gets done, my ONE child is fed, and the house hasn’t called down. That means it was a good day!

I'm glad I'm not the only one that doesn't do all the things! We are trying morning basket this year to see if it works for us. And we do use our library a ton. But I have a teacher account and can have up to 150 items checked out at once, plus teachers can keep things for up to 9 months. I read somewhere that comparison is the thief of joy. And that's certainly applicable to homeschool families. The whole reason most of us choose to homeschool is to do it on our own terms. But so often we're caught up in keeping up and it completely robs us of the joy in homeschooling. I love that you did this video. ❤

ZERO first day traditions, haven't done co ops in years and definitely don't miss it! Your not lame, you are awesome! 😁🤩

This was refreshing to watch. Watching all these KZfaq moms with all they do is so overwhelming! I can't get myself to do any of those things either😆

Lol this is awesome! We don’t do ANY of these things either! We do field trips, they play sports, we go to parks and they find stuff on their own just like yours! We go to the library once in a while but a lot of books I’d rather be able to keep in our library so I just buy them. 🤷🏽‍♀️ you’re not alone!! 💕

I admire your honesty! And yes, I did make it to the end of the video. 👍🏼

LOVE this video! I’m so glad you admitted to all this! IG makes you feel so bad if you do all the things you mentioned. “Am I giving my kids quality schooling?” “Are they missing out?” Geez so much pressure!

one thing we don’t do that others do is art 😬 i mean sometimes we do for fun, but it’s not part of our school

I'm so glad I found this video!!!!! You are not alone, mama...I don't do these either, except co-op.

Guuurrlll. I am with you on 5 of you 6 things and even library visits, I echo your sentiments on not getting to the books. We haven’t been to the library at all this year though. But morning baskets? Tried it, love the concept, couldn’t get it to work. Poetry tea time? I hate poetry so I will be hard pressed to convince my kids to enjoy it. And I was homeschooled myself and still didn’t do any of these. Giving you a virtual hug and high five because I could have made this video myself.

Thank you for this video!

Omg thank you! I don't do ANY of these either. We don't do fluff and they like it that way. They like to get it done. And we also live in the woods and they play outside and get in the stuff they like that way. Plus I buy used books too cause I end up owing the library any way so I might as well just buy them for cheap! Found this video accidentally but have since subscribed!!! You seem right up my alley!

My morning basket turned into a catch all 😬 however I am loving the morning menu ❤️ love you channel thanks for the honest, real videos

I'm so glad you posted this. We are new to homeschool and we don't do these things either. I feel like some of them are more appropriate for younger kids. Mine's in 4th grade. We have so much stuff to cover, we have to prioritize what gets done. Now, I do intend to try the coop thing later, but during this covid thing is not a good option for us.

I just started homeschooling this year and I didn't know what any of these things were. So don't feel bad, keeping it simple has helped me not become overwhelmed and grumpy while teaching!

Wow, I relate to all of these except the library. We do utilize the library. We had the same problem with not returning things on time, but last fall ours stopped issuing fines for late kids books so it took a lot of pressure off me. I have started buying a lot more books for our home library in the last few months though, in case the virus gets bad in our area and they have to shut down again. I'm so glad your video was suggested to me- I will definitely be subscribing:-)

Wow glad I found you I don’t do any of these things nor I have I ever heard of a few of them. 😬 Sometimes I feel like I’m winging it and question my every move. With a 4th grader and a now 6th grader. This made me feel more real and I’m not so bad after all. Thank you

Ok I love this!!!! I’m a work from home homeschool mom also. We’re just getting started and the pressure to do this stuff is unrealistic.

This is why I love you. No, we don’t do co-ops, tea times, nature walks and our morning basket is just our morning devotion book and one ice breaker game. We have been the library recently, but I can bet my house that those books will be turned in late 😂 You are not alone! We are doing a great job, our way! I think you do an amazing job and have inspired me!

We do Classical Conversations and the library. Other than that, I think we do the same. No morning baskets, nature walks or tea time and poetry. Thank God for freedom of homeschooling! So much liberty.

We don’t do any of these either! Glad we aren’t the only ones! It’s Just not our style. I have 2 girls and 2 boys and even my girls would not want anything to do with most of them and honestly it’s not my thing either. The one thing we do for beginning the year that I started because of a friend was the week before we start we do a breakfast date with each kid and set goals for the year and just spend 1-1 time together.

Love your honesty! We don't do most of them either. And the library I totally get the anxiety over finishing them or or getting them back in time. We love MFW! This is my second year homeschooling my 3 kids.

Love this video.. we also don't so morning basket (busy work), or Nature walks.

OMG.... You are so genuine & I love that. I've been surrounded by homeschool moms for a long time & always felt that I'd have to live up to that.. Now that we are finally homeschooling, we just have to do it our way... and that means, we may not fit the mold.... TBH sometimes the mold is too perfect.... and like you... we just don't have time for extra fluff sometimes. When we do, we do.... the flexibility is what I love about homeschooling. You are a homeschool momma I would love to sit down at the same table & have coffee with. :)

Oh my goodness! Thank you for this! I hate the library. I never return things on time. I'm done there. None of those things fit for me. You are my equal!

Just starting out in this homeschool thing and being working outside of home parents we don't have the flexibility of doing many of these during the day. So I will say, without any guilt, that we don't do many of the same things you mentioned. At least not today. I think the kids would enjoy Tea Time. We do nature walks but more to get fresh air than a forced learning exercise. I have noticed in me that I question more. Every day activities I use as a means to learn. Helpful video. Thank you.

OMG!! Thank you for sharing! I’m a wedding planner with so many jobs and I was feeling bad not doing some of these things. But we barely have time and my kiddos are like yours. They just want to finish their school work so they can continue their creative stuff since I have artists and animators in the house.