6 Tips for Homeschooling Multiple Children
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As a homeschooling mom of three, I often get asked if I have tips for homeschooling multiple children.
Considering this is my first year actually homeschooling all three I don’t necessarily feel overly qualified to speak on the subject. However, there are a few things that work well for us that I will share.
And to be fair, while I haven’t been homeschooling all three for long, I have always homeschooled with at least one baby or toddler in tow.
Learning how to balance everyone’s wants and needs takes time and patience. These tips could certainly help you out.
The Best Tips for Homeschooling Multiple Children
These tips are all things that we practice in our home. Every year of homeschooling is different as the dynamics of our family change.
Over the years I’ve slowly found ways to make it easier to homeschool multiple children.
#1 Have a Clear Plan
Having a plan doesn’t mean living by a minute-by-minute schedule. If you like to do that, then that’s fine, but you don’t have to do that to be successful.
Having a clear plan can look like planning out a rhythm to your day and also just having a clear picture of what your homeschool should look like.
If you’re more of an unschooler, then your plan is going to look quite different to that of someone who chooses a more traditional homeschooling method.
Neither way is wrong if it works for your family. However, it’s important to know what you want so that you can plan accordingly.
I would also suggest you take stock of what schoolwork you intend to work through in a day and how you can plan it out to best suit everyone.
At the end of this post, I’ll share what our daily schedule looks like so that you can get an idea of how we manage to fit everything in.
#2 Outsource Teaching
There is no homeschool rule saying that you must be the sole teacher of your children.
Even back when I was being homeschooled in the early 2000’s my mom outsourced math tuition for me.
See if there are ways to cover subjects that will allow you to step back a bit.
Last year we used Story of the World for our history curriculum. I went ahead and purchased the audio version of the book so that I didn’t have to read it.
It honestly made such a difference!
I know that when we get to high school I’ll likely look a lot more into outsourced subjects.
This is a sponsored post. All thoughts and opinions shared here are my own.
Mr D. Math American English Grammar
A really great option for this is Mr. D Math. I have reviewed a couple of their homeschool products previously. Both their ASL course and also Mr. D’s book on raising independent learners.
I was most recently happy to learn that they also have a solid American English Grammar Program that is online and self-paced.
While it is not something that we will personally use (we live in New Zealand) I can see it being hugely helpful for many homeschool families in the States.
The website is beautifully laid out and very easy to navigate. I appreciate the manner of the teacher. She’s animated and easy to understand. It’s not a stuffy video that leaves you feeling like you’re watching paint dry.
The course introduction is very helpful and there are clear instructions on how to prep for the course and what supplies will be needed.
There are great video lectures as well as homework assignments, quizzes, and tests.
It is a full-year curriculum that will set your child up very well for higher levels in high school.
While they do advertise it as a high school program, advanced middle schoolers can certainly do it as well.
You can know that your child is getting a really good understanding of American English Grammar without having to dedicate a ton of time to working independently with them.
Because the course is self-paced, your child can work at their own pace and really master skills before moving on.
Of course, life also happens and often disrupts our schedule. Having a self-paced course really helps take the pressure off in that regard.
If you’re looking for an online grammar program then definitely take a look at what they have to offer over at Mr D. Math.
#3 Assign Independent Work
Once your kids get a little older they should be able to do at least a little of their work independently.
Utilize this time! You can use it to work with younger children or even to get chores done around the house.
Some children really don’t like the idea of having to do schoolwork on their own. However, I’ve found that if I talk it up to my kids they really like the idea.
Giving them a sense of responsibility for their own learning has been very helpful. They feel like real big kids when I assign them independent work.
I honestly start doing that in kindergarten. At that point, it’s usually just something to the tune of coloring a page while I hang up the washing.
Little by little, over the years, their skills and confidence have grown to the point where they can do a lot more independently.
#4 Work With the Youngest First
This was actually a tip I received from another experienced homeschool mom. Little ones are almost always the most demanding of our attention.
Homeschooling with a baby or toddler in tow was definitely the most challenging phase of our homeschool journey to date.
When you have little ones in preschool or kindergarten I suggest working with them first.
Get their school work done, fill up their love tank, and they’ll be much more likely to be happy playing on their own.
I do this with my daughter and then give her the option to go and play or listen in on our group subjects.
#5 Combine Subjects Where You Can
I cannot even imagine trying to cover each subject individually for each child. We would still be doing school at dinner time!
Instead, we combine things like history, science, literature, and bible and do them as a family.
This saves so much time!
It also fosters relationships and creates really special memories.
The things that we do individually are math, language arts, handwriting, and spelling. Aside from those subjects, everything else is combined.
#6 Have a Rest Time
Having our children home all day and homeschooling them is a privilege and blessing! I am so thankful to have such a hand in their little lives.
However, it is exhausting! Managing the needs of all three children in all capacities certainly takes it out of me both physically and mentally.
Because of that, I have made it a priority to have rest time every afternoon.
My youngest is the only child who still takes an occasional nap, but everyone still has at least one hour of rest time every afternoon.
Because my girls share a room, I have them stay and play quietly on their own beds. My son has his own room and so may just play quietly in there.
That time during the day is incredibly helpful for allowing me to recharge.
If you’re struggling with mental overwhelm then I strongly recommend implementing rest time in your home.
After our rest time, we have tea and something sweet to eat. It makes it something that my children tend to look forward to these days.
Our Homeschool Schedule
Not every day looks the same in our home, but this is what a full day of school typically looks like:
- 7:30 am Chores & get dressed
- 8/8:30 am Breakfast (read aloud/bible/scripture memory/poetry)
- 9:00 am Preschool and big kids do some independent work
- 9:30 am Group subjects
- 10/10:15 am Morning tea break
- 10:30 am-ish Independent subjects with big kids
- 12:00 pm Lunch
- 12:30 pm Free play
- 2:00 pm Rest time
- 3:00 pm Tea time
- 3:15 pm Screen time
- 4:15 pm Chores then free play until dinner
On days when we have activities in the afternoons, we just have rest time a little earlier and skip tea time and screen time.
This routine works really well for us.
Final Thoughts
While homeschooling multiple children certainly isn’t easy, hard is not the same thing as bad.
I love how interesting our days are and seeing my children all learning together.
As older kids get older it does get easier as they’re less dependent on you for their learning.
Don’t be afraid to try new things! If it’s not working, then switch it up. Remember that most things are just for a season.
For me, homeschooling with a toddler was incredibly challenging. However, it was really only just one yar of our homeschool journey. These days things are much easier.
