Latest / The Christy-Faith Show / Ep. 82 - How Long Should a Homeschool Day Really Be?

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Ep. 82 - How Long Should a Homeschool Day Really Be? · The Christy-Faith Show

• 0:00
  Christy-Faith: Educating your kids doesn't need to take eight hours a day. If it's feeling like a full time job or worse, an all day grind, you're not alone, and you're definitely not stuck. You may right now be feeling like homeschooling is more hostage y than academics. Today, we'll dig into where this eight hour school day idea came from. Spoiler alert, it's not about what's best for kids.
• 0:25
  Why it doesn't make sense for homeschooling, and what really matters when you're teaching at home. Plus, I'll share some practical ideas that can help you craft a homeschool day that fits your family's unique style, energy levels, and goals without feeling like you're changed to a desk for half the day. So if you're ready to toss out the old factory school mindset, take a deep breath and find a homeschooling rhythm that actually works for you and your kids, stick around. Hi. Welcome if you're a first time listener or welcome back.
• 1:09
  I'm Christy Faith, author of the book Homeschool Rising, speaker and founder of Thrive Homeschool Community. I have been mentoring parents on the education for their kids for two decades, which is one of the reasons why I started Thrive Homeschool Community. What is Thrive? Well, besides being my heart and soul, it's the community that I desperately needed as a homeschool mom. And when I couldn't find it, I built it.
• 1:34
  And ever since then, it's been gangbusters. Too many parents are stuck in a cycle of trial and error, lost in endless Google searches, and conflicting advice. But doom scrolling doesn't build a homeschool, and you shouldn't have to second guess every single decision that you make for your kids. This is an important job. We're educating our children.
• 1:54
  When I started homeschooling, I wasn't finding what I needed, and I'm an educational expert. So over the years, I developed the six pillars to homeschool success, and if you're missing even one of those, you're likely to hit a bunch of roadblocks or feel overwhelmed in your homeschooling. And that's what we take care of in Thrive. In Thrive Homeschool Community, we make absolutely certain that every one of these pillars is in place so your homeschooling journey is fully supported from every angle. So that is what Thrive is and why I created it.
• 2:24
  You need an expert led path. That's what we offer. And we help you replace guesswork with confidence so you can create a homeschooling program tailored to your child's unique needs and give your child the best education possible. I'll put a link in the show notes. Okay.
• 2:40
  Let's get into today's topic. Let's talk about where the whole eight hour school day idea even came from because understanding its origins helps you see why it's totally unnecessary for educating children. As I write about in my book homeschool rising, back in the industrial revolution, schools started running like factories. Yep. Factories.
• 3:02
  The bell ringing every hour? That's the whistle calling workers back to their stations, and schools copied that model to keep large groups of kids busy while parents clocked in at factories and offices. The idea of the eight hour school day wasn't about personalized learning or kids soaking up knowledge like sponges. It was about control, order, and logistics. And I went deep into this entire topic writing my book homeschool rising.
• 3:28
  If you wanna dig further into that information, make sure to go and check out my book. Last I checked, it was pretty inexpensive on Amazon Prime. Okay. So while the government's school system still clings to this eight hour school day because it's what they know, Homeschooling gives you the freedom to design a day that fits your kid's actual learning pace. And trust me, it's rarely eight hours of nonstop work.
• 3:51
  And did you know the research supports this too? One study reports that in some high schools, students lose 25% of instructional time to interruptions. To get the intended amount of learning, they have to be in school for over eight point five hours. Similar trends are seen in middle and elementary schools. The point is a lot of that time in school is lost.
• 4:13
  So if you're homeschooling and trying to replicate that eight hour grind, you might actually be overdoing it. Quality beats quantity every time. Kids learn best when lessons are engaging, mixed with movement and play, and tailored to their attention spans, not when they're stuck staring at a worksheet for hours on end. Now that we've busted the eight hour myth, you might be wondering what a homeschool day then should actually look like. We'll dive into what actually affects your schedule and what different styles look like in real life in your day to day right after this word from our sponsors.
• 4:46
  As a homeschool mom who values a family together approach and leans towards the classical and Charlotte Mason styles, I often struggle to bring my educational vision to life with my kids' diverse ages and learning needs. With all our interests and super packed schedule, bridging that gap between the dreamy homeschool I want and reality, I gotta be honest. It's a challenge. Now, yes, I know perfection isn't the goal. But if you're listening and you could use a little easing of your mental load in your day to day, I found a resource that has become the quiet hero of our routine, and it could be a really great option for you too.
• 5:17
  BJU Press homeschool curriculum. Now many think that BJU Press homeschool is solely an all in one option, and though it does excel in that role, did you know you can also opt for specific courses and tailor them to fit your family's needs just as I have? BJU Press homeschool provides the perfect balance of structure and flexibility and easily complements my family's mixed age family together on the couch learning style. They are second to none in integrating a biblical worldview, stimulating critical thinking, and offering tons of hands on activities lessons. To find out how BJU Press Homeschool can come alongside you in your homeschooling goals too, visit bjupresshomeschool.com or click the link in the show notes.
• 5:59
  Think homeschooling means doing it all yourself? Let me stop you right there. If you're looking for a partner you can trust, one I trust with my own kids, check out True North Homeschool Academy. They're Cognia accredited and offer live online classes and flexible self paced options for grades six through 12. Your teen can pursue a dual degree track or a tech and trades diploma, all with teachers who share your family values.
• 6:23
  Small classes, college ready rigor, real world skills, and it all fits your schedule in a faith friendly environment. Ready to learn more? Head to true north homeschool dot academy or click the link in the show notes to explore courses and get started today. Okay. Welcome back.
• 6:39
  Before the break, we talked about why the eight hour school day is a poor fit for educating children. So now how long then should the homeschool day be? Well, here's the truth. It actually depends on your kids, on their ages, on your style of homeschooling, and on your family. For example, if you're diving into classical education, for example, think lots of literature, writing, logic, maybe Latin or Greek, your days might lean a little bit longer because that particular homeschooling style tends to have a lot more content to be more structured and heavy on deep focused study.
• 7:13
  So you're likely gonna be looking at more hours to cover everything. But if you're using a more relaxed or interest led approach with your homeschooling and your kids are young in particular, your days might look way different and shorter. Maybe you spend an hour in math, then take a long nature walk, and finish up with some hands on science experiments and reading. That's homeschooling your way. And for those of you wanting a little bit of everything without the burnout, I consider myself more of an eclectic homeschooler.
• 7:40
  There is a whole toolbox of strategies like habit stacking and automation. Basically, the secret sauce to eclectic homeschooling is setting routines that take the daily decision making off of your plate. I don't like starting from scratch every single morning. I don't want my kids asking me all day what they're doing. So we set up solid schedules and automations to make our days run smoother and go faster.
• 8:03
  So I hate to disappoint, but there really is no correct answer on how long a homeschool day should take. That's why in my book and in my free downloads, I offer you a range. But we do have ideas though about what is developmentally appropriate for children, and that's what I always wanna keep in mind. In fact, remember those six pillars I talked about earlier? Child development and psychology is one of those six pillars that helps you become the most successful homeschooler you can be.
• 8:29
  Okay. So let's talk about parent involvement because this matters. I even coined a term called the parental involvement index. I am a huge believer that homeschooling doesn't mean that you're teaching every single subject every single minute. Who can do that?
• 8:45
  Not me. Your level of involvement can and should shift based on your child's age, independence, their needs, and the tools that you are using. If you've got little ones, yes, you're gonna be more hands on, but it's more in short bursts like read alouds, a quick math lesson, and then they're off to coloring, playing outside, collecting bugs, or building something in the backyard. If your kids are older, they're going to become increasingly independent learners, and this is the goal. Right?
• 9:14
  Isn't that something that we all want? You're not trying to be their forever teacher. You're trying to raise a capable human who can teach themselves. And there are so many resources now, curriculum that's open and go, video lessons, audio books, online classes, in person co ops that allow you to source really well. Of course, you're still the guide, the decision maker, and the coach, but you're not always the one doing all of the teaching.
• 9:40
  Homeschooling like this, it's not lazy. It's smart. Because let me tell you, I have coached so many homeschool moms over the years, and the fast track to burnout is when every single subject that you teach requires you to sit next to your child and teach it. And also, that's not doing them any favors either. So, no, homeschooling doesn't mean that you have to give up your entire life to become a full time educator.
• 10:02
  A lot of people think that and it's just not true. Your involvement matters, yes, but it doesn't have to mean martyrdom. So you're now probably wondering, okay, then what does it look like in real life, Christy? Let me paint you a few real homeschool day pictures so you don't assume everyone is sitting in a little house on the prairie handwriting essays by candlelight. Example number one, the morning powerhouse.
• 10:25
  Some families are morning people, we are, and they like to knock everything out before lunch. Most of my homeschooling years before junior high and high school were this. We tried to have everything done by one, and I'm an academically rigorous homeschool mom. This could look like breakfast at eight, read aloud, or bible time with some cozy blankets and coffee and tea, and then straight into the core subjects like math, writing, spelling, and reading. It's focused.
• 10:51
  It's efficient. By the time the clock hits noon or 1PM, they've done more meaningful work than most public school classrooms get through in an entire day. What's cool about this style is the rest of the day is free for life skills, outdoor play, hobbies, or just being a kid. We've got a lot more in today's episode, but before we move on, I wanna quickly talk to you about something really important. This show, the one you're listening to right now.
• 11:15
  And thank you for listening, by the way. And as you probably know, it takes a large team, time, and resources to produce The Christy Faith Show. And we provide it for free to you because we believe in this mission of supporting homeschooling families. For my regular listeners, you know the drill right now. This part takes about sixty seconds, and it's the perfect time to help us out.
• 11:38
  And if not me, other homeschooling moms. If you believe in what we're doing right now and the message that this show shouts from the rooftops, please take a hot minute right now to leave a rating, write a review, or just hit that subscribe button. Why am I asking you this? Because it's the engagement that tells the algorithms, those little robots behind the screen that this show is worth other people hearing. So if you think other moms could use this encouragement too, please engage by liking, hearting, subscribing, whatever platform you're on right now, do something.
• 12:12
  It cost you nothing but about ten seconds, but it means everything to us and to the moms that we are trying to reach. Okay. Let's get back to it. What about those families who love to go all in on one topic? This is something that we call unit study, and it's a really cool way to homeschool, and I wanna go into detail about that right after this word from our sponsors.
• 12:32
  Before we continue, I wanna share with you a program that's been a game changer for our homeschool. At our center, we instructed and helped kids through pretty much every math program on the market and know firsthand just how important a solid math foundation is for our kids' futures. As a career educator with high standards, finding the right program that checked all the boxes felt like too tall of an order. Until one day, I tried CTC Math. CTC Math is an online math curriculum for k to 12 students with motivating interactive lessons that allow kids to learn at their own pace.
• 13:03
  It does all the teaching and grading so you don't have to and their adaptive lessons adjust so your child is progressing confidently. With CTC Math, your child is getting a top notch education and you just made your homeschool life easier. Visit ctcmath.com to start your free trial today or click the link in the show notes. I've got some news. There's a new reading curriculum that ditches workbooks and drills for fun and games.
• 13:26
  If you're thinking fun and games sounds a little too good to be true, it's not. Ninety eight percent of children improved their reading test scores in just six weeks with the reading skill set by Love Every. It's a phonics based program that follows the science of reading, but makes learning to read fun, motivating, and confidence boosting because it happens by playing games and then practicing with just right skill level books. Kids love it and parent educators love it, and it works. Visit lovevery.com/christyfaith today and use code Christy 10 to get 10% off your purchase of the reading skill set by Love Every.
• 14:04
  That's lovevery.com/christyfaith. Okay. Welcome back. We've talked about knocking school out in the mornings. That's how I did my homeschooling for many, many years.
• 14:17
  It was awesome. Let's talk about example number two, the unit study crew. These are the families who just love to get into one particular topic and to stay there for a while. These are folks who pick a topic their kids are obsessed with or love like dinosaurs, outer space, or ancient Egypt, and build an entire learning experience around that. What's cool about this style of homeschooling is it's not switching subjects every forty five minutes.
• 14:42
  It's more of an immersive experience for families. You can read stacks of books, watch YouTube videos, write reports, and you can even do math this way sometimes. Although, I don't recommend that as math curriculum. That's another show. You can build pyramids out of sugar cubes or dig a backyard fossil pit.
• 14:59
  Science, reading, art, math, and history are all woven in naturally. This kind of learning sticks because it's all connected. Now a lot of people think unit studies can only be done with the younger ages, but I gotta say I am really impressed with my co op this year. We are doing high school cultural geography and we are staying parked on a continent for several weeks. And we are incorporating history, faith studies, writing, mapping, and world culture.
• 15:25
  So it is possible with the older kids too. And finally, I saved the best for last. Let's talk about the method that ended up working for me for the longest amount of time, and that is the loop schedule mama. This is for families who thrive on flexibility but still need a bit of structure in your day. This is why the loop schedule is such a magical secret in the homeschooling space.
• 15:49
  What this is is instead of assigning every single subject to every single day, what you do is you commit to hitting your core subjects daily, things like math and language arts, and then you loop around through the rest. So maybe today, you do science and art, and then tomorrow, it's music and history. This way, if life happens and you miss a day, no problem. If you're curious and wanna learn more about loop scheduling, I actually go into a little bit of detail on it in my free how to homeschool guide because I do think it is one of our secret weapons, especially for the mama who's so excited about homeschooling and wants to cover all these things, but then you look at all those things and you're like, how can I possibly do that in a day? Loop scheduling, girl.
• 16:29
  That's how I did it. Loop scheduling is flexible. It's forgiving, and it lets you focus on consistency over perfection. So all of these examples are a totally normal homeschooling day. Absolutely effective, providing your kids a great education, and not one of the methods that I went over today involves eight hours of formal instruction.
• 16:50
  Most homeschool families, especially in the younger years, spend about two to four hours a day on structured academics, and the rest of the day is about living life, reading, having conversations, and tons and tons of free play. Please do tons of free play because that is learning too. So ladies, here is your permission slip to drop that eight hour expectation. That timeline was never about giving kids what they needed or giving them a good education at all. It was about managing a system.
• 17:22
  But you, you're not the government, and you don't view your kids as numbers. You view your kids as humans. You care about what they need now because you know that providing your children with what they need now socially, academically, emotionally is what is going to give them a bright future. So if you're sitting here right now thinking or you're probably vacuuming or folding the laundry and you're thinking, okay, Christy, I want that kind of homeschool day, but I have no idea where to start. Well, I've got two things for you.
• 17:53
  First, as I mentioned earlier, grab my free how to homeschool guide. It's a 21 page, no fluff ebook that walks you through the proven step by step process for starting your homeschooling journey. But in there, I have some really cool tips, tricks, and hacks for you. And if you're ready to get serious about this homeschool thing and give your kids the best education possible, come check out Thrive Homeschool Community. It's a space built just for homeschooling parents like you.
• 18:21
  Building a successful homeschool isn't about finding that right curriculum. It's about building up its leader, and that's what we do in Thrive. Isn't homeschooling just so cool? It gives you the freedom to build a rhythm that works for your family, not a carbon copy of what the school down the street is doing. You get to focus on what matters most, strong relationships, confidence, curiosity, and a love of learning.
• 18:45
  And you get to skip the busy work. And if you're still figuring out the how, you're not behind. You're just getting started. But now at least know this. Homeschooling doesn't have to take all day.
• 18:57
  In fact, it shouldn't. If it's feeling like a time trap, you gotta do something about it, and we are here to help you every step of the way. Thanks for tuning. You lift my heart.