Every homeschool year comes with its own unique opportunities and challenges. Some years are full and busy. Some require use to pull in closer to home and nurture family relationships. When I look back over our family's journey, I can see the ebb and flow of these seasons and the opportunities the Lord placed in our path... some for a year or two, and some for the life of our homeschool.
With that in mind, I approached 2025-26 with fresh eyes to see what God was doing THIS year. What was He asking us to say yes to? What was He asking us to lay down? And where did we have choices to explore?
For this year of homeschooling two high schoolers, I had to remember that every "yes" would require a "no. " When I wanted to say yes, I had to ask myself what I was willing to lay down... and was the trade-off worth it? In some areas, we scaled back, and in others, we went full throttle ahead. I really wanted to make the most of the final year of homeschooling my daughter. So a lot of our "yes" areas focused on relationship and memory-building.
Ways We're Saying Yes in 2025-26:
*Homeschool Group-- Over the years, I've looked at various homeschool co-ops and groups, but never felt right about joining one. Either they were too rigid, too transient, or just too expensive. This year, we happened to fall into a group that's just right for us. It's a group of 5 families that meet once a week, focused on discipleship and relationship-building. Our time is filled with worship, games, and teaching that leaves us all feeling refreshed and filled. Instead of taking away from our homeschool, it has only added to it.
*More Field Trips-- Since 2020, our available field trip opportunities have really changed. About two years ago, I started to get brave and organize my own field trips for the kids. We've found a few new opportunities, but this year, I'm reaching further beyond my comfort zone and leading us into new places, both for the experience and for learning and trying new things together.
*Allowing my Son to Do more Cooking--My daughter has always been the one of my kids to do most of the baking and cooking, but my 14-year-old recently showed an interest in learning to cook more. So I'm pulling him into the kitchen with me more often. We're also researching and cooking 1-2 new meals a month based on our geography study. He's learning a lot of practical skills as well as what he likes and what he doesn't.
*More Science Experiments--I've never been very good at incorporating science experiments into our homeschool, but I do really see the value. With my youngest doing Biology this year, I decided I could be brave and incorporate more experiments into our homeschool. I'm going to say that we'll definitely be dissecting a frog, but I am trying to incorporate more hands-on learning.
And Where We're Saying No:
1. Serving a Hot Meal 3x/ Week--My kids get up and eat at all times of the day. I have one that's up early, and one that's pulling out of bed just in time for Morning Basket. One is watching the clock for meal time, the other is always eating late to accommodate her dance schedule. So I just cook dinner. Everything else is just on your own.
2. Mom Doing ALL the Teaching-- With two kids in high school, I just can't teach it all. I can keep up with the main subjects, but once kids get into electives and specialized classes, I'm in over my head. Anatomy? Forget it! I've done some outsourcing this year with my senior's Civics class (Michael Farris' American Civics is amazing), and my freshman is the first in our family to use Shormann Math (I love that the high school math is integrated).
3. Chess class-- It hurt to let his one go. It really did. And we still drop into the local Chess club about once a month. But the trade-off for a 2x/week class wasn't worth it. Something had to give. My hope is to re-evaluate next year and possibly host a club in our home. But for now, it's back to playing with big brother.
What are You Saying Yes and No to In Your Homeschool?
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