10 Tips & Tricks for Homeschooling a Large Family

This post shares tips for homeschooling a large family, along with advice from four other homeschooling moms for how to simplify and manage large family homeschooling.

Here’s the truth: our family size affects our homeschooling style. There’s no way around it! Homeschooling just one or two children is a VERY different ball game than homeschooling a large family (which I would define as three or more school-age children).

Because we have five children (four in school at the moment), most of my blog and even my personal homeschooling style is geared towards how to manage a large family. If we only had one or two children, things would be very different around here!

What I am NOT saying:

• I am not saying that one is better than the other. There are pros and cons to BOTH large and small families, and we can be truly grateful for any number of children that God has graciously given us.
• I am not saying that Charlotte Mason only works for large families. There are timeless principles about how children learn that can apply to any size family in any country or any time period.

What I AM saying:

• I am saying that if you have a small family, you may end up doing many things differently than I (or other large families) do. And that’s great!
• I am saying that we should be aware of how our family size affects our homeschooling, and seek out advice from others in similar situations. If you’re looking for advice for socializing and homeschooling an only child, don’t come to me. However, if you want to know how to simplify and streamline your homeschool so that you can manage a whole pile of kids, then I’m your girl!

10 Tips & Tricks for Homeschooling a Large Family

Here’s what I have learned over the past eight years:

1. Simplify, simplify, simplify. Here are 15 ways to do it in your homeschool, and if you’re looking for even more practical advice, check out my newest digital product: The Simple, Sustainable Homeschool Toolkit.
2. Remember that siblings are a great gift. Yes, a larger family may mean that your time and your finances are more limited, but our kids have so much fun together – and I wouldn’t trade that for anything! Notice the ways they play together, laugh together, and share life together – and be grateful for this.
3. Don’t rush to imitate other (smaller) homeschool families. What works for them might not work for you! We need to strike the balance between a willingness to learn from anyone (because all moms have their areas of strength) while at the same time remembering that our family is unique and we know our children best.
4. Find a philosophy you love, and use that to guide your curriculum choices. For us, that’s Charlotte Mason – but no matter where you land, you’ll find it supremely helpful to understand the WHY behind a philosophy. Without this understanding, you will find yourself drifting from curriculum to curriculum and spending hours agonizing over every choice! Ain’t nobody got time for that.
5. Use the same curriculum for everyone. Yes, it’s true that some kids have different learning styles and you might come across a kid + curriculum combo that just DOES NOT WORK. However, the more you can keep things the same, the more it will save you money and free up your valuable brain space.
6. Delegate (and teach) LOTS of chores. Yes, it’s a fair amount of work upfront as you teach, train, and check their work, but YOU WILL NEED THE HELP – and they will soon become really, truly, helpful! It’s amazing and I am loving our current stage so so much.
7. Let some things go. Personally, I have come to realize that on any given day we can only have TWO of these three things: a clean house, home-cooked food, or school work done. If we do our homeschool work and I cook dinner from scratch, no extra house cleaning will get done (besides the kids’ regular daily chores). If we homeschool and also do some extra deep cleaning, it probably means we’re having frozen pizza for dinner. This is the reality of life – we cannot do everything every day.
8. Streamline your food buying/organizing/cooking process as much as you can. There are a million different ways to do this, but the bottom line is that you will be spending a HUGE amount of time cooking or preparing food throughout the next 18ish years and it’s worth doing what you can to simplify it. A couple things I do: regular grocery delivery, cooking 95% of our meals from the same two food blogs, and buying staple ingredients in bulk to cut down on trips to the store.
9. Take some time for yourself. Whether this is through regular exercise, a favorite hobby, or time with friends, you matter too – and you’ll be a better, happier mom when you have something to think about that stimulates your mind and refreshes your soul.
10. Stay close to God and to your husband. The more children you have, the more potential for busyness there is – and consequently the more potential for setting aside these two relationships that don’t seem as “pressing” as the noisy children right in front of you. However, your marriage and your spiritual health are FOUNDATIONAL to everything else and are absolutely worth the time it takes to invest in them.

When We Just Need to Hear It From Someone Else

However, sometimes we just need a few more voices speaking into our homeschool life to reassure us that we are on the right path.

I’ve never graduated a child, so how do I know this will work?

I don’t have any adult children yet, so how do I know how my homeschooling choices will affect their adult lives?

How can I know for sure if my kids will turn out okay?

SPOILER: we don’t get to know this.

Every parent, no matter their schooling choice, is wondering the same thing. Parents whose children attend a traditional school DO NOT GET a guarantee that their children will “succeed,” any more than we do.

We homeschoolers feel like there is more at stake simply because we’ve made an “untraditional” choice, but in reality we’re all in the same boat: doing the best we can with what we have and praying for God’s grace and wisdom along the way.

Despite the fact that there are no iron-clad promises or 100%-guaranteed programs to follow in this parenting gig, it does help to hear from other homeschooling moms who have gone before us. This is a large reason why I read so many books on homeschooling (and encourage you to do the same!).

When we see that our ideas or philosophies have worked for other families, it gives us a good indication that 1) we’re not crazy and 2) it will likely work for us, too.

Therefore, I asked several other moms who have been homeschooling their large families for at least five years to answer two short questions:

1. What is your top tip for homeschooling a large family?
2. What advice would you give to a mom who is overwhelmed by her homeschool?

Let’s see what they said.

Advice From Other Homeschooling Moms

Question #1: What is your top tip for homeschooling a large family?

From Kara at Heartwood Holler (mom of 7):

“My top tip for homeschooling a large family is to combine as many subjects as possible, as well as have the whole family participate in as many of the same activities as possible. This helps build strong sibling relationships and prevents overwhelm from every child being involved in different activities and curriculum.”

From Sheri at Our Life Homeschooling (mom of 10):

“Don’t measure your large family against the expectations or routines of smaller families. You may not be able to provide as many “fun” outings or enrichment activities, but your needs are different. In a large family, life is busier and kids always have siblings to play with, so they don’t have the same needs for entertainment. What works for them may not be realistic—or necessary—for you. It’s not bad, just different. Embrace what fits your family best rather than trying to match up to others.”

From Tyla at Homeschool Freebies and Giveaways (mom of 5):

“1) Group together subjects for things that can be done together like history, Bible and science, and adjust expectations for age appropriate ‘homework’. 2) Feed them! If I sit down to do school with muffins or apple slices things go a lot smoother!”

From Jessica at Gratefully Wild Home (mom of 7):

“My top tip for homeschooling a large family is to find a rhythm where the entire family is thriving. Things will need to be adjusted year to year as the family grows and needs changes. I also always recommend completing the younger kids’ school first as they are usually the easiest and are much happier with the majority of the day free.”

Question #2: What would you say to encourage a mom who feels overwhelmed by her homeschool?

From Kara at Heartwood Holler:

“For those who are overwhelmed….if you have young children, then pare down your focus to reading good quality literature – then discussing as a family, a little copywork, and a simple math curriculum. When the children get older they do need more bookwork, so planning and organization are really important. If you can set aside some time to plan, order supplies, and organize then homeschool will go more smoothly.”

From Sheri at Our Life Homeschooling:

“Simplify and cut back. You may be afraid that the kids will miss out if you do less, but they will gain so much more if they have a mom who is peaceful with a consistent routine. Aim for a minimum of reading, writing, and math every day, and as you are able, add in the rest. Your homeschool can be very simple and still be very good.”

From Tyla at Homeschool Freebies and Giveaways:

“Take a deep breath and take a break when things are hard. When you start back up, start with one subject like math or reading and slowly add in more as the days go smother. Remember every subject doesn’t have to be done each day.”

From Jessica at Gratefully Wild Home:

“For an overwhelmed mom, do not be afraid to outsource where needed. There are so many ways to homeschool, and I have learned and recognized to use outside tools and help where needed. Remember also to simplify and focus on core subjects; combine subjects and grades where it is possible. Homeschooling allows for beautiful flexibility. Lastly, you are doing enough. Successful homeschooling is not about having all the checkboxes completed perfectly, but where learning is happening each day.”

Common Themes From All The Moms

What sort of common themes did we notice from these answers?

#1: Simplify.

It’s not just me saying this! All of these other experienced moms of large families agree that your homeschool can be simple and still be very good.

#2: Family relationships matter.

The fact that we don’t have the time/energy/money to do a lot of extracurriculars in a large family can sometimes feel like a disadvantage, but in reality our kids’ siblings are one of their greatest resources. Focus on activities you can do as a whole family, and the relationships that are built during this time will be a life-long gift to every child in your family.

#3: Reading aloud is the foundation of our homeschool.

Reading aloud is NOT one of the things we can cut in our efforts to simplify! It is truly foundational to every subject we want to study, and these other homeschool moms have also seen the value of building a homeschool centered on books.

Conclusion

Homeschooling a large family isn’t always easy, especially when you’re still in the throes of the baby and toddler stages! Some days (most days??) are loud, messy, and waaaaay overstimulating for us introverts. But when I look around the table and see all these unique little people that God has entrusted to us, I’m reminded what a tremendous blessing they are.

I get to watch my children laughing together every day, helping each other, and sharing life side by side. They are building relationships that will (hopefully) last a lifetime, and that is such a gift!

They get a real childhood, and I get to see it happen – and I wouldn’t trade that for the world.