Keeping it Simple Homeschooling: Interview With Lisa

Here on the blog, I love to share, not only our family’s life homeschooling, but “our life” collectively as homeschoolers. That is why I regularly post interviews with everyday homeschool moms just like you! I hope you will be encouraged by reading this interview with my friend Lisa as she shares about Keeping it Simple in Homeschooling.

To see more interviews from other homeschool moms, see the Our Life Homeschooling Gallery of Homeschool Mom Interviews.

Introduce Yourself

My name is Lisa Shirk and I’m married to Peter Shirk. We have 6 children (three girls and three boys – in
that order) ages 14, 12, 10, 7, 5, and 2. We spent the first 12.5 years of our marriage living in a small
house in the city. Then, two and a half years ago, we moved out to the country where we have 4 acres and an accumulation of animals (2 horses, 11 chickens, 5 bunnies, 2 cats, 9 fish, and a dog to be exact).
Ironically, while I have a large family, I’m not someone who deals well with chaos. In actuality, it’s quite
the opposite. Perhaps more than most, I need order, peace, and simplicity in our home and this is exactly
why I keep our homeschooling (and everything else in our lives) as simple as possible!

Video: Keeping it Simple Homeschooling: Interview With Lisa

What does simple homeschooling look like for us?

Just a quick note that simple homeschooling doesn’t mean my children are not challenged to do hard
things! I’m not talking about making school “easy,” just in case anyone was wondering!

#1 Consistency

We are consistent with the core subjects, especially English and math. We explore science and history
deeply but without all the extras. Practically, this means we don’t do many “projects” or formal “science
experiments.” Thankfully, my children attend a homeschool co-op which, at times, requires this of them.
At home, we follow a curriculum but leave out anything that requires me to “gather supplies” or creates
an enormous mess in the kitchen. Instead, we might watch a historical documentary, a creation science
video, or short video clips on historical figures/places to expand our knowledge.

#2 Oursource

I outsource where I can. Currently, most of my children use an online, self-paced, self-grading history
course by Veritas Press. So far, my children have found this program to be fun and engaging. My high
school student uses an online self-paced, self-grading math program. I am currently looking for an online
self-paced Christian science curriculum.

Keeping it Simple Homeschooling: Interview With Lisa

#3 Consolidate Extracurricular Acitivities

We encourage, but try to consolidate, extra curricular activities. I have found extracurricular activities
to be important for our children, especially as they get older. My husband and I encourage our children to
participate in activities that allow them to make friends, bring them joy, and build their self confidence.
However, we have a limit to how many weeknights we spend running children to activities (not more than
3 evenings per week) and so far we have been able to keep the weekends free. Activities that my children participate in include dance, gymnastics, piano lessons, youth group, horse back riding, dirt bike riding, art, and other music classes. While this sounds like a lot, some of these activities take place exclusively at home, exclusively at our homeschool co-op, or on the same night and at the same location
(dance/gymnastics, art/music, piano lessons).

#4 Delay Formal Schooling

I follow the “better late than early” philosophy of homeschooling. Raymond and Dorothy Moore wrote
a book called Better Late than Early. They give loads of research as to why it’s better to delay formal
schooling until at least 7 years of age and to start slow and at home. So, with my young children, the early years of school consist of no pressure alphabet and number recognition. We read Bible stories, books about nature and animals, we watch short videos about historical figures and landmarks, and they play OUTSIDE a LOT. My younger children also help with chores around the house and learn how to prepare simple foods. My 7 year old son can cook eggs, mow the lawn, and use the trimmer (with adult
supervision, of course)! He can build simple things with wood, nails, and screws and is teaching his 5
year old brother to do the same! These are all things he enjoys and which boost his self esteem. Needless to say, my older children are quite self sufficient at their ages of 10, 12, and 14.

#5 Keep a Simple Home

I keep a simple home. Practically, this means we don’t have excess “stuff.” We have toys, but not too
many toys. We have clothing, but not too much clothing. We have dishes and kitchen gadgets, but only
what fits into the dishwasher at the end of the day. I try to keep the rule that my children can have as
many toys as they can take care of on their own. At the end of the day, I am not just a teacher. We mama’s have so many roles and responsibilities and I find that I just cannot keep up with my responsibilities if it takes too long to pick up the house. While I love having my children home with me, this means that the house is literally always in use. Toys are always out. Meals are always being prepared. Dishes and laundry are always piling up. If I’m not diligent about limiting what comes into the house, our items can easily take over my life and I’d prefer to take care of the children rather than our stuff!

#6 Let Kids Be Bored

I let my kids be bored. Boredom births creativity and creativity is learning. At the end of the day and at
the graduation of all of my children someday, my hope is that they will keep learning for the sake of
enjoyment. If a child masters reading, writing, and arithmetic, then there isn’t anything holding them back
from learning for the rest of their lives. If the TV is off, then I usually assume my child is off learning
something somewhere! They might be learning to work out an argument with their sibling, making
themselves lunch, doing a chore, climbing a tree, reading, playing with a pet, practicing the piano, riding
their bike, painting, playing with toy trains, or searching for 4 leaf clovers (my daughter found 14 just last
week)! I think we adults forget that children learn from the time they open their eyes until the time they
go to sleep and sometimes the best way we can allow this to happen is to give them space, let them get
bored, and then allow them to go discover the world.