Welcome back to my Practical Tips for Embracing the Home in Homeschool series!
One of the greatest gifts of homeschooling is that learning doesn’t have to look like school. We don’t need to recreate a classroom with rows of desks or ringing bells. Instead, we have the freedom to let home be home. That means creating an atmosphere that feels warm, cozy, and life-giving—an environment where children can relax, grow, and learn in their own rhythms. Home is the place where we share meals, snuggle under blankets, sip warm drinks, and reset when needed.
In the first article of this series, I shared five simple practices that make home feel more like home in your homeschool. Today, I’m excited to bring you the next five tips—each one a small, practical way to set your homeschool apart from the rigid rhythms of a traditional classroom.
1. Share Family-Style Meals
Family-style meals are one of the simplest and most delightful ways to make home feel special. Instead of plating food individually, make a big dish of something hearty and set the steaming pots or pans right on the table—or pour the food into beautiful serving dishes to display in the middle. Then let everyone dig in together.
You can take it up a notch by spreading a tablecloth, sending the kids outside to collect pinecones, leaves, or flowers to decorate the table, and lighting candles—enough so that each child has one to blow out at the end of the meal. These rituals turn an ordinary lunch or dinner into a moment of beauty and connection.
In school, kids eat in a noisy cafeteria with lunch trays and little time to linger. At home, meals can become the highlight of the day—slow, nourishing, and full of conversation.
Here are a few of my favorite family-style recipes to serve for lunch:
Zuppa Toscana, Crusty Bread, Bonefish Grill’s House Salad
Pasta Arrabbiata, Italian Sausage, Italian Salad (crispy lettuce, red wine vinegar, olive oil, generous salt— that’s it)
Frozen Dumplings, Steamable Broccoli
Beef Stew, Crusty Bread
Italian Antipasto Platter (bread, cheeses, cured meats, olives, fruit, etc.)
2. Chewing Gum for Better Concentration
Sometimes the smallest tools make the biggest difference. Chewing gum can help kids focus, burn off extra energy, and stay calm during lessons. Whether it’s math practice, copywork, or a read-aloud, offering a stick of gum can be just enough to keep restless bodies engaged. It’s such a simple way to honor their need for movement and still keep learning on track.
If you went to public school as a kid, you probably got in trouble for chewing gum more than once. But at home, something once “forbidden” becomes a tool for learning.
I love this electrolyte gum! It has a strong, long-lasting flavor and comes in a tub of 300!
3. Favorite Mugs for Favorite Drinks
There’s something wonderfully grounding about holding a warm drink in your hands. Let each child pick out their favorite mug for tea, cocoa, or warm cider. The mug becomes part of the ritual—something familiar, comforting, and uniquely theirs. When you bring out the mugs during morning time or a read-aloud, you’re sending the message: this moment is special, and we’re in it together. I especially like to offer cozy drinks during copywork.
In my guides, I offer a list of ways to make copywork more cozy and fun, along with copywork sheets and conversational prompts to explore the passages together.
In a traditional classroom, drinks are usually limited to water bottles. But at home, we can lean into cozy rituals that make learning feel like curling up in your favorite corner with a good story.
4. Embrace Slow Mornings
One of the greatest freedoms of homeschooling is that there’s no school bus waiting at 7 a.m. We don’t have to rush. Instead, we can lean into slow mornings—read in bed together, linger over breakfast, and ease into the day gently. A slow start helps everyone feel more grounded and less frazzled, setting the stage for curiosity and creativity rather than stress.
Contrast that with traditional school mornings—alarms blaring, scrambling to pack lunches, missing shoes, and the ever-present rush out the door. At home, we can start from a place of peace.
5. Changing Clothes, Changing Moods
At home, comfort is part of the learning environment. Sometimes that means changing clothes throughout the day—slipping into fresh socks, pulling on a cozy sweatshirt, or swapping soup-stained pants for something clean. These little resets can make a world of difference in attitude and energy. Just as adults sometimes feel renewed by putting on fresh clothes after a long day, kids can find a second wind when they get a chance to reset, too.
In school, you’re stuck in whatever you wore that morning, no matter how uncomfortable or messy it gets. At home, flexibility rules the day.
✨ Are you ready to reimagine the way you homeschool?
Are you longing for a slower pace—one that embraces home, allows flexibility, and doesn’t simply copy the very school system you knew wasn’t the right fit for your family?
I’ve created guides for families just like yours—families who want to dive into a beautiful read-aloud and uncover the hidden treasures inside. From language arts to history, science, and art, you’ll discover ways to spend your days enjoying a story together while learning in a more relaxed, peaceful, and engaging way.
🌿 Want to see what this looks like? Check out my favorite family-friendly guides for all ages here.