This Golden Hour

120. Adaptable Homeschooling with Madison Robinson

• Timothy Eaton

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In today’s episode, we get to spend time with Madison Robinson, a young homeschool momma with six kids from British Columbia, Canada. Our conversation highlights how homeschooling can be adaptable and unique to each family throughout each stage and season of the journey. Madison emphasizes the importance of simple, consistent routines, like daily reading lessons, math, Bible reading, and morning chores. She values relational learning and building a love for reading over rigid curriculum completion.The greatest joys include spending time with her children, witnessing their growth firsthand, and fostering strong sibling relationships. Madison appreciates that homeschooling allows for more family time, flexibility, and the ability to prioritize character and faith development. But she also acknowledges that the decision to homeschool is challenging and refining, and that it requires strong support from her husband. 

Resources and Books

Heritage Christian Online School

Sonlight 

Read Aloud Revival Booklists

“Teaching from Rest”

“The Unhurried Homeschooler”

“Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons”

“Math Lessons for a Living Education”

Abacus Books

This Golden Hour

Madison Robinson:

our one child didn't actually. Finish that curriculum when I thought he would he definitely didn't in a hundred days. We were working on all year and that's okay. We can just pick it up and keep going and I'm thankful for that time. And I get to understand him. I don't have to pass him on to a teacher that's just meeting him. I get to know him. I've known him from birth, from the womb, and so I'm like, you know what? I get you. Yeah. And you are gonna just like all the other things you've done, when you get this, you're gonna run with it and it gets to be this hopefully encouraging and relationally bonding thing.

Timmy Eaton:

Hi. I am Timmy Eaton, homeschool father of six and Doctor of Education. We've been homeschooling for more than 15 years and have watched our children go from birth to university successfully and completely without the school system. Homeschooling has grown tremendously in recent years, and tons of parents are becoming interested in trying it out, but people have questions and concerns and misconceptions and lack the confidence to get started. New and seasoned homeschoolers are looking for more knowledge and peace and assurance to continue. New homeschooling. The guests and discussions on this podcast will empower anyone thinking of homeschooling to bring their kids home and start homeschooling and homeschoolers at all stages of the journey will get what they need and want from these conversations. Thank you for joining us today and enjoy this episode of This Golden Hour podcast. As you exercise, drive clean or just chill. You are listening to this Golden Hour podcast. In today's episode, we get to spend time with Madison Robinson, a young homeschool mama with six kids from British Columbia, Canada. Our conversation highlights how homeschooling can be adaptable and unique to each family throughout each stage and season of the journey. Madison emphasizes the importance of simple, consistent routines like daily reading lessons, math. Bible reading and morning chores. She values relational learning and building a love for reading over rigid curriculum completion. The greatest joys include spending time with her children, witnessing their growth firsthand, and fostering strong sibling relationships. Madison appreciates that homeschooling allows for more family time, flexibility in the ability to prioritize character and faith development, but she also acknowledges that the decision to homeschool is challenging and refining and that it requires strong support from her husband. Welcome back to this Golden Hour podcast Today we're very delighted to have with us Madison Robinson from British Columbia. Thanks for being with us Madison.

Madison Robinson:

Thanks for having me on.

Timmy Eaton:

We met at the ah H conference a few months ago. You and your husband and your kids and it was so good to hang out with you there. I think you got to talk with my wife there as well and so that was good connection.

Madison Robinson:

Yeah, no, that was an encouraging conference, so it was encouraging to meet you guys and to talk with all the other tables

Timmy Eaton:

I'll do a little bio and then you finish the rest of the bio and then say anything you want and then we'll jump into questions. So Madison is a homeschool mother of six children. And how long have you guys been homeschooling, would you say? Like how long have you like, been doing it?

Madison Robinson:

So I guess we used to tell our 2-year-old our first child when he was two, we'd say, oh, this is your homeschool. We'd take him for a walk by the river. But we started when he was in kindergarten officially. And so he's in grade four now, so five years. Yeah.

Timmy Eaton:

So cool. So from the very beginning you guys decided you were gonna do that?

Madison Robinson:

Yes. We were blessed with I think seeing. Fergie, my husband's dad actually we grew up going to a Christian school and he was a teacher there. And my mom was also employed there. And then he ended up working, my father-in-law ended up working at the, one of the homeschool. Associations heritage Christian Online School in British Columbia here. And so that was an encouragement. And also we saw what I would consider homeschool done well in a few families of ours and that really encouraged us to. Look forward to that as well as our kids grew.

Timmy Eaton:

Were either of you homeschooled like you or your husband?

Madison Robinson:

No. I wanted to be honest, in high school as I sat in math class and spent half of it waiting for other kids to listen. But no, I, but actually no, I think that was good. The Lord had that for at least, especially for me. I was baptized at the same time as my parents. And so some of the teachers there at the Christian school, they were a real blessing and they helped disciple me. They had been Christians. They were mature Christians as well. And they, yeah. And then also I met my husband. That was pretty good. But a lot of things about homeschooling are new to us. Yeah.

Timmy Eaton:

And he wasn't homeschooled either, so neither of you guys were homeschooled until you did. No.

Madison Robinson:

And homeschooling, I think there was overlap with the families of the Christian school and even, our vice principal, his wife is, was one of the heads of the Heritage Christian Online School. And so there was overlap in that community of course. But then when he started working, we got to see what that looked like. And my father-in-law was able to counsel on what would work and why it would be good for us. And he's always been a teacher that like, yeah, all of life you sit with him and you learn if you're open to. And so seeing that and that homeschool can look like we knew homeschoolers, we went to youth group with them, for example. And there was a lot of I think we were starting to see as teenagers, it wasn't necessarily family homeschool. And I remember seeing that and thinking, I don't really wanna do that. That's awkward. Or that kid spends the whole day on YouTube or

Timmy Eaton:

Yeah.

Madison Robinson:

Yeah. Computers were starting to be used more. But it can look as different as homes do. And what worked for us might look different than what worked for other people. And especially starting out, like I love having discussions with our kids and I love Yeah. Doing life and she pointing them to the Lord in all the things and doing that day to day. So that was our elementary years. I'm still now I feel like I'm reentering the elementary years. So we had to go together and then you're trying to figure that out and do those first years and a lot of discussions, a lot of books, read a lot of picture books, blocks and stuff. And then magnet tiles and all those toys. And I'll probably need to reenter it again. With the next kids I'm learning what works and what doesn't. For the elementary Yes. For the little years. And I'm very much just new to the like, I haven't done secondary or middle school and we're building their book collection as the kids grow. So when they were little, we started building our chapter book collection and seeing what other people recommended.

Timmy Eaton:

Totally. And there's probably a lot of repetition, a lot of things that you hold onto and things that you discard as you have new kids and you guys have six kids within nine years, and so there's things you recycle through and things that you discard, that you stop doing, and things that you discover and knew. But so like you said that at the beginning there you observed people doing it well. What did you mean by that? What was happening? Who did you see

Madison Robinson:

So one example of that is we were welcomed into the lives of our, I think I mentioned to you because we brought him a shirt. Our neighbor, pastor, cousin, friend. So we came and lived in McBride for a year, and they were a blessing to us. He helped to officiate our wedding, so we saw them in that, but then we moved away and came back for visits and through their hospitality, I think we lived with them for a month and a half. Just for a visit in that time. And then we moved back finally here. So we saw them about five years ahead of us through being involved in their lives. One thing that comes to mind, I don't know if you did this with your kids, but, and I know people have different opinions, but we became parents when screens were just starting to be like the kids we babysat as teenagers were playing Angry Bird. So that was different than our childhood. And so that's one thing that we saw this family do and I feel like I tried,'cause I heard a lot of people say, oh no, life screens, like they make parenting so much easier. And I saw that. But they did a lot of books. They were heavy on the books with these little kids. And then when one kid learned to read they took so much joy in reading to the younger siblings. And we just gotta see that over the years, as they grew. And the really lovely books and see them build their book collection and be like, oh, okay, I'll put that on my list to see if. I can find at the thrift store. And I just built my collection with some of those recommendations. So they did sunlight, they did read aloud, revival and all those book lists. Not necessarily all the instructor's, guides and everything, just the lists and cheapo style, but heavy on the relationship, heavy on the reading and learning to love reading. And so that's one thing that I thought Okay I'll just test it. I'll just see and when, if I'm ever really sick or if it's just really not working we'll, maybe, try playing some movies for our kids or trying involving more screen time. But it amazed me that I haven't done it yet. Yeah, especially with pregnancy, I made a slideshow of our family photos and I occasionally pulled that out. Half dozen times, but honestly I see that our kids have higher attention span than I even do sometimes. And it was an experiment. And even our kids that have been slower to love books, like when our kids were really little and we just had littles. The first two, they would sit and read books with me for hours. So I'd be so tired. I was, pregnant largely. Yeah

Timmy Eaton:

yeah.

Madison Robinson:

And we'd go for maybe a little walk and then we'd read books and that was our day naps. And it was slow and quiet and they loved that. And then our third came along and he was more of a doer. He was slower to love books, so that's been one way is that we've allowed them to be little. And then they've learned to love books. Not that books are our salvation, but ideally you learn to love the word, right? Jesus is the word. The word became flesh. So ideally you can learn to read the Bible and then you get to visit other books. I've not regretted that. And it's helped us to love books more. Some people say read your Bible and read books and model that for your kids, but I don't always have time to just sit there reading books they do in this season of their life. Yes. And so just trying to do that and as a way to spend time together.

Timmy Eaton:

And just the simplicity of that. Just as parents start, it can be overwhelming and to know that, like if you're reading books to your kids and they're learning to read at their own pace, you can really provide a rich education just in doing that. And that's not where we stop, but that is a great thing to start with. So are you saying like that your main influence in starting to homeschool came from your pastor's family?

Madison Robinson:

I would say, yeah. Yeah. And they also, so they were strong on that, on serving others and like teaching, like letting your kids be part of your life. And that was a main influence for sure.

Timmy Eaton:

And do you feel like you guys had already decided you wanted to do that? Or did that kind of give you the idea of homeschooling? When did it initiate for you and your husband the idea to even do it? Did you ever think you were gonna send your kids to school, for example?

Madison Robinson:

I don't know if I thought about it that much when we first had kids, but as they become toddlers, sometimes I think about how much easier it'd be to have, two thirds of my children away all day. It'd be so much easier to keep the house clean, let me tell you. Yeah. But. I love them and I love spending time with them. And we wanna train them. So that's part of it they're these little people. They're put in our family for a purpose that God's place in there. And that we have these like big roles that actually take time. If I'm going to train them up in the ways of the Lord, like other people can help me with that. But also that's a big responsibility and I need some time like the quantity time, not just the quality oh, what a gift. And everyone in Costco tells me, oh, it passes so quick. All the grandmas are very quick. And, oh, enjoy it. It passes so quick as your child's, needing a nap and is riding on the bottom of the cart and gets a bloody nose or something, or the other one has a bloody nose. I think I had a child with a bloody nose in Costco and I had just gotten in trouble for how my child was riding on the cart, and it was a bit of a hot time. It was nap time and we were like a mess. And someone comes up to me and says, oh, enjoy these moments. I know. Oh yeah. Okay, I'll try. Just find me some paper towel, please.

Timmy Eaton:

Yeah.

Madison Robinson:

So it's messy. But I think that's one thing is just seeing that and taking joy in spending time with them and having a relationship with them. I'm thankful that homeschools is, an option. And I, it, yeah, there was that appeal. Becoming a mother and probably seeing my baby for the first time was like, I don't wanna be separated from him. I know someday we will be,

Timmy Eaton:

And you've been homeschooling from the beginning, like for your kids yeah. And so that's all they've really been exposed to. Do you have this sense like. Anyone could homeschool or are you kinda like, man, it really is for a particular type of mom or family? Or you like No, anyone could.

Madison Robinson:

So I became a Christian around the same time as my parents. And then for high school at least, or middle school, I started going to a Christian school where I had to bring my Bible and many Christian teachers were mature Christians and they were able to disciple me in a way that maybe my parents, we're still learning, right? Or Yeah. Yeah. So that was beneficial and that also involved our family in a community. And I think that was beneficial for that time. I can't say that like across the board, everyone in the world is fitted up to homeschool, right? I don't think it's for a certain type of mom, or dad. Because homeschooling can be as diverse as the home. And so my homeschool doesn't have to look the same as in others. As Christians, we're charged to train our children up in the Lord. And I think that could be considered, but I can't say like it's for everyone, but I think it could be considered or even for different seasons of life. I know that I've learned a lot and I'm very grateful for our opportunity. But I, yeah, I can't pick into a whole,

Timmy Eaton:

does that sense? Yeah. Can't, yeah, totally. Like we, we can't necessarily pin that on other families and let them choose. My, my experience is that a lot of people are just I ignorant of the option. They might know homeschooling exists, but they don't actually. Know what it's like, and so they just put it outta their mind and maybe they would've chosen it had they been given a more accurate understanding of what it can look like. Because you and I have heard it a million times, how many times has somebody said, oh, I couldn't do that. I'm too impatient. Oh, I couldn't do that. I don't have enough education. Oh, I couldn't do that. Yes. And you go, dude, that's like every family that ever started homeschooling feels the same way. And then you figure out what it's actually like. And like you said, every homeschool is as diverse as the home and the family situation. But what would you say to disarm people a little bit and say, no, you probably have this conception, but that's not actually how it goes down. How would you describe how it goes down in your home, for example, you have six kids under 10, and that's busy. That's where it's physically busy.

Madison Robinson:

Yeah. So

Timmy Eaton:

How do you manage that?

Madison Robinson:

Okay. The first thing that comes to mind is you have to be okay with weakness. So I've been pregnant quite a bit throughout our journey. Many people have to homeschool, I think through COVID. And then I heard one person their kids were needing to be at home. I think it was maybe like a behavioral issue. I was just chatting with someone in the city and they said, oh it was so hard. They had one kid at home. And she looked at me and she's I get it though. I get it. Why you do it? Because if you have more, it's probably easier, right? So often I think, I don't know what to say and I just chuckle. So I think weakness in that. I often don't feel qual qualified. I'm often the one steering the ship in our home in that if I choose not to do this daily rhythm or I'm the one designing it. If I don't follow it, the kids aren't gonna probably do math like so easily. Our kids, if I just said, no. Most times our kids wouldn't be learning math or reading or, especially in these little years. Would they still be learning? Yes. So I have to be okay with weakness. And the good news about that is physically, spiritually, I think I've seen, and I've tasted that in my weakness, God's power's made perfect. And so that goes with me doing my best to be faithful and and to make the faithful choices. So as I rest in him and I can trust him to multiply that or to even use my weakness if I'm not able to be faithful. He is still faithful. But it's amazing how, when surrendered to the Lord. That's why I'm like, should everyone homeschool? I don't know, like people at different home situations, but yes. So when you were saying. To me, one thing that came to mind is midwifery. We didn't know about midwives until we were pregnant, and I'm so glad a friend brought up, Hey, did you know about midwives? We were just gonna get a doctor. That's what everyone else did. And a few years ago it wasn't even legal to have a midwife. I know.

Timmy Eaton:

Yeah.

Madison Robinson:

Throughout history. Yeah. It's

Timmy Eaton:

almost like homeschooling

Madison Robinson:

it. Yeah. So here it's actually covered. By our healthcare here too.

Timmy Eaton:

Yeah. Here too. Yeah.

Madison Robinson:

Okay. Yeah. And it's great and I don't know why everyone doesn't do it. It's such a different experience and I would say just didn't know about it or I thought, oh, I had to pay for it. I had these misconceptions about it.

Timmy Eaton:

My wife did too. If she could go back, she definitely would. And it was ignorance and it was just like not enough information and not enough. Understanding as a young mom of what that looks like. And you have certain conceptions about something and so you don't even entertain the idea.

Madison Robinson:

And I wish that there was better advertising because for the people that would be interested in that would be a good fit for it if they knew about it. Same with homeschool, where I think for those people that would be so interested in it, if only they knew about it. Actually we have this opposite problem of, 40 years ago that we have so many resources and homeschool can look so different. I could drive in my car all day and I could probably homeschool my children with all the audio resources. Seriously. Yeah. Like it's astounding. And that's almost a challenge, right?

Timmy Eaton:

Yeah, what do you actually narrow down and say like this is how we're gonna do it.'cause you're right, there are so many resources and there's so many ways to do it. What does it look like in your home and then in the next home? It's very customized to the family.

Madison Robinson:

And it is, it's very customizable, which sometimes makes me feel like I am never doing it right. But I'm actually not called to use all the curriculums books like I don't know if you're familiar with, I think it's Sarah McKenzie teaching from Rest. That one was a blessing to me, but the first one I read was the Unhurried Homeschooler. And it was short, it was mercifully short. And that really just helped take the pressure off and also just showed me homeschool can look different even than the person I'd seen and was familiar with. And I think they are more too classical. So over the years that's looked different and there are so many. Options, but I'm not called to do all those options.

Timmy Eaton:

And couldn't anyway. You don't have enough time. Yeah, as you're saying all those things, like what would you say are some non-negotiables? Because like you said there, the one beautiful thing about homeschooling is flexibility. One family would say. No, we don't miss math or we don't miss reading books to, or we don't miss time in nature. If you had to nail down a few non-negotiables for you guys like this happens every day. Yeah. It's the highest priority at this stage of your children.

Madison Robinson:

Yeah, so for our family in our, in this season we're just getting back in KI think we waded into school this fall. We took about a six week break but right now with my kind of littler, just entering school, we try to do 10 minutes. Honestly, I keep it to 10 minutes. They usually peter out. Maybe it's 15, so ideally a reading lesson. And we've been using a hundred easy lessons to teach your child to read, I think it's called. So we do that, it's so relational. It's scripted, but it's actually so relational and you can flex it. Yeah. And I really love that. And just. They get however far they get because it's about the long view. It is about doing it every day, not every day that I can. It's about over time that builds up. It's not, oh, you have to finish a lesson or this curriculum. Yeah,

Timmy Eaton:

small and simple things lead to great things. Yeah. Just consistency. It's amazing. Yeah. Yeah.

Madison Robinson:

And it multiplies. And our one child didn't actually. Finish that curriculum when I thought he would he definitely didn't in a hundred days. We were working on all year and that's okay. We can just pick it up and keep going and I'm thankful for that time. And I get to understand him. I don't have to pass him on to a teacher that's just meeting him. I get to know him. I've known him from birth, from the womb, and so I'm like, you know what? I get you. Yeah. And you are gonna just like all the other things you've done, when you get this, you're gonna run with it and it gets to be this hopefully encouraging and relationally bonding thing. So, Yeah. Reading, that's my goal for the learning to read kids. So with reading I of course want our older kids to read, but it's like a fire. So I think that's from Durda Wilson. You wanna stoke that fire and if I put a big heavy log on it. That's gonna put the fire out. So we wanna put kindling in, easy to read. Yes. And that's why I do limit the lessons. And then when it's burning, I add a little bit more. And then we want a big furnace that ideally just keeps going and going. So we wanna teach them to love reading. If I burn them out on reading too young because they're not getting it fast enough, that's unnecessary and non-productive, so yeah. Yeah. My older kids I don't make them read, but when they were that medium size where it's okay, you can read independently, but you still need to keep reading and you need accountability on that. I would get them to read to the younger siblings. Usually the ones that needed monitoring. And then they get those picture books. And that was really helpful. They get the picture books that I may or may not make it to reading to them every day. And I love the chance to read to the littles. But then at least they're getting that amongst themselves. And the other ones are practicing reading. They're reading out loud. So that's one. And then the older kids, they just read all day long. I have to tell them to not read, and then so math yeah. And this is partly from council from other, this is partly from council, from my homeschool teachers and

Timmy Eaton:

mentors. And,

Madison Robinson:

But also, we're enrolled with a teacher, so I just sent her a picture once in a while of, and I'm like, this is what we're doing. And she's so happy and I'm thankful to have that authority and that freedom so for 10 minutes I read a lesson in a book with the little people again it's funny when workbooks are Charlotte Mason, because I don't think Charlotte Mason was really for Yeah,

Timmy Eaton:

yeah. That is funny.

Madison Robinson:

Workbooks. But uh, math lessons for a living education. I have two similar age boys and we sit down and we do 10 minutes of that and they were doing the abacus I wanna create number fluency. So I was doing the Abacus. Now we're just doing skip counting'cause they're just sponges and they memorize it. We look at the chart, and so we just do that. 10 minutes, then we're done. And then our older people can do math. Independently. I like to do something with them, like life for Fred, but I do that in December or something, or in the summertime when I don't want. Review with them from taking a break for three or four months in the summer. But I like to do something light and relational. So we do that in seasons, but yeah, math a little bit of something or those wrap up are great. They're like little. Flip things and they have a string on them and it helps with kids memorizing. So they're learning wrap-ups I know we have the ones for subtraction edition, multiplication division, and I think they'd be really good, I imagine for a kinesthetic learner. I think because I don't know. We, yeah. So I ideally. Some math and then Bible reading. We like to do that around the table. That's something I'm glad I started young. We started, I didn't know what I was doing. I think everyone ought to do that. I. That's one thing, whether you're homeschooling or not, teach your children about the Lord. But also our kids are sponges when they're little. Yeah. And just seeing how readily and joyfully whether you're doing actions or not, and they're capable of more than you think. So I used to think, oh, it's gonna be a big thing, but just whatever we do, even 10 pushups or 10 situps if you do that every day. But if I read a piece of scripture, like I'm talking about one Corinthians 13, like a whole chapter more than I thought my kids would understand, once a day for a month, they have it memorized and you hear them, especially if you put it to music, they'll sing it. They'll be singing the song and it's single precious, so we try to do at least some bible memory is how we're currently doing it. If we do nothing else, that's what we should do. I've been doing a little bit of a morning time, we do try to do that every day, but the core is, reading math and then writing, but, it used to be copy work that we're in between. We have kids that are writing more on their own. This is our current thing. Have you ever read this? Read a chapter or something. And then look up what word you don't understand.'cause especially like we use the ESV, there are a lot of words they don't understand. And so they write it on the whiteboard. And the benefit of that is, if I don't get to it, we all have accountability. Oh, you did your Bible reading, you didn't and they're able to tell me that's about it, and they get to learn a new word. Yeah. I remember my

Timmy Eaton:

wife when anything they were going over she would encounter words, she would make that like their spelling list. And so she would do that and, man, it feels like a long time ago. But like that was very common. I just remember the kids constantly building their vocabulary with that. And as you were talking it, it just made me realize and remember like one of the indirect benefits of home education we might take for granted the amount of discussions that happen in our families on a daily basis. And I think that more learning happens there than in the formal. Schoolwork'Cause there's so much discussion and so much learning that the kids are, watching mom and dad and siblings navigate life together and they're learning nuances in the way they talk and discuss and that's like indirect. You're not saying Today we're gonna do this formal learning so that we can have a discussion that will teach you actual things. But it just happens. It's like inadvertently. There's this other education that's happening, and then they're learning the economy of the home. Like right now, your kids are attending to kids so that you can do this. And I don't think that homeschoolers are the only ones doing this, but when you have that much time together, you have that much discussion and you're forming those relationships through all those encounters and discussions as a family.

Madison Robinson:

So those are some of the pillars I guess, or maybe the sticks in the sand but really the water rushing around is the majority. And the majority, I should also mention, which is, a non-negotiable, I guess is our kids' morning routines. And that's for work ethic and character, what

Timmy Eaton:

is the routine?

Madison Robinson:

So each kid has like a five minute job, and the big prize when the kid turns, I don't know, whenever they're old enough to take responsibility for it usually. So the youngest, the big one that like if you're a guest at a house, it used to be that. The kid would be like, guess what? I do the laundry shoot. And then they would show you like, yeah, if you're seeing a house you come out like, can I show you? And the people felt bad oh, the poor kid. That's exciting. But no, it was so exciting. So like emptying all the laundry bins down the central shoot to our washing machine, doing the dishwasher emptying the drying rack. And that helps me know the system. Of it's maybe hard when someone comes to visit and wants to help because we have all these moving parts.

Timmy Eaton:

Yeah.

Madison Robinson:

But unfortunately, but on every day that does really help us. Okay, I know if I wash a set of dishes in the night, in the morning, the kid can just wake up and empty the dish rack or the dishwasher. We run it at night. Yeah. Those kind of things set the table. My sweet daughter puts away a bit of clothes like a bag of clothes that someone's, she just delivers it to them.

Timmy Eaton:

So part of the routine is like a chore?

Madison Robinson:

And then getting dressed and then after breakfast they brush their teeth and everything.

Timmy Eaton:

And do you guys eat together? You'll sit down together and have a meal and stuff?

Madison Robinson:

Yes. We do the before breakfast morning routine, that's what we call it. You're supposed to do that before you get breakfast. If you don't work, you don't eat. Unless they're sick or it's their birthday. And then, one benefit that, might be teaching our kids to work. I hope so. And you know that they have a role in the home and. And we try to be loving about it, even though we're like, yeah, get it done before breakfast. But it's actually taught them the sweetness of rest. You know what so Sunday they wake up and they always kind of tried each other. If one of the kids forgets that it's Sunday. Yeah. And they start doing the dishwasher that they're like, oh, don't do that. You get to not So unrest day, we don't do that. Of course they have to brush their teeth and get dressed. But they actually get really stoked about it. They're like, we get to not do our morning routine. And it's such a treat to them that I think if they didn't carry the, hopefully age appropriate responsibility of these daily jobs, whether it's fun or not, they wouldn't understand that sweetness of rest.

Timmy Eaton:

Totally.

Madison Robinson:

Yeah. And then after breakfast they, they finish up they're after breakfast routine. It can be done in 15 minutes or less. I've timed them. I've said, Hey guys, we're gonna go on a walk or whatever. And I'm like, wow, you can do it really fast. But usually it takes a little longer than we'd like. And at the breakfast table, my husband goes to work or, moves on. Usually if he's home he does lead us in especially the Bible reading and. And we've been praying together. This is just recent that our kids have really been picking up on that, and it's such a joy. So that's becoming a non-negotiable, but I ideally we're still learning.

Timmy Eaton:

It's true. Like every family evolves in those things that they do and those routines change. Especially with their ages and different stages. And so that's important, but that's cool that he's at least able to typically be there for the meal Most people are used to getting up early, rushing to a bus and you know, here's a Pop-Tart or whatever. And it's so nice to wake up when you feel the best and then. Have a healthy meal and start your routines. Because you're covering stuff so much quicker than you would in a school situation anyway, and you're not spending any time on the travel, and so that just like maximizes and optimizes your time as a homeschool family also. So one thing I was wondering like what if somebody said, Hey, what do you love about homeschooling so far?

Madison Robinson:

I think my favorite is spending time with the kids. And so those pillars of the day then we get, most of the day we have to spend so. Maybe we need to spend more time on school than we like, ideally, like this is 10 minutes of work, but maybe we have to spend, an hour working on character about it, even if it's that kind of day. We don't have to spend six hours of day on school. We are free to go for walks, we're free to be together. And that is a sweet thing. It means for Messier house. But I get to see like the nuances of each person and it's full of joy. Even if it's not easy it's.

Timmy Eaton:

And I've heard it said on here many times on episodes. I think originally it was one of the interviews I did, but she basically said, we get to meet the world together. Like Madison meets the world with her children, right? Yeah. And then you get to include Fergie when he's there with you, you get to say, oh look, this is what we did today. Instead of hearing that.'cause when you ask kids, when they come home from school, they typically go hey, why was the day? And you go, it was good. And they go, what happened? You go, oh, nothing. And then that you just move on, but you're meeting it with them. Yeah, on a daily basis, yeah.

Madison Robinson:

And they're, like you said, the, the meals and those little normal things that are so normal and often mundane. But they're growing up in the garden of our home, right? They're growing up in the garden ideally of a relationship with us and pointing to the relationship with the Lord. And all these things, food, water, sleep are easy. So much easier. Yeah. So I'm thankful we live in a place. My husband gets three meals a day with us. On normal days I think a benefit of it this isn't exactly why we moved here, but it's affordable, but also my husband is, is free to come home for lunch. And that we noticed a difference because we were starting out, we were almost school age and that wasn't the case. So he just did, Monday mornings he's been taking off. I got on a little bit of a fix. I said Fergie what if I had two hours of a week to just speed clean our house? It would be amazing.

Timmy Eaton:

Yeah.

Madison Robinson:

And if there were no people here and actually so we've been doing that a few weeks and I actually really miss them when they're gone. It's

Timmy Eaton:

so funny how homeschool moms miss their kids when they just don't have'em with them for the shortest times.

Madison Robinson:

So we're free to do that and i'm prone, i'm sure to be very selfish. So they help keep me accountable. Like it's very sanctifying for me. But they get to grow up in that garden. And I get to die to myself all the more. And with that, I think a hard part has been being pregnant, which I have been eight times. And they've seen the loss, like when we've had pregnancy losses. They've experienced that. They've been with us the whole time. Wow. Family's been able to come help us. Our community's had to wrap around us'cause our kids are there the whole time. So that's been both a challenge, but a blessing in that we've had those conversations. We have get to have conversations about all sort of things because you know what? Math can wait. This is more important.

Timmy Eaton:

Yes. It definitely can almost anything can wait. Homeschool is a great way, like there's the principle of like that which matters most can never be at the mercy of things that matter least. And I feel like homeschooling like accentuates that because you go no like you just said. Yeah they're, you can identify what the bigger fish are to fry and then attend to that. And then, not that you leave the other things undone, but that you can prioritize.

Madison Robinson:

Yeah, so being pregnant, I can homeschool from the couch. I have learned that very well. It's quite amazing what you can do when you and sometimes I'm sick and I was maybe speeding up and it's is this a discipline to me so I can, and the change. And the change is almost

Timmy Eaton:

fun for the kids too. It's oh, sweet Mom's giving us these little assignments and we're going to do it. And

Madison Robinson:

she's reading more picture books these days. It's so fun. She's telling us to go outside more. Great. Yeah. But then I often ask them,'cause a lot of books are about, kids at school, right? Yes. Many of them mention it. And so I ask them like, do you wish that you had this? Do you wish this was your life? And they're like no, we don't. And and having a baby come reminds us of that that they get the chance to learn about that part of life that I know I think they would miss out on otherwise. So they get to see my weakness, but they also get to help out and they get to be part of that. And most of all, they get to spend the every day currently their little brother. And I think that would be a very great loss in their minds especially even though they often have to, you know. help mom or very often their math is interrupted by the baby waking up or whatever. Yeah, no, totally. They have no qualms about it. Yeah, they're like the love multiplies. Yeah. And

Timmy Eaton:

that changes, every, Yeah. Stage will bring new changes and new challenges, stuff like that. And what would you say with that? Like, um, if, if people were to say, Okay, you've said what kinda what you love that time with your children, which is what we would say too, actually. Especially, and when we started the youth years definitely bring new challenges but what about the biggest challenge? You said pregnancy. Are there any others that come to mind where you're like, man, this is a reality. It's hard when you choose the homeschooling lifestyle.

Madison Robinson:

So one of the best parts is I guess our time with them and their time with each other. And then there's time with each other. It needs often, like quite a bit of coaching, just like any relationship. I think that's the part that makes me like, rely on the Lord and cry out to him. I'm like, if they're squabbling I find it. I think overstimulating.

Timmy Eaton:

Yes.

Madison Robinson:

And just tempted to be frustrated about that. And so yeah the squabbles are probably now. That said, my caveat is I think our children squabble less than children that have spent the day with other children of the same age and come back home together. Like they squabble way less than I did with my siblings growing up. But but and it's'cause they're with each

Timmy Eaton:

other so much and they're so comfortable with each other, yeah. So it's actually a, it's a good thing, but it, yeah. It's like you said, it can be stressful sometimes as a parent.

Madison Robinson:

Yeah. I haven't ma Yeah. Mastered that one. If you have any tips there.

Timmy Eaton:

Oh just, I think you're doing good. We do our best, but I don't think we can be too unduly hard on ourselves because, it's taxing. That's one of the challenges of it, is that you're parenting and you're educating and, sometimes the mixing of the two can be difficult but you're human. You're human. Yeah. You're doing your best. I think, like you said, there's grace in all those things, but

Madison Robinson:

yeah, I guess I could learn more that's not all about me or my feelings. Like when they were little it was probably had more to do with me but if someone's considering starting out that way I'm really thankful that we started out thinking that way, if that makes it Yes, something's easier. Like reading, being like, okay, I'm gonna be responsible to teach my child to read, so I wanna, do this and this, and, put my finger on the line to show them left to right. Like, i've been starting. Same with relationship and with living together where it's okay I've learned to teach you guys how to reconcile with each other. And yeah. And not that they always do it perfectly and I think the heart needs to follow, but even just learning what that means and keep short accounts and all of this, and they know what to expect from me. And even though it takes daily maintenance and that does help, but yeah, that's probably. At this point that, and just, I think. Being careful what I'm saying to myself internally.

Timmy Eaton:

Yeah. As

Madison Robinson:

I steer the ship like having the discipline to be like, okay, regardless of how I feel, we should probably do morning time and just fighting the temptation to go off the tracks is just like to stay as. On the tracks as much as is reasonable.

Timmy Eaton:

Yeah. It takes discipline to be that consistent and to go in every day with the same motivation and the same eagerness and that's why each homeschool parent and homeschool moms specifically need to be true to themselves and say don't try to do it the way somebody else does. Glean from other people and, but glean from other people. What fits into Madison's homeschool. Because if you're trying to replicate what others do, I think eventually you burn out.'cause it's like not your thing. You know what I mean? It really does have to be customized and that's another question I was gonna ask you is like, you've been doing this for years now. What do you feel like you've learned about yourself through the journey? I know that's a deeper question perhaps.

Madison Robinson:

I love that kinda question. Yeah, Yeah.

Timmy Eaton:

What has it like taught you about yourself and just maybe you wouldn't have known had you not done it?

Madison Robinson:

It's so beautiful'cause I didn't make up families, I didn't make up marriage. I wasn't the one that said first children obey your parents in the Lord, right? God did. And often as I'm struggling or as my children are struggling or even just when we're not struggling and in the calm, like often the lord's like, that's you. There's metaphors where it's like for the Lord as I walk, with him as his daughter, and he has my father, that he's always teaching me like more than I would have expected or have liked to know about starting out. Which is so good. It's led me to, higher level of accountability for my own weakness and my own sin and to rely on the Lord. Then I think that I would have, otherwise, I'm sure I could easily be a very selfish person. No I am sure about that. And and often I have to lay that down all day long. It is in fact not easier. It turns out to have, six children around a table and to be pulled in six or seven different directions all day long. Yeah. It's, actually quite overstimulating so it has helped me to be more disciplined in that and to need to repent more and the Holy Spirit's shown me more of mice sin. Often I look at my kids and often whether I'm like, oh, why are they struggling with that? Or even just in the sweet time or in the easier times. It's pushed me at a faster rate than I probably would've signed up for and I think has helped me look more like Christ. So it's been good.

Timmy Eaton:

Yeah, it is. It's refining, it's refining to have to do that and to really dedicate that much time of your life. And it's all consuming like your soul. And so it's it can be tough which leads to my last question and something I've thought a lot about and talked a lot about is, if moms especially are the principal homeschool parent. You need to replenish because you are human and we call it fill your bucket. You need to fill your bucket. And so one I was gonna ask you are you clear on what that is for you? What is it that fills your bucket, that replenishes you, that allows you to come back in every day? And then what's your husband's role in that? Like how has he helped Yeah. Facilitate your replenishment and being able to fill your bucket?

Madison Robinson:

I've had to become clear on it. I don't think I knew even how important it was. Like it, it wasn't important maybe until I think I had my fourth child. And then turns out lots of things are important. Like if to keep going, if I just had. A few kids and then stopped. But that was an act of trust in our lives, not necessarily ones with the Lord. And same with if I saw my kids for not a big a portion of the day I probably wouldn't have needed at least just so much more intense when you're like, oh, I have to do ab exercises. Or go for once in a while. Yes. That my Bible is important and a little bit every day. Just like with the kids. Actually does make a big difference. Over time. I have had to figure out, oh. Turns out Facebook isn't replenishing, doesn't really fill my bucket. Even though that maybe was what I used to turn to for replenishment before I had kids that, yeah. I need to eat physically especially when pregnant, so trying to prepare for that. Especially in times when I've been postpartum or nursing or pregnant, that snacks for me, especially to just grab and go or a tea helps me, sip in between reading lessons and yeah. Keep my mouth closed when it doesn't need to be. Talking, so physically I need to eat. And me being at home, let me tell you there, so it's nursing for our kids. They get to grow up in the garden of our home, but also I get to sit and eat and have fellowship with my kids. And that's good for me. Yeah. To sit down and eat a full meal. Sleep even 10 minutes. I think that was Corey. 10 minutes of rest is enough if it's done in the Lord or with trust in the Lord, something like that. So I often lay down and just carve out 10 minutes. Maybe someone will need to watch, like an older kid will need to watch the baby if he's not napping. We try to prioritize naps, but it doesn't always line up. I'll, you know, 10 minutes seriously. I'll pray. Lord, let, please help this to be enough. And he's so kind so often it is. So eat, sleep, and then just like my eating, spiritual eating I have a Bible on my phone, just like I have Facebook or more than I have Facebook. It's more accessible. And so if I'm doing something on my phone especially if it's, something I don't have to do then like an email or my attempt to, to rule myself is eat the good stuff first, right? We tell kids like, eat your carrots first. Yeah. And then you actually learn to love the carrots. Hopefully more. Hopefully. Same with God's word, that little snacks throughout the day do actually really nourish me over time. So I'll just open my app. And then we have that built in throughout the day as a family as well, that we read God's word as a family and that nourishes me, not just them. And that there've been seasons where, different types of rest have been more accessible and just, I can't always go for a run, but when I can trying to embrace that and appreciate that or doing something that's nourishing I can't always easily go out for tea, but if my husband is pushing me out the door, then just to learn to embrace that. And yeah, Fergie has, I think gotten many opportunities to look more like Christ in that, and take care of me often as I'm weaker. And oh in that like different books and just like realizing we want our kids to learn, to love to read, but there are different seasons where that's more of a thing for me. And just plotting along with the books and with the housework and with the homeschool our goal is not to be done. The laundry. Our goal is not to be done reading lessons. Our goal is to look more than Christ every day to work together as a family, have fellowship. So that also involves me. I think that's been a blessing to be part of that, and that is refreshing to my soul. Okay. One book that has helped with this, and that was nourishing to my soul and also helped me look like, learn things that I feel like maybe weren't always modeled right. And I grew up like I could have been anything I was told. I can be a plumber, I could be electrician, I could have been a doctor, a nurse, and I don't think I would've been as nourished there. So I've been sat more dry than I thought, but I've also been poured into and nourished, in this life that the Lord's given us in homeschooling and having our six kids. And okay, so Karen and Ola. This is another resource. I think it was lessons at Blackberry and I was nursing. I think I, and when I could, in the evenings, I really looked forward to I lay down and I put the baby to bed and I nurse, and that's my reading time. Or if I'm pregnant, I'm just exhausted. And that was like an edifying. Reid, like edifying and relaxing that was so nourishing. And it's a story about a mom and how she homeschools yeah, those kind things, but that was a season. I don't always have time to sit down with a book. Without dire consequences, without people starving. So just learning if my kid is in the season of life where they only have 45 minute naps, and I need a nap, and over time I'm learning from consequences that like, okay, I need to prioritize that even though everything in me wants to go do this. This is actually what will benefit me. If that makes sense. So Fergie he knows that and just being like, what do you need? Or you need to do this. Go for a walk. Now works. Yeah.

Timmy Eaton:

And what about being on the same page as far as your guys' purposes and priorities for homeschooling? Do you guys feel fairly aligned about that or is it like, I just know that in our case it took a long time and still to this day, we've been doing it for 17 plus years and there are some things that I have taken so long and still am learning to try to align with Sarah on regarding like our, philosophy and priorities for homeschooling. Do you guys feel pretty aligned?

Madison Robinson:

I've definitely had more time part of it is just I've had more time if I'm at home most of the day. And I get those pockets of time to research like the philosophy. And so Fergie, has trusted like a lot of the details, I'll maybe run the big things by him. We haven't had that a lot. Like part of it is, I think his dad is the one that kind of, was our main like homeschool teacher influence and he I think teaches well like his dad. Like he's got that everyday life like, so he will say things. No, we shouldn't do that. And I'll be like, I trust you on that. That's not best for our family. So it's a balance between he trusts me with things and he's no, just I don't need to know all the details. And then just talking and bouncing, things like that. Yeah, I know for a lot of families that has been, but I think we've both been pretty convinced that homeschooling is working and then if it's not working then we talk about it. Like science right now I don't have a lot of energy to do science experiments. So for you just did one. And I I might buy the books and that's my strong suit. And then he has different strong suits, so he. He leads in that well, if that makes sense. And hopefully we don't overlap or run over each other's toes. And if we do, we have to talk about it.

Timmy Eaton:

Yeah, for sure. Does that

Madison Robinson:

make sense? Yes.

Timmy Eaton:

Yeah, totally.

Madison Robinson:

And he does a lot of dishes, like a lot of dishes.

Timmy Eaton:

So that's huge. Yeah. And I think that's important to mention is that there are those realities of just the, like again, I said the economy of the home and taking care of the home that we can, work together with to accomplish. This has been such an awesome conversation. I wanna give you the last word, anything you wanna say, and then we'll wrap up.

Madison Robinson:

I'm thankful for the ways that like I'm pouring my everyday hours into our family and hopefully. Doing that as best as I can. But yeah, my husband has been a blessing in that. He's growing, so it's encouraging to hear, you have teenagers and adults, and you're still growing. It's like he's growing and learning how to lead our family, but he shows up. I don't feel like I'm getting it right most of the time. He doesn't, sometimes it's messy and louder than we want, so he shows up. He does his best to be gentle with me. And patient, but he also sees what the need is. And often has just also asks is Hey, would it be helpful if I made supper or whatever? That he asks, I'm like, no, I had a plan. And this is super, probably more patient than I realize. And just has learned over time what's more helpful to do and to show up in. But I'm thankful for his leadership even though starting out I was the one, starting the bible memory, but I'm glad we, like we just had to start and we just had to start.

Timmy Eaton:

Yeah, totally.

Madison Robinson:

And as you said, like the everyday relationship with our kids. And then those are just little like. Sticks in the sand as our, every days go by, they're important. But I ideally, like all of the relationship and everything flowing around it is actually the key, if that makes sense. And so that goes with my husband and I too, right? Yeah. And that we need to marriage and we need to be united.

Timmy Eaton:

That's a great response. I appreciate it. I'm impressed that you're like so optimistic and it seems like so positive. I know it's not easy for sure. And it's so taxing, especially at this stage of so many kids. I love

Madison Robinson:

it.

Timmy Eaton:

And it's like totally bringing you joy. And so carry on and and really thank you for taking time and time away from your family to do this. I appreciate it. And we will hopefully get together soon. Thank you.

Madison Robinson:

Yeah. I hope to see you next year

Timmy Eaton:

thank you very much for being with me.

Madison Robinson:

Yeah, thank you.

Timmy Eaton:

That wraps up another edition of this Golden Hour podcast. If you haven't done so already, I would totally appreciate it if you would take a minute and give us a review on Apple Podcast or Spotify. It helps out a lot, and if you've done that already, thank you much. Please consider sharing this show with friends and family members that you think would get something out of it. And thank you for listening and for your support. I'm your host, Tim Eaton. Until next time, remember to cherish this golden hour with your children and family.