Do you need a schedule as a stay-at-home mom or not? Is it the missing piece that will finally make you organized or is it a pipe dream that will only lead to even more frustration and overwhelm? We only have a limited amount of hours in the day, yet we have so much to do! It seems to make sense that we should plot out what needs to happen throughout that day to make sure that it all fits, … Read More
What does it take to be a successful mom? What does it mean to be a successful mom? Who defines success? How do we know if we’ve arrived or if we count as “successful”? Especially as stay-at-home moms it can be so hard to know how we’re doing because we look at the standards and the definitions of success that come from the business world or the personal achievement world. We know those are not our worlds, yet we don’t … Read More
The adolescent years are where we are most tempted to give up homeschooling, yet home can be such a needed supportive atmosphere for the turbulent pre-teen years. The curriculum is not the most important piece, but it is where we often begin. Let me share the curriculum we’ve used to homeschool middle school, as well as some sanity and survival tips along the way. Middle school can be a rough time for kids and for parents, but if we set … Read More
The bulk of our homeschooling years are spent in the elementary phase, and I believe the books and curriculum we choose is critical to our own longevity as homeschoolers. If we choose curriculum that feels official but sucks the life out of learning, we will not have the stamina or confidence to homeschool into the teen years. However, if we pick living books and read them well, alongside our children, we will be excited to enter the next phase with … Read More
When you’re just beginning to homeschool preschool, kindergarten, and first grade, it can be an overwhelming challenge to decide what, out of all the sparkling and pretty and slick curriculum packages out there, to settle on and use. I’ve taken 5 children through this stage and I can testify: Children develop at different rates, at different times, and it’s best not to try to hurry them along or rush them through. Yet it is also our responsibility as parents to … Read More
There really is no such thing as time management. There’s only self-management. You don’t use your time better and end up with more. Usually it seems less time because of how we spent it, though there are things we can do to maximize what we get out of the time we have. Time management is all about the decisions we make regarding our time, decisions for ourselves and not the time. Time is external from us. It is not something … Read More
So many people give up on homeschooling when it comes to high school, but there’s no need to get intimidated. Home is still a great place to give our students a quality classical education, as long as we provide them with the supports they need to finish well. You can homeschool high school classically. I’ll share what we have used and also resources to help you figure out a plan that will work for your family. Honestly, I love this … Read More
Way back when when my oldest was in preschool, I was reading Cindy Rollins’ blog, where she continually told us that Morning Time was the best thing she did in her homeschool. I took her advice to heart and stepped out in faith that she was on to something. As she shared about Morning Time, it reminded me of the Bible Time my mom did when she began homeschooling. We’d sing, practice memory verses, and read the Bible together as the … Read More
There are so many choices to make when we start to homeschool. And the question: What homeschool curriculum best fits our style and needs? is at the top. After over a decade of homeschooling, here is what we’ve found works for us. Take, mix with brains, and experiment with curiosity to find out what works best for your family. As a second-generation homeschooler, here are ALL the best homeschool curriculum and books we’ve chosen over the last 12+ years (and some mistakes … Read More
There’s no denying it. Homeschooling comes with so much stuff. The papers, pencils, supplies, and books threaten to take over every square inch – and yet can never be found when they’re needed. So we look to organization to solve our woes, but the methods of the magazines will not help our homeschooling households. We need guerrilla organization, organization that can withstand the daily heavy use of children. The kind of organization tips and hacks that work for homeschooling households … Read More