How to Homeschool Successfully: Get Your Practical Guide Homeschooling: one of the most rewarding, challenging, frustrating things I have ever done. I personally have five children. All boys. Yes, It’s as overwhelming as it sounds! Sometimes all I need is a little space, and a bag full of Oreos. Other times I need a homeschool ally. My homeschooling journey began when my husband said, “Give it a try for a year and we will talk about it again.” … Read More »
How to Homeschool Your Preschooler- Kindergartener “How can I get my 4-year old to sit long enough to do school?” “What is a great curriculum for a really busy 5-year old?” “My son’s handwriting is terrible. What program can I use to help him? He’s 6-years old.” Mama, Slow down. … Read More »
How to Organize Your Life in the Midst of Homeschooling Perfect Family project during the virus social distancing! Just 10-minutes a day (2-3 songs on your favorite playlist) and watch your house get in order! Join the FREE 10-minute challenge! Being Organized is not on the top of my skills list. Neither is shopping. Oh, I sure wish it was, but alas, I fail in these areas. What I have discovered is that I do not have to be the best of everything. I just need to be the best “asker of help”. … Read More »
So, You Think You Need to Teach Life Skills? Life Skills Trump Curriculum What does it matter if my son can solve an equation but can’t change a tire, cook a meal, or look you in the eye as you are interviewing him for a job? Choosing a Chore System that Works for Your Family Cooking Camp: Teaching Kids to Cook From 8th Grader to Man: Homeschooling through High School Driver’s Ed :Texting and Driving Game Will You Kids be Ready to Leave Your Nest? Preparing Kids for Blood Work and Needles Budget Project: Real Life Math Why you should teach your kids to gossip What Does Relaxed Homeschooling Really Look Like?
How to Homeschool Your child Without Losing Your Way Every January, I do a crazy purge of homeschooling. When we come back to our studies after Christmas it never fails. Suddenly, I can see how off-track I’ve allowed the kids to get. Even though I have great intentions, I always seem to put too much emphasis on ‘this curriculum and that lesson’ and with our time seeking the Lord together, praying, and serving each other gets pushed more and more off to the side. When I stop and focus on my kids’ hearts, attitudes, and character I realize I need to make some changes.… Read More »
120 is the Magic Number of Classics You need to Read Get ready to GASP… I never read to Kill a Mockingbird before. Or Fahrenheit 451. Or East of Eden. Or countless other classics. photo by Caleb Woods I know. It’s horrible. … Read More »
46 Easy Freezer Meals to the Rescue: Life Hack Inside: Never panic about dinner again. 46 Easy Freezer Meals to the Rescue. I remember barely making it home. photo by Ricardo Alfaro When we lived up in the mountain a few years back, I would have to drive “down the hill” to go grocery shopping. At first, it was very romantic packing up the kids for more than half a day, driving down the mountain far enough into the atmosphere that you left wearing a jacket and arrived needing a bathing suit. Yeah, it got old quickly…. Read More »
Daily Advent Readings: Where Do You Begin? Inside: What Bible Verses should you read with your kids during Advent? Here are Daily Bible Readings for every day during Advent. It’s as simple as: Download, Print, and Begin. Download your FREE “Advent Reading Freebie HERE” {Printable} Starting Late? No Worries. Jump in at any time! Related: When the Holidays Mess with your Homeschooling Mojo Looking for More Advent Goodies? Advent Calendar Ornaments 17 of the Best Advent for Kids Activities for your Family Print this free homeschool mom reminder. This post comes with a free printable reminder list to help keep your heart focused on the heart of homeschooling. I always have the hardest staying focused. This printable simplifies it! Here is a sneak preview… Download Your Free Printable Download the checklist. You’ll get the printable, plus join 9,000+ homeschool moms who receive my weekly parenting tips and ideas!Print. Any paper will do the trick, but card stock would be ideal.Place it on your refrigerator as a helpful reminder.
Why I Decorate for Christmas BEFORE Thanksgiving Yes, I am one of those people. I absolutely love the Christmas Season. But I hate the business, bustle, and hassle. Christmas is the time of year when we get to focus fully on the birth of our Lord and Savior, and I always became frantic right after Thanksgiving while I was scurrying to get everything set for our family traditions. A few years ago I was reflecting on a friend’s tradition of decorating before Thanksgiving. Like you, I thought she was crazy… so I asked her about it. … Read More »
Teaching Math Doesn’t Need to be Boring Inside: everything you need to teach your kids their math facts! When our oldest son was in 5th grade my husband tricked me into homeschooling. “Just give it a year“. That was ages ago, and I’m still teaching my younger kids around the kitchen table. I remember our first real day of homeschool. I arrogantly sat across the kitchen counter from my son and ran a quick “teacher like” math fact drill. photo by aaron burden He didn’t know his math facts! … Read More »
What You Really Need to Homeschool Homeschool Supplies at Your Fingertips When we had our first son, we had all the gadgets. Bassinet, stroller, carrier, car seat, bouncy seat, playpen, baby gate, huge diaper bag, and a baby monitor for our 425 square foot apartment. …Read More »
10 of the BEST Homeschool Subscription Boxes for your Kids Inside: Top picks for homeschool subscription boxes by moms like you. These subscriptions will spice up your homeschool Travel to the future with me, and let’s give each other a virtual high five today. Ready? HIGH FIVE There are two boxes and an envelope on the kitchen table for your child. YOU are so excited, you can’t contain yourself. Visit Ivy Kids Kits here You close your eyes and think to yourself: “Don’t say they’re for school!”“Don’t say they’re educational!”“Don’t say they’ll be fun learning lessons!” You are squirming with excitement, because you know your child is holding the future in their hands and waiting with anticipation for the go ahead to peek inside. They hold up one of the boxes. “This one?” YOU: Not, yet. They try to hide disappointment, and hold the the other box. “This one?” What’s inside?!?!? YOU: Maybe you should open the envelope first.((Insert wink.)) They tear open the paper and read, “You are about to get a glimpse of the future. Something that will some to you every month for the rest of next year!!!” At this point, tell them to pause while you get another cup of tea or coffee and ask them to guess what’s inside. YOU: What do you think it could be? ((Insert virtual high-five here)) They are so excited, they can barely contain themselves. What is in the boxes? 💛 Excitement💛 Curiosity💛 Fine motor Development💛 FUN How is this possible? Something for everyone Related: Learning by Surprise Enhances Memory I polled hundreds of homeschool moms and compiled their favorites list of kits into a list for you. My own 15-year old gets the Kiwi Co Tinker Crate each month. When it arrives, he places it on the ottoman and waits for the end of the day. That evening, he opens the box with great fanfare, making sure his DAD sees and is equally impressed. Then he gets building. Careful reading of instructions Fine motor development Engineering and design Problem solving and math skills Those are the words we HIDE AWAY from his ears and replace them with WOW! FUN! Let me see. MAGIC. You have time to make this happen. Most kits take a few weeks to get to you and there is one for almost every kind of child and passion. Just be stealthy and I promise… …I won’t spoil the surprise. Food for thought: These make GREAT gifts for people in nursing homes too!! Quick Links to the top Homeschool Subscription Boxes Green Kid Crafts KiwiCo Mel Science Bitsbox Ivy Kids Young Woodworkers Let’s Make Art Rock By Rock Raddish Letter from Afar Highlights Little Passports Think Outside Craftsman Crate Sensory Therapy Play Box BarkBox DIY Preschool Earth Box Plan DIY ABCs of God Plan Free Science for three months from Mel Science? Here’s how you register! When you really want to know what’s best you ask the experts, right?Kids LOVE getting stuff in the mail! Surprise them with a special gift – A subscription box just for THEM! Perfect for birthdays, holidays and more! But, if you’re like me you’re wondering which are the BEST Subscription Boxes for kids. So I asked all the moms On our Facebook page: I’m looking for subscription box and membership ideas for homeschoolers. Most subscription boxes are chosen to meet a specific need, want, or interest. Throw in the fact that you don’t need to look for duct tape, buttons, or instructions for how to whip together something cool and BOOM. Your kids will think you’re the coolest mom on the planet. Not sure which boxes will best fit your family? That’s exactly why I asked a few dozen of my homeschooling friends. Check out all the AMAZING subscription boxes other Homeschool Moms love. …Read More »
I Just had a Homeschool Heart Attack Inside- You’ll find a craft that is out of this world. {pun intended} Usually, I see it coming. But this year it snuck up on me. I was minding my own business, sipping a cup of coffee, and scrolling through Facebook when I saw it. 13 Days until Thanksgiving. I almost snorted coffee through my nose. … Read More »
Will You Kids be Ready to Leave Your Nest? Inside: If you’re hoping your kids will live with you forever, don’t read this. In the old days, children were given a suitcase for their 18th birthday. That’s right. “When you graduate, be ready to hit the road, Jack!” photo by Mike Birdy Take my dad.… Read More »
The One Skill Your Homeschooler is Missing As a homeschooler, I can struggle with pride. I can become so puffed up about the skills that my sons have developed under my watchful eye. It’s an easy challenge. We’re right there guiding them from crawling, to walking, to reading, and eventually to solving quadratic equations. We even require that they keep their art supplies neat. But, honestly… Sometimes I miss the mark entirely. … Read More »
Teaching with Legos! How to Look Beyond the Mess Sometimes going up the stairs is enough to ruin your day. … Read More »
How to Teach a Topic You Hate Inside: The 6 things you need to remember when teaching something you think you hate. Plus a nifty {freebie} Today, as I tried to explain “lesson 5.2 of linear functions”, (gag) to my son Isaac, I realized I forgot to duct tape the younger boys. …Read More »
Parenting Tip of the Day: 3 Strikes Rule Inside: The secret to teaching kids how to judge their own behavior. Plus a nifty Three Strikes Rule {printable} The glare I gave my son was a huge clue that he was doing something wrong. He looked confused- like maybe I was the one who had a problem. I took a deep breath, counted to ten, then took another deep breath. Was it really as bad as I was making it out to be? Walk in my shoes for a second. Your 7-year old son is laughing. What do you think? Good or bad? Oh, it’s not just ‘any ole laugh’, but the silent loaded kind. You can see his face turning redder by the second, his body jiggling. His eyes are squeezed shut and tears start running down his face. At any moment, that joyous sound will escape from his body. Loudly. So what’s the problem? You are at a funeral. … Read More »
How to Put $1200 of Homeschooling Supplies on Your Shelf for Free Pinch Me Now!! Food, Boys, and a Homeschool Treasure Grocery shopping is one of my least favorite things to do, but cramming four sons in a Prius and grocery shopping qualifies me as crazy! Nothing makes my boys play the “stop touching me” game fast than putting them in that car. After barely making it home with all my hair, we put the groceries together and I sent them to their own corners of the universe. Sometimes, mama just needs a break. I had a few minutes to kill before making dinner, so I quickly peeked at my email. I had to look a couple of times before I saw it. NO WAY! “Guess who” got chosen to have her book be a part of the $1200 GRAND Prize in this years Back to School Giveaway? That’s right! Yes, I’m standing in my kitchen grinning and doing my happy dance. But, a $1200 Giveaway? … Read More »
Create a Home and Life you Love Now There’s only one catch: It’s available for just six days only. (April 11-16, 2018) Making a home is harder than it looks. It’s not any one thing — the family members who lack toilet aim or the daily kitchen duties or the budget woes or the parenting what-am-I-doing moments or the basement flooding- no, it’s not any of those things in particular. It’s ALL of it. Photo by Priscilla Du Preez … Read More »