When you become a homeschooling family, one of the things you immediately look for is a supportive, helpful, encouraging homeschool community. Because that’s the purpose of a community. One could say that encouragement and support is a homeschool community’s job. Homeschool community, you had one job. And sometimes, homeschool community? You’re failing at that job. …
Welcome to our world of hmmmschooling. No, not homeschooling. Hmmmschooling. What is hmmmschooling, you ask? Well. It’s setting yourself right smack in the middle of all that questioning that is a part of daily life. It usually starts to happen about the time your kids are old enough to talk and, truth be told, actually …
We all know “that” parent. The one who causes us to roll our eyes when they approach us at the picnic or the park because we just know—”it’s” all coming down. We don’t want to be “that” parent. Now, it’s not as if we should be paralyzed with worry about what other people think of …
Learning about coins can be confusing, to say the least. Why is a dime smaller than a nickel if it’s worth more? How much is a nickel worth again? How many dimes make a dollar? What are two quarters and a penny worth? All these—and many other questions that get added when kids are older—is …
The Spare Change Game: Easiest Way to Learn About Money! Read More »
Dear sons, after almost a decade at this homeschooling thing, I thought you’d maybe want to chat about our reasons to homeschool. You know, why we actually decided to do it in the first place. It’s sorta weird—I don’t know that we’ve ever actually talked about why your dad and I chose to homeschool you. You’ve …
Reasons to Homeschool: The ONE that Mattered to Us Read More »
There are lots of awesome things about homeschooling—things so full of awesome that parents will base their entire reason for choosing to homeschool upon them. But is there a flip side to those awesome things? Let’s consider for a moment the possibility that some of those benefits and advantages to homeschooling can backfire. Yes. I …
If you look long and hard enough on an overwhelmingly bad day, you’ll start to feel surrounded by things that prove you’re losing the battle called Awesome Mom. But hold up, Mama—there is a whole bunch of real life chaos and crazy that shouldn’t have a thing to do with determining your level of Awesome. …
Self Worth: 5 Things Moms Should Not Base Theirs On Read More »
It’s always nice to have a quick, portable game to play—especially when it can be actual fun for both the kids and the parents. Here are the five favorite card games that we are currently enjoying at our house with two teens and two adults. Drum roll, please… Favorite Card Games: Man Bites Dog Man …
A common complaint from moms about homeschooling as kids get older is that homeschooling gets harder. But maybe it’s not that it gets harder. Maybe it’s actually just that the cutesy projects disappear. You know, the ones you’re always looking for to enhance your learning or take the lesson further. The ones you can find …
Mom friends, I’m going to let you in on a dirty little secret. I mean, I love you and all…but I’m sorta done cleaning my house for you. In fact, the last time you came over to visit, I didn’t even clean behind my oven. I. Know. Crazy that I would forget that, right? Actually, …
The older kids get, the deeper they dive into their own things. My teen sons spend a lot of time exploring their interests. At some point a few months ago, I started to wonder how we could use their interests to start them on the path of being intentional about setting goals. I think the …
Setting Goals with Teens: Just Chill Out and Chat Read More »
It’s common in the homeschooling community to hear parents say they are choosing to delay teaching their kids some educational element because they are of the belief their kids will learn it when they need it. And sometimes that works out just fine. But I wanna have a little chat with you before you haul …
“They’ll Learn it When They Need It” Doesn’t Always Work Read More »
I know. Selfies support all the yuck we’re told about our culture today – that we’re living in a world of self-centered, narcissistic, shallow souls who are needful of other people’s approval. After all, selfies are all about look at me, look at me! And hey, look at me again! Right? I really don’t think …
Every couple years I try to get inside the brain of my boys and touch base on how they really feel about homeschooling. It’s good to know what kids think about homeschooling. Not only does it help keep us on track regarding our mission, I find that the questions and answers also benefit other people—especially as …
We are often taught that restating the question is the best way to write a proper answer. If someone asks, “Name one of the causes of the Civil War?”, the accepted way to begin the answer would be, “One of the causes of the Civil War was…” Right? Right. I think. Let’s find out. If …
I’d heard it a million times since we started this journey back in 2007: You need a homeschool mission statement. Yeah, whatever. said I. We know what we’re doing and we know why we’re doing it. We’re fine. And most the time we are fine. But things change and life changes and school changes and …
If you let a kid have free reign over the kitchen, he might decide at some odd hour not normally reserved for eating that he is indeed hungry. If he is hungry (and he is, because he’s a growing boy) he will rummage through the kitchen and find a package of chili flavored Ramen. He …
