As my kids get older and near the end of their homeschooling journey, I hear more and more often that I need to make sure they’re prepared for the future. I bet if you have older kids, you hear that a lot, too. But can we break this down for a second? Because much like …
Prepared for the future: the one skill you’ll actually need Read More »
It’s not uncommon to have some anxiety about homeschooling high school. The high school years tend to bring out every single worry and concern that we successfully kept hidden while doing elementary art projects and morning basket story times. And it doesn’t help at all when a family member or friend says, “Wait. You’re going …
Anxiety About Homeschooling High School? Don’t Say This. Read More »
It’s a commonly asked question once you reach the years of homeschooling high school: where did the homeschooling high school community go? Reaching the last leg of the homeschooling journey (read: high school years) really feels like a huge leap off one platform to another; one platform being everything I’ve taught you, the other platform …
Where did the homeschooling high school community go? Read More »
You are an amazing teacher. You are kind and good and hardworking and full of knowledge and many other things that a good teacher should be. But, having said that, there is something we need to get straight. You are not always the best teacher for your kid. Hopefully at some point you will realize …
Homeschool Moms: You are Not Always the Best Teacher for Your Kid Read More »
Years ago as a brand new homeschooling mom, I would hear people gush about the fact that homeschooled children are so darn independent. I looked into the future and assumed our days would eventually play out with us going about our own thing, exploring our own fabulous interests and doing everything we felt we needed …
Want Independent Homeschoolers? Teach Them These Two Things Read More »
You bought that shiny curriculum because your research on it (and the knowledge of how your kids think) told you it would be perfect. You bought that curriculum because your kids said it sounded good. Because you thought it sounded good. Because your friend uses it and it works for her kids. Because it was on …
When to Change Homeschool Curriculum, and When to Push Through Read More »
Homeschooling older kids can sometimes seem tricky—it’s easy for parents to feel increasingly unsure of where they fit in the scheme of things. However, I think we tend to make things trickier than they need to be. Here are 6 things homeschooled teens need from their parents—in case you’re feeling a little lost. (And yes, …
6 Things Homeschooled Teens Need From Their Parents Read More »
While there are challenges when homeschooling teens, there are also many ways that homeschooling becomes easier and more enjoyable as your kids grow and mature. Here are five ways that life is more awesome when you are homeschooling teens. 1. Independence Call it what you will—independent learning, self-directed studies, or mom finally gets a bit …
As homeschooling parents, we’re always looking for the best homeschooling advice. But are we asking the right people for the advice? After a recent conversation with my son, I’m looking at homeschooling advice in a different way. Because a) I blog and b) we made it to the high school years of our homeschool journey, …
As luck would have it, we’ve been at this homeschooling gig for awhile. We’re now entering the high school years, and while I don’t want to change the path we’re on, I can definitely admit there are some things that can get a little harder when you’re homeschooling older kids. Here are five of them. …
Homeschooling Older Kids: 5 Ways it Can Get Harder Read More »
Remember those days of hauling out massive stacks of books from the library? When the potential overdue fines for that stack of books was a real financial threat? I remember those days. That was our life not too long ago, but things are different now. Let’s talk a bit about some reasons older kids don’t …
Reasons Older Kids Don’t Read (as much as they used to) Read More »
How many of you decided to homeschool partly because you wanted lots of that togetherness that comes with homeschool family relationships? Ok, now fess up. How many of you, at some point in your homeschooling journey, have looked at these wonderful people you have all this togetherness with and have thought seriously, what in the …
Homeschool Family Relationships: How to Handle Always Being Together Read More »
Tech is a part of all of our lives, right? So how do we handle it when our kids want to use tech, electronics, and the internet? Should we have tech limits? Should we just let them run free with it? Or does it depend on the circumstances? I am often asked how we deal with …
Tech Limits: How we Deal with Screen Time and the Internet Read More »
Reading, writing, and arithmetic are important, no doubt. But there are a lot of other things kids should learn that will help them function in the real world—and they’re not the things we are going to find taught in any curriculum. This list might be a little different than what you’re expecting. So, here goes. …
10 Real Life Things Kids Should Learn That Aren’t In A Curriculum Read More »
I used to think that mom guilt would go away as my kids got older. I used to think that as my kids became more able and independent, the things for me to feel guilty about would lessen. Y’all? So. Not. True. Let me tell you about one of my more recent and unexpected explosions …
When I first started this homeschooling journey back in 2007, I was pretty well convinced that homeschooling was all about freedom. Freedom in the sense that kids should be let to run free, spending all day doing what kids love to do. Who needed schedules and routines? The learning would come naturally and everything would …
Schedules and Routines: Some Kids Actually Like Them Read More »
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 »
