The Key to Home Education

I’ve been homeschooling for quite a while. I started in 2006 with a four-year-old and a newborn. We didn’t do much, but we had time set aside every day to read some stories, play with playdough or paint or something similar, and do hands-on activities to master basic preschool skills. We had some serious fun … Continue reading The Key to Home Education

Homeschool like a Lazy Genius

Kendra Adachi hosts the enjoyable The Lazy Genius Podcast. On the show, she applies principles from her book, The Lazy Genius Way, to various decisions, scenarios, and topics.  You can learn more at her website: https://www.thelazygeniuscollective.com/. Although she was homeschooled as a kid, she isn’t homeschooling her children right now, so she rarely applies these … Continue reading Homeschool like a Lazy Genius

Managing a Mathitude

Arithmophobia is common in our society. Many adults have been traumatized by their mathematics education, and they accidentally pass those feelings to their children. In reality, math is a set of rules applied systematically. Once those rules are understood, even algebra and calculus aren’t scary. Since people expect math to be hard, it is. Indeed, learning … Continue reading Managing a Mathitude

Ideas for Summer Fun!

Need help with summertime analysis paralysis? Breaks from routine are necessary, and summer offers its own adventures. Read some great books! Ride a bike with the kids Meet up with friends Make sidewalk art. Gaze at the stars Play with science Fill and toss water balloons Pick berries Make popsicles Go on a picnic Prep … Continue reading Ideas for Summer Fun!

Closing Out Your School Year

With the arrival of June, many homeschoolers are ready to take a break of some kind. We used to homeschool year-round, but as my kids got older, we’ve fallen into a rhythm of taking a longer break. They want to go to camps and work summer jobs. Their coursework is mostly tied to our co-op, … Continue reading Closing Out Your School Year

Homeschooling through Heartbreak

Grief is a tsunami. Sometimes you have a warning, and other times, it’s a shock. Either way, the typical landscape of your life is suddenly underwater and rearranged. Everything is messy, and recovery seems distant. After a near-drowning, a person vomits up the water she struggled in and then just lays there and breathes. At … Continue reading Homeschooling through Heartbreak

Preparing to Teach: Homeschool Edition

Mom!  Where’s my (insert book or supply here)?  Is your homeschool day continually delayed because everything isn’t prepared and at hand? Sometimes the problem is that someone didn’t return an item to its home; other times, I haven’t prepared. Either way, a little time spent getting things together will improve the situation. Schedule Time In … Continue reading Preparing to Teach: Homeschool Edition

Done is Good Enough

I struggle with perfectionism. I keep things tidy, and I craft meals and sentences with care. I like correct answers, excellent grades, and jobs done all the way.  So, as you can imagine, my sinful heart needed teaching about which things are important and which are not. So, God gifted me a husband who is … Continue reading Done is Good Enough

I Can Wear Three Hats in a Day

Homeschool mamas wear a lot of hats. That means that every day has a lot of jobs. Every day, we are a child of God, a wife, a mother, and a daughter before taking on anything else. In any one day, before we count any other employment, we are teacher, maid, chauffeur, chef, laundress, nurse, … Continue reading I Can Wear Three Hats in a Day

That’s What Break Week Is For

Have you had too many weeks in a row when you couldn’t get everything done? I don’t mean you didn’t finish all the schoolwork; you are way behind in the stuff one would think would be easy. For example, when it’s time to pay the bills, you realize you haven’t filed away the bills for … Continue reading That’s What Break Week Is For