When my children were little, I wish I had known how fast the little would go away. I wish I had known that all that worry about the future was a waste of the time that we could have spent playing outside. I wish I had known that my friends really didn’t care if my … Continue reading What I Wish I Had Known When My Children Were Little
Discipline, “the practice of training,” is nowhere more necessary than in the application of education. Whether we are schooling from an all-in-one boxed curriculum, an eclectic mix of sources, or choosing a life-schooling or unschooling option, the practice of training our family in a disciplined education is crucial. So, what does it mean to treat … Continue reading Education is a Discipline
There are some places or events where the atmosphere is so focused and palpable that mental immersion in the situation is almost inescapable: the starting line of a marathon, a solemn religious service, a college classroom during a final exam. Whether it was your intention to be involved or not, when someone puts an extensive … Continue reading Education is an Atmosphere
A word fitly spokenIs like apples of gold in pictures of silver. – Prov. 25:11 Great authors are wordsmiths. Through vivid imagery and careful syntax, their words ferry our minds to mythical lands with unexpected characters or turn the ordinary into the extraordinary. This is artistry in ink; a picture painted in intelligible letters placed, … Continue reading Authors are our Teachers
As we start the last First Day of our semester, I am overcome with emotion. I watch our firstborn work diligently and cannot believe we are here. As we near the end of our homeschool journey with our oldest, I wanted to take a moment and write a letter to you. First, you have not … Continue reading Dear Homeschooling,
How do you get it all done? Washing the dishes, turning over the laundry, planning and prepping meals, vacuuming the incessant dog hair, keeping surfaces clean and dust-free, making the beds, chauffeuring kids to activities, AND homeschooling? The truth is, it CAN’T all be done. Unfortunately, things that get done are quickly undone by others … Continue reading Managing a Home in a State of Flux
Mid-year breaks are a great time to evaluate whether that shiny product you bought in August is still working in your homeschool. Remember when you bought it? You were sure that this was the thing that was going to help your kid get it. But now it’s not proving the test of time (or the … Continue reading Is Your Curriculum working for your family?
I think this question has been the most often asked of me through the years by homeschooling mamas striving to teach younger and older students. It was MY number one question during that season as well. The quick answer: “You ARE teaching them!” It is amazing what those little ears pick up and what those … Continue reading Entertaining the Littles while Schooling the Bigs
December rolls around, bringing the season of traditions and making memories. Traditions are steeped in childhood and family memories. Perhaps this year will be a year of adjusting traditions or creating new ones for many of us. For our family, the close of Thanksgiving brings the Advent Season. We always selected an Advent story or … Continue reading Advent Traditions
We always get so much schoolwork done in the winter because, well, why go outside when the wind will bite your face off? The routines that we made during the fall keep us trudging through the bitter days. To keep life from getting dull, though, spice things up with some easy extracurricular activities. Family Time … Continue reading Fun Family Activities to Spice Up Your Winter
