homeschooling

Homeschool Musings – Fun Exercise to Focus Your Time

This is Part 1 of my two-part homeschool musings on time.  In the book, Minimalist Homeschooling, a lot of words are devoted to decluttering homeschooling schedules.  One of the hacks from this section is:

 Minimalist Homeschooling Mindset Hack #16: How we choose to spend our time matters to ourselves and to those around us.

You can listen to this blog post:

 

Must-read for focusing yoru time in homeschool and life. Pin it, try it. So helpful! Minimalist Homeschool musings.

 

I would edit this to say “How we spend our time matters, perhaps more than anything else to ourselves and to those around us.”

This is because we have a job to do.  Whether you believe in a higher purpose for your life or not, the fact is, we all have a job to do.  In fact, we all have several jobs to do that all require our attention, dedication, and yes, TIME.

I wrote job descriptions and detailed duties and responsibilities for each of my jobs.

My kids did, too.

Read More »Homeschool Musings – Fun Exercise to Focus Your Time

State Education Standards & Grade-Level Goals

The 15th Minimalist Homeschooling Mindset Hack in the book is: Goals highlight what is truly necessary.  Since minimalist homeschooling relies on doing only that which is truly necessary or loved, it stands to reason that we have to decide what is truly necessary???  While the book walks you through establishing your own values and priorities to direct your goals, sometimes state education standards provide a good starting point for identifying our immediate goals.

Honestly, when I began homeschooling, state education standards were the most straightforward way to assess:

1) What my children could be learning, and

2) whether I was “missing” anything important.

Read More »State Education Standards & Grade-Level Goals

How Homeschool Mom Self-Care Accidentally Happened… and gave me a productive year.

Lots of blogs, podcasts, and conversations over coffee talk about homeschool mom self-care.  We know it’s important, but rarely is it a priority.  I’m the worst.  I spent years of my life researching the effects of chronic-stinkin’-stress, and how it LITERALLY rewires parts of the brain and changes behavior, and yet, I fall prey to chronic stress as much as everyone else.  Although, I’m getting better.

I want to talk about 2017, and what it taught me…

Normally, I’m a planner.  I’m a list-maker and checker-offer (apparently, I make-up words, too).  But, 2017 was totally the year that was NOT planned.Read More »How Homeschool Mom Self-Care Accidentally Happened… and gave me a productive year.

Combine Charlotte Mason and Minimalist Homeschooling: How to “Spread the Feast” with a Minimal Mindset

One of the questions that comes up frequently among minimalist homeschoolers, is how to “spread the feast,” while keeping things simple and stress-free.  Luckily, if you can adjust your mindset a bit, there are a 4 key ways to combine spreading the feast like Charlotte Mason and minimalist homeschooling simplicity.Read More »Combine Charlotte Mason and Minimalist Homeschooling: How to “Spread the Feast” with a Minimal Mindset

Minimalist Homeschooling Kindergarten: Teach Everything with a Pencil, Notebook, Crayons & Library Card

What better place to start, than with minimalist homeschooling kindergarten?

The irony is that when people first begin homeschooling their little ones, they feel so much pressure to do it “right,” or to do it “all,” that minimalist homeschooling often doesn’t start until the later years.  In reality, the requirements in kindergarten are so straight-forward, that I highly recommend starting minimalist homeschooling with the youngest learners.

It takes a leap of faith, and a whole lot of confidence to minimally homeschool – to trust that simple works, and that simple is enough.

Why not start here?

If you are homeschooling multiple ages, and wondering how to convert to minimalist homeschooling, and take that leap of faith, perhaps changing how you school the youngest learners in your home will empower you to gradually simplify your approach with the older children as well.Read More »Minimalist Homeschooling Kindergarten: Teach Everything with a Pencil, Notebook, Crayons & Library Card

“Prioritize Homeschooling” – The Best Advice You Can Get

There is a lot of homeschooling advice out there.  Most of the advice boils down to one thing (and the rest of it benefits from this one thing):
Prioritize Homeschooling.

 

To prioritize homeschooling doesn’t just mean that you have to put homeschooling first  before other commitments (although that is an option), but also that you must prioritize WITHIN your homeschooling.

I have already written about why “life balance” is a complete sham. Do NOT buy into trying to “balance” everything. Do not drink that kool-aid.  I’m just going to come out and say it again (and again, and again): Balance is the road to overwhelm.  Instead…

Prioritize.

Prioritize.

Prioritize.

If you want to make a big mark on your space, your schedule, your homeschool – in short, your life – this is the one piece of advice I would give you: Prioritize.

You have a limited amount of time.

You have a limited amount of space.

You have a limited amount of money.

You have a limited amount of energy (this is the one that is usually hardest for moms to accept).

Therefore, doing all the things, or having all the things IS NOT AN OPTION.Read More »“Prioritize Homeschooling” – The Best Advice You Can Get

Keep the House Clean – 3 Surprising Reasons Your Home is Still a Mess

3 Surprising Reasons for your Mess
and 3 Easy Ways to Remedy It

Have you ever wondered why your home doesn’t stay clean? Why no matter how long you spend tidying a space, your little army of clones manages to recreate a battle zone in 10 seconds? Exactly how is it people can KEEP the house clean???

Keeping the house clean is potentially a problem for 3 reasons that you probably have not considered yet… It’s time to finally reclaim your home.Read More »Keep the House Clean – 3 Surprising Reasons Your Home is Still a Mess

Prevent Homeschool Overwhelm

7 Ways to Prevent Homeschool Overwhelm
That Every New Homeschooler Needs to Know

You’re busy, I’m busy, let’s get to the point. There are some very real ways to prevent homeschool overwhelm, and if you’re a new homeschooler, you need to know them.  If you’re a veteran homeschooler, consider this a friendly reminder.Read More »Prevent Homeschool Overwhelm