minimalist homeschooling

Homeschool Planning: How we do our most important things with multiple ages (right now)

You can listen to this blog post here

 

I have people asking how our minimalist homeschooling schedule looks, and I’ll be honest, I’m just not a big fan of publishing our schedule.  Why?  Well, because it would be our schedule… not the schedule.  I fear that people would look at it and think “that’s the minimalist homeschooling schedule.”  You know?  So, I would much rather provide lots of insight into minimalist homeschool planning than give a schedule that likely won’t work for many people.

As my husband put it, I’m more about encouraging people to rethink how they do things than telling them how to do it.  So, with that in mind, take a look at my notes, and see if anything I do makes you rethink your homeschool planning… but, I’m not telling you how to do it :).Read More »Homeschool Planning: How we do our most important things with multiple ages (right now)

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

Simplify Life – The Little House Litmus Test

Life can feel so overwhelming.  So busy.  Some days – most days – there is a never-ending to-do list and no light at the end of the tunnel.  We crave an easier existence, but don’t know how exactly to simplify life.

In comes Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder.  If you haven’t read the book recently, I suggest picking it up as a case study on how to simplify life.  Then use the Little House as a litmus test for your own life.

No time to go read a novel?

I hear ya.  That’s why you’re here!

So, I’ll give you the “Everything You Need to Know about Using the Little House Litmus Test to Simplify Life” article here.  Here are 7 ways to be more “Little House” in life:Read More »Simplify Life – The Little House Litmus Test

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