Last week I finally realized what I was feeling. I have some form of low-grade senioritis. Remember that from high school and/or college? I remember that feeling. That desire to be done. To get to the end. I have it. I told Caroline I have senioritis and she didn’t know what it was. (She’s truly …
This summer I reached the point in our homeschooling journey where I realized I needed an extended reset. I thought about just pushing through the last two years and keeping to our summer homeschooling plan. But I decided the next two years would probably be much better if I took a step back and gave …
It’s easy for me to forget that my always homeschooled child has no real concept of what “school” entails. As I was working on our high school plans this summer, I realized I needed to start by educating Caroline as to what I was doing. I want to solicit her input as much as possible, …
Caroline will be a high schooler in the autumn. Can you believe that? I’m struggling with it myself. David and I have always made a point of taking the time to deliberately enjoy each stage of life with her because she is our only child. We prayed and waited a long time for her. We …
One of the things I am passionate about is helping parents understand their child’s learning and personality needs. I have dozens of posts on this website about tailoring our parenting and homeschooling to our child’s unique bent whether she is right-brained, gifted, twice-exceptional, spirited, highly-sensitive, or wired differently in some other way. But I also …
The oft-repeated story is that if you are in a plane and the oxygen masks drop, you always put on your own mask first. Once your mask is on, you are free to help others without endangering your own well-being. The point of the story is that we need to take care of ourselves first …
Homeschooling has been legal and relatively mainstream for almost twenty years. Homeschoolers have a tremendous amount of freedom and nearly endless learning opportunities. Colleges actively welcome homeschoolers who now attend a huge variety of colleges and universities. Yet it’s amazing some of the ridiculous things that are said to homeschoolers. I asked a few groups …
I don’t know who said it first, but the idea is that you become like the five people you spend the most time with. So if you want to see who you will be in ten years, look at the people you are spending the most time with every week. I’ve looked back over my …
If there is one concept that has driven my parenting and homeschooling, it is trusting my instincts even when no one understands. Fully embracing this idea early on changed the course of my parenting and made me a much more effective parent to my daughter. As a Christian, I believe that sometimes it is hard …
Homeschool moms spend hours and hours researching curriculum, reading reviews online, and ordering just the right supplies for their children. But how much time do they invest in their own needs for the school year? Do most moms even realize or admit they have needs? Can we make one thing crystal clear right now? Homeschool …
Congratulations on being a new homeschooler! It’s an exciting time for you and your child. If you haven’t read about The Real Phases of the Homeschool Year, make sure you do that and download the free printable to keep for the year. If you look at that chart, this post will make even more sense. …
I’m a naturally organized person and frankly really enjoy it. But organizing homeschool paperwork and crafts has been my nemesis. The paperwork and crafts and scraps of paper generated by one highly-creative child has been overwhelming at times. As Caroline has gotten older, it’s gotten better. She doesn’t create as much and she’s willing to …
