• Skip to main content
  • Skip to after header navigation
  • Skip to site footer

A Quiet Simple Life

Sallie Schaaf Borrink

  • Home
  • Start Here
  • Subscribe
  • Categories
    • Christian Faith
    • Comfort Food Recipes
    • Gracious Christian Parenting
      • Gifted/2e Parenting For Christians
    • Homemaking
      • Free Homemaking Printables
      • The Prudent & Prepared Homemaker
    • Homeschooling
      • Relaxed Homeschooling
      • Homeschooling a Creative Child
      • Homeschool Mom Encouragement
      • Homeschool Planning
      • Gifted/2e Homeschooling
    • The Library
    • Our Cozy Family Life
    • Simple Living
    • Unit Studies & Resources
      • Unit Studies
      • Unit Study Printables & Worksheets
      • Unit Study Books
      • Unit Study Activities
  • Tags
  • The Shop
    • Explore The Shop By Category
      • All Products For Women
      • All Products For Children
      • Clip Art & Digital Papers
      • A Quiet Simple Life Series
      • Poetry
      • Editable Homeschool Planners
      • A Full Year Shopping Pass
    • Cart
    • Digital Products Terms of Use
    • Your Account Details
      • View Your Orders
      • Go To Your Downloads
      • My Account
    • Lost Password Help
  • Donate
  • Go To: SRA
You are here: Home / Homeschooling / 101 Ways To Simplify Your Homeschool

Post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure statement.

101 Ways To Simplify Your Homeschool

June 19, 2016 by Sallie Borrink
2 Comments
106 12       
118
Shares

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Homeschooling does not have to be complicated. We often make it more complicated primarily out of fear – fear of not doing enough, fear of not keeping up with the other homeschool families we know, fear of ruining our child for life, etc. Instead of acting on fear, I’m going to give you 101 ways to simplify your homeschool. Choose the ones that work best for your situation and find freedom in simplifying!

1. Consider relaxed homeschooling

2. Understand your who your child really is instead of putting your expectations on her

3. Ditch the schedule when the weather is beautiful in the fall and get outdoors!

4. Realize you do not have to plan crafts for your child

5. Understand age disequilibrium and the significant impact it can have on your homeschool

6. Remember that most people can reduce their homeschooling to a computer, internet connection, printer and library card until at least middle school

7. Add more margin to your life, especially if you have a differently-wired child

8. Combine handwriting and science

9. Homeschool the child you have, not the child you wish you had

10. Figure out how to deal with the fact that you are an introvert

11. Have a substitute homeschool teacher bin for the days you aren’t up to teaching

12. Remember you can cover a lot of educational ground in the elementary years simply by reading aloud to your children

13. Remember play is learning

14. Don’t be afraid or feel guilty if you make your homeschool mom-friendly!

15. Get Amazon Prime for the free two day shipping and save a lot of time running around shopping

16. Learn from experienced homeschoolers so you can avoid some of the mistakes they made

17. Get Netflix for the educational content

18. Get Netflix for the babysitting capability

19. Buy a book to get fresh ideas and keep on hand for those tough days and weeks

20. Remind yourself you are doing this for the children’s sake

21. Keep a well stocked craft cabinet and let your children access it freely

22. Use printables with strong visuals for your visual learner so he/she doesn’t have to work as hard to remember what he/she reads and writes

23. Renew your library books online

24. Say no to the expectations of other homeschoolers

25. Organize your planning with a beautiful planner that will be a joy to use

26. Hibernate in the winter and don’t feel guilty about taking care of your family’s needs

27. Never underestimate the power of investing in new materials when things feel stale

28. Choose a new homeschool approach

29. Don’t stress over grade levels

30. Remember that even simple toys are amazing learning tools

31. Institute a daily quiet time for your family

32. Don’t be afraid to embrace the hygge!

33. Drop phonics if it isn’t working

34. Take a break and relax with some fun!

35. Do nature study in the way that works for you and your child

36. Order pizza when you need to do so

37. Don’t be afraid to use printables if your child enjoys them!

38. Use YouTube videos to inspire your creative child

39. Educate the WholeHearted Child

40. Plan your meals so you aren’t distracted by the need to figure it out while you are working with your children

41. Find the schedule that works for you and ignore what every other family is doing

42. Have realistic expectations in this age of Pinterest

43. Don’t quit after one year of homeschooling for so many reasons!

44. Feed the birds and call it science

45. Combine handwriting and history/geography

46. When you need a break, let your children watch some semi-educational television like Wild Kratts and don’t feel guilty!

47. Keep kindergarten simple and fun!

48. Plan backwards – write down what you do after the fact

101 Ways to Simplify Your Homeschool

49. Use sticker books as learning tools!

50. Get enough sleep. Everything is simpler and easier when you aren’t exhausted.

51. Take advantage of library programs so you can plan a bit less and get a tiny break

52. Take a relaxed approach to math

53. Remember you can learn a lot of history and science by watching YouTube

54. Focus on the seven keys to homeschool success and let the rest go

55. Get rid of the clutter that distracts you

56. Live as simply as you can if your child is wired differently and don’t worry about what other people think

57. Set boundaries so you don’t end up burned out

58. Read a good book on child development

59. Set up a learning room to keep all of the materials in one place rather than scattered all over the entire house

60. Read a good book by homeschoolers when you want to quit

61. Have a jammies day

62. Understand the red zone and how it should impact your parenting

63. Adjust your expectations

64. Organize your materials in a way that makes sense

65. Hold off on formal mathematics

66. Never underestimate the importance of taking breaks, especially with small children. Doing brain breaks can make a huge difference in the ability of children to concentrate.

67. Learn geography with sticker books

68. Read a good book about simplifying your life and find one big change to make that will help your homeschooling

69. Pick your battles carefully and make sure it’s a hill you truly want to die on

70. Embrace silliness when it enters a lesson – it can be a powerful way to help children remember what they learn

71. Use a binding machine to make your own little workbooks of printables you find online

72. Avoid  people who tear you down

73. Read cozy books together

74. Practice strewing

75. Accept that no matter how much you may love an idea, your child may not

76. Get professional help for your child when you need it

77. Take vacation weeks when you need to, not when the calendar tells you to do so

78. Don’t overteach if it doesn’t work for your child

79. Let go of the idea of perfection in homeschooling

80. Stay home one day a week

81. Focus on relationships, not curriculum checklists

82. Consider unschooling for a time or even permanently

83. Ignore charts that require children to learn certain things at a certain time. Children learn when they are ready.

84. Join a drop-off homeschool co-op

85. Clearly define in your own mind if you are homeschooling or home educating

86. Be willing to change your mind based on your child’s interests and personality

87. Understand how personality types can have a huge impact on your homeschooling success

88. Choose not to stress over curriculum choices

89. Change up your homeschool space to something that works better for your family

90. Tidy up and change your life

91. Don’t be afraid to use learning websites

92. Remember that the grass is not necessarily greener at school and even the teachers know it

93. Say no to holiday pressures and take off the month of December from formal learning

94. Don’t get down on yourself when you feel inadequate to the task of homeschooling – even teachers struggle with feeling inadequate

95. Make geography a no-brainer

96. Get outside and enjoy the gorgeous creation!

97. Stop worrying

98. Invest in and use an InstantPot to save time

99. Allow your child to be frustrated when it’s appropriate

100. Admit that you can never do it all or be all

101. Listen to veteran homeschoolers who tell you to trust the process and it will work out in the end!


106 12       
118
Shares
Category: Homeschool Planning | Homeschooling | Relaxed HomeschoolingTag: Homeschool Organization & Supplies | Strewing

Related Helpful Content For You

A Homeschooler’s New Year’s Resolutions

Getting Started With Homeschooling

A Busy, Messy Home and Homeschooling Stress

The Importance Of Play For Small Children

Previous Post:Why We’re Relaxed Homeschoolers (and Not Unschoolers)
Next Post:Eloise Wilkin Stories {A Month of Cozy Children’s Books}Eloise Wilkin Stories - A Month of Cozy Books 2

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Danielle

    August 30, 2016 at 3:32 pm

    Wow thank you for this!! What a great list….you did an amazing job compiling so many useful tidbits to improve our homeschool life. THANK YOU!

    Reply
  2. Homeschool Literature

    December 9, 2016 at 7:16 pm

    There are so many educational opportunities on Netflix, it’s fantastic!  Also, YouTube is an amazing option, with almost every subject you could think of.  Love it!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

 

Thank you for your comment. I read and appreciate each one even if I am unable to respond.

Sidebar

I’m Sallie, Christian wife, mother, homeschooler, and homebody. Do you desire to create a quiet simple life for your family? If so, I invite you to explore my helpful content about the faith-filled and home-centered life. Please start here. Welcome! ♥ 

Categories

Find It Here

My Other Website: Sallie’s Rebuilding America

Popular Right Now

  • Classical Conversations Negatives And Why We Didn't JoinClassical Conversations Negatives And Why We Didn’t Join
  • Home Office Ergonomics - The One Choice That Will Save or Cost You Thousands of DollarsHome Office Ergonomics – The One Choice That Will Save or Cost You Thousands of Dollars
  • Margin, Rhythm, and Decision MakingMargin, Rhythm, and Decision Making
  • The Ultimate List of AIP Comfort Food RecipesThe Ultimate List of AIP Comfort Food Recipes
  • Understanding Eosinophilic Esophagitis and ResourcesUnderstanding Eosinophilic Esophagitis and Resources
  • The Cozy Life In America (and Why I Prefer It To the Danish Hygge)The Cozy Life In America (and Why I Prefer It To the Danish Hygge)
  • Eyewitness To History - Firsthand Accounts Of Historical EventsEyewitness To History – Firsthand Accounts Of Historical Events
  • Free Printable Prayer Journal PagesFree Printable Prayer Journal Pages
  • My Beautiful and Peaceful Christmas Music Station On PandoraMy Beautiful and Peaceful Christmas Music Station On Pandora
  • Banana Grape-Nuts BreadBanana Grape-Nuts Bread
  • Red Bliss Potato SaladRed Bliss Potato Salad
  • Our Relaxed Homeschooling Preschool YearOur Relaxed Homeschooling Preschool Year
Receive new post notifications from A Quiet Simple Life

Powered by follow.it

Popular Today In The Shop

  • Rocks & Minerals Copywork – Print & CursiveRocks & Minerals Copywork – Print & Cursive
  • True or False? Activity - ApplesTrue or False? Activity – Apples
  • True or False? Activity - U.S. PresidentsTrue or False? Activity – U.S. Presidents
  • Making Tally Marks Activity - ApplesMaking Tally Marks Activity – Apples
  • Cursive Handwriting Practice - 100 Sight WordsCursive Handwriting Practice – 100 Sight Words
  • Thanksgiving Fun Facts CardsThanksgiving Fun Facts Cards
  • Pilgrims Sentence Scramble Printable ActivityPilgrims Sentence Scramble Printable Activity
  • Thanksgiving Copywork - Print & CursiveThanksgiving Copywork – Print & Cursive
  • Scrambled Sentences Worksheet - GardenScrambled Sentences Worksheet – Garden
  • Number Match Worksheet (11-20)Number Match Worksheet (11-20)

Join The Conversation

  • Birdie on Margin, Rhythm, and Decision Making
  • Peggy on Margin, Rhythm, and Decision Making
  • Alison Ward on Margin, Rhythm, and Decision Making
  • Patti Gardner on Margin, Rhythm, and Decision Making
  • Mrs. White on Happy Birthday To Me!
  • Pam on Happy Birthday To Me!
  • Cheryl on Happy Birthday To Me!
  • Lauren on Happy Birthday To Me!
  • Amanda on Happy Birthday To Me!
  • Marilyn on Happy Birthday To Me!
  • Sue Elvis on Happy Birthday To Me!
  • Peggy on Late Winter Days at Home

Blogging Is Better With Blinkies!

My Blogroll

  • Adventures In Keeping House
  • The Blessed Hearth
  • The Bluebirds Are Nesting On The Farm
  • By Sun and Candlelight 
  • Coffee Tea Books and Me
  • Creekside Cottage
  • Elefantz
  • Exquisitely Unremarkable
  • Generations Before Us
  • Heavenstretch
  • Homemakers Thoughts
  • Hope and Thrift 
  • A Housewife Writes
  • Jane Austen's World
  • The Legacy of Home
  • Like Mother, Like Daughter
  • Love My Life
  • Mama's Learning Corner
  • Mountain Housewife
  • The 1940s Experiment
  • North Ridge Farm
  • Rural Revolution
  • Something From Almost Nothing
  • Strangers and Pilgrims on Earth
  • Stories of an Unschooling Family
  • Sugar Pie Cottage
  • Thinking About Home
  • Thrive On One Income
  • Upon Hope
  • Vox Popoli
  • A Working Pantry 

Lifetime Visits

17,545,732

Archives

Contact Me • Privacy Policy • Disclaimers & Affiliates

Copyright © 2023 · A Quiet Simple Life · All Rights Reserved · Powered by Mai Theme

Scroll Up