January 7, 2026 – New Year, New Homeschool!

Hey, Mama!

Gena Suarez, Publisher of TOS

Happy New Year to Your Uncomplicated Homeschool

Hey, Mama.

January hits and suddenly your homeschool feels like it needs a complete overhaul. New curriculum. New schedule. New approach. You’re going to be different this year—more organized, more consistent, more of something you weren’t last year.

Stop.

You don’t need a new homeschool. You need the same faithfulness you had on December 31st, anchored to His Word. Read it daily. Let it be the Light on your path so you don’t drift off track. The answer to clarity isn’t a new system—it’s staying close to Scripture.

“Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). That’s all you need to carry into 2026. Not a Pinterest-perfect plan. Not a system that requires you to become someone else. Just the same you serving the same God with the same commitment to disciple your kids at home.

The curriculum you picked probably isn’t the problem. The schedule you’re running probably works. What shifted isn’t your homeschool—it’s your expectations. January whispers lies about needing a blank slate, a do-over on who you are as a teacher.

Here’s the truth: “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not” (Galatians 6:9).

Your faithfulness last year wasn’t wasted. It’s being woven into who your kids are becoming. Don’t chase newness. Chase consistency. Same Mama, same calling, same God who’s got you.

The same yesterday, today, and forever. Walk into 2026 with confidence, Daughter of the King. His hand is still on your head.

– gena

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Danika Cooley

Start the Year with a Biblical Perspective

Have you ever struggled with your homeschool and thought, “If only I could regain my own joy and excitement?” If so, don’t worry. We all have. 

Everything in life that is worth doing comes with an extra dose of monotony. That’s because things worth doing are rarely accomplished in just a day. It can be a struggle to keep our eyes (and hearts!) focused on our Lord Jesus Christ when we’re trying to pull our boots out of the daily muck of schedules, handwriting, and lunch-making.

When you add in children (who are naturally both unpredictable and emotional), and mind-numbing math and science (is that just me?), then days—even weeks—can easily go sideways. What is a Jesus-loving homeschool mom to do? If I may, I’d like to offer a solution.

Pray.

When life is hard, or monotonous, or even just filled with math, go to the Lord of the Universe. Our all-powerful, all-knowing God invites you to come to Him with your praise and thanksgiving. You can also go to Him to confess your sins, to ask for help with your own needs, to find deliverance and guidance, and even to lament your current circumstances. The King of Heaven’s Armies also hears your prayers when you intercede on behalf of your precious children.

Do you want to start the school year with a new attitude—for you and for your kids? Pray!

“But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer” (Psalm 66:19).

My new devotional, 60 Scriptures You Can Pray, will help you learn about eight types of Biblical prayer. You can spend two months studying the prayers of Biblical heroes! 

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About the author

Danika Cooley is an award-winning children’s author who blogs about Bible books, crafts, activities, and snacks at Thinking Kids. Her books include Help Your Kids Learn and Love the Bible, Bible Investigators: Creation, and the Who What Why series, a line of Christian history for 7–11-year-olds. Grab your free three-week sample of her popular Bible Road Trip™ curriculum here.

How money and government really work. Basic American Government and Basic Economics. HB textbooks. Teacher’s guides, and self-paced online course options. Bundle and save! 
https://boundarystone.org 

Beth Mora

New Every Morning and Every Year

Thank you, God, that Your mercies are new every morning, and there are seasons of new beginnings calendared for us to pause and move forward in Your plans! There’s no time to spend on would’ve, should’ve, could’ve reminiscing about last fall’s homeschool plans. It’s a new year and a new homeschool for us! 

Let me deeply breathe in Your grace and humbly come before You, to honor You by keeping the main thing—the main thing. May Your priorities for me drive me this year.

Oh Lord, are you first in my life? Do I have time set aside for me and You? What areas do You want me to grow in? What sin is preventing me from being the daughter You want me to be?

Lord, show me how I can be a blessing to my spouse. Help me to fall more in love and delight in all the ways I can serve.

Dear God, You have commanded me to love, teach, and disciple my children. Your commandments drive me to my knees. I need Your strength and Your wisdom. 

May I be a blessing to my church family, using the gifts you have given me. May I, with my family, have opportunities to share the Gospel with those who don’t know You.

And as Paul admonished, help me forget what lies behind and strain forward to what lies ahead, pressing on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 

Thank you, Lord! I can confidently say, “Welcome 2026!”

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About the author

Beth Mora is a staff writer for The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC and lesson designer for www.Schoolhouseteachers.com. She is the creator/teacher-on-camera for Here to Help Learning’s Homeschool Writing Program Grades 1-6, and a homeschool conference and women’s events speaker. Meet up with Beth at Home To Home, one of her favorite places to encourage. Everything she does, whether laughable or heart-gripping, is done to honor her Lord and Savior, Jesus. God’s grace is the salve that has healed her own life and is what she offers liberally to others. Did you know, Here to Help Learning’s Writing Program Grades 1-6 is part of your subscription to SchoolhouseTeachers.com subscription?

Mercy Every Minute

Deborah Wuehler, TOS Senior Editor

New Year, New Homeschool!

Is a new homeschool wishful thinking? I mean, we are dealing with the same children and the same teacher, so how do we change things up this year? We can stop everything and start over. We can even ease back into things slowly! Add one subject a day until you are back on track. Take the days necessary before you start back to get organized. No need to rush!

Review and Re-evaluate

• What areas were problem areas before the holidays? How can you resolve those problems before starting again? 
• What do you need to just drop? Now is the best time to drop what isn’t working or necessary.
• What opportunities can you find for our students to use their talents and skills? 
• What did you really want to teach this school year that you haven’t started yet? Start now.
• What kind of schedule would help you follow through? 

Repent and Return 

Have you lost sight of the true eternal priorities of educating your children? Did you forget that it is your obedience and not your ability that God rewards? Now is the time to repent for your lack of desire to be obedient, your lack of courage to continue, or your lack of vision for what is eternally important, and return to the assignment God has given you in training up His children for His glory. 

Courage

Homeschooling often requires courage to battle our own minds that tell us we are failing and courage to bear through difficulties to the end. The only way to find this kind of courage is to dig ourselves out of our own thinking and become buried deep in the Word of God. 

Psalm 31:24 “Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.”

Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”

~Deborah

See more at www.TOSHomeRoom.com 

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The start of a new year is the perfect time to hit the refresh button in your homeschool. Consider setting aside time this week to review your homeschool rhythm and ask your children what they’d like to explore next. Faith-based courses, like Going Deeper: Exploring God’s Word, or Methods of Bible Study, can anchor your year in God’s truth while fostering a love of learning. Remember, every new day is an opportunity for growth, creativity, and joy.