As a relaxed homeschooler who veers more towards natural learning and unschooling, I often seek out Charlotte Mason materials to use with my kids. Of all the different homeschooling philosophies and methods, hers meshes well with a natural learning environment. I emphatically agree with her emphasis on nurturing a child’s love of learning through
Last year, I graduated my second child from my homeschool and now, I find myself discussing high school with my third child. She starts 9th grade in the fall. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, dyslexia, anxiety, and other learning issues figured into my planning for the older two children. I adapted their high school programs to
In honor of Walk Around Things Day on April 4, let’s talk about exercise and movement at home. We are all familiar with jumping jacks, running or bicycling around the neighborhood, or even video-based physical education programs. Perhaps your children are involved with a sports team, or a local co-op that includes game time
As a homeschooler in the north, I often dread winter. Winter means months indoors with restless children. It means allowing an extra half hour of prep time whenever we need to go somewhere. And, there’s the inevitable illness that descends, striking each of them in turn. But, winter also brings a time of reflection,
At this time of year, we often find ourselves frantically cleaning in order to get the house ready for visiting relatives. With small children, it feels like the filth multiplies and we can’t keep up. It certainly challenged me. I often felt like a maid on steroids. You can read more about that HERE.
Some days, nothing works out. The toddler screams and throws his toys. The four-year-old refuses to nap and the seven-year-old crosses her arms and pouts over her math. All. At. The. Same. Time. You cleaned your house yesterday, but today, dirty dishes cover the counters, an unattended spill dries on the carpet, and toys
We just graduated our second child from our homeschool. The first question everyone asks upon discovering this is—you guessed it—“Where is he going to college?” The question is uncomfortable, and I wish people would broaden their view of post-high school life. When I say that he isn’t going to college, the barely-concealed disappointment says
I’m loving those back-to-school sales, aren’t you? Now is the time to stock up! Just because we homeschool doesn’t mean we don’t use school supplies, right? I’ve flipped through the pages of catalogs and scrolled through the websites, ordering the books and materials we will use for the next several months, if not the
When my children were younger, I struggled to keep everyone at the table at the same time. Living books were important to me, but my rambunctious bunch wouldn’t quiet down. I was okay with them playing with LEGOs® or squishing clay while I read, but quietly? That seldom happened. At that time, only one