Everyone has a creative mind—the very young, the very old and every age in between. Being creative, expressing your uniquely creative self, should be a regular part of your life. Encouraging your children to be creative in work and play can also be a hugely rewarding part of your life—not only reinforcing the activities they’ve already showed interest in, but also feeding their natural curiosity with new ideas and actions.

We’ve all seen it happen. Our youngest recently turned 2. We ate cake, played games and opened presents. After the wrapping and tissue paper were strewn about, the kids played excitedly with all the new books and toys ⁠— for about two minutes. After that, they were happier playing with the boxes the toys came in.

Hey, Mama,   Summer is a good time to mix fun and less structured learning. Whether you school year-round or take a break, you’ll find some great ideas for summer activities in The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine.

I recently read a mom’s post in a Facebook group, asking how homeschooling parents respond when they are asked what qualifications they have to teach their children. Fortunately, I’ve never been asked. I find this question as ridiculous as the more common “How do your kids socialize if they’re not in school?” As if there is some social benefit to large groups of children of similar age being together for several hours with one or two adults to guide them?!

The moment I laid my eyes on my son for the first time, I fell in love. It was an intense love and connection that was so different from anything I had ever experienced before.

We hold our newborn in our arms. With awe and wonder,we marvel at the intricacy of this human being and the miracle of birth. We ponder all that lies ahead—for the moments and days and years that will shape this child.

Some of us prefer to grade every bit of our student’s school work. I choose not to put a letter grade on every paper or workbook page, but I also don’t let errors go.

Because homeschooling across Canada is defined a bit differently for each region, we’ve provided links to each of the provincial websites that outline the laws. As well,you’ll find links to major homeschooling associations which have resources and services that will support you in educating your children.