I was compensated for my time in sharing these resources. All opinions are my own.
I have shopped Homeschool Buyers Co-op for a long time and I love knowing that I’m getting the best possible price on curriculum. The co-op helps homeschoolers harness group buying power to keep prices low. Getting an excellent price is especially important if you plan to invest in an all-in-one curriculum. An all-in-one or multi-subject curriculum can save your sanity by reducing decision fatigue and planning time. These are just some of the options available through the co-op for you to consider.
Monarch Online Curriculum from Alpha Omega
I have used some Monarch courses with my students and find that they’re an excellent option for parents looking for cumputer-based curriculum. Co-op buyers save 10%, which is the best deal you will find!
Monarch is an interactive, Internet-based Christian homeschool curriculum for grades 3-12 that’s compatible with most web browsers on a Windows® or Macintosh® operating system.
With Monarch, you get:
Dynamic, Media-rich Lessons: Bring learning to life with over 50,000 multimedia elements! Immerse your child in an enriching, multi-dimensional educational experience that includes video clips, audio files, challenging games, interactive exercises, and more.
Core Subjects & More: Monarch offers Bible-based online lessons in the five core subjects of Bible, History and Geography, Language Arts, Math, and Science, as well as a wide variety of enriching electives.
Automatic Grading: Enjoy freedom from paperwork! Automatic grading and recordkeeping conveniently record lesson assignments, test scores, and upcoming assignments for more hands-on teaching time.
Anytime access, no installation: Perfect for your on-the-go schedule, Monarch’s Christian homeschool curriculum is accessible around the clock with a browser and Internet connection. With just a username and password, you’re curriculum-ready in seconds.
The best part is you can try it free for 30 days with no risk!
I have also enjoyed using Horizons curriculum with my students. At the co-op, you can be sure you’re getting the best price.
Horizons is a brightly illustrated, engaging workbook curriculum filled with consumable lessons and hands-on activities for grades PreK-12.
Horizons offers:
Christian Worldview: Horizons courses support a Christian worldview that complements parents in their biblical teaching.
Spiral Learning: Horizons Language Arts and Math use a spiral learning method that helps students master concepts through a natural process of introduction, review, and reinforcement.
Colorful Curriculum: Eye-catching graphics and illustrations make the student material visually appealing and help keep students excited to learn.
Hands-On Lessons: Students using Horizons curriculum often find the hands-on lessons to be interesting and exciting. Much of the student material is filled with colorful illustrations that complement the activities to help students understand concepts.
I had a homeschooling family member who relied on Lifepac for all her curriculum. It made homeschooling simple! Save big on it at the co-op.
LIFEPAC is a Christian homeschool curriculum for grades K-12.
Designed by a team of accomplished educators with years of classroom experience, LIFEPAC is based on the principle of mastery learning. Students master content in each unit worktext before progressing to the next.
LIFEPAC is:
Bible-based: With Bible verses from the King James Version and biblical content that promotes a Christian worldview, LIFEPAC encourages critical thinking skills that promote and strengthen a student’s faith in Christ.
Flexible: Affordably priced, LIFEPAC lets students receive a Christian homeschool curriculum at a fraction of the price of regular textbooks and workbooks.
Economical: Affordably priced, LIFEPAC lets students receive a Christian homeschool curriculum at a fraction of the price of regular textbooks and workbooks.
Portable: Unlike heavy textbooks, LIFEPAC’s compact design is popular with busy homeschooling families on the go.
I have used and loved so many resources available through New Leaf Publishing. The group buy offers up to a 40% discount on them!
Master Books is the world’s largest publisher of creation-based material for all ages; including apologetics, homeschool resources, reference titles, and quality children’s literature. You may already be familiar with some of their wares like:
Over 550 Titles to Choose!Literature, Science, History, Apologetics, Parenting, Creation & MORE — Members choose from OVER 550 TITLES! If you like Creation-Based Science materials, have a desire to build your home’s Apologetics library, or you just love Christian literature; then this is the GroupBuy for you!
I enjoyed using this streaming service I accessed through the Homeschool Buyers Co-op several years ago and it’s improved immensely since then. Co-op buyers save 60%!
Bring Your Homeschool Lessons to Life! It’s easy to see why homeschoolers rave about Discovery Education Streaming Plus. It’s probably the most extensive and feature-rich educational video streaming service in the world.
It’s much like having the entire DVD selection of your local public library available to you from the convenience of your home, 24/7/365.
But it’s not just a collection of videos that you can watch from beginning to end. This library has been organized into useable video clips, organized and categorized, close-captioned, and supplemented with lesson plans, teaching guides, interactive simulations, images, audio resources, and other resources and materials that you can incorporate into virtually every aspect of your homeschool curriculum.
Discovery Education Streaming Plus features:
Thousands of full-length videos from scores of producers, segmented into tens of thousands of content-specific clips tied directly to state and national standards.
Supplemental resources such as Assignment Builder, Quiz Center, Writing Prompt Generator, lesson plans, and more
Fast and accurate search functionality and dynamic navigation menus
The ability to customize and personalize lessons to different subjects, grades, and learning styles
Comprehensive K-12 curriculum coverage in six core subject areas.
Thousands of images
Membership in the Discovery Educator Network (DEN)
Interactive self-paced training
Exclusive Discovery programming such as Frozen Planet, Human Planet, LIFE, Into the Universe, Mythbusters, and Curiosity
Video series from trusted content providers such as BBC Worldwide, CBS News, Channel 4, Discovery Studios, Scholastic, TV Ontario, and Westin Woods
Hundreds of games, skill builders, and body atlas interactives
Thousands of self-paced math tutorials spanning concepts from basic addition to calculus
Thousands of audio files including podcasts, classic literature audiobooks, children’s literature audiobooks from Scholastic, and numerous supplemental study aids for auditory learners
New homeschoolers often struggle to articulate their goals. They’re in there somewhere, but if they aren’t made clear, these new home educators are likely to be disappointed and discouraged.
When I started homeschooling, I honestly wanted to feel like a superior mom. Isn’t that awful? I wanted to have obedient, eager-to-learn kids who would make me look good. My kids took care of that goal rather quickly. Instead, I learned I was an impatient, ineffective, disorganized mom who wasn’t cut out for homeschooling.
The good news about my failure is that I learned I needed God to homeschool. Growing closer to God also changed my goals. At first, one of my goals was to raise children who loved the Lord. I have since learned that I don’t have control over my children’s faith. My new goal is to share my faith with my children and pray for God to grow the seeds I’ve planted. Other goals for our homeschooling include developing close family relationships, inspiring a love of learning, and helping to prepare my children to do their best on college entrance exams. It’s a wonderful feeling that I feel I have met those goals at this point in my homeschooling.
Had I chosen goals of finishing a curriculum, having my kids love a certain curriculum or activity, or achieving a certain ACT score, I know I would have been disappointed.
Goals guide our homeschooling
My goals help me to make decisions when I anticipate obstacles. For example, I have been able to decide against certain curricula that includes busywork I know my children would hate. My goals help me decide to replace our regular Bible curriculum with discussion and prayer over sibling conflict. And my goals help me prioritize my kids’ study time for the ACT.
I review these goals with my kids. I want them to know what the priorities are, so God willing, they will share them. I would like to make the goals more visible this year by creating a sign for our school room. Having a copy in my planner will also help me keep them top of mind.
God helps us achieve our homeschool goals
My favorite false god has been my own strength. If I can succeed in my homeschooling goals myself, then I will get all the credit. The problem with this, of course, is that I carry all the responsibility for achieving the goals too. I have felt like my children’s faith, education, and relationship skills are all up to me. No wonder I’ve had periods of stress and burnout!
The good news is that it isn’t all up to me and it isn’t all up to you, either. Having time with the Lord when I can pray, read the Bible, and write out my thoughts has been critical to my ability to persevere in homeschooling. That time has never been 365 days a year consistent. It has varied in duration, time of day, and focus. But it has been a habit, nonetheless.
If I could change one thing about my homeschooling, it would be that I would have trusted the Lord more. I would have laid every burden, worry, and concern at the Lord’s feet, knowing that He heard me and would work everything together for our good. Because He has! Part of that trust for me would have been believing that God wanted to answer my prayers through the help of others. I often refused help or didn’t ask for it. I suffered frustration and defeat too often because of my self-determination.
Chores went pretty well. Instead of going ahead and doing it because it was bothering me, I assigned jobs and they accomplished a lot most days. lol I didnt really get a hold of laundry yet. Meal planning did get a little better. knowing what I was going to make made dinner less stressful. I started cutting things and freezing it to prepare for meals.
We also chatted about their goals and faith life. Jeannette shared:
Some goals are to relax more and remember they are still young. We will focus on reading and character.
My faith goes up and down daily. One day I’m sure God will provide and I remind myself of all He’s done so far. Then other days I see no way and I wonder how it will all happen. But this journey so far definitely has given me more faith-filled days.
If you’d like to follow along with the homework I gave our new homeschoolers, grab your copy of The Organized Homeschool Life and do the devotions and goal challenges. Set achievable goals and schedule a time for you to spend with God, even if it doesn’t happen every day.
I received some stationery and was compensated for my time. All opinions are my own.
My husband and I have been married for 25 years this summer. I am also turning 50. These are milestone moments worth celebrating. We are having a Hawaiian luau at our home with 100 friends and family members. We honeymooned in Hawaii, so it seemed appropriate. I can’t wait! I didn’t think I needed printed invitations to make our celebration special, but I was wrong.
Benefits of Stationery Invitations for Your Milestone Moments
You can invite guests offline. These days it can be quick and easy to invite people to a celebration via email or Facebook. But not everyone uses Facebook or checks email regulary. I am not Facebook friends with a number of our invitees, nor did I have their email addresses. Having printed invitations allowed me to mail them and even to hand them to guests when I saw them.
You can set the tone for the event. The second problem with inviting people without a paper invitation is that it can make the celebration seem less special. When we invite people using stationery like the invitations I ordered from Basic Invite, the occasion seems that much more appealing. I was surprised by the number of men who seemed delighted to receive the paper invitation. They commented on how nice it was, colorful it was, and how much they were looking forward to coming.
You can provide your guests with an accessible reminder. If you’ve ever struggled to find a Facebook invite or email for an event like I have, you know how nice it is to have a stationery invitation to refer to. I keep them in a hanging file folder after I’ve RSVP’d to remind me of the address and any special notes, like whether it’s a suprise party or if I should bring something.
You provide your guests with a keepsake. Your printed invitation can be kept on the refrigerator or bulletin board to remind guests of a good time to look forward to. But stationery invitations, like photo or customizable birth announcements, are keepsakes that people use to remember your milestone moments long after they’ve passed. One of our guests has known about the party for a long time but requested a printed invitation anyway.
Why Basic Invite Stationery is a Good Option for Celebrating Your Milestone Moments
I was very impressed with the weight, quality, and colors of our Basic Invite invitations. I was impressed that the company sent extras, too! I was delighted that I didn’t have to lick or moisten the envelopes. They come with a piece you pull off to reveal the adhesive. I was also happy to see that I had the option of importing all my names and addresses to be printed on the envelopes for FREE!
Basic Invite offers almost unlimited color options. I loved the pre-selected color combinations of my invitation, but every single one was customizable. If you want a custom invitation for a baby shower, you don’t have to fret about how they’ll look after placing your order. You can request a custom sample with no stress!
Get Started With Basic Invite Stationery
Check the top of this page for the latest discount from Basic Invite and place your order for your invitations or announcements. Basic Invite will make your milestone moment that much more memorable.
My biggest homeschool struggle has been consistency. As I begin my 19th year of homeschooling, I want to take steps to grow in this area. I know I’m not alone in the struggle, so I am sharing my tips with you.
In thinking about consistency, I realized that it is highly related to personality. Those of you who have heard me speak about personality know that my typology of choice is that developed by Florence Littauer, author of Personality Plus. There are four basic personalities which can create combinations. But today I’m only going to review the four main personalities, so I can share tailor-made tips for helping you to become more consistent.
Homeschool Consistency for Popular Sanguine Personalities
The first personality type we will discuss today is the Popular Sanguine. I want to begin with this personality because this type has the most difficulty remaining consistent. This is not to say that the other personalities don’t also have challenges remaining consistent in their homeschooling, but this personality’s quest for fun can cause problems. The day-to-day, rather boring realities of homeschooling conflict with the Popular Sanguine’s life-should-be-a-party style. The Popular Sanguine personality bolts out of the gate for back to school and is on fire. They tell themselves that this is the year they’re going to be consistent because they are so excited about their new planner, their new curriculum, and routines. But the fun and excitement of the beginning of the school year quickly fades without proper attention. This personality will begin to drop the routines and behaviors and activities they were so excited about in the beginning. So how can we as popular Sanguines become consistent when our desire is to have fun?
The solution to inconsistency for the popular sanguine personality lies in planning for a variety of fun activities throughout the school year. One school year our co-op did only field trips for our co-op day. This sounded like a marvelous idea at the beginning of our homeschooling year. After all, what could be more fun than a field trip? As the year wore on, though, the field trips actually became tiring. The Popular Sanguine craves variety. This is why the popular sanguine becomes so energized and excited about the new school year. She has chosen new curriculum, new activities, and new routines. Don’t plan the same activities, even if they are fun activities. We have fun Fridays in our homeschool. If I am not careful, I can plan to do the same thing every Friday. That is because I haven’t actually planned out my activities. So rather than having a game day, or going on a field trip, or watching movies every single Friday, I need to schedule a variety of homeschooling activities. Put something on the calendar, every week if possible, that you look forward to. Popular Sanguines get depressed if there isn’t something fun to look forward to soon.
To keep things exciting, you could even create a jar of fun ideas for your homeschool and choose one randomly. I created one for my family and you can steal it when you subscribe. Add your own ideas, too! Click the image below to download your copy.
Alternatively, you could ask your children to take turns planning fun days. Just do something to keep the homeschooling process exciting.
Homeschool Consistency for Powerful Choleric Personalities
The second personality type I want to discuss in terms of being a consistent homeschooler is the Powerful Choleric personality. This is my secondary personality, so I need these tips as well as those for the Popular Sanguine. The Powerful Choleric more than anything wants control. If this is you, you become perturbed and impatient if you don’t feel like you have control over your children and your homeschooling.
One of the best solutions for remaining consistent as a homeschooling mom who needs to have some control is to get regular feedback on what you’re accomplishing. Powerful Cholerics are ambitious people who strive to be successful. If you don’t feel that you are achieving anything with your efforts, you’re going to become inconsistent.I did an interview with Deborah Bell about her Ultimate Homeschool Planner and how to plan your homeschool year that you will appreciate. What I was most excited about from our discussion is the idea that I would meet with each of my children at the beginning of the week to plan their objectives and also at the end of the week to see what we accomplished. More than just what we accomplished academically, however, the Ultimate Homeschool Planner also gives Powerful Cholerics like us the opportunity to record how we saw God at work in our homeschools. This also meets our need for getting a good return on our time investment.
Another way to feel that you are more in control is to take a leadership position. That could be a leadership position in your homeschooling support group, co-op, or learning center. When Powerful Cholerics are in charge, they are more likely to be consistent. Teaching classes in my home-based co-op has been the best thing for my Powerful Choleric side. I have a schedule made up at the beginning of the year that invariably gets followed because it is a group activity. I feel not only more in control of my homeschool, but I also get to see the results.
Homeschool Consistency for Perfect Melancholy Personalities
The next personality type I want to discuss in terms of becoming a more consistent homeschooler is the Perfect Melancholy personality. This is the personality that wants things to be perfect. Melancholies are the most consistent homeschoolers naturally. These are people who like to do things in the same way and typically resist change or inconsistency. However, this personality can become discouraged and depressed when their consistency isn’t perfect. Perfect consistency doesn’t exist, especially when you are dealing with children!
The Perfect Melancholy personality needs to adopt a new definition of consistency. When someone or something throws a wrench into your plans, accept the interruption as from the Lord. Relax, give yourself grace, and believe that if you are achieving your objectives and following your plan about 80% of the time, you are being consistent. Remember, too, that your children may not share your personality. This is the case for homeschoolers, regardless of their personality. We not only have to take our own personality into account, but our children’s as well. If you as a Perfect Melancholy homeschooler are consistent with your homeschooling 80% of the time, you are likely giving your children with other personality types the freedom and the variety they crave.
The other thing you can do as a Perfect Melancholy homeschooler is to communicate your needs to your family. Again, this is a recommendation that I can give to every homeschooler, regardless of personality. But for the Perfect Melancholy it is particularly important to be honest and forthright about your needs and feelings. Saying something like, “I have been feeling out of sorts and even frustrated because we haven’t been able to stay home and get through our homeschooling routine. I’ll feel so much better about things if we can stick to the plan today” can help your family be sensitive to your needs. Maybe your family should just know what you need, but they likely don’t. They need you to tell them.
Homeschool Consistency for Peaceful Phlegmatic Personalities
The final personality type is the Peaceful Phlegmatic. This personality type can also struggle with consistency because this personality wants to keep things simple and conflict free. If the homeschooling plan you have created for your family at the beginning of the homeschooling year is just unrealistic or too demanding for your particular family and lifestyle, you’re likely to want to drop it all. Of course, there are other options besides all or nothing.
The Peaceful Phlegmatic homeschooler can be consistent this homeschool year by keeping the homeschooling routine and curriculum easy. What are some ways to make homeschooling easy? Listen to the podcast episode I did on how to homeschool in less time for ideas. The Peaceful Phlegmatic homeschooler will be delighted to spend less time doing direct teaching in their homeschool, giving them more time for relaxation. Block off plenty of time in your schedule for unscheduled time. Drop out of activities you know will leave you exhausted by the end of the year. Make sure that curriculum that is confusing to you or frustrating for your kids is replaced. We have so many options available to us as homeschoolers now, there’s really no reason to continue with a curriculum that isn’t easy to understand and easy to use. If you need some recommendations for curriculum that is an alternative to what you have been using, please join our homeschooling support group– HomeschoolScopes.tv on Facebook. In that group you can ask any questions you have about curriculum and get an array of very helpful answers.
How to Achieve Homeschool Consistency Regardless of Personality
Now that I covered some basic tips for the various personality types, I have one major recommendation for you, regardless of your personality. That is to make your homeschooling a habit. If you try to fit homeschooling in around your other activities and priorities, your homeschooling won’t happen. Do what you have to do to make sure that you have time most days to complete the homeschooling tasks that you know you need to complete. We build the homeschooling habit by doing the same activities day after day, whether we feel like it or not. I am not suggesting that if you are exhausted from being up with sick children or a newborn all night that you absolutely have to do the same routine or use the same schedule. Of course, I’m not suggesting that. That is the blessing of homeschooling that we have the flexibility we need to accommodate those special circumstances. However, if you just don’t feel like doing homeschooling with your kids and you consistently put it off, you will be disappointed with your homeschool consistency this year. In fact, you may feel like a failure, your kids may complain, or your spouse may suggest it’s time to put the kids in school. This is all because you have not developed the habit of homeschooling even when you don’t feel like it.
I know habit building may sound discouraging, but understand this. The amount of willpower it requires to build the homeschooling habit is only intense at the very beginning. In a matter of weeks you will find yourself automatically going through your routines without even thinking about it. Not doing your homeschooling routine won’t even be something you consider. That is the good news about being a consistent homeschooler. Being a consistent homeschooler does not mean you are a legalist. In fact, thinking about having to do the same thing day after day after day, regardless of what else is happening in your life is likely to make you less consistent, rather than more. Know that you can definitely be Spirit-led in your day-to-day homeschooling, but I believe the Lord would have us be consistent the majority of the time. Develop a morning routine, an afternoon routine, and an evening routine. I tell you how here and in The Organized Homeschool Life.
By following these steps, you can be a consistent homeschooler this year. I am very hopeful as I look forward to this upcoming homeschool year with these tips in mind.
I received free access to an art course and was compensated for my time. All opinions are my own.
Whether you want art to be a part of your teen’s homeschooling or you want art to be a part of your child’s free time, you may need to motivate your child to pursue artistic studies. Or if you’re like me, you have to motivate yourself to include art in your teen’s studies. There are three ways that have worked for me to motivate my teens to learn art.
#1 Enroll your teen in a short-term class
My kids have enjoyed creating a project as part of one class or even a week-long camp. They have all been reluctant to participate in a full semester or one-year course — even those who enjoy art. Perhaps this is because art becomes a must-do, instead of a want-to-do activity. They also have a lot of other coursework and commitments. I can’t say that I’m any different when it comes to learning something new. I much prefer a smaller commitment.
I have taught art class to my teens after learning from a book. My kids have been much more motivated to learn from an artist. Although I can teach art, I’m not the best teacher for that subject. My students have been motivated to please the art teacher by following instruction. As a result they’ve learned more.
#2 Make art social
I purchased a book-based art curriculum for my son, who is talented in art. I thought he would love it. Instead, I couldn’t pay him to do it. When I had all of my kids do art together, he loved it. Part of the fun of art lessons is seeing what other people create. It’s inspiring. I’ve learned this in scrapbooking and Bible journaling classes.
If you aren’t homeschooling other kids, your child would likely enjoy having you do the lessons with him. You may surprise yourself and enjoy it too.
#3 Give your child choices
I hated piano lessons as a kid because I had to play the boring songs that were preselected. Art is very similar. If the lessons ask your child to create art that doesn’t appeal to her, your teen won’t be motivated. Provide many options from drawing to painting to mixed media. As our kids get older, choices become ever more important for motivation.
How Sparketh Online Art Courses Can Motivate Your Teen to Learn Art
Sparketh is an online art course platform that provides beginner, intermediate, and advanced courses. The courses motivate my teen to learn art because they are short courses. The first course she chose is just 15 minutes of videos.
I love that the courses are taught by younger instructors. They serve as great role models for my daughter, where I can’t as much. However, the online platform allows me to participate too. We can choose a course, assemble the supplies according to the recommended setup, and have a fun finished project in no time.
The number of choices is amazing. My daughter loves doing her hair, so this hair-bun course was perfect for her. I am amazed by her nearly-finished drawing. It looks just like the example!
You can join Sparketh free for a month. That’s a great way to see if these online courses will motivate your teen to learn art like they did for my daughter.
I am so excited about this week’s episode of The Homeschool Sanity Show. I have been wanting to interview new homeschoolers for a long time and have my listeners take the journey with them. It’s finally happening! I will get to introduce you to the five women who are going to be joining me each month and sharing the homework assignments I give them.
For their first homework assignment, I knew I had to talk about routines. Here’s why they’re so critical for beginning homeschoolers.
The Need for Routines in the First Year of Homeschooling
The lack of routine in my life nearly put an end to my homeschool and any possibility of having future children. It caused a lot of stress in my marriage, too.
The freedom of homeschooling really appealed to me. I would be free to choose curriculum, free to emphasize the subjects that mattered to my family, and free to go through the day according to my own rhythm. It was that latter freedom that ended up enslaving me. Being able to rest when I was sick was wonderful and so was being able to adjust my schedule to have my mother-in-law (who suffered from dementia) over for the day. What wasn’t wonderful was having no time to homeschool, yet feeling like I hadn’t accomplished anything else. It wasn’t wonderful having piles of undone laundry and no idea what to make for dinner when the clock read 5 p.m.
When I found FLYLady online and created routines, I discovered real freedom. I no longer had to decide when to do dishes or laundry. I knew when we would do school. I even knew what we were having for dinner. The kids loved having a routine and my husband was ecstatic. Routines gave me peace of mind and the confidence that I could not only homeschool but add more students.
The Importance of Chores in the First Year of Homeschooling
Homeschooled children are home most days and that means more mess. Art projects, dramatizations, and science experiments require extra clean-up, too. If we don’t develop an approach to making sure our kids contribute to the clean-up and needs of the home, the likelihood of burnout is high. The bonus of creating chore routines is that our kids develop important life skills and a sense of responsibility. Spouses who prefer an orderly home will appreciate it, too.
If you’re just beginning this journey, allow me to save you a lot of time pursuing the perfect chore system: there isn’t one. I’ve tried dozens of them and the simplest system is the best. You don’t even have to have a system, but you must have a routine. I often get the most housework done with my kids when we work together, room to room.
Establish a routine for doing the daily tasks and then create a routine for weekly chores. What works best for my family is rotating the daily tasks and assigning the weekly chores on a yearly basis. We have always completed our daily chores before starting school. That’s for my benefit. If the house is a mess, I can’t focus on our school work. Homeschooling also becomes a reward for getting chores done.
You can find one editable chore checklist here and a new Chore Game printable below for subscribers. (Click the form below to gain access.) But any chore system will do.
The Importance of Teaching Children to Do Laundry in the First Year of Homeschooling
I used to do all the laundry in our home. At first, that wasn’t much. But with just three children who were ages three and under, I felt like I was drowning in it. Of course, the most time-consuming part of laundry is putting it away.
As soon as possible, consider teaching your child to use the washer and dryer. I chose not to have my kids separate lights and darks and only rarely had a problem as a result. I would pour the laundry detergent into the cap for my littles and they loved pouring it into the machine.
I also underestimated the importance of teaching my kids how to fold. Before I did, their clothing was jammed into drawers. I bought expensive folding boards, but teaching them to fold on their own was more effective. When I learned the Konmari folding approach, I taught it to them and have loved the results.
Finally, do what you can to help your children hang clothing. A lower closet bar may help and accessible hangers are a must.
A critical part of both your chore and laundry routines for kids is supervision. My fantasies of having my children do what I’ve trained them to do without me checking on them have not been realized. The younger your kids, the more likely you will have to work with them. Rather than being irritated by this as I have often been, see it as a time to connect with your children. Have fun, chat, and encourage.
The Importance of Meal Planning in the First Year of Homeschooling
My mother ran a large daycare in our home when I was little. With so many mouths to feed and so much childcare to provide, she always had to have a meal in mind. If you are a beginning homeschooler, you may not have 14 kids to feed, but you may have another meal to plan and provide than you did before (i.e. lunch). You aren’t running a daycare, but you are teaching at least one child and possibly providing childcare for others. You may be signed up for classes and activities. Without a plan for meals, you will probably be very crabby at the end of the day. You may have to run to the store or spend extra money on takeout. The delay can make the rest of your family crabby, too.
The mistake we make in meal planning is to use new recipes. A meal plan should be made with meals your family already loves. The book Do Less recommends serving the same six meals every week. That seems extreme, but even if you have that one-week meal plan established and you’ve shopped for it, you’ll be ready to make something — even if it’s not as varied as you like.
In my free meal planning ebook for subscribers, I share ideas for making your base meal plan healthier and adding new recipes to the plan. I also talk about the benefits of buying a month’s worth of groceries at once. I wrote about this concept when five of my kids weren’t teens to adults. A week’s worth of shopping is a major undertaking for me now, but it’s so much better than having no plan in place. Claim Your Meal Planning Ebook
First Year Homeschoolers Homework for Routines
If you’d like to follow along with our new homeschoolers, here is your homework assignment:
I’m a Christian psychologist turned homeschooling mother of six. My life can be a little crazy, so I look for sanity-saving ideas to use and share. I hope you’ll read my About page to learn more.
that includes video clips, audio files, challenging games, interactive exercises, and more.
