I’ve been homeschooling for 14 years, but I still need sanity savers. I usually turn to Pinterest to find them. When I need ideas for a unit study, motivation to get organized, or clever parenting tips, that’s where I go.
When I find something that I think will make homeschooling simpler, I pin it for me and for the homeschoolers who follow me. If you’d like a little more homeschool sanity, I recommend you follow these five boards and share them, too. When you click on a board link below, you’ll see the option to follow it and to send it to a friend (with an airplane icon).
#1 Organized Homeschool
The Organized Homeschool board is where I put the Organized Homeschool Challenge posts and related pins. Unlike other organizing challenges, this one is tailor-made for homeschoolers and isn’t just about decluttering. It’s about building relationships, planning for special events, and streamlining school. Organized Homeschool is a contributor board* which means other pinners are busy adding content they think will help you simplify your homeschooling, too.
#2 What’s Hot in Homeschooling
The What’s Hot in Homeschooling board took over the weekly roundup series I was doing on Psychowith6. It’s where I pin the best homeschooling ideas I come across with a seasonal emphasis. What’s wonderful is I have a number of contributors* who add tips, reviews, and printables for your attention, too.
#3 The Homeschool Sanity Show
I’ll be honest and say I didn’t know if The Homeschool Sanity Show would fly when I started it. I didn’t often listen to podcasts before I started one myself! But now I’m so excited when I finish an interview with an expert in homeschooling that I can’t wait to share it with people. That says a lot because I’ve attended homeschool conferences for many years and I’m still learning! I pin new podcasts to The Homeschool Sanity Show board and pins on related topics. If you subscribe to the podcast (or even if you don’t), you’ll appreciate having links to related sanity-saving resources.
#4 Christian Inspiration
It may seem strange that I’m including the Christian Inspiration board for homeschool sanity, but I find that if faith isn’t first in my life, my homeschooling can go downhill in a hurry. I love this board with many contributors because I always find something to read that encourages me to draw nearer to the Lord, give Him my burdens, and carry on with my homeschooling.
#5 Christian Parenting
If you’ve homeschooled a while like I have, you’ve probably been asked how you separate your roles as teacher and parent. The answer, of course, is you don’t. You’re both! I have found that when the parent part of me is sane, the teacher is, too. I use this Christian Parenting board to share inspirational posts as well as ideas for dealing with behavior problems. I’m a psychologist with six kids and I really benefit from the great ideas other parents share on Pinterest. I think you will, too.
Of course, I’d love for you to follow all of my boards. I have boards for the major subject areas, recipe categories, productivity, and more. The best way to make sure you get all the posts and freebies, too, is to subscribe to Psychowith6.
*Are you a blogger who would like to contribute to What’s Hot in Homeschooling, Organized Homeschool, or Christian Inspiration? Be sure to follow the boards and email me your Pinterest link at psychowith6 {at} gmail [dot] com.
Spring is the season for getting outside, but it’s also a time for cleaning. Fortunately, homeschoolers can combine teaching and cleaning. While you’re unlikely to get it all done this week, you can get a great start in just an hour this week.
#1 Research and choose tasks
Which tasks should you tackle in your spring cleaning? You may not know where to start. Check out this Pinterest list of spring cleaning chores. Decide which of these would give your home the freshest feel. Though not a part of the list, you might want to work on the garage and get it ready for the spring activities you chose last week.
#2 Add tasks to calendar
How will you get spring cleaning done in addition to your regular activities? You’ll need to make time for it. Either make spring cleaning a regular part of your day for the next few weeks or schedule when you will do particular cleaning chores. Remember, a little spring cleaning is better than none!
#3 Teach one cleaning task
If you’ve never taught the kids how to clean the cobwebs, beat the rugs, or wash the windows, now is the time. You may want to start by reading about the history of spring cleaning. Consider your children’s ages, then teach them the why, the what, and the how of one cleaning task. Turn on some upbeat music and let them have a go at it. You may be surprised if you actually have fun.
#4 Decorate
Adding some fresh spring decorations or rearranging your rooms can lift all your spirits and keep you motivated the rest of the year.
First, pull out spring decorations from storage and display them. Kids love helping with this. Declutter those items you no longer want.
If you’ve been overwhelmed by winter, you probably can’t wait for spring. Personally, I’m desperate for it! No matter how excited we are about spring, if we don’t plan for it, we’ll find ourselves disappointed that we didn’t do many of our favorite things. We can change that with just an hour of our time this week. (Note that we will plan for Easter later this month.)
#1 Research ideas
Google, Pinterest, and your homeschool support group are great places to look for spring activity ideas. Discuss your must-do activities with your family. Is it time to plant a garden? Take a long-distance field trip? Make mud pies?
You can create your own printed list using this subscriber freebie (the link to all freebies is sent in subscribers’ first email). Keep your list short so you can check them all off and so kids can help make your list. Use a laminating machine and you can reuse your list every year.
#3 Add ideas to the calendar
Cute bucket lists do us no good if we don’t make time in our schedules for these activities. That’s especially true for events that are more fun with friends. Sign up for support group field trips or plan a day out with other families. You might want to have a rain-out date ready. Add them to your calendar or to-do list and treat them like any other important date.
#4 Gather supplies
If you’re finally going to plant a garden, fly kites, or go for a walk in the rain, you may need to gather the materials to make it happen. Today’s the day to shop or to add needed items to your list. Let the kids think of what you need and even make your shopping list. Have a preschooler? Make a picture shopping list using sales flyers or the internet.
Are you like me and often find that spring is over before you’ve had a chance to do these things?
I will warn you that I am not the productivity queen Francis makes me out to be in his post and in the podcast interview he did with me. But he is a very engaging writer and podcaster! Among the things he wanted to know were what worked and what didn’t in this year-long process. I hope something I share will inspire you to find what works for you.
If you have a functional extended family, connecting with them as part of your homeschooling can be a positive experience for you and your children. If you have family members who aren’t sold on homeschooling, some of this week’s ideas could help change that. We will get organized by including aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents in our homeschooling and family activities. Family can not only share the workload, but can also encourage us when the going gets tough.
#1 Discuss Potential Roles of Extended Family in School
HSLDA provides a variety of ways grandparents can be involved in homeschooling — from corresponding with grandkids via letter to taking over the some of the homeschooling responsibilities. One of the suggestions I love is to take grandparents to a homeschooling conference. Extended family can have a new appreciation for the choice you’ve made and the choices you still have to make (can you say curriculum overload?).
Many grandparents would be thrilled to be asked to teach a special skill or attend a child’s event. My father-in-law did a presentation on being a small business owner for our homeschool co-op. I have his talk recorded and now that he has gone to heaven, I treasure it. But don’t forget aunts, uncles, and cousins! Extended family offers a pool of knowledge and love that can enrich your children’s lives and vice versa. We invited extended family to an Africa night that concluded our unit study and had a blast. The kids’ uncle (a zoo curator) shared his slides on Africa and my kids gave presentations while in costume. Including family doesn’t have to be that elaborate, however.
#2 Discuss Ideas for Serving Extended Family
If you have extended family living with you, serving them will be second nature to your children. But if not, spend some time today thinking about what you could do to bless them. Could you send them a letter (snail mail is a special treat these days), do some spring cleaning, or bake them a special treat? How about organizing their photos or videos? We have our extended family on a prayer calendar which is a fantastic way to bless them. If you aren’t sure what to do, ask family members what they would appreciate.
#3 Discuss Ideas for Connecting with Family
Grandparents.com reports that 45% of grandparents live more than 200 miles away from their grandchildren. Distance can definitely interfere with relationships, but we are blessed that technology can bridge the divide. We gave my mom (who lives away) an iPad so we can use FaceTime and get as close as possible to an in-person visit, for example.
Plan regular a regular get-together with extended family, even if they live far away. You’ll create family traditions and build a wider safety net for your children. We treasured our weekly dinners with grandpa and our yearly lake trip with aunts, uncles, and cousins. What tradition could you begin?
#4 Put One of Your Ideas Into Practice
Once you’ve spent time discussing how to include your extended family in your homeschooling, put one of those great ideas into practice. Ask your kids what they’d like to do first and they’ll help hold you accountable.
How do you already get extended family involved in your homeschooling?
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.
