homeschool blog Archives - Page 7 of 9

Celebrities Who Homeschool

Homeschooling has often been classified as a ‘weird’ form of education. Because many people don’t understand it. Also, homeschooled children enjoy lengthy discussions about their interests and passion projects. Because homeschooled children have the time, support and growth environment to dive deeper into learning opportunities that interest them. Most people used to traditional education don’t understand the passion and drive that homeschooled children often have. So, it might come as a surprise to you that there are celebrities who opt to homeschool their children.

Homeschooling has become popular among North Americans, including the Hollywood elite. Many famous parents, reality stars and A-listers have chosen to homeschool their children rather than put them in traditional public or private schools.

Why are celebrities opting to homeschool their children?

Any veteran homeschooling parent will tell you that homeschooling has many surprising advantages. Celebrities who homeschool know that! Whether it’s the desire to give your child more one-on-one educational time. Or the need to work their child’s education into their busy schedule. And maybe even the ability to teach them alternative subjects that aren’t commonly taught in traditional schools.

There are many different reasons to choose to homeschool your child. And this also might shock you, but homeschooling doesn’t always mean that the parent is the one teaching their child. On the contrary, many homeschooling families (especially celebrity parents) opt for certified teachers or tutors to educate.

Celebrities who homeschool:

The following is a pretty impressive list of celebrities who homeschool or homeschool their children. Some of the biggest names in show biz might surprise you!

Farrah Abraham homeschools her daughter Sophia.

Among the list of celebrities who homeschool is Farrah Abraham. You might remember Farrah as an OG Teen Mom Star. Farrah decided to homeschool her daughter Sophia so that she could attend more press events and focus on her modelling career.

Jenelle Evans homeschooled her stepdaughter.

Another MTV Teen Mom star, Jenelle Evans, revealed that she and David Eason’s younger children are enrolled in traditional school. However, she homeschooled her 11-year-old stepdaughter Maryssa for some time.

Big Bang Theories, Mayim Bialik homeschools her kids!

You may know her as Amy from the Big Bang Theory. But her real name is Mayim Bialik. Mayim and her husband chose to homeschool their two sons. She posted a video passionately defending her choice to homeschool her children. And stated that her children are just as socialized and smart as children in traditional school settings. Does defending your right to homeschool sound familiar to you? We are so proud of Mayim for being an incredible advocate for homeschooling.

Kylie and Kendall Jenner were homeschooled!

Kris Jenner and former partner, Caitlyn Jenner.

Kris Jenner and her former partner Caitlyn Jenner were among the Hollywood Elites who chose to homeschool their children. In 2013 they decided to let their youngest daughters, Kendall and Kylie Jenner, finish their education by homeschooling. As their careers were getting very busy, this would prove to be a good option for them.

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes

On the list of celebrities who homeschool are Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise. At the same time, the couple disagreed on basically everything else. Education and schooling was one thing they did agree on. When the couple was still together, they hired a teacher to homeschool their daughter, Suri. They did so because of their busy shooting schedules and wanted her to get one-on-one attention while learning.

Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise homeschooled their children, too!

Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman homeschooled their children, too!

Before Tom Cruise chose to homeschool Suri with former partner Katie, he homeschooled his children Conner and Isabella with Nicole Kidman, another former partner. Tom Cruise enjoys homeschooling.

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.

That’s right, the Brangelina brood homeschools! In 2017, Angelina revealed that she and her then-partner, Brad Pitt, opted to teach their six kids at home. She said, “they are from around the world,” and she didn’t want them to have the “same education she had.”

Gwyneth Paltrow with children, Apple and Moses.

Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow homeschooled their children, Apple and Moses.

In 2011 the (then) couple rocked headlines after they released an ad searching for a tutor. Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin reportedly were looking to hire someone who would be able to teach Moses and Apple Greek, Latin and French. Along with other unique subjects, for $100,000!

Another celebrity who homeschools is Jennifer Lopez.

In 2016, Jennifer Lopez shared that she sometimes homeschools her twins, Max and Emme. They homeschool when needed. Jennifer Lopez said: “We don’t have a normal life; I don’t have normal kids.” She continued, “… They are super happy, well-adjusted, loving, caring kids, and that’s the most important thing. We’ll get them educated — homeschooling is great for them when we have to do it. The most important thing is that they’re with their mom and don’t feel abandoned by a parent.”

There’re many more celebrities who homeschool or homeschool their children.

Cynthia Bailey, John Travolta and Kelly Preston, Erykah Badu, Michael Jackson, Kimberly and James Van Der Beek, Richard Williams, and Jack Osbourne are some of the household names of celebrities who homeschool or homeschool their children. You will notice that most of these celebrities opted to homeschool because they wanted education to fit their lifestyle. And it paid off!

Homeschooling may not be for everyone, and not everyone will understand it. However, homeschooling suits your lifestyle and can give your family the necessary flexibility. Then go for it! And utilize Schoolio Curriculum for a simple open-and-go, all-in-one, inclusive curriculum.

Will Homeschooling Ruin Your Child?

Do you remember the day you brought your baby home? In those precious moments, you likely had a significant mix of emotions: joy and a hint of fear. This nagging worry that you were going to do something wrong, which would inevitably ruin your child. Despite all the baby books and pre-natal classes you took, you still felt unprepared. As your child got older, you felt comfortable, like you were getting the hang of this parenting gig. Only for the pandemic to hit, those worries and fears you first thought about in the beginning days have come to light again. All the things you thought you knew about parenting are now being questioned. You’re now asking yourself: ‘Should I homeschool?‘ ‘Should I keep sending my kid to school with all the educational uncertainties?‘ Will homeschooling ruin your child?

This wasn’t in the plan.

You likely never even considered homeschooling. But now, with the pandemic, health concerns, education cut-backs, and school closures, you aren’t sure where you stand. There’s this nagging worry that if you homeschool your child, they won’t ever be able to get back into ‘real’ school. Or that you’ll somehow ruin your relationship with your child. Additionally, you might fear that you will mess up their education and social skills.

Will homeschooling ruin your child?

You already know the answer to this question. And the answer is no. Homeschooling your child won’t ruin them. Of course, you want to do the right thing for them and their education. And I can’t tell you whether or not homeschooling is the right option for your family; only you know that, however, if you can homeschool and have the desire to help your child thrive on their educational journey. Then homeschooling might be a good choice for you and your family. Homeschooling doesn’t ruin children, in-fact many homeschooled children lead successful lives, both socially and academically, with most going on to University and leading successful lives.

8 things to consider about homeschooling:

1. Your schedule.

Unfortunately, in our current economy, both parents usually have to work. Gone are the days of one parent staying home and minding the house and kids while the other went out and earned money. Breadwinner is a term that often applies to both parents now. If you’re a stay-at-home parent, you work from home or have the opportunity to work evenings while your partner is home. Then you have a much more accommodating schedule for homeschooling.

If you work during the day, you’ll have to walk through the obstacles of finding childcare during the day and doing school in the evenings. Which many parents know is not ideal as kids are usually wound up or exhausted.

2. Your motivations.

There are many different reasons to homeschool your child. Some factors that can sway your decision are Your child’s health, the quality of their education, religious views, special needs, having a flexible schedule, and stability for your child’s education. Every homeschooling parent and family have reasons and motivations for homeschooling their child. Figuring out your motivations is essential.

3. Your child’s learning style and learning needs.

Even before the pandemic, children were falling behind in traditional learning venues. It is basic math, with one or two teachers responsible for a class of 20-25 children. Someone will fall behind. Perhaps your child needs more individual attention to thrive. Some children might succeed in the traditional learning setting because they enjoy collaborating with other children and want a competitive learning environment.

Additionally, some children with unique learning needs may need to be in school because they require specialized instruction from teachers and staff trained to work with them. However, some children with special learning needs may need more one-on-one time in a quiet setting with a curriculum customized to help them thrive.

4. Your ability to be a parent-teacher.

Believe it or not, you don’t need a teaching degree to teach your child. Teaching degrees do help people become great teachers. However, being a good teacher boils down to the characteristics that you already have. Excellent teaching characteristics include Patience, the ability to learn a concept to teach quickly, and your ability to go with the flow. Another fantastic characteristic is the ability to inspire your child. Do you have that ability (only answer if you’ve put your self-doubt away)?

5. The cost.

Homeschooling does come with a cost, as homeschooling parents have to spend hundreds of dollars on curriculum and supplies. However, there are many affordable options available. It’s essential to set a budget and then do adequate research to find the best curriculum for your price range.

Schoolio’s curriculum is loved by thousands of parents and students and comes at a very affordable price. Check it out for yourself.

6. Socialization.

One of the main concerns of parents that are contemplating homeschooling is socialization. Will homeschooling ruin your child because of the lack of socialization? Are homeschooled children behind on the socialization ladder? Let me clear this one up for you quickly. This idea that homeschooled children aren’t socialized is a complete myth. Despite this myth being extremely popular, it’s highly untrue. Most homeschooled children have a great social life. Curious how this could be true? Read Socialization and Homeschooling.

7. Your support system.

Homeschooling parents need a village. Because when you’re home with the kids all the time, you will need help with things like appointments. If you need to visit a doctor’s appointment during the day, do you have someone to watch your kids? Are you connected with other homeschooling parents that can help answer your questions and guide you down the best homeschooling path? Having a healthy homeschooling support system will make all the difference.

8. Local homeschooling rules.

What are the rules around homeschooling in your province/state? You will need to do some thorough research into this. If you have local friends already homeschooling, you can reach out to them with your questions and concerns.

Only you know what’s best for your family.

You and only you know if homeschooling is the best option for your family. If you see that it would cause more stress on your family than good, then obviously it’s not the best option. Alternatively, if you think you can do it and benefit your family, go for it.

Will there be tough days? Absolutely! And there will be days that you question your decision and wonder if you should give up. Everyone does. And as parents, it’s almost second nature to guess ourselves second. Don’t let your self-doubt determine your decision.

Boost your confidence.

If self-doubt is standing in your way of homeschooling. Then remind yourself just how awesome you are, and give yourself some credit. You have been teaching your child since day 1. You taught them how to walk, talk, eat, and make healthy choices. You inspire them daily to be the best version of themselves. So, you can do this; you need to believe in yourself.

Keep Your House Tidy with 15 Tips for Homeschoolers.

Oh, the clutter! Even if you started the school year with organized folders, ideally put-together bedrooms, and a tidy toy room. You may find that your table has a pile of books, papers, art supplies and other odds and ends. Your kitchen counters have become a dumping ground for the entire household. And let’s not even discuss the basement. How do you keep your house tidy when you’re a busy, overworked, exhausted homeschooling parent?

Keep Your House Tidy with these 15 tips!

1. Declutter

I know this is tough! Especially when you throw random toys no one cares about into the donation/trash pile. Suddenly, that doll with no hair has become your child’s best friend. This happens every time I try to declutter my kid’s rooms. They come into their rooms and see the bag. I am instantly rummaging through it to know what I’m tossing. Suddenly, the keep pile has grown astronomically, and the donation pile is essentially nothing.

How do you declutter with kids? Is that even possible? Yes! You can get them involved. That way, they see what you’re doing – and hey – they might even begin to enjoy decluttering. My kids, they aren’t those kids. So, I declutter their rooms when they’re not home. Suppose they’re with their grandparents or at a movie with their dad. I will try to make an effort to go through the room and throw out odds and ends. Being ever so careful not to mess with the critical toys and things.

Decluttering will make you feel so much better. Teaching, working, and living with clutter around you are just miserable. So, do your best to declutter your spaces.

2. Utilize storage bins and baskets.

Storage bins and baskets are a life-saver for the homeschooling/stay-at-home/virtual learning parent. Those books that are sitting on the table? They can have a bin. The barbies all over the house? They can also have a bin. Everything gets a bin! You can label the bins ‘toys’, ‘books,’ ‘misc’ and so on. Be strict with yourself and your family about what goes in the bin. Making sure that the label and the contents of the bins/baskets always match.

3. Everything has a place.

Have a bookshelf, cupboard, or bin specifically for homeschooling materials. Be sure to have a bucket for all those markers, so they don’t end up all over the tabletop. This goes beyond the homeschooling area. Everything in your home should have a place when you have random stuff with no home, even if it’s just a few items. They quickly turn into piles of clutter that you don’t want around.

4. Create a Cleaning Schedule.

Breaking down house cleaning tasks into small, not-so-intimidating tasks is so beneficial. Many people think they need to have a specific day set aside for cleaning. The problem with that is that by the time cleaning day rolls around; your house is so messy that cleaning it overwhelms you. That’s why you should break cleaning down into smaller, daily tasks. I understand the desire to clean it all, but who are we kidding? The kids will destroy it in less time than it took you to clean it. So instead, keep your house tidy by replacing the intense cleaning day with daily 30-minute cleaning routines.

What a daily cleaning routine could look like:

Sunday:

Clean the upstairs bathroom.
Vacuum Bedrooms.
Wash the bedding.

Monday:

Clean the downstairs bathroom.
Dust the living room/dining room.
Wash the towels.

Tuesday:

Clean sliding glass door.
Organize desk.
Wash the kid’s clothes.

Wednesday:

Clean surfaces of kitchen cupboards.
Organize homeschool materials.
Wash the blankets on the couch.

Thursday:

Dust hallway photos, stairway photos, and light fixtures.
Clean microwave.
Wash your clothes.

Friday:

Clean the fridge.
Sweep/vacuum main floors.
Mop main floors.
Wash the outdoor coats and jackets.

Saturday:

Sort and manage all the random papers/art projects/mail accumulated.
Focus on areas that have become cluttered during the week, and aim to declutter.
Organize homeschool materials for the next week.

Each of these tasks can have a designated duration of 10 minutes, bringing your total time cleaning to 30-40 minutes a day. It’s important to remember that you will have daily tasks, like dishes, sweeping, cat litter boxes if you have pets, spills etc. But those extra ‘big projects’ that maybe stress you out – don’t have to! When you simplify your cleaning to simple routines, keeping your house tidy will be much easier.

5. Daily laundry is a must.

This is especially true if you have multiple kids. Laundry is one area of life that so many parents feel they fall behind on. It’s so easy to throw it in a basket and then wait 5-10 business days to wash or fold it. So, throw in a load every day. Towels? Bedding? Clothes? Do one load a day. Having a laundry day is overrated. If you have access to a washing machine, throw a load in daily.

6. Designate chores.

You don’t have to do it all by yourself. Especially if your kids are older, you can give out a different task to each of your kids and get twice as much completed in half the time. It’s so good for our kids to do chores and learn the primary responsibilities of life. You will want to keep the chores age appropriate. Getting your child involved in that 30 minutes of cleaning each day will benefit them and your family home.

7. Do a quick nightly clean.

It’s evening, are the kids in bed? Do a quick 5-10 minute sweep of the floors. This doesn’t have to be extravagant. Just enough to pick up some legos, so you don’t step on them when you walk to the bathroom at night.

8. Don’t just cook; clean up!

Some people cook and leave it out all over the countertops for later. That in itself drives me crazy. While I’m cooking, I’m cleaning. I’ll wash it quickly if I just finished using a mixing bowl. If the pasta bag is empty, I’ll toss it in the trash. Cleaning up while you cook is one way to make the clean-up job more manageable. This is important, especially for the homeschooling parents making breakfast, lunch and dinner. You’re the real MVPs!

9. Give your kitchen some extra love.

When you’re finished cooking and everyone has devoured the meal, spend an extra 10 minutes making sure the counters are clean and organized. I don’t know about you, but my kitchen counters need to be clean, or I feel gross. Although right now, my daughter has her dolls on them because it’s a secret world. Keeping your kitchen clean is one way to keep your house tidy. A pro tip: Never, ever leave dishes in the sink overnight. I always make it a point to load the dishwasher or wash the dishes while I cook and after eating. Because waking up to a sink full of dishes is never fun.

10. Do it now.

When you walk through the house, you see a random toy lying on the floor. Pick it up and find its home. Don’t just leave it there. If you walk into the bathroom and find the towels on the floor, pick them up. Do it now. Don’t leave it for later. If you find that the shoes by the front door have turned into a pile of chaos, do a quick organization of the shoes. Don’t wait; just do it now.

11. Make cleaning seem less like a chore.

Whether it’s during your 30-minute daily cleaning routine or you choose to do a deep clean of the house. Just remember, it doesn’t have to be a chore! Turn on your favourite tunes, and make it fun. Dance around with your kids. Teach them that cleaning a house is a gift, not a punishment.

12. Clean the air while you’re cleaning surfaces!

This is such a nifty hack that I learned about in Readers Digest! When you’re vacuuming, dusting or sweeping, the dust and dirt sometimes end up in the air. Soon it will settle back down on your floors and surfaces. So, turn your home’s thermostat to “fan on.” While you clean, keep it on so it can catch all that dirt and dust floating around. Keep it running for 15 minutes after you’ve finished cleaning. Then be sure to switch it back to auto. You can learn more neat cleaning hacks here: 40 Handy Hints for Cleaning.

13. Sort through school supplies and papers regularly.

Don’t leave this task for the beginning and end of a homeschool year. Set aside weekly time to go through homeschooling content, supplies, and random papers. This way, they don’t pile up all over the place. Keep reminding yourself that everything has a place. Doing this ensures your learning environment is clean and organized. This will help you as the parent-teacher and your child during learning time.

14. Get help.

If you are financially able, hire a cleaning company to pop by once every two weeks for a few hours to tidy those areas that you can’t get to, like the oven or baseboards. There are many excellent-priced options out there when it comes to cleaning companies. Some are as cheap as $18/hour. Sometimes getting that extra help will be such a relief for you. You can then use that energy on something more significant.

15. Know that your ‘good’ is good enough.

It can be tough to think that your home is clean enough, especially when you pop on social media and see a social media influencer’s stunningly clean home. That will make you quickly and painfully fall into the comparison trap. So avoid that. Your house is clean enough. And you’re doing an excellent job! Not everyone can manage all the tasks that you’ve taken on, but you do it! Is it that bad if your house reflects the fun you all have?

Find your favourite on The Schoolio Marketplace.

Customizable Curriculum

Homeschooling can be a very overwhelming task to take on. Especially if you’re trying to search for the right curriculum to suit your families learning needs. There are so many different options out there, which can make finding the best one even more of a challenge. Having a customizable curriculum can benefit your homeschool greatly, let’s find out how.

The negatives of purchasing a non customizable curriculum.

Your curriculum should be your tool, not your master. Purchasing a curriculum that isn’t customizable (or doesn’t have room to move, built into it) will only cause issues for you and your child. One of the biggest mistakes I made when I first started homeschooling, was to choose a curriculum without doing any sort of research on it. Or taking the time to review samples before I spent hundreds of dollars on it. I purchased this super expensive curriculum, that wasn’t at all customizable and left no room for anything. This left my oldest, and myself, feeling overwhelmed at the end of each day. Causing our homeschool journey to start out really messy.

I felt like we had to accomplish all the things, on each page, every day. There was this huge pressure to get it all done before the end of the homeschool year, because that’s what the book said! As a result, at the end of the homeschool year we both felt completely derailed. I wish that I could go back in time and give my old self some words of advice. Some of which being: You don’t have to follow the curriculum exactly, in order for your child to succeed with their learning. And also, go purchase a customizable curriculum!

Your curriculum should be your tool, not your master.

If you feel like you are constantly dredging through your curriculum. And the assignments and activities are actually just overwhelming you and your child. That’s a pretty good indicator that your curriculum needs to be customized to fit your child’s learning needs, and your own unique teaching style. All too often people give up on homeschooling, because they think there’s something wrong with them. When it’s actually their curriculum that needs to be reevaluated. Assignments and activities aren’t there to be your boss, they’re there to help you teach your child.

You as the parent teacher, can pick and choose the assignments and activities that you know your child needs help with. If you’re finding that a certain assignment is just not working, skip it! If an assignment 3 lessons ahead seems to be a better fit for your child, then jump ahead to it. You get to decide how the curriculum is presented to your child.

Why is customizable curriculum a good thing?

Having a customizable curriculum is a great thing because it helps you let go of those unrealistic curriculum expectations. This then gives you an amazing sense of educational freedom. When your curriculum is customizable, you can choose what your child actually needs to learn. Based on where they are at. Unfortunately, the educational system is famous for pushing kids along to the next grade. Even when they know a child is lacking in certain areas. And clearly need help with aspects of their education, like reading.

When your curriculum is customizable, you can dig deeper into the areas you know your child needs help with. Without this pressure of ‘I better finish this book so they can move onto the next grade.’ Wouldn’t it be so much better for your child to actually know what they need to?

Work with your child’s strengths.

If you focus on an area of your child’s education, that you know they’re struggling with, have your child use their strengths to accomplish it. This will help to boost their confidence. If you know that your child is really good at art, then incorporate that as much as possible into your day and curriculum. Have them paint numbers, do play dough math problems, or trace letters in sand. If your child is really good at creating or building, have them build their own math problems, sentences words, and paragraphs.

Many children need a lot of movement in order for the information to stick. You could put sight words on the stairs, and have them read each word before they can go to the next step. This causes a lot of anticipation and excitement, which can help get the wiggles out. Also, be sure not to sit at the table or desk for too long. I totally get that sometimes you feel like you need to push your kids to finish a lesson. But you don’t. Take breaks, run around, go outside, put a pause on an assignment until some energy has been released.

Schoolio’s customizable curriculum fits!

The amazing Schoolio writing team came up with the phenomenal idea to create unit studies for you to choose from. Most curriculum companies only sell their curriculum by the book. Schoolio offers individual units. That means, that if you’d like to start mid year, and know that your child needs help with Grade 3 Numbers, then you can purchase the Grade 3 Numbers unit. Or if your child has been homeschooling all year but needs help with a certain aspect of Language Arts, you can pick up the unit of Language Arts that your child needs.

We also offer bundled curriculum options, which have all the core subjects, and units included. It’s important to remember that even if you purchase the bundle, you can still customize it to fit your child’s learning needs. You can choose what unit of which subject your child should work on, and when.

What if your curriculum isn’t working for you?

If you’re finding that your curriculum is causing a lot of stress for you and your child. Or it just isn’t cutting it at all. Consider making some necessary adjustments to it. This doesn’t mean that you have to completely abandon the curriculum. You could add in some units here and there to help your child. Additionally, you could skip certain lessons that aren’t relevant to your child. The point is, you know what your child needs to learn, and you have the power to adjust the curriculum.

There’s help for you.

Fortunately for you, homeschooling has become so much more mainstream in the last 5 years. And homeschool curriculum companies, like Schoolio, exist to help you. Schoolio Learning was created by a team of extremely passionate individuals. All of whom care deeply about making education simple, affordable, customizable, and enjoyable. If you’re in the process of weighing your options and figuring out what curriculum works best for you, don’t hesitate to reach out to TEAM Schoolio for guidance.

If you’re feeling stuck in your curriculum, just remember it’s not the master of your homeschool. You are.

Browse Schoolio U.S. curriculum

Browse Schoolio Canadian curriculum

School Closures are Causing Parents to Consider Homeschooling, as COVID Cases are Breaking Record Highs

After two years of a global pandemic, I think we all had high hopes that this would be over by now. Yet, the number of active COVID cases are the highest they’ve ever been. Many parents are completely frustrated with the educational uncertainties that come with school closures and remote learning. Because COVID cases are breaking record highs, school closures are causing parents to consider homeschooling as an option in order to give their child some form of stability with their education.

COVID Cases are Breaking Record Highs, School Closures are causing Parents to Consider Homeschooling.

COVID cases have drastically increased in both Canada and the United States in the last two months. Currently in the United States there are 19,885,128 active COVID cases. (Statistics found on https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us/). Canada has a current COVID case count of 402,237 active cases. (Statistics found on https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/canada/). Due to the drastic increase in COVID cases, many schools in North America have had no choice but to close their doors.

As a result, many parents are now feeling pressured to make momentous decisions about their children’s education. Continue with the instability of school closures and remote learning? Or remove their child from the education system and homeschool them? It’s not an easy decision to make, many parents are struggling with anxiety around how to homeschool and where to begin.

Should you homeschool or continue with education roulette?

If reading the question “Should you homeschool?” gives you instant dread, and you think, ‘nope that’s not for me!’ then homeschooling might not be your first or best choice. However, if you’re basing your ideas of homeschooling off of a bad venture with online learning, then you truly do not know what homeschooling is actually like. Homeschooling and online/remote learning are vastly different forms of home education. If you still think that homeschooling is a terrible option, and aren’t interested, then let’s review some other forms of learning aids to help you with remote learning temporarily (we will have more on that below, in issue 10).

Reasons to homeschool.

There are many amazing benefits of homeschooling. Some of which include:

Educational freedom
Schedule flexibility
Learning Stability
A safe learning space for your child
More one-on-one time
Relief from the ever changing educational system
High quality education opportunities
Interest-led learning opportunities
Unique education options for unique learners
The chance to learn with your child

These are just ten of many, many benefits of homeschooling. As school closures are causing parents to consider homeschooling, it’s important to gain all the facts before you dive into it.

Disadvantages of homeschooling.

While I’d love to just paint all rainbows and unicorns around homeschooling, it’s important to give you the facts on both sides. Homeschooling can be so amazing, giving your child flexibility and freedom with their education, along with stability and a safe space to learn. But, there are some disadvantages to note:

Homeschooling requires more organization
Not as many ‘educational’ events to look forward to
Homeschooling curriculum can be expensive
It will require you to be much more disciplined with your time
Fewer breaks for you, as the parent-teacher
Struggling with criticism from family, friends and even strangers.
Keeping the house clean becomes challenging
Parents can be placed under a large amount of stress
The need to keep track of their grades can overwhelm you
Maybe you just really don’t want to

This list isn’t meant to deter you from homeschooling, but rather to help you understand that while there are many amazing aspects to homeschooling, there are also some drawbacks. Let’s walk through the issues together, and see if there are any solutions to the problems that most new homeschooling parents face.

Issue 1: Organization

Homeschoolers have to be more organized than the average parent. Because you are responsible of keeping track of your child’s education. The idea of keeping track of more than just their report cards might overwhelm you. Additionally you might become overwhelmed when you are trying to figure out if you’d need a special learning space. Especially if you know you don’t have the room to do it. What can you do?

Remember that you aren’t the first person in the world to homeschool. There are many, many families that have gone before you. Ranging from veteran homeschoolers who have been homeschooling for years, to COVID homeschoolers, who started in the spring of 2020 as a response to the first wave. Each person, and each family, have their own unique way to homeschool and how to keep organized.

If the idea of how to get organized for homeschooling is completely derailing you. Then consider reaching out to a veteran homeschooler, or doing some quick Pinterest searches on homeschool organization options. You will find a bounty of amazing tips and tricks on how to keep your homeschool organized and your home flowing in a healthy rhythm.

Issue 2: Less educational events to look forward to.

The school play, the epic basketball games, the fun track and field days. These are all things that you might be concerned that your child will miss, should you decide to homeschool. Let’s look at some facts before we let this issue actually become an issue. While your child will be missing the opportunity to be a part of these school related activities, if you connect with a local homeschooling group – many amazing opportunities will appear.

Our local homeschool group has so many opportunities for our children to choose from. There’s homeschool gymnastics classes at a local gymnastics club. Weekly track and field days with friends. Swimming and horse back riding lessons. Soccer games and pottery classes. And the list continues. When you connect with an amazing homeschooling group your child will have countless opportunities to have fun, and even do things that traditional schooled children can’t because of their schedule.

If you don’t have a homeschool group in your area, consider creating one! Find a city near you that has an established homeschooling group, and tell them that you’d like help to create one where you are. One amazing thing about homeschooling parents, is that they are usually gracious, kind and so excited to help.

Issue 3: Homeschooling can be expensive.

Yes, that’s completely accurate. In fact, when I first started homeschooling I had a very difficult time trying to afford the curriculum. There aren’t many affordable, and wholesome curriculum options available. However, Schoolio Learning does offer the most affordable and easily accessible curriculum option on the market. With bundles including all 4 core subjects, Math, Science, Language Arts and Social Studies for affordable prices.

Do your research before you purchase a curriculum to compare what you’re getting and for what price, and be sure to read the reviews.

Issue 4: More disciplined with your time.

Time management is key when it comes to homeschooling. That doesn’t mean that you need to have a rigorous daily schedule that keeps everyone on their toes at all times. It just means that instead of letting the kids watch TV for hours, you are careful about turning it off and jumping into healthy learning time with them. It means, not allowing yourself to aimlessly scroll social media for hours, or watching your favourite TV series during school hours. You need to be disciplined with your time.

And, it’s totally possible! It doesn’t mean you can’t watch your favourite show, or scroll social media here and there. Because those things can be your reward for when you’ve completed what needs to be done for the day.

Issue 5: Fewer breaks for you.

It’s true, there are less breaks for you as the homeschooling parent. However, if you are doing remote learning with your child, you’ll know that there are barely any breaks for you either. The difference when it comes to breaks, and remote learning vs. homeschooling is that when you’re homeschooling you have the freedom to create the schedule. When you’re doing remote learning, you are stuck with the schedule that the school provides. Therefore, your life must run around the schedule. Alternatively, when you are homeschooling, the schedule must run around your life.

And, if you are scheduling the homeschool. You will have the ability to schedule in breaks in your daily routine that are just for you. It may not run smoothly at first, but once your family adjusts to this new routine, things will come together quickly and perfectly.

Issue 6: Struggling with criticism.

Homeschooling parents are highly criticized by, almost everyone! While that fact is steadily changing as homeschooling is quickly becoming a fan favourite among parents, (especially because school closures are causing parents to consider homeschooling more and more). You may still face some forms of criticism from people in your social circle.

If you find that you are being criticized for choosing to homeschool your children, just remind yourself that their opinions are theirs, not yours. And, it’s not up to you to change their opinions. It’s up to you to take care of your mental health and well-being, and your family. If homeschooling is something you think will benefit your family, then you don’t need to prove that to anyone.

Issue 7: Keeping the house clean.

Yes, keeping the house clean will be slightly more difficult. Because your children will be spending much more time in the home. They’ll be playing, experimenting, doing art projects, and workbooks. There will be snacks, and lessons in Independent cooking. You will likely be a little more exhausted than normal from caring for the kids and teaching, so you won’t be bouncing with exuberance when it comes to vacuuming and folding the laundry.

This doesn’t mean that you have to let your cleaning standards go. Teach your kids to do chores, to fold their laundry, to help with dishes, and take the trash out. There are many simple chores that your child can partake in, that will help them gain independence and learn important life lessons along the way. Some families even have a house cleaner come to their home every other week, just to do the basics. Like bathrooms, and cleaning the fridge. They’re relatively affordable, some at only $20 an hour. There are so many options available. So don’t worry too much about the way your house will look.

Pro-Tip: Teach your kids to clean up after themselves!

Issue 8: An increase in parental stress.

Unfortunately, homeschooling can cause parents to hold more stress than they did before. Because, with fewer breaks for you as the parent, you might feel burnt out. There’s also the added pressure of making sure that you’re helping your kids learn in the same way that they would if they were at school. Because you likely are afraid that they’ll somehow fall behind or not be accepted back to school once you stop homeschooling.

Just know this: You aren’t screwing your kids up because you are choosing to homeschool them. In fact, many homeschooled children have gone onto university and have led successful careers. Homeschooled children have the opportunity to learn independent learning which will serve them greatly in life. There will be the added pressure of making sure your child is learning, but that can be easily remedied when you add a curriculum that is open-and-go. It takes the lesson planning off your plate. Helping you feel confident that your child is learning exactly what they need to.

Issue 9: Keeping track of their grades.

This is one thing that many, many new homeschoolers worry about. Because they are so accustomed to traditional education, they don’t understand that when you’re homeschooling you will have a very, very good view of how your child is doing educationally. You will know what your child needs more help in, and what they’re excelling at. The same goes with their grades. When they’ve completed an assignment, you can look it over for mistakes. If they’ve made a mistake or two, you can simply guide them through it the next day. Helping them to correct, learn and move forward.

Keeping track of grades isn’t actually a big deal when you’re homeschooling. If you’re temporarily homeschooling to avoid school closures and remote learning, then most schools won’t even ask for grade reports when your child returns. They will simply put your child in the grade that they are supposed to be in. This should take a huge weight off your shoulders.

Issue 10: Maybe you just really don’t want to homeschool.

That’s okay! Homeschooling isn’t for everyone. Perhaps you’re okay with jumping from remote learning to in-person. Maybe your job just won’t allow you to work from home so you can be with your child. Or, you just genuinely don’t have any desire to homeschool, but you do want to help your child get more out of their education when it comes to remote learning.

If that’s the case, you can find some pretty amazing learning tools available for students from Kindergarten – Grade 8. If they need some extra help with math, you can pick up a Schoolio Math unit. Perhaps they’re struggling with Language, then you can grab a Schoolio Language Unit that corresponds with the area of Language that they are struggling. Maybe your child is doing just fine but they’re bored with remote learning? Then consider purchasing a Schoolio Novel Study, or Special Interest Unit to keep their minds active and engaged.

Wherever you find yourself, just know this:

You’re doing a great job. Parenting was already a tough gig long before the pandemic happened. Switching from remote learning, to in-person learning, to homeschooling and back again. That’s frustrating and overwhelming for both you and your children. Often times, when things aren’t going well for our child we tend to blame ourselves. Avoid doing that, because this situation is out of our hands! You’re doing the very best that you can despite the challenges that continue to arise. Give yourself some credit, and know that whatever you decide for your child’s education, it will be the right choice!

Did you find this article about school closures causing parents to consider homeschooling, helpful? Let us know in the comments!

Make Learning a Priority Despite School Closures.

Many parents are once again struggling with how to make learning a priority despite school closures. Chances are that you live in a location that has either just announced school closures again, or perhaps they are leaning that way due to the steady climb of Covid-19 cases, related to the new variant of concern.

You as a parent may find yourself stuck in the frustration of wanting to keep your child safe while also wanting to be sure they are getting the education that they need at this stage in their life. I don’t think any of us thought that the pandemic would continue for so long, or that school closures and lockdowns would continue to be the method used to combat it. Yet, here we are. So the question is, how can you help your child continue to thrive with their learning, or even catch up, despite the inevitable school closures?

This is a huge topic, yet there’s not a lot of information out there about it. Doing a quick Google search doesn’t really reveal anything substantial, or helpful. Which is ironic, because education truly is key. Yet, education is one thing that has continually been placed on the back burner during the duration of the pandemic thus far.

What can we as parents and caregivers do?

As I previously wrote, none of us thought that school closures and lockdowns would continue to take place, especially not after two years since the beginning of this pandemic. It really puts things into perspective when you think of how a Kindergartener in the spring of 2020 is now in grade 2, and struggling to read. Or how a grade 10 student in March of 2020 is now facing graduation, feeling completely unprepared for university.

The pandemic has caused all of us to suffer, but no one more than our children. So many life experiences and learning opportunities have been missed. Will life ever return to normal? What even is normal anymore? Is it normal for your child to be falling behind? Will they ever catch up? What can you as a parent or caregiver do to make learning a priority despite school closures and lockdowns?

The First Step: Just Be There.

I get it, you’re frustrated and overwhelmed. For many it’s not just education that is affected, but also finances and mental well-being. Your mind is likely wandering a mile a minute, as you try to come to some settlement of peace. So, take a deep breath. Focus on what really matters. Sure, life is a crazy mess. But right now, in this very moment, are you okay? Is your family safe? Are your kids okay? Really focus on being in the moment. Focus on the laughter of your children. Talk to them, help them, because they’re also struggling with big feelings too. Make being there for your children a priority.

The Second Step: Find Ways to Ease Stress.

We don’t often realize just how stressed our children can be. The sad reality is that the pandemic, school closures, chaos and financial uncertainties has also placed stress on our kids. We like to think of them as “just going to be okay” but often times they are silently watching as their world seems to be collapsing around them.

Which brings us to an important point. And that is: Children cannot properly learn when they’re under a large amount of stress. As you probably already know, virtual learning often causes children more stress than anything else. This results in a lack of wholesome learning because of the stress that your child is under when trying to learn. Which is why finding ways to calm that stress is imperative.

Some helpful stress relieving tips include:

Answer their questions honestly, and have conversations about their feelings.
Let them know that you recognize that they are feeling stressed, and that it’s okay to feel this way.
Contact loved ones, grandparents, family and friends. Let your child connect with them.
Demonstrate how to take care of your own feelings in a healthy way.
Help them with a mindfulness activity.
Offer plenty of hugs and cuddles.
Sign up for a Mindfulness Activity or purchase a Mindfulness workbook.
Teach your child about how to manage their thoughts and feelings.

The Third Step: Create a Healthy Routine

Having a healthy routine is extremely important. Especially if you are aiming to make learning a priority despite school closures. It can be so tempting to just let everything go and continue life like you’re on holidays. While somedays that may be okay, it’s important to snap out of it sooner rather than later. Children need routine, it helps them to feel safe, while also helping them to develop important life skills.

Your kids and yourself have absolutely no control over the pandemic, or school closures. So, help your child feel like they’re in a little more control with a routine. Let them add in parts of the routine that they think are important, and be sure to honour that.

Routines aren’t just good for kids, they also have huge benefits for you as the parent or care-giver. Having a healthy routine has been proven to help parents feel more organized while simultaneously reducing stress.

You can add structure to your child’s day by adding smaller routines to your larger daily routine.

Early Morning Routine: Wake up, get dressed, eat a healthy breakfast, brush teeth, and encourage active play for a bit before school work.

Late Morning – Early Afternoon Routine: This is when your child can work on their school work, whether that be virtual learning or workbooks. For many children their school board has scheduled times of the day around virtual learning. So, their routine might revolve around those time slots.

If you have decided to homeschool during the duration of another lockdown, you can use this time to work on two core subjects like Math and Science. Reserving this time for lesson time, work time and a learning activity.

Be sure to add in lunch, and snack times! And if your child is participating in virtual learning, then make lunch and break times a big deal! Have fun with lunch time, play some word games while you both eat sandwiches. Try your best to make it as positive as possible.

Afternoon/Evening Routine: Once education time is completed for the day, encourage them to play outside, or in their room while you get a tiny break. If they just want to be with you, then try to make a new recipe together for dinner. Having fun together is one of the best remedies for stress. At the dinner table, ask your child(ren) what their favourite part of the day was, then aim to include more of that in the next day.

Bedtime Routine: Now it’s time for brushing teeth and bath time. Once that’s complete, be sure to have some snuggles and reading time with your kids. It’s so important to continue to carve out time for reading with each other as it continues to strengthen your bond.

The Fourth Step: Evaluate the Learning Solutions.

Many parents hear the words “Virtual Learning” or “Online Learning” and instantly cringe. Because this form of education is anything but wonderful for both students and teachers. If you’ve recently learned that your child has to do online learning, and you know from experience that it will be a disaster. Then take some time to evaluate this form of learning by asking yourself these questions:

Is this helping my child or hurting them?
Are they still learning?
Is the stress from this even worth it?
Are there other options available for learning?

Once you’ve answered these questions you will have a more clear indication about whether or not this form of education is actually working for you and your child. If you’re still unsure, write out a list of pros and cons. What are the pros to virtual learning, and what are the cons? If you have no other learning choices, then find out what are some ways that you can work together with your child’s school to make it more bearable.

The Fifth Step: Research Alternative Learning Solutions.

If you’ve evaluated your child’s education method, and are finding that it’s causing more stress than learning. But you are determined to make learning a priority despite school closures, then you should look for alternative methods of education for your child. You could consider a home-learning option. Remember this doesn’t have to be permanent, this can be a temporary solution until circumstances level out.

Determining what type of in-home learning curriculum will best suit your family is really important. You can learn about how to choose in-home learning curriculum here.

Staying on track with their learning is essential, which is why finding a curriculum that follows their grade level standards, and is easy to follow/teach is really important. Be sure to look for a learning solution that reflects that.

The Sixth Step: Start Learning.

It’s imperative that you remind yourself that learning is always happening. There are so many life lessons to be learned during any given day. So, please don’t stress yourself thinking that learning must look a certain way, because it often doesn’t. That is one of the reasons why virtual learning can can cause so much stress for some students. Education can’t be crammed into a box. For many, learning is hands-on. Learning through a screen with twenty other children going on and off of mute, isn’t always going to give your child the whole learning experience that they need.

Read stories with your kids, dive into a Novel Study. Bake cookies, clean the house, do art work, watch an educational show together, and play learning games! Don’t stress about how learning should look, just let it happen naturally.

Figure out what areas your child needs the most help with and make that a priority. Being sure to add in the extra areas of their education here and there. Just be sure to never overwhelm your child with information, aim to keep lessons short, simple and to the point. Dragging out a lesson just because you feel like it needs to be longer, won’t help you or your student. If your child is struggling with a particular concept, then take a break and revisit it again later.

The Seventh Step: Let Go.

Life continues to not go according to plan. Holding onto your ideas of what it should look like, will only bring you more disappointment. Embrace the way life is, even if it’s messy. Because if you continue to hold onto this idea of what you wish life looked like, it will only make it worse for you and your child. Letting go of the original plan, and working together to come up with a new, brilliant plan will be extremely beneficial for your entire family.

Whether you choose to give virtual learning another go, or you feel like you need to dive head first into homeschooling. Just know that whatever choice you make, it will be a good one for your family. Yes, sometimes you will have bad days, sometimes things won’t go as planned. And yes, you will absolutely make some mistakes. But you’re trying your very best to make learning a priority despite school closures and that is truly what matters.

Take a deep breath, focus on what really matters, and move forward.

15 Habits of Successful Homeschooling Families

Small Changes for Huge Growth, Utilizing 15 Habits of Successful Homeschooling Families.

Making small changes for bountiful growth is an ideal way to ensure that your homeschool is everything that you want it to be, and more. Maybe you’d like to homeschool your children in the new year, or perhaps you’d just like to be more successful at homeschool. We are going to dive into 15 habits of successful homeschooling families, to help you obtain your homeschooling goals.

It’s the time of the year when you get to set goals and hope to stick to them. Many people often list all the amazing things they’d like to accomplish like sticking to that diet, organizing the house, getting a new job, or committing to an exercise regiment. We often start out with the best of intentions but many of us end up reverting to our old ways in a matter of weeks.

This usually happens because the changes that we wanted to take place were just not feasible. Why is that? The answer is simple, because life happens! Life is a never ending cycle of ups and downs. The key is to set manageable, realistic and obtainable goals. Goals that will benefit you and your family.

This is imperative when it comes to setting goals and habits for a successful homeschool. You don’t need to wait until the new school year to begin homeschooling or to change things up to make your homeschool more successful. The time is now to utilize 15 habits of successful homeschooling families. You don’t need to be overwhelmed, or stressed about learning new habits. Because these habits and goals are just so much more simple than you’d think.

What are the 15 Habits of Successful Homeschooling Families?

1. Successful Homeschooling Families are Flexible.

When it comes to successful homeschooling families, they have learned that in order to be successful, they must be flexible. Realizing that life happens, and homeschool happens around your life not the other way around, is key to a much more peaceful homeschool. You can plan things out in perfect detail, but sometimes things will happen that will shift your best laid plans.

It’s always important to factor in flexibility so that when things happen like, sickness, job loss, doctors appointments, or a headache that keeps you from teaching, you won’t feel burdened down by unrealistic expectations.

2. Successful Homeschooling Families Make Learning a Lifestyle.

Learning isn’t just something that happens from 9:00am – 2:00pm. And learning certainly isn’t something that happens only when the workbooks hit the table. Learning is all around them, all the time. Successful homeschooling families utilize opportunities to gain more knowledge. Many homeschooling parents are constantly teaching their children in various forms. While instilling a genuine love for learning in their children.

3. They Ask For Help.

You’re familiar with the term “It takes a Village”. Well, it takes a village to homeschool your children. It’s not a one parent does all the teaching, all the time, kind of situation. You will need help, from family, sometimes from friends, and from your partner. Never be afraid to ask for help.

4. Successful Homeschooling Parents Share Responsibility.

Going along with habit number 3 of the 15 habits of successful homeschooling families, is sharing responsibility. You cannot do it all by yourself. Having an understanding with your partner is extremely important. As is having real conversations about sharing the responsibilities of homeschooling and raising your children. Doing so is imperative to a successful homeschooling journey. Sharing responsibility can look different for every family. So be sure to find your own vibe.

5. Never Fall for Comparison.

Which brings us to the next point. It’s important for your family to find it’s own unique vibe. Chatting with your partner about ways to share responsibility is so important, but so is not comparing what that shared responsibility looks like to another families shared responsibilities.

Perhaps your homeschool family friends have an amazing system where the partner teaches math when they’re home from work and also does the dishes and laundry. But your partner isn’t doing the dishes or laundry, or teaching math. However they take the kids for amazing nature walks where they teach your children really important lessons about nature while you take a break at home.

When you start to compare yourself to other homeschooling families, you will inevitably feel miserable about some aspect of your homeschool, family, or life. So be sure to stay far, far away from the comparison trap. Because once you fall into it, it’s really hard to get out of.

6. Say No!

It can be so tempting to say yes to everyone and everything. Maybe your friend just planned a really cool field trip for the homeschool community. But you’re feeling burnt out and exhausted, you can say no. Maybe a family friend thinks that you are just staying home doing nothing all day, so has asked you to babysit their child. You know that this will have a negative impact on your homeschool. And you really just can’t. Say no! They will find alternative help. All too often people think that homeschooling families just sit around and do nothing. Now’s your time to prove otherwise.

7. Avoid Jumping at Every Opportunity.

It can be so tempting. Sometimes homeschooling parents feel like their children are lacking in some form because they aren’t going to ‘real school’. Therefore they must be missing important aspects of socialization and field trips. This may cause you to jump at every opportunity that arises. Doing so will only cause your schedule to get overbooked, your kids to be tired, and you to burn out. When you dive at every opportunity, your homeschool lessons will fall way behind which will then cause another layer of unfortunate stress, that you simply don’t need. So, avoid jumping at every opportunity.

8. Understand the Importance of Community.

Another really important habit/ goal to have, when it comes to the 15 habits of successful homeschooling families, is the ability to embrace community. This doesn’t mean that you’re going back on number 7 and suddenly doing all the activities with the local homeschool community. No, this means that you are investing in healthy homeschool relationships with other homeschool families. Families that you meet through the local homeschool communities.

Building those friendships is so important. Because they get it! Other homeschooling parents understand just how crazy homeschooling can be. They understand the frustration of people constantly poking them and teasing them about how their kids should be in school. When you have that important community built up around your homeschool, your homeschool will thrive in the safety that the community brings.

9. Successful Homeschoolers Read a lot!

I get it! You’re busy. You have 10,000 things to do, at any given time. Sometimes, reading gets pushed to the very bottom of the agenda because it requires stillness. And, your mind is anything but still. I understand that you feel like you need to be moving and doing things at all times in order to feel like you are getting anything done. But trust me when I tell you, that spending time with your kids reading is extremely important work and truly needs to be at the top of the list.

Reading together sparks conversations, enhances the imagination, grows bonds, and builds vocabulary and reading comprehension. Truly reading together is a gift.

10. We Get Really Excited!

Your kid just read a full sentence? That’s a reason to celebrate! Your child just memorized their times tables! Celebrate! Successful homeschoolers don’t save celebrations for birthdays and report cards, they celebrate all the little moments along the way to the big milestones. Celebrate those small wins! You and your family have earned it.

11. Successful Homeschooling Parents Start the Day on a Positive Note.

Before the children are awake, you can often find a homeschooling parent reading a book, journaling, meditating, or exercising. This is the time of day to get that inner peace and balance that they will need to carry them through the craziness that the day will inevitably hold. Finding out what your jam is when it comes to starting on a positive note is essential.

12. Successful Homeschoolers Involve the Kids.

Starting a garden? The kids are right there, getting their hands dirty. Working at a soup kitchen? Your kids are right there handing out food with you. Successful homeschool parents involve their children in the many different areas and aspects of life. Giving them the opportunity to learn vital lessons from a young age.

13. Avoid Conversations with People who Just Don’t Get it!

Whether that be an internet troll, or a moody aunt. There will always be someone who has something negative to say about your choice to homeschool. Even if you’re doing an amazing job, they will find something wrong with it. They will throw out harsh accusations and rude comments regarding homeschooling. These are the people and conversations that you want to avoid. They are not life giving, they are life draining. Make it your mission to stay away from that drama, because your mind doesn’t need to be filled with nonsense.

14. Successful Homeschoolers Aren’t Afraid to Switch it up!

The curriculum you purchased is just not working? Your kids mastered a concept and are bored with the repetition of the concept? Maybe your kids need extra practice work to master a concept but your curriculum wants you to move on. Don’t! Successful homeschoolers aren’t afraid to throw out a curriculum and start something new.

They will spend more time or less time on a concept based on how their students are doing. You are with your child all the time, so you know what your child is responding to better than anyone else. If something is just not working for your homeschool, you can ditch it and find something that does work!

15. Understand Just How Difficult the Task Is.

Because you are always teaching in some capacity, you as a homeschooling parent will know that even the tiny, mundane moments are leading to something great. You have the ability and opportunity to stay home with your children, not everyone can do that. In fact, most parents can’t. You have an abundance of patience and dedication to your children and their education. We don’t need to tell you that this is a difficult task, because you already know.

But you also know that you have the ability to do it. You know that each moment is unique and that one day you will see the rewards of all this hard work that you are pouring into your children’s education. You should be so proud.

Summing it Up!

There are a million ways to homeschool, finding your rhythm is essential. Will you find thousands of reasons as to why you shouldn’t homeschool? Yep! But, for each reason there is two reasons why it’s so important to press on and homeschool your kids. Will you have ups and downs? Absolutely! However, the ups are so amazingly great that they make the downs seem like nothing.

Be proud of yourself, the strength you are demonstrating by homeschooling your kids is simply amazing. Now go ahead and write down 10 things that you’d like to accomplish in the new year with your homeschool. Make sure they are realistic and obtainable goals. Then each day, aim to work towards them.

Should Homeschool Curriculum be Accredited?

We all want the very best for our kids. So naturally many of us are feeling overly stressed with the ups and downs of pandemic learning and school closures. As a result, many parents have turned to homeschooling. Doing so as a method of greater stability for their children’s education. Even after taking this large step, many parents are still worried. Especially if they’re struggling with questions like: ‘Should homeschool curriculum be accredited?’ Or: ‘If my child goes back to school, will they go into the correct grade?’

Question 1: Should Homeschool Curriculum be Accredited?

The short answer is no. Your child’s homeschool curriculum doesn’t need to be accredited so please don’t stress yourself over it. The reality is, most home learning programs aren’t accredited. Because accreditation requires that a particular program is being delivered. While assurances are made that it’s being delivered properly and completely. It’s very difficult for the company that sold you the curriculum to keep tabs on all families. They would need to insure that all curriculum is completed and standards are met. Which would obviously be a huge undertaking for any company.

Supervision would be needed by the curriculum company. This supervision would often come in the form of standardized testing. This would be to ensure that students are completing the program. And also helps the supervision to know if the student has obtained satisfactory understanding of the content that they have been learning. In this situation, not only would you need to comply to their assessments and scheduling. But you would also expect additional fees for testing or a higher price-point on the home-learning program itself.

This often goes against most homeschoolers reasons for homeschooling.

For most homeschoolers, this goes strictly against many of the reasons they chose to homeschool in the first place. Because teaching things that they choose are valuable rather than having strict adherence to a particular program is important to them. Additionally, many homeschoolers enjoy having the opportunity to alter, delete, or add in lessons to tailor learning to their own unique child. These are both important reasons why most homeschool families aren’t worried about questions like “Should homeschool curriculum be accredited?”

Another awesome aspect of homeschooling is the opportunity to have flexibility when it comes to scheduling. And how much time is needed or taken to learn. This way you won’t feel trapped by test dates. Or be stuck to the idea that testing is the only way to determine how much your child has learned. As we all know that standardized testing is suited to particular types of minds. Which is why it’s important to remember that not all minds think the same. This is especially true for our kids with unique learning needs.

Are there any accredited homeschool curriculum companies?

Some homeschool programs are accredited but be careful of what governing body is accrediting them. Sometimes accreditation just means that a particular college (usually an American Christian College) has approved the program. This is usually more of a marketing position on the part of the college. As they are trying to encourage students of the program to apply to their college after homeschooling. Therefore, it’s usually not a genuine concern for the program of study.

The Results:

Should homeschool curriculum be accredited? No, homeschool curriculum can not be accredited and should not be accredited. Because homeschool curriculum can’t be accredited on its own. The homeschool curriculum would have to be a part of an institutions program. Because homeschool curriculum isn’t a part of a school, it can not and does not need to be accredited.

Question 2: What if I want to put my child back in school?

If you decide to put your child back into the education system after homeschooling, your child should be able to go back into their grade level without hassle. You would simple need to enrol your child back into school. For elementary school, your child would usually just be placed back into their age/grade. Without any need for additional testing.

Therefore, you don’t need to worry about whether or not your child would be able to join back into their grade. As long as you are keeping up with their homeschooling curriculum they will stay on track with their peers. Even if you find that your child is struggling in different areas with their education because of pandemic learning. Please know that your child will quickly catch up. With a little time, dedication, and understanding, your child will be back on track in no time.

The Takeaway:

With the right curriculum, guidance, and time, your child will stay on track with their education. And your child will be able to attend traditional school again.

Try not to worry!

Please know that you aren’t the only parent worried about your child’s education. Most, if not all, parents are worried in some capacity about their child’s education right now. You are doing the very best that you can for your child’s education. And while sometimes you may feel like you haven’t done enough, you have. It’s normal and healthy to have questions about homeschooling like “Should homeschool curriculum be accredited?”

No one wants to “mess up their child’s education”. So, let us assure you that you are doing a great job. Asking questions, doing research, finding the best learning solutions for your child – those are all huge steps in the right direction. You’re doing an excellent job, and your child’s education will show that, with time. Try not to get so consumed by the idea of how things should look. Because homeschooling often looks very different for everyone. Just take it one day at a time. And tap into more amazing homeschooling resources to help you get started on the right track.

Check out “The 20 Do’s of Homeschooling” for helpful tips on how to have a successful homeschooling journey. https://schoolio.io/news/the-20-dos-of-homeschooling/

The Homeschool Mom – Is Your Curriculum Accredited? Does it Matter? https://www.thehomeschoolmom.com/is-your-curriculum-accredited-does-it-matter/

Encourage Learning Throughout the Holidays

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, but chances are you aren’t feeling like it. This time of the year can add a whole new level of exhaustion to the already over-worked homeschooling parent. Are you feeling burnt out from homeschooling, virtual learning or just parenting in general? How can you encourage learning throughout the holidays without causing burn-out for both you and your child?

The winter break is always welcomed by kids. And with the new chaos that is pandemic learning, more and more parents look forward to the winter break also. For many, it’s a time to reset and refocus. And for some, it’s also a time to catch up on concepts that maybe their child has been struggling with.

How can you encourage learning throughout the holidays without causing more exhaustion for both you and your child?

Step 1:

Identify what it is that your child should be learning during the holidays. Are they struggling with Math? Reading? Or writing? Which area of their education is in need of the most TLC? There are so many amazing ways to mix fun, creativity and learning together during this time of year so don’t get stressed out if they’re struggling in more than one area.

Step 2:

Identify your child’s interests, hobbies and what they just love to do. Do they love art? Playing games? Making snowmen? If you aren’t sure, spend a little time with them throughout the day. Or just ask them!

I’ve identified what they need to be learning and what their common interests are. So, now what?

Now we need to find fun ways to incorporate learning into their hobbies. It’s actually so much easier than you’d think it is. We can often get so caught up in this idea that learning must look a certain way for it to be effective. But that logic is completely flawed.

Fun Ways to Learn Through the Holidays:

Some kids love reading and writing, so if you offer them a workbook during the holidays they will dive right into it. Other kids feel that you encouraging them to learn during the holidays is a form of punishment. Each child is uniquely different, and as such, each child will have their own unique learning style. Therefore it can be a lot more difficult to find fun ways for your child to learn with. And perhaps your idea of ‘fun learning’ is vastly different from theirs, so how can you encourage learning throughout the holidays while catering to their unique learning style?

First Let’s Figure Out Your Child’s Learning Style:

There are so many different types of learning styles so we are going to just focus on the four most common for this blog.

Visual Learners

A Visual Learner is one who learns better by observing, looking at pictures or diagrams. Additionally, a visual learner will often have an easier time remembering what they saw or read vs. what they heard. A visual learner will usually be the one attempting to take notes during class because it helps them focus. They also prefer to work alone, instead of in groups of people. And they usually need quiet time to be able to focus on new concepts.

Some additional characteristics of the visual learner: They often have an easier time remembering faces, but not names. Locations, but not street names. And they often seem to be daydreaming. A visual learner will usually love colours, and need colours in their notes to help them remember and focus. If they’re bored you’ll see them doodling, writing, scribbling or making random lists. Usually with colours and fun designs

How can we help our visual learners during the holidays?

Give them plenty of opportunities to doodle, draw and write. Handing a visual learner a workbook is usually not going to be hugely beneficial for quick and effective learning. Unless that workbook is filled with fun pictures, graphs, and colours. When it comes to visual learners, it’s usually not as easy as just picking up a grade workbook at Costco during the holidays.

When it comes to your visual learner, you will need to get creative.

You could read them a novel each day, like one of Schoolio’s unique Novel Studies. While you read to them, encourage them to doodle what it looks like in their mind. Encourage them to illustrate the story on paper or write down key points that they found interesting.

Learn more about The Schoolio Novel Studies: https://schoolio.io/mini-units/

2. Be sure to use bright colours whenever possible. If you are asking your child to look at a page of math questions, try having them highlight each question with their favourite holiday colours first.

3. Make the key points of what you want your child to learn stand out! Make it brighter and bolder than the rest of the content that is on a page.

4. Give them time to process what you are trying to help them learn and understand. Don’t expect them to just understand right away. Because Visual Learners often need time to think about what they learned for the concept to really stick.

Auditory Learners

Sounds matter when it comes to auditory learners. That’s because auditory learners usually learn so much better when the subject of their learning is reinforced by sounds. These are the learners that would rather listen to someones lecture, a story, or an audio book. They sometimes also like to read out loud to themselves because it helps them focus and understand better. Auditory Learners are usually really good at explaining things to others and they will be the ones to repeat what the teacher says until the concept sticks in their mind.

If your auditory learner needs to work on some math problems but is having a hard time focusing on the book. You could either try letting them be completely alone to complete it. Or, turning on some unique holiday music for background noise. When you’ve taught them an interesting fact, ask them to repeat that concept to you with their eyes closed. Or ask them to repeat what you said in their own words. Let your auditory learners have learning partners. Whether in person, or on zoom. Having someone to talk about concepts with can help auditory learners understand and remember.

Kinaesthetic Leaners

Our Kinaesthetic learners (sometimes called Tactile learners) are the ones that learn best through experiences or doing things. They like to touch and feel, and to get involved, or to act things out. Kinaesthetic learners usually have to get involved in order to understand. And they are often the ones that just can’t sit still which often makes them really good at sports and dancing!

The Kinaesthetic learners need to take more breaks than most other types of learners. If you’re trying to read them a neat story about history, you could have them act it out. Mixing movement with short and simple lessons is an excellent way to encourage learning throughout the holidays for Kinaesthetic learners.

Reading and Writing Learners

This category is pretty self-explanatory. If you have a reading and writing learner, you’ll know. They are the ones that learn the very best through written words. These learners will express themselves best through reading books, writing, and diaries. They often appear to have a hunger for learning, always looking things up and searching for new books to read.

For this learner, you can absolutely encourage them to dive into some novel studies throughout the holidays. Encourage them to write stories about the holidays, and what their favourite part of this time of the year is. Be sure to have plenty of interesting books, and writing materials available for them to utilize throughout the holidays.

What type of learner do you have?

There’s a huge chance that your learner will fall into one or more category. As some of these categories do overlap in different areas of learning. If you’re having trouble identifying which learning category your child falls into. Try taking out and pen and a paper and write down the different characteristics of each learning category. Then circle the categories that are best suited to your child.

If you have more than one child you will likely find that your children are incredibly different in so many ways, including their learning styles. Determining which learning style works best for each of your children, and then finding ways to bridge their learning together will help you not get so stressed and burnt out trying to accommodate everyone.

Using their unique learning styles to encourage learning throughout the holidays.

Now this is the fun part. When you get to find unique ways to help your children learn. I always find it so funny how we get caught up in this idea that learning must only come from workbooks and planned out lessons. When in all actuality, learning is all around us, all the time.

For your hands on learner, they can gain expertise by helping you with the holiday baking. You can encourage them to draw bright pictures for family and friends. Alternatively, for your auditory learner you can press play on some unique stories. Once they’ve completed listening, you can ask them to tell you about it in their own words. For the Kinaesthetic learner, you can get them outside in the snow, shovelling and having fun. Mixing in a neat verbal science lesson while they rummage through the snow. And for your reading and writing learner you can get them to make beautiful Christmas cards, and keep the novels and neat lessons stocked up for them to jump into when they start to get bored.

For every unique learner, there is more than one unique learning activity that you can utilize to encourage learning throughout the holidays. Just remember not to get caught up in the idea that learning must look a certain way, because it doesn’t. And that applies to holiday learning and learning in general.

Keep learning holiday themed to gain interest!

It doesn’t matter which type of learner you have. Most kids really enjoy the holiday theme. Therefore, incorporating peaceful, fun, and holiday themed, mini lessons into your holiday plans has proven to be beneficial for our kids. Even if they aren’t necessarily ‘behind’ or in need of extra practice, it will benefit your learner to brush up on different concepts and take on some light learning through the holiday season.

Which is why the Schoolio Marketplace is the ideal place to land when searching for interest led learning for our kids.

Some really unique lessons that your kids will love this time of year:

The Schoolio Celebrations Around the World Special Interest Unit https://schoolio.io/product/holidays/

Teaching your kids about celebrations had around the world is a fun way to pique interest, and help them learn some amazing new facts. With this Special Interest Unit your child will have the opportunity to learn about Aboriginal People’s Winter Solstice, Lunar New Year, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Diwali and Christmas. There’s something for every learning style, from writing activities, stories, to baking and crafts. Adding this to your holiday learning plan, will prove to be beneficial.

“The New Year” Special Interest Unit by Schoolio https://schoolio.io/product/new-year-mini-unit/

Another fun way to encourage learning throughout the holidays is to jump into The New Year Special Interest Unit. Your child will study Math, Science, Language and Social Studies through fun lessons like ‘The History of New Year Celebrations’, ‘Making Resolutions’, ‘Counting Down to the New Year’ and more. Be sure to pick up your copy!

Remember, encouraging learning through the holidays doesn’t have to be holiday themed though.

If your child has no interest in holiday themed learning, then try incorporating some other fun, learning activities. Like lessons about trees and forests, pirates, or investigations. There’s so many neat lessons over at the Schoolio Marketplace. So, go ahead and check it out: https://schoolio.io/mini-units/

Just remember not to stress, instead have fun and happy holidays!

For more information on how to help unique learners:

Hey Teach! – Accommodating Different Learning Styles – https://www.wgu.edu/heyteach/article/accommodating-different-learning-styles-3-tips-guide-you-01702.html
Rasmussen – 4 Types of Learning Styles – https://www.rasmussen.edu/degrees/education/blog/types-of-learning-styles/

Should You Take a Break From Homeschooling?

Feeling overwhelmed, tired and frustrated? But still pressing through the list of assignments? When you’re feeling like this, should you take a break from homeschooling? Or should you continue working? And will your kids fall behind if you take a break?

Being a homeschooling parent means that you get access to a whole new level of parental guilt. Including the guilt you will feel for taking breaks from school. Homeschooling parents often have trouble justifying their need for time off because they have too much to do, all the time.

Here’s a bold truth when it comes to homeschooling and breaks.

It’s important to remember that you don’t need to wait for certain times of the year to take a much needed break from homeschooling. Maybe you’re sick, or your kids are sick and have been up all night. Should you press into school work? Or should you take a break? The answer is obvious, take a break! Are you encountering a stressful life event? Should you take a break from homeschooling? Or push through? You already know the answer, take a break!

Pushing yourself and your children to accomplish assignments during a time of stress or sickness will not benefit anyone. And chances are, your child will not remember a single thing from these forced lessons. Because the brain cannot learn under intense amounts of stress.

What if you just took a break?

If you just took a break from the daily routine, and are feeling the need for another one. Should you take a break from homeschooling again? The answer is: You can do what your family needs. Maybe your family doesn’t need a total break from homeschooling. But rather a simple break from a certain trouble subject. Maybe you need a break from cooking three meals a day? Or perhaps you need a break from the never ending chores that come with motherhood.

As a homeschooling parent you are in a constant state of movement. Maybe you just need to slow down. A full break of everything can sometimes be so nice, and exactly what we need. But as a homeschooling parent you will notice that sometimes homeschooling can get lumped into the same category as laundry, cooking, cleaning and working. All the tasks turn out to be your tasks, and you’re tired of them.

So Ask Yourself, Is It a Break From Homeschooling That I Need? Or Do I Just Need to Adjust My Plate?

First of all, if you are running your homeschool like a military school, nothing will go smoothly for you. I’m sorry, but it won’t. That’s just a fact. You don’t have to run through Math, Social Studies, Science, Language Arts, Music and Art all on the same day. On the same note, you don’t need to have a beautifully clean home that people walk into and say “Wow how do you do it all?” You also don’t need to prepare three spectacular meals a day. Let’s be honest, no one will eat them all anyway.

If you feel like it’s just your plate that needs adjusting.

That’s totally fine! You are the master of your own life. If you feel like your plate is off balance than it is! It’s up to you to make the right changes to shift the plate to a maintainable balance.

You can try: Adjusting your school work.

Is the non stop curriculum draining you and your kids? Try laying out their curriculum differently each day. Instead of trying to crush all the subjects and grasp all the learning opportunities in one day, shift it around. Is math your challenge subject? Then try mixing a math day with a fun learning opportunity like art. Aim to do just one or two subjects a day. And don’t overdo it! It can be so tempting, when our kids are doing really well with a subject, to try to get them to do more. Do more lessons so you’re ‘ahead’. Or even add in more curriculum books.

Trust me when I say: Don’t do that. It’s so much better for your child to learn in a relaxed format. Rather than the chaos of adding more. Often times when you add more to the day, the balance gets totally overturned.

Using a food delivery service/order take out.

I totally understand that take out is not doable every night. Although, I really wish it could be. But if you’ve just had a day that has completely gone off the rails and you’re exhausted. Then order some take out. If you know that Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday are your families problem days, then do yourself a huge favour and either meal plan and prep for those three days or order a meal service.

That way you know on those days, that dinner is covered. Because dinner seems to be such a stress point for almost every mom I know. It’s just another thing that you’re expected to do after a busy day. So, planning ahead can be a game changer.

Lower the standards.

This one is oh, so hard. Especially if you gravitate towards false perfection. Perhaps you just saw a beautiful spread of your friend’s kids lunch on Pinterest. She really cut the strawberries into Mickey Mouse. How do you compete with that? Oh! The answer is so simple! You don’t. When you finally understand that you don’t need to have ridiculous standards, you will free yourself from so much stress and tension. So, your kids ate bagels for breakfast? Instead of potatoes, French toast and a fruit salad? That’s fine! Ok, so your kid had peanut butter and jam sandwiches for lunch? That’s great! You had cereal for dinner? That’s awesome!

Now you’re looking at your house and cringing because the laundry has been unfolded by the laundry room door for 4 days. There’s dirty dishes in the sink, and one of your kids tracked mud all through the house? It happens. One thing I have to remind myself, over and over again is that we live here! As much as I’d love to have a model home that just sparkles and shines, it’s unrealistic. Because the truth is that the second I clean the house my kids will destroy it. We live here. Lowering your standards when it comes to cleaning will greatly resolve the negative feelings that you have towards yourself.

Outsource when needed.

There are many areas of your life that you can be outsourcing if you need to. I get that as moms we feel the desire to have it altogether and to accomplish everything on our own. But let’s be honest, is that actually realistic? Were you meant to do all of the things, all of the time, on your own? Absolutely not! Pull out a piece or paper and a pen and write down the areas that you are struggling the most. Teaching the kids math? That’s ok! There are so many resources available to help with that. From online tutors to helpful workbooks.

Maybe you’re struggling with just doing a basic clean of your house? That’s totally ok! There are lots of house cleaners available for as cheap as $20 an hour. If you have someone come and help you with cleaning for just three hours every other week. That will cost you a total of $60. Alternatively, you could chat with family or friends to see if there is anyway they could help you here and there. You’d be surprised how often people would really love to help. They just don’t want to ask because they are afraid to offend your independence. And as homeschooling parents we often have a way about us that says “I can do it all! Don’t worry.” But that’s unrealistic. Please ask for help.

Have mandatory fun days.

Days that are dedicated to fun learning. No math or language arts allowed here. This day is all about science, art, and music. You could even make this special school day on a Monday, the day that is so hard to get back into the homeschool groove. Or maybe Wednesday, when everyone has the mid-week boredom. Adding in a fun day can freshen up the whole family and help everyone get back on track.

Maybe you’ve done all of these things and you’re still just not feeling it. Should you take a break from homeschooling?

Here are some clear signs that you should take a break from homeschooling:

1. You’re sick.

If you’re sick, it’s perfectly normal and healthy to take some time off school. Especially if you’re barely functioning. You don’t need to prove yourself to anyone. If you need a day off, that’s ok. The truth is, you don’t actually get a day off. Because as parents we are always on duty. Even so, it’s better to take a few things off your plate if you’re feeling unwell. So, put the schoolbooks away, turn on The Magic School Bus, and snuggle up on the couch.

2. A Family Emergency.

No one wants to deal with the terrifying experiences that family emergencies bring. Therefore, if you’re experiencing a family emergency, you should absolutely take time off from homeschooling. Even if there’s nothing you can directly do about the emergency. Your mind just won’t be in a clear place to teach. Pushing homeschool on a tough day like that will just make learning tricky while triggering high stress levels. Take a break.

3. Your Kids are Sick.

When your kids are sick they will have a much more difficult time focusing. Blowing their noses, having tummy aches. Rubbing their head from a head ache. Your kids need to rest. And so do you.

4. You’re just not prepared for the day.

Everyone has those days. And if someone claims that they don’t — they are lying. Instead of stressing trying to make copies and flip through lesson plans. Watch an interesting movie about history, or a documentary instead. Go outside and learn about the weather, or the uniqueness of the trees. Turn those messy, unorganized days into wholesome days that you and your children will remember.

5. Your Kids Clearly Need a Break.

It’s called a mental health day. And even kids in the public school system take them. Sometimes your kids will need a break. Just like public and private schools have PA days. You also can take days here and there to allow your kids the downtime that they need.

6. There’s a Fun Event Planned.

Learning is all around us. If you have a unique field trip planned to the museum. Then don’t force textbooks on that day. Let the learning come from this fun event or field trip that you have planed instead.

7. Your Kids Can’t Focus.

Some days you will find that your kids just can’t focus. Why does this happen? I really don’t know. Some people say it’s the full moon? But I know for a fact my kids have lost focus when there isn’t a full moon. I really don’t think that anyone knows the reason why our kids sometimes just can’t focus. But if that’s your family. Then close the workbooks and go outside. Go for a long walk, hike or run with your kids. Go to the park. Explore a new neighbourhood. Change up the scenery. Breathe in the fresh air. Let the sun shine on your face.

8. It’s Nice Outside.

This is a real thing. I’m not even kidding. So many homeschooling families that I know, who have been homeschooling for ten years or more. All say that they take breaks when it’s nice outside. Because no one wants to be stuck inside when the weather is amazing. Perhaps it’s spring and you are itching to plant a garden. Then do it! Planting a garden is an amazing learning experience for your kids. Get outside! If you’re feeling overly guilty about taking a break just because it’s nice outside. Then try moving your homeschool outside or, saving that extra work for the rainy days of summer.

You are the only one that can truly speak on behalf of your family and your homeschool. I would say follow your gut. If you feel like school just isn’t a good idea for a day, then take a break. Maybe you feel like you should still be working on some form of school. Then read some books, do an interest based learning unit. Like our Special Interest Units.

You don’t need to overwork yourself and your kids while simultaneously draining yourself of everything just because you don’t want to feel guilty for taking a day or two, or even a week off of school. Taking a homeschool break is ok to do sometimes. So, go for it!

Homeschool Mom Self-Care

Guest Blog by Rebecca Miller

In the last few years, self-care has become an internet buzz-word. The word itself tends to conjure visions of bubble baths, manicures and spa days. Oftentimes, self-care seems like just another chore on an endless list of jobs that exhausted mothers are expected to complete. We can feel added pressure to make sure we are fitting in yet one more thing. As homeschool mamas, we have so much on our plates. After taking care of our household, our children and our jobs. So how can we be expected to prioritize a pedicure? But what if self-care, as in real self-care, doesn’t look like that at all? What does self-care look like as a homeschool mom?

What is Self Care?

Self-care is something all of us practice daily, or at least we should practice daily. Self-care includes brushing our teeth, fuelling our bodies with food and water. And believe it or not, even paying bills can be a form of self-care. Essentially, self-care is taking care of your whole self. You whole self including, physically, emotionally, socially, practically and spiritually. When all areas of our lives are in balance, it helps us have a general sense of wellness. Alternatively, when one or more of these areas is lacking, we can often feel rundown, tired, stressed or depressed. These feelings are ones that you want to avoid, which is why homeschool mom self-care is especially important.

What Self-Care is Not

Contrary to popular belief, the term “Self-Care” doesn’t mean selfish. As a parent, it can be extremely difficult and guilt-inducing to practice self-care in the beginning. For people who have been raised to be people pleasers, it can feel uncomfortable and strange to put themselves first. I have personally felt the “mom guilt” creep in when I have taken much needed time for myself to recharge.

Self-care does not have to cost money.

There are plenty of activities that can fill your bucket without affecting your wallet.

If you are just starting your self-care regimen. And are finding it difficult to put yourself first, you are not alone. A helpful tip for keeping guilt at bay, is to reframe your self-care in a way that benefits your children. For me, I know that I have much more patience when I am well-rested. So I tell myself “this nap will benefit the kids, because I will have more patience when I am not tired.” When I know that my actions are benefitting my kids, it can help quiet that inner critic. Which makes homeschool mom self-care so much more obtainable.

Why is Homeschool Mom Self-Care Important?

Self-care is about taking care of your health so you can be the best version of yourself. It also helps you be the best parent you can be for your kids. The fact is, parents who are well-rested and have full buckets, have more and tend to be more optimistic than those who are tired, stressed and emotionally depleted.

Is it selfish?

However, when our kids see us taking time to sit and enjoy a cup of tea or read a book, they begin to think “Ok, this is what mom does to recharge.” This is especially true when we include our kids in the conversation. Because even young children can understand when you say, “Mama is really tired right now. I am going to lay here on the couch while you watch your show. I am resting my body so I can have more energy to play with you later!” And while little ones may not catch on right away, in time they will begin to normalize self-care as well.

When I was growing up.

It took years for me to get over this false idea that I needed to put myself last. It really is something that so many of us are conditioned to believe is true. Once you can put down those ideas, you will find it easier to practice self-care.

Let me tell you a story

One day I came home from work to find that my oldest daughter had taken every single article of clothing out of her closet and thrown it around her room. There were clothes and toys everywhere. In my line of work, they teach us that all behaviour is communication. So I knew that my daughter was trying to communicate with me. My initial instinct was to get upset about the huge mess, but because my bucket was full, I was able to approach the situation in a much different way.

So, instead of reacting with anger, I was able to step back and realize my daughter needed something from me. And this was her way of telling me that she did. I asked my daughter, “What’s up, kiddo?” and invited her to help me reorganize her closet as we talked.

Remaining calm changed the situation.

I am not sharing this story because I want a pat on the back. Alternatively, I’m sharing this story because the truth is, if I hadn’t prioritized self-care, my reaction would have likely been very different. I don’t think I could have remained calm and thoughtful if I was at the end of my rope. Through sharing this story, I want you to know that by putting yourself first sometimes, you are also doing what is best for your family. Homeschool mom self-care is so important.

Finding Time for Homeschool Mom Self-Care.

Another option, depending on the ages of your children, is to tell them that you will be busy for a certain amount of time and they need to work on their schoolwork or activities independently. During this set time you can go for a walk, have a shower, or do whatever self-care activity you’d like. As long as it fills your bucket.

Another Option.

Scheduling self-care activities and treating them with the same importance as any other appointment, can really help as well. I have started blocking off times on the calendar for self-care so I don’t forget. The harsh reality is that we tend to find time for things that are a priority. When we say “I don’t have time” it simply means it is not a big enough priority.

Therefore, putting self-care on the calendar is one way to make it part of your daily routine. Additionally, another way is to set reminders on your phone, to remind you that it’s time to take care of yourself. And you could also set an intention each morning to practice one (or more) self-care activities, depending on what you feel like doing that day. Let’s face it, some days organizing the closet feels more like a chore than self-care!

Where Do I Start With Homeschool Mom Self-Care?

The type of activities you choose as self-care will be entirely up to you. Based on your individual tastes and things that you enjoy. It’s really important not to judge your choices. If watching a silly video because it makes you feel good is self-care for you, then do that! No one is allowed to judge your form of self-care. Are you looking for ideas for homeschool mom self-care?

Here are some examples of homeschool mom self-care activities that don’t cost anything.

Self care examples:

Speak with a therapist
Talk to a friend
Go for a walk
Make healthy food choices
Take some alone time
Have a hot shower
Spend time in nature
Spend time with pets
Laugh
Move your body in a joyful way
Snuggle with your kids or significant other
Sit by the water
Journal
Meditate
Have a cup of tea
Listen to an uplifting podcast
Organize
Plan a real or imagined future trip
Look at funny memes
Go for a drive
Make a vision board
Paint
Sing

Important Reminder: Self-care doesn’t have to cost money and it doesn’t have to be elaborate. Whatever it is that makes you feel energized, joyful and healthy is your self-care. I’d love to hear your self-care ideas and strategies. And I want to encourage you that you’ve got this, Mama.

Schoolio Guest Blog

About Rebecca Miller:

Rebecca Miller is a seasoned homeschool mom of four children. She has a beautiful passion for delight driven, heart based learning. Rebecca’s goal is to inspire other home educating parents. While creating and fostering a supportive and inclusive community. We are so thankful for her contributions to the Schoolio Guest Blogs!

You can learn more about Rebecca and Heart Based Homeschoolers on her website: www.heartbasedhomeschoolers.ca

Homeschool Mom Self-Care

Guest Blog by Rebecca Miller

What is Self Care?

What Self-Care is Not

Self-care is not just about pampering yourself. Because even things that feel awkward and uncomfortable can be forms of self-care. For example: Setting boundaries, washing dishes, and even having a difficult conversation can be considered self-care. Because these will benefit you in the future, despite the fact that they are not enjoyable in the moment. Contrary to popular belief, the term “Self-Care” doesn’t mean selfish. As a parent, it can be extremely difficult and guilt-inducing to practice self-care in the beginning. For people who have been raised to be people pleasers, it can feel uncomfortable and strange to put themselves first. I have personally felt the “mom guilt” creep in when I have taken much needed time for myself to recharge.

Self-care does not have to cost money.

There are plenty of activities that can fill your bucket without affecting your wallet. If you are just starting your self-care regimen. And are finding it difficult to put yourself first, you are not alone. A helpful tip for keeping guilt at bay, is to reframe your self-care in a way that benefits your children. For me, I know that I have much more patience when I am well-rested. So I tell myself “this nap will benefit the kids, because I will have more patience when I am not tired.” When I know that my actions are benefitting my kids, it can help quiet that inner critic. Which makes homeschool mom self-care so much more obtainable.

Why is Homeschool Mom Self-Care Important?

Self-Care is important for everyone, especially during the uncertain times we are facing during the pandemic. According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, 38% of Canadians say their mental health has declined due to Covid-19. Reports of anxiety and depression have risen in both children and their parents during the pandemic. Self-care is about taking care of your health so you can be the best version of yourself. It also helps you be the best parent you can be for your kids. The fact is, parents who are well-rested and have full buckets, have more and tend to be more optimistic than those who are tired, stressed and emotionally depleted.

Is it selfish?

While it may feel selfish to take time for yourself. It’s especially important, because showing our kids that we are prioritizing our health, can help them grow into adults that will do the same. We already know that kids tend to mimic what we do, rather than what we say. Therefore if we are constantly neglect ourselves, while telling our kids that they need to make healthy choices, they are likely to think, “well mom doesn’t do that, why should I?” However, when our kids see us taking time to sit and enjoy a cup of tea or read a book, they begin to think “Ok, this is what mom does to recharge.” This is especially true when we include our kids in the conversation. Because even young children can understand when you say, “Mama is really tired right now. I am going to lay here on the couch while you watch your show. I am resting my body so I can have more energy to play with you later!” And while little ones may not catch on right away, in time they will begin to normalize self-care as well.

When I was growing up.

When I was growing up, I remember how hard my mom worked keeping the house tidy, making meals and taking care of the household. I don’t remember her taking time to relax or care for herself. When I became a Mom, that image stuck with me, and I felt that I needed to be that way as well. Unfortunately, as many of us find out, when I neglected myself, I had little to give anyone else. Can you relate?It took years for me to get over this false idea that I needed to put myself last. It really is something that so many of us are conditioned to believe is true. Once you can put down those ideas, you will find it easier to practice self-care.

Let me tell you a story

Last year I was working a lot at my job as a support worker. I was trying desperately to stockpile funds for Christmas, so I was taking on lots of extra shifts. I knew from experience that it was going to be hard on me mentally, so I made sure to schedule time to refill my bucket. One day I came home from work to find that my oldest daughter had taken every single article of clothing out of her closet and thrown it around her room. There were clothes and toys everywhere. In my line of work, they teach us that all behaviour is communication. So I knew that my daughter was trying to communicate with me. My initial instinct was to get upset about the huge mess, but because my bucket was full, I was able to approach the situation in a much different way. So, instead of reacting with anger, I was able to step back and realize my daughter needed something from me. And this was her way of telling me that she did. I asked my daughter, “What’s up, kiddo?” and invited her to help me reorganize her closet as we talked.

Remaining calm changed the situation.

Finding Time for Homeschool Mom Self-Care.

Treating self-care as a priority is key. Some homeschool moms wake up before their kids so they can have 10-15 minutes of quiet time as they drink their coffee. Other homeschool moms stay up after their kids go to bed for the very same reason. Another option, depending on the ages of your children, is to tell them that you will be busy for a certain amount of time and they need to work on their schoolwork or activities independently. During this set time you can go for a walk, have a shower, or do whatever self-care activity you’d like. As long as it fills your bucket.

Another Option.

You can also practice self-care in the same room as your children. While your children are in the living room watching a movie, or playing with their toys, you can have your earbuds in while you sit with them, and listen to your favourite podcast!Scheduling self-care activities and treating them with the same importance as any other appointment, can really help as well. I have started blocking off times on the calendar for self-care so I don’t forget. The harsh reality is that we tend to find time for things that are a priority. When we say “I don’t have time” it simply means it is not a big enough priority.Therefore, putting self-care on the calendar is one way to make it part of your daily routine. Additionally, another way is to set reminders on your phone, to remind you that it’s time to take care of yourself. And you could also set an intention each morning to practice one (or more) self-care activities, depending on what you feel like doing that day. Let’s face it, some days organizing the closet feels more like a chore than self-care!

Where Do I Start With Homeschool Mom Self-Care?

Here are some examples of homeschool mom self-care activities that don’t cost anything.

Self care examples:

Speak with a therapist
Talk to a friend
Go for a walk
Make healthy food choices
Take some alone time
Have a hot shower
Spend time in nature
Spend time with pets
Laugh
Move your body in a joyful way
Snuggle with your kids or significant other
Sit by the water
Journal
Meditate
Have a cup of tea
Listen to an uplifting podcast
Organize
Plan a real or imagined future trip
Look at funny memes
Go for a drive
Make a vision board
Paint
Sing

Schoolio Guest Blog

About Rebecca Miller:

You can learn more about Rebecca and Heart Based Homeschoolers on her website: www.heartbasedhomeschoolers.ca