Tag: homeschool

Why Parents Are Turning To Homeschooling

Why Parents Are Turning to Homeschooling

The other day, I was at a dentist’s appointment with my kids. While we were there, the secretary asked my daughter if she enjoyed the morning off school to be at the dentist. My daughter responded with a “no” because she despises dentist’s appointments. I followed up the question with, “We will be doing school when we are home as we homeschool.” She looked at me with disbelief and said, “You homeschool? How could your children be socialized then? With online learning, children were struggling with isolation and lack of socialization.” I then went into a long explanation about how homeschooling is far from isolation learning. She still looked confused, as many people do when they wonder why parents are turning to homeschooling as their education choice. 

Here’s why parents are turning to homeschooling:

After two years of the pandemic and homeschooling becoming a norm in education, I shouldn’t still have to give explanations to strangers about my children’s social lives. Yet, that remains one of the most common questions I receive. The world needs to subscribe to the Schoolio Blog and read blogs like Socialization and Homeschooling. One thing that might interest you about homeschooling is that socialization is one of the main reasons why parents are turning to homeschooling as their preferred education method.

Homeschooling improves children’s social skills and interactions.

One of the most important reasons why parents are turning to homeschooling is because of healthy socialization. When homeschooled, children have much less exposure to peer pressure and bullying. Homeschooled children are also able to have more customized social interactions. Additionally, most children in the public school system spend hours in classrooms listening to teachers. In comparison, homeschooled children have many more opportunities for learning activities outside of the home.

A flexible homeschooling curriculum means homeschool families have more opportunities to participate in fun activities. Some of which include: museum trips, park playdates, community service activities, art classes, and track and field days.

Using a flexible homeschool curriculum and making homeschooling a lifestyle significantly improves emotional and psychological development in children. While also strengthening family connections and connections with other homeschooled children.

Homeschooling means having access to higher quality education.

Many parents believe that the quality of education is not what it once was. With a decline in the education budget, increased student enrolment, large class sizes, burnt-out teachers, and other factors. Parents feel that homeschooling gives them more control over their children’s learning. In 2015, long before the pandemic and the devastating effects on children’s education, a Career and College Readiness Survey showed shocking results. These results indicated that less than half of high school students feel academically ready for college.

Interrupted education, overcrowded classrooms, and fewer resources have made it extremely difficult for teachers to provide one-on-one instruction to students. When homeschooling, parents can use a curriculum that follows learning standards while also offering personalized education to their child, which is so often missing in today’s learning venues.

Homeschooling can support a child with diverse learning needs.

Unfortunately, children with learning disabilities or even physical disabilities have difficulty thriving in a traditional learning environment. Many schools don’t have adequate resources and time available to support children with diverse learning needs. Additionally, formal education is a one size fits all model when we all know that one size fits nobody. Having a customizable curriculum and a flexible learning environment is essential for children with diverse learning needs.

Homeschooling means educational stability.

Even before the pandemic began, there were teacher strikes, bad weather and many other reasons students were forced to miss class. Homeschooling means educational stability for many students as they have that flexible learning solution and learning lifestyle that keeps them learning even when schools are not in. Many homeschooling parents (who were homeschooling before the pandemic) were thankful that they had chosen that educational path for their children, as homeschooling offered much-needed stability to their days.

Homeschooling means better educational results.

It might shock you that homeschooled children often score better on federal standardized tests than their public school peers. Brian Ray of the National Home Education Research Institute showed that homeschooled children often achieve much higher results. Regardless of parents’ income or teaching experience.

Homeschooling offers student-athletes and musicians a flexible education option.

Many student-athletes have intense travel and practice schedules. Additionally, many students who participate in fine arts, theatre, or music need time to rehearse and perform. These students need a flexible education option that will work around their busy schedules.

Homeschooling offers a learning environment that children enjoy.

Unfortunately, many public school children feel stressed over the volume of homework and the lack of instruction. Many children don’t thrive in environments that are high stress, where they are required to memorize and keep up with their peers around them. This popular model of education doesn’t cater to the majority of students. Learning should be fun and engaging, not blank and stressful. Homeschooled parents report that they have much more time during their day to incorporate fun activities and hands-on lessons that encourage learning.

Should you homeschool?

Even though many think homeschooling is a terrible option, as the secretary at the dentist did, the reality is that homeschooling can be an excellent option for many families. But is it the right choice for your family? Ask yourself these questions:

  • Does my family need more flexibility?
  • Do I want to give my children and myself the freedom to choose?
  • Would I like to be more involved in my child’s education?
  • Is my child struggling academically?
  • Does my child need more positive social experiences?
  • Are there affordable homeschool curriculums available?
  • Does my work schedule permit this choice for my family?

If you answered yes to more than two of these questions, then homeschooling might be an excellent option for your family. Remember, there are many families and experts available to help guide you through the process of homeschooling, like the caring staff at Schoolio Learning, that wants you to excel on your homeschooling journey. If homeschooling seems like the best option for your family, but you aren’t sure where to start – please reach out to us, and we can help set you and your family up for success.

Can you travel and homeschooling? Check this out.

Check out our one-of-a-kind homeschooling curriculum.  

Why You Should Teach Your Child About Honeybees

Did you know that honeybees are responsible for almost one in every three bites of food that you eat? Honeybees also play an essential role in every aspect of the ecosystem. By supporting the growth of flowers, trees, and many other plants, these then serve as food and shelter for all creatures. Are you wondering why you should teach your child about honeybees? Let’s take a look.

There are many reasons.

There are so many reasons why you should teach your child about honeybees; to narrow it down, here are the three most important reasons.

Learning about honeybees helps our children maintain a healthy respect for buzzing creatures.

It’s very typical for children to have a bit of fear related to bees, especially if they have been stung by a wasp, bumblebee or some other buzzing creature. Fear of bees has caused many misunderstandings from previous generations about their importance. That can all change, and fears can disappear when we educate this generation about what honeybees are like and how important they are to all of us. Honeybees are so much more than tiny, stinging insects, and when we educate our children, they can start to see them for what they are.

Honeybees are essential to human life and health.

You could help your child understand that honeybees are essential to human life and the environment. They work as pollinators and producers of almost every plant that you see. When honeybees thrive, crops thrive, the environment thrives, and we thrive, which is why it’s so important to teach our children that.

The future belongs to our children.

And that future needs honeybees in it to be a promising future. As our children get older, it will be up to them to help shape the world around them. That’s why teaching them to care for, and respect honeybees is so essential, as these honeybees are so crucial for plant life on Earth.

Now, you know why you should teach your child about honeybees, but how can you do it?

1. Create a honeybee garden in your yard.

The honeybees will be extremely grateful to have a garden full of plants to help them thrive. Planning and creating a garden will be fun and informative for your child. Are you curious about what types of plants the honeybees will enjoy the most? Check out this list!

2. Set up a visit with a beekeeper.

Many beekeepers are more than happy to give you a tour and share their knowledge of honeybees. Look up local beekeepers and find out if they do visits. Then enjoy an afternoon learning about honeybees!

3. Go outside!

Taking a walk in nature is an excellent way to get familiar with wildlife and honeybees at the same time.

4. Check out the Schoolio Science unit all about Bees & Honey!

Education really is the best tool for helping our children learn about the importance of honeybees. This is why the Schoolio Science: Bees & Honey Special Interest unit is a must-have.

What’s in the Schoolio Science: All About Honeybees Special Interest Unit?

This unique special interest unit is all the buzz for families aiming to teach their children about the importance of honeybees. Each lesson of this special interest unit is packed with fun and helpful information to bring a bounty of knowledge to your child.

Your child will learn all about Pollination and Pollinators while doing a fun ‘I Spy Pollinators’ game following the lesson. Then they can dive right into the importance of bees in lesson 2, and have fun working on the “What Do Bees Do?“, activity. They then can work on some fun experiments like the pollination experiment where they can use bee, butterfly and flower templates to experiment.

Additionally, your child will have the opportunity to learn important lessons and activities like “Life in the Hive: Who’s Why?”, “Life Cycle of a Honeybee”, “How Do Bees Make Honey?”, and more.

We are pleased to be able to offer such a unique learning unit to help your child learn all about the importance of honeybees for a super affordable price.

Science: All About Honeybees – Special Interest Unit

Pick up your copy of this unit today!

Buy Now

 

A Digital Learning Platform that will change the world.

We all want to give our children the best opportunities to excel in life. And a good education seems like one of the most significant ways to ensure they get those opportunities. Some parents choose traditional education, some opt for private learning methods, while others prefer to homeschool. Those who choose the latter can sometimes find themselves exhausted from trying to provide the ultimate learning experience for their children. That’s where a digital learning platform might be the game-changer they’ve been longing for.

A Digital Learning Platform, unique innovation by Schoolio.

If you’ve never heard of Schoolio, we are a curriculum company based in Canada. But that’s not all; we are working on some fantastic educational innovations to support parents, teachers and most importantly, students. Our team has been working around the clock on a digital learning platform that will change the world of education as we know it.

We do so by converting all digital pdf lessons into audio and visual lessons for students. There are around 4,000 pieces of content from Kindergarten to Grade 8 across all core subjects, Math, Science, Language Arts and Social Studies. The videos are created for children to have fun while also absorbing the essential learning materials.

Creating a Unique Learning Experience For Each Child.

How are we doing that? By creating content geared toward your child’s age group to avoid learning fatigue. Our mission is always to help children everywhere have access to the education they deserve. We are proud to offer this learning option to everyone soon!

Watch this video from the Schoolio Live Q & A, Episode 3 with Nirmala and Sathish to see a preview of this fantastic new program!

Click here to watch Episode 3! 

 

Learn even more about our Digital platform by visiting our website! 

Check it out! 

Guiding Your Own Growth

Guiding Your Own Growth – Guest Blog By Kaila Gilley.

You against the world. On the one hand, this sentiment frees. You choose an untraditional education route for your child, at least in part, because of its liberty—your kids, your family unit, your choice: your opportunity. On the other hand, however, it is a heavy opportunity. Guiding your own growth can sometimes be heavy.

It’s pressure like a drip, drip, drip, that’ll never stop,” sings Jessica Darrow in Disney’s Encanto. “Pressure that’ll tip, tip, ’til you just go pop.” It’s all on you. These tiny humans you birthed, and then you poured into each your every morsel of energy, love, patience, and humanity. Your heart is outside of your body.

Them, then you.

You (and your partner) shoulder responsibility for their academic education, emotional well-being, physical capacity, intellectual stimulation, character development, social health, etc. You wear all of the hats and play all of the roles.

“Who am I if I can’t carry it all?”

Our phenomenal project-based learning (PBL) charter school had a massive crush on professional development when I was in the classroom. In the morning, he brought her protein shakes, which they used to toast to life-long learning; they stayed up late discussing how best to keep teachers’ passions aflame.

We had professional development (PD) most mornings for an hour before school, meeting within teaching teams (the combination of Math, Science, English and Social Studies teachers), within departments (English Teachers), within grade levels (9th-grade teachers), with our mentos, with our leadership, with support for students with special needs, within groups we opted into, within whole school-wide discussions, with parents and community members.

We worked with layers of people to best understand and teach to the layers of our students.

Then, I moved.

My partner and I had babies and decided to educate our kids at home. With a very demanding career dragging away his focus, I hold most of the responsibility for our three precious children, our most important people, and I lack a previously layered professional support system.

I teach my children without mentors, without department heads, without leadership, without teams—just me—tip, tip, tipping.

So, I decided to reenter the space for professional educators, guiding my growth. And I told my friend about it. “A side hustle?” she responded. I cringed at her tone. Not exactly the slap on the back, good-job-kid, I was hoping for. It was not the interest that peaked, a tell-me-more curiosity that I craved. Nor was it plain, blunt indifference.

Her inflection verbalized, “Boo.” Voice equivalent of a thumbs down. I watched one of my Mom Star Rating flickers and then died. A transparent thought bubble floated over her head as if on a screen. A picture of my children projected within it like an old sepia film. Their big sad, reflecting eyes staring up with want, empty arms outstretched, and souls drained by sudden attention withdrawal as if the side hustle had morphed into a Harry Potter dementor and deflated the innocence from their lives one by one.

In a world with subjective interpretations of “good parenting,” her scene played out with a definitive F for failure on my motherhood report card.

Contrary to her projection, here is my actual, new reality in short conversation blurbs:

“Hi, Susie’s Mom! Do you remember our conversation the other day? The one where you said you were overwhelmed by choosing a curriculum? Turns out you’re not alone. Lemme share this great article I found about what some others moms did to make the decision more manageable.”

“Hey Junior, did you know Schoolio has a unit about Winter Holidays from Around the World? I thought you’d like those. Yes, we can get that for you. It’s only $10!”

“Coop Comrades, I just heard about some online tutoring available for families embracing untraditional education methods for their children. I just thought I’d share!”

“Hey sweetie, can I work next to your while you do your thing?”

Considering her interpretation in contrast to my present state, I stared at her thought bubble and gently popped it. I was not my reality; it was her fears: part-time side hustle, full-time betterment. I have reclaimed my personal and professional growth, full empowerment.

Now it isn’t all roses and fairytales when guiding your own growth.

It doesn’t evaporate dirty dishes or alleviate large families of the stomach flu. The transition bumps violently along some days and glides gracefully on others. But, at a minimum, this week, I comforted Susie’s mom, tossed Junior an idea, supported my coop comrades, and worked separately with my little girl. All thanks to my re-entry.

More exposure, more ideas, more connections, more sparks, more intrigue, more inspiration.

“One quality of leaders and high achievers in every area seems to be a commitment to ongoing personal and professional development,” says Brain Tracy, Canadian motivational speaker and self-development author.

As a group of people striving to nurture and guide the growth of our children, we too must embrace the G-word.

Growth maintains our current roles as leaders and high achievers and offers a path toward self-selected improvement. We get to grow professionally in our personal lives. Growth gives us a way towards better.

“Without collaboration, our growth is limited to our own perspectives,” says Robert John Meehan, author and advocate for American teachers and learners.

If we come together through part-time hustles, we halt our single-perspective limitations and empower our community, families, and ourselves. We join in, learn and improve.

“I want to be in the arena. I want to be brave with my life. And when we choose to dare greatly, we sign up to get our asses kicked. We can choose courage, or we can choose comfort, but we can’t have both. Not at the same time,” says Brene Brown, an emotion researcher and motivational speaker.

We join the arena; then we dare greatly; we guide our greatness. Who and how will you empower today?

Guiding Your Own Growth was written by: Kaila Gilley

 

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Kids Are Struggling With School Now More Than Ever Before.

Kids are struggling with school now more than ever before. Where is the problem? Is it the education system? Could it be the teachers? Or is it the parents? It’s hard to pinpoint the exact problem, but it is clear that children need consistency, especially regarding their education. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, children’s education has been anything but consistent. Between school closures, lockdowns, online, and in-person, children have had a massive lack of consistency, ultimately leading to them falling drastically behind in their learning.

Kids are struggling with school now more than ever before.

But did this issue start before the pandemic? Was the pandemic the catalyst that shone an ever-needed light on the fact that children have been slipping through the cracks of the education system on substantial levels since long before the pandemic began? The truth is that giant class sizes and budget cuts are a recipe for children’s education to be neglected. While it’s true that some children thrive in these situations, many others do not.

Sathish shares that his daughter struggled to understand certain concepts; she wanted to learn more about specific subjects. But there just wasn’t enough time in school for her to explore her education the way she wanted. Flexibility in education is another essential factor constantly neglected in the traditional schooling model. This is why many parents are turning to homeschooling.

Parents are concerned for their children; they don’t know where or how to start when it comes to homeschooling.

Firstly, if you aim to start homeschooling, you need to get into successful habits for your own family. The first and most important habit that successful homeschoolers get into is flexibility. Not to be confused with inconsistency. Your children can learn quickly when you’re flexible as a homeschool family. To dive into what interests them and to realize that learning is all around us. Embracing that learning happens all the time, that knowledge is and should be a lifestyle, not just something that happens from 9 am – 3 pm daily.

Let go of this fear that you are ruining your child’s education by homeschooling.

It can be a scary thought to take your children out of school and try to teach them to help them catch up when you feel unprepared. It would be best to stop telling yourself that you aren’t good enough to teach. And it would be best if you never aimed to fill your child’s day with bookwork. Take it one day at a time, make it simple, and be patient with yourself and your child.

Check out Episode 2 of Schoolio Q & A for more information on this topic.

Also, check out this blog about children slipping through the cracks of the education system.
Kids Are Slipping Through The Cracks Of A Broken Education System.

Book a Concierge Call.

If you aren’t sure how to get started or what programs would best suit your child’s learning needs, then you can chat with one of our experts on a one-on-one Concierge Call, completely free!
Click here to book a Concierge Call. 

Does Your Child Struggle to Learn From You?

Does your child struggle to learn from you? They appear to have no issue learning from anyone else, but they shut off the second you pick up a book and try to teach them. Why is that? In Episode One of The Schoolio Live Q & A, Sathish Bala, CEO of Schoolio Learning, shares that his daughter said, “I can’t learn from you.” When he attempted to teach her during the beginning of the pandemic.

He was being fired from teaching his child.

Sathish shared that he felt he was being fired from teaching his child. He then realized that so much of what he was trying to teach his daughter wasn’t his; it was his dad’s blueprint. Sathish wasn’t alone in feeling this way, as many parents felt the same way during the height of the pandemic. As a parent-teacher, you are faced with the unbearable weight of trying to ensure your child is learning what they are supposed to understand when they’re supposed to be learning it.

This can cause parents to feel terrible stress, making them short-tempered, frustrated and irritated. Unfortunately, this stress can also bring out the worst in them, as Sathish noted during the episode.

How a unit system can help.

Lindsey shares the importance of an excellent curriculum to balance parents’ worries about meeting all the requirements. A simplified, easy-to-teach curriculum is the best alternative for veteran and new homeschoolers. Aside from a simplified and easy-to-teach curriculum, Lindsey pointed out the importance of a unit learning system. Sharing that when you have access to a unit style of education, you can pick and choose what your child needs to be learning and when.

Suppose you notice your child falling behind in one area of math but not another; you can select the unit your child needs to work on. Rather than choosing a grade lower for their math, you can select the unit they need.

Leaving a community.

Lindsey also shared how the first few days, weeks and even months of homeschooling can be challenging, especially if you have removed your child from the public school system. She shared how it felt like she was leaving a community when she decided to homeschool her two children. This is why she urges the importance of finding a good homeschooling community.

Another way to add fun to your homeschool and help ease the tension and stress is to include Special Interest Units like those available on the Schoolio Shop. Adding a fun unit on Trees and Forests or Pirates could be what your homeschool needs. Does your child struggle to learn from you? Don’t worry; there are things you can do to help.

Need Help Getting Started? Book a Concierge Call.

If you aren’t sure how to get started or what programs would best suit your child’s learning needs, then you can chat with one of our experts on a one-on-one Concierge Call, completely free!
Click here to book a Concierge Call. 

 

Watch the full episode to learn more.

10 Science YouTube Channels for Kids

TL;DR – Quick Answer:
Turn screen time from mindless consumption into active learning. While most online programs use videos as a passive babysitter, over 10,000 Schoolio families use interactive media like Mark Rober and SciShow Kids as strategic learning tools. Schoolio weaves these high-quality resources directly into our micro-burst lessons to keep ADHD and neurodivergent learners engaged through multisensory input.

Are you looking for productive ways to entertain and occupy your children? YouTube can be a fantastic tool to fix those issues. There are so many YouTube Channels to check out; some content can wow you, while other channels may leave you questioning what it is you just allowed your child to watch. To simplify, we’ve compiled a list of 10 Science YouTube Channels for Kids that you should check out! If your child loves science and enjoys watching other children do experiments, this might excite them!

10 Science YouTube Channels for Kids

SciShow Kids

SciShow Kids – Can You Guess the Weather?

Scishow Kids is a fun science channel that uses unique animated videos to foster a love for science. Your child can join Jessi, Mister Brown, Squeaks the Robot Lab Rat, and their fun friends at their fort, where they will learn, research, answer questions, and conduct cool experiments. SciShow Kids was created in July 2014 with 793K subscribers, with 213,165,824 views! No wonder we had to add this to the list of 10 Science YouTube Channels for Kids!

Watch more SciShow Kids

Ryan’s World

Ryan’s World – What happens when you swallow gum?

The Ryan’s World YouTube channel was created in March 2015 as a toy review hub. However, the channel has evolved over the past seven years to include individual lessons, educational videos, and experiments. Although Ryan is the star of the show, adults are the ones who perform the experiments. Ryan’s World is trendy, with 50,996,862,935 views and 32.1million subscribers.

Watch more of Ryan’s World

Mystery Doug

Mystery Doug – How do Scientists Learn About Wild Animals?

Homeschoolers all around the world love Mystery Doug! And why? Because of the great content, he releases for the world for free! This YouTube Channel had to be included in the list of 10 science YouTube Channels for kids because of its great content! Each video provides an excellent Science lesson that your child will enjoy. The Mystery Doug YouTube channel was created in April 2017 and had 514,000 subscribers and 133,947,850 views! Curious why that is. Check it out for yourself!

Watch Mystery Doug

Lab 360

Lab 360 – The Saturn Rings are DISAPPEARING!

Are you looking for videos about outer space? How about experiments your kids can try? Then you should check out Lab360! Created in 2013, Lab360 has 491,000 subscribers and 104,970,063 views, with authentic science demonstrations that your kids will love. This channel is a gem with science experiments and learning for people of all ages.

Watch Lab360

MinuteEarth

MinuteEarth – Why Water Dissolves (almost) Everything

We love MinuteEarth because it provides unique Science lessons and fun stories about our incredible planet. The MinuteEarth YouTube Channel was created in October 2011 and had 2.68 million subscribers. With neat videos like ‘An Egg is Just One Cell,’ ‘Why Do Humans Vomit So Much?’ and ‘Why The Ocean Needs Salt,’ it’s easy to see why this is a favourite for learning.

Find a MinuteEarth video

Operation Ouch

Operation Ouch – Tricks to Play on Your Friends #April Fools Special

These unique creators have various episodes packed with incredible facts about the human body. Hosted by identical twins Dr. Chris and Dr. Xand VanTulleken, it’s a must-see as they experiment and explore their way through the fascinating world of medicine and biology. Their goal is to de-mystify hospitals for children while teaching them important lessons. Operation Ouch was created in November 2016 and had 299,000 subscribers and many amazing videos to choose from.

Watch Operation Ouch

NASA Video

NASA Video – NASA for Kids: Intro to Engineering

NASA has a mission to pioneer the future in space exploration, scientific discovery and aeronautics research, and they share it on their YouTube Channel. Look at the diverse work that NASA does, like proving flight technologies, creating capabilities for sustainable human and robotic exploration, earth, the solar system and more.

Watch NASA Video

Mark Rober

Mark Rober – World’s Tallest Elephant Toothpaste Volcano

Mark Rober isn’t just an extraordinary YouTube Artist; he’s also a former NASA and Apple Engineer and friend of science. He has highly crazy science experiments that kids love to watch. Additionally, this channel takes complex ideas and breaks them down into crazy hands-on lessons that your child will remember. The Mark Rober YouTube Channel was created in October 2011 and had 21.4 million subscribers.

Watch The Mark Rober Channel

The Backyard Scientist

The Backyard Scientist – 200 Watt Car Mounted Laser

This channel is loaded with tons of fun science videos for kids. You’ll find crazy videos that teach various science topics ‘Can a Motor run on beans?’ ‘Can Spiderman Climb the Sticky Wall?’ and more. Created in 2013, The Backyard Scientist now has 5.25 million subscribers and hundreds of fun videos.

Watch The Backyard Scientist

Minute Physics

Minute Physics – Is Anything on the Internet Real?

Like its sister channel, Minute Earth, Minute Physics has much to offer. The Minute Physics channel focuses on Space and Gravity with many unique videos and 5.44 million subscribers. You’ll quickly learn to love this channel with all its great content like ‘The Rocket & String Paradox,’ ‘Windmills Are NOT Like Dams,’ and ‘Why LESS Sensitive Tests Might Be Better.

Watch Minute Physics

Which of the 10 Science Youtube Channels for Kids was your favourite? Let us know in the comments!

 

Learn, plan and personalize all in one place with 4000+ interactive lessons for math, language, science and social studies. Only on the Schoolio Digital Platform! 

Explain the War in Ukraine to Your Child.

Over the past two years, children have struggled to understand the COVID-19 virus, shutdowns, school closures, and why they couldn’t see friends and families or do sports and everyday activities they love. Many parents became exhausted by trying to help their children feel normal while explaining the pandemic to their children. Now that the pandemic has begun to slow down, we are met with another crisis—the war in Ukraine. For many of us, this humanitarian crisis is in another continent. However, social media, the news, and the internet can make it feel very close to home. Which has likely caused you to question how to explain the war in Ukraine to your child?

What’s the best way to explain the war in Ukraine to your child?

Even though we’d all like to assume our kids are oblivious to what is happening, they aren’t. Many children are well aware of the Ukraine conflict, which is causing a significant amount of anxiety for many children. Many children have big feelings and questions about what is happening. So, how can you explain the war in Ukraine to your child without causing more anxiety or dismissing it like it’s nothing?

Don’t dismiss their feelings.

Many parents today watched the events of September 11 on the T.V. Trauma has stuck with us. To avoid the anxiety that comes with it, we often dismiss our feelings about such things and tell ourselves, “this isn’t happening here, so it’s fine.” While we may be quick to ignore our emotions, we must be careful not to do the same to our children. You should give your child the time and space to express their feelings. You must acknowledge their feelings and let them know that it’s ok to feel that way.

It’s normal to feel angry, worried, sad, and frustrated. Allowing your child the time and space to explain their feelings is beneficial. And also, your child needs to know that you have feelings about what is happening too. Please know that feeling sad, frustrated and mad about the events is healthy. When you acknowledge your feelings, your child will easily accept theirs. Suggest writing or creating art if your child struggles to explain their feelings.

Let them ask tough questions.

Your child has big feelings, thoughts and questions. They are individuals growing up in a challenging time. Your child needs to know that their concerns, ideas and questions are taken seriously. When your child brings a problem or question to you, it’s important to approach their questions sensitively and honestly. We all assume we must sugarcoat everything for our kids, avoiding topics and discussions about such events.

Many parents don’t realize that allowing their children to ask questions, have these sensitive conversations, and answer their questions honestly and to the best of their knowledge is essential. If you’re struggling to understand something or do not have the answers, you should explain to your child that this is a highly complex situation that not everyone understands. But many are working tirelessly to find solutions and end this war.

Utilize a map or globe when you explain the war in Ukraine to your child.

When explaining the war in Ukraine, take time to help your child understand the geography of the situation. Show your child where you are on the map, then Ukraine and Russia. Take the time to explain and emphasize the countries worldwide that are helping. While also showing them the countries that are not supporting Russia and are actively working to help end this crisis.

Help your child fact-check media.

This is especially important for older children who may have access to social media. It can be tough to figure out what is real and not regarding social media. Anyone could post something, and others can accept it as fact. Remind your child to check sources, and rely on safe domains and trusted people on social media.

Here’s a helpful resource to help your child fact-check.

Common Sense Education – Help Your Students Fact-Check the Web Like Professionals

Teach your children to look for helpers.

In the famous words of Mr. Rogers, “When I was a boy, and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” While the war in Ukraine is filled with terrible things, we can help our children focus on helpers. Like those at the borders of Ukraine assisting refugees by providing them with food, shelter and clothes. There are always people willing to help.

For older children, help them learn the facts.

Some very reliable resources are available to help our older learners understand what is happening in the world right now. You can help your children learn about what is happening and why, along with reliable, updated information on the current situation.

Check out CBC Kids News for more information.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help.

If your child is struggling to understand, don’t be afraid to ask for help from professionals trained to listen, understand and help your child process their thoughts and feelings better. Additionally, you can utilize the Thoughts and Feelings: Learning how to Manage How I Think and Feel Special Interest Unit to help your child navigate the big feelings they are feeling. Remember that we are all navigating this crisis together; it’s difficult to explain something that we may not fully understand, so remember to be patient with yourself.

Together we can help children in Ukraine.

Explain the war in Ukraine to your child

For March, we donate a portion of all sales to the Save the Children Ukraine Crisis Fund.

Ten Ways to Help Your Child Eat Healthier.

Getting your picky eater to make healthy choices and eat healthy foods can be a significant challenge. This is why jumping on the Nutrition Month train is so essential! If you didn’t know, the month of March is Nutrition Month. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics sponsors a fantastic campaign each year. They aim to highlight the importance of healthy food choices while developing sound eating and physical activity habits. And we’d like to help by exploring ten ways to help your child eat healthier, along with four fantastic recipes and a free meal tracker.

Malnutrition and Obesity are genuine threats.

According to Global Nutrition Report, North America is experiencing two extremes: the population is either malnourished or overweight. Furthermore, North America is experiencing severe malnutrition among children under five. The other extreme is that 9.1% of the childhood population is overweight, much higher than the global average of 5.7%. In addition, it’s no surprise that the adult population also struggles with malnutrition and obesity. With 8.7% of men living with diabetes and 6.7% of women. Along with 39.4% of women and 38.3% of men living with obesity.

How can we break the trend?

We all want our children to live healthy and wholesome lives. We should also want that for ourselves. You may feel intimidated by uprooting your family’s go-to menu and switching things up to help your family avoid such things as malnutrition and obesity. And while you may feel overwhelmed, please know that it’s possible! Making small changes to your family’s eating habits will have lasting and impactful results on everyone’s well-being.

Ten ways to help your child eat healthier.

It can be tempting to stick to the meals you know they’ll eat when you have a child constantly saying no to foods, especially new ones. When you gain the courage to get your child to try something new, it can result in a very stressful and frustrating mealtime for the entire family. Let’s try these ten ways to help your child eat healthier first!

1. Remember that food is more than nourishment.

Food has been uniting people since the beginning of time. A family meal can bring us together at the table each day. Additionally, food is almost always the centre of most celebrations! Food is life; food can improve health, keep us well, and prevent disease. Good food is a gift in more ways than one. Helping our children understand the gift of food is an essential first step.

2. Eat together as a family.

We live in a fast-paced world. As a result, we often find ourselves exhausted by the end of the day, which can cause us to gravitate toward the TV for mealtime. While this is ok here and there, it’s essential to sit down together as a family to eat at least one meal a day. According to Stanford Children’s Health, sitting together to eat as a family helps your child handle the stresses of daily life.

3. Involve your children in food prep.

There are many simple tasks that your child can partake in regarding kitchen tasks. Giving your child age-appropriate tasks to help prepare a meal for the family is a good practice. Your child can wash the fruits and vegetables, push buttons on the microwave, get ingredients together, tear lettuce and more. When you involve your child in meal prep, it boosts their interest and curiosity around food. While also setting an example for a healthy lifestyle.

4. Plan meals together.

Give each of your children one day a week when they can help choose a healthy meal for the whole family. Doing this helps reinforce good eating habits while helping them understand the importance of preventing food waste.

5. Give them choices.

Kids are always looking for ways to establish their independence. This is especially true when it comes to food. Like you don’t enjoy being forced to do something, neither do they. Instead of giving them one thing, provide them with a couple of options. When your child chooses between pear slices or apple slices, they get the autonomy they desire. You’re still in control of your child’s nutrition, but they also get a choice. It’s a win-win!

6. Allow your child to make their plate.

Allowing your child to make their plate is another fantastic way to build their independence while keeping them interested in new healthy foods. The results might not be immediate. However, most kids will be much more willing to make healthy food choices when given a choice.

7. Offer healthier snack options.

Kids seem to gravitate to sodium, preservative-filled foods. There’s just something so satisfying about crunching on your favourite snacks. But many times, these traditional snacks that kids love are filled with sugars and ingredients you can’t pronounce. We get it; it’s so easy to hand your child a bag of their favourite goodies. As you can probably imagine, this isn’t the best option for them. Your child’s snacks should be rich in fibre and protein, as this will help keep your child full for longer. Try giving your child healthy snack options to choose from instead.

These can look like this:

  • Apple slices with peanut butter.
  • A cup of nuts and raisins.
  • Veggie sticks with hummus.
  • Lightly salted popcorn.
  • Hard-boiled eggs.
  • Grapes and Kiwi.
  • Whole-grain crackers with cheese.

8. Be a good role model.

Who has the most influence on your child’s eating habits? You as their parent. Your attitude towards food and healthy eating habits will affect your child. If you find yourself cringing when eating a particular vegetable, they will too. Additionally, if your go-to snacks aren’t healthy, how could their choices be better? If you choose a can of pop or juice instead of a glass of water. How could we expect them to choose differently? Always remember you are the most outstanding example for your child.

9. Always offer but don’t force it.

I understand that offering your child healthy snacks or meal options can feel pointless when you know they will still gravitate to less healthy options. Don’t give up! Keep offering. If you’re making your child’s plate for them, still add the vegetables they don’t like. Alternatively, if they’re making their plate, advise them to choose at least one protein and one vegetable for their dish. Always be sure to offer healthy options for your child. However, be cautious that you never force or battle over food. This can cause them to have a greater aversion, and the dislike becomes a more significant issue.

10. Don’t give up.

Getting your child to make healthy food choices can ultimately feel overwhelming, especially if you have a picky eater. Don’t become discouraged; you’re doing an excellent job helping your child make the best choices. The easy road would be to hand your child the snacks they want and avoid offering them the healthy snacks they dislike. But the easy road never leads to anything significant. Don’t give up! Keep offering, keep trying, and keep offering.

This free meal tracker is a bonus to the ten ways to help your child eat healthier!

Sometimes kids love to track what they are doing and eating; try out this FREE Meal Tracker downloadable pdf. To encourage healthy eating habits and adequate water intake throughout the week! Print and go!

Download Your Free Weekly Meal Tracker Here

Four fantastic recipes to get you started.

We hope that the ten ways to help your child eat healthier were helpful for you. You can get creative with mealtime by adding unique meal ideas to your meal plan to help your kids enjoy their food. Try out these four amazing recipes:

Photo by: She Likes Food

Lentil Meatloaf Cups

These delicious Lentil Meatloaf Cups by She Likes Food are perfectly paired with mashed or roasted potatoes.

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups brown lentils, dry
  • 3 cups vegetable broth or water
  • One teaspoon of olive oil
  • 1 cup small-diced carrot
  • 1 cup small-diced celery
  • 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
  • One clove of garlic, minced
  • One teaspoon of chopped fresh thyme
  • 1/3 cup bread crumbs, gluten-free if necessary
  • One tablespoon of ketchup, plus more for the top
  • One flax egg (1 tbsp ground flax mixed with 2 1/2 tbsp water, let sit for 2–3 minutes)
  • Two tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, optional
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • Cooking spray

She Likes Food Vegan Lentil Meatloaf Cups Instructions.

Charlie Gillette – Broccoli Cheesy Bread

Broccoli Cheesy Bread

This fantastic recipe boasts that even the pickiest eaters can’t resist it.

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups riced broccoli
  • One large egg
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella
  • 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan
  • Two cloves of minced garlic
  • 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
  • kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Pinch crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 2 tsp. freshly chopped parsley
  • Warmed marinara for serving.

View the full recipe by delish.

Taste of home – Gnocchi Chicken Skillet

Gnocchi Chicken Skillet

If you’re looking for an easy, wholesome dinner in a hurry, this is it! Just throw it together, prep a salad and go!

Ingredients:

  • One package (16 ounces) of potato gnocchi
  • 1 lb ground chicken
  • 1/2 chopped onion
  • Two tablespoons of olive oil
  • 1 jar (26oz) spaghetti sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • Shredded Parmesan Cheese

View the full recipe on Taste of Home.

Country Living – Tuna Noodle Casserole

This meal is simple, filling, quick and nutritious. And most of the ingredients can be found in your pantry!

Ingredients:

  • 6 oz. egg noodles
  • 2 (4oz) cans of tuna in water
  • One tablespoon of canola oil
  • One small onion, diced
  • Two stalks of celery, diced
  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper
  • 2 (10oz) cans of condensed cream of mushroom soup
  • 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup frozen peas

View Tuna Noodle Casserole Directions here.

 

Random Acts of Kindness Ideas

Imagine what the world would be like if everyone prioritized being kind to others. Our society praises students for being innovative, getting good grades, and succeeding. But kindness goes widely unappreciated. Could you imagine if parents and educators emphasized the importance of being kind to others? Imagine how cool it would be if kindness were as valued as intelligence. You can start teaching your child about the benefits of being kind today! With 21 random acts of kindness ideas, plus you can download the ‘My Kindness Goal’ for your child!

5 benefits of being kind to others:

Being kind is beneficial for both the giver and the receiver. When you give kindness to someone, you usually receive kindness back. There are many excellent benefits of being kind to others; you should utilize them while teaching your children. Some seem somewhat predictable, while others are a little shocking! Nonetheless, Science continues to find more ways that our mental and physical health are impacted by each other. So, teaching your child about random acts of kindness and the benefits of bringing others joy is essential.

1. Kindness can boost your immune system.

Our brain’s feel-good hormone, Oxytocin, reduces inflammation. You are probably familiar with the fact that inflammation is linked to many diseases in the body. These are diabetes, chronic pain, obesity, cancer, and migraines. Being kind can boost your body’s oxytocin levels, which then helps to decrease inflammation. You don’t have to wait for someone else to promote your oxytocin; you can do it today! By spreading kindness like confetti!

2. Kindness creates a sense of belonging.

Being kind and helping others is considered a way to help people create, maintain and strengthen social connections. Face-to-face activities like volunteering to help someone can reduce isolation and loneliness.

3. Kindness helps you feel in control.

It’s easy to resent someone always trying to push our buttons. When this happens, we often feel like we don’t have control or stability around those people. You know that no one should be able to control your mood, yet you find it extremely difficult to stay calm when they push your buttons. When you choose to instead act with kindness, you will gain the self-respect of not letting other people push your buttons.

Remember, if someone never seems to change and is always aiming to make you upset, it’s best to avoid these people.

4. Kindness helps you find your people.

People are genuinely attracted to kind people. If you’re at the grocery store and someone kindly holds the door open for you, you will feel more attracted to that person—Vs. The person that slammed the door in your face. We were born with kindness in our hearts, so we tend to gravitate toward the people that demonstrate empathy. A kind mom at a playgroup or homeschool co-op is much easier to be around than someone constantly making you second-guess yourself.

5. Kindness can give you a mental break.

Stress doesn’t give your brain a break. Because when you’re feeling chronically stressed, all you can do is focus on the things you’re concerned about. When you focus on the joy you are bringing to someone else through the random acts of kindness you do, you also give your brain a much-needed break from figuring out all your problems.

The mental break is similar to the brain break you get from a cardio session, healthy sleep, or meditation. You are giving the analytical, thinking part of your brain a rest and, simultaneously, awakening the creative and feeling side of your brain! When you focus on someone else’s happiness, you forget your problems for a little while. That in itself is enough to give you a boost.

You should teach your kids about the power of random acts of kindness.

We all want our children to live their very best life. As you read through the five benefits of being kind, I’m sure you would also want each one of those benefits for your child. Being kind isn’t something you have to wait until your child is older to learn. You can start teaching your children about bringing others joy by spreading love with random acts of kindness. And, of course, the ultimate way to teach your children is to model it.

21 Random Acts of Kindness Ideas that your children can be involved in:

  1. Compliment others.
  2. Pick up litter at the park.
  3. Let someone take your spot in line.
  4. Insert money into someone’s parking meter.
  5. Buy flowers to hand to people on the street.
  6. Write and leave letters of encouragement on people’s cars.
  7. Pay for the person behind you in the drive-thru.
  8. Use allowance to donate to a charity of your child’s choice.
  9. Hold open the door for someone.
  10. Write letters to the elderly.
  11. Shovel snow from a neighbour’s driveway.
  12. Do someone a favour without expecting anything in return.
  13. Bake cookies for the neighbours.
  14. Encourage your child to show the ‘new kid’ around their school.
  15. In the summer, hand out water to people at a park.
  16. Send a letter to a loved one instead of a text.
  17. Tip your waitress generously.
  18. Make breakfast in bed for a family member.
  19. Write a kind letter to a parent.
  20. Leave kind comments on people’s social media posts.
  21. Be kind to yourself.

Random acts of kindness are what the world needs.

Every single person that you meet needs kindness. Your child needs kindness; your spouse needs kindness; your family members need kindness; the clerk at the bank needs kindness; the debt collector needs kindness, the customer service rep from the company you purchased a product from needs kindness. Every single person that you come in contact with needs kindness. Including the person that is looking back at you in the mirror.

All of us need extended grace for our shortcomings and thoughtfulness when needed. You have the power and ability to give kindness to others while also teaching your children how important it is to spread kindness to the world around us.

Download the Free My Kindness Goal Sheet

Download the ‘My Kindness Goal’ sheet for your child to complete. You can choose from either the colouring sheet or the written word sheet.

Learn more about Random Acts of Kindness Day:

Random Acts of Kindness Foundation

 

Check out this FREE, fun task list for kids by Schoolio. 

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.

 

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/