homeschool Archives - Page 6 of 10

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/

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/

The 20 Do’s of Homeschooling

In the last blog we covered the major ‘don’ts’ of homeschooling. The things that you should try to avoid at all costs, if you want to be a successful homeschooling parent. If you haven’t already read it, you can find it here: 20 Don’ts of Homeschooling. Today we are covering The 20 Do’s of Homeschooling! Let’s jump right into the homeschool veteran approved, 20 Do’s of Homeschooling. With the goal to help you be a successful homeschool parent.

The 20 Do’s of Homeschooling

1. Do Take Care of Yourself First.

This is the number 1 ‘Do’ of The 20 Do’s of Homeschooling because it’s imperative that you take care of yourself, first. I get it. You think that’s selfish. But I can assure you that it’s not. Taking care of yourself before you take care of everyone and everything else is essential to the well-being of your family. And also the success of your homeschooling journey. A homeschool mom that cares for herself, is a happy, healthy mama. What are some ways that you can take care of yourself today?

Here are some quick and simple care tips for the busy mom:

Carve out a chunk of time to read your favourite book.
Enjoy a hot drink on the park bench as your kids play at the park.
Wake up early (before everyone) and sit outside with the rising sun.
Talk to someone that lifts you up.
Take a walk.

2. Do Find Your People.

Have you found them yet? Your tribe? Your team of people that just get you, help you and guide you? Every mom needs an encouraging, supportive community. Finding those people that can be your cheerleaders, your encouragers, and even your advisors. Will benefit you and your family hugely. That doesn’t mean that you are seeking out the people that will constantly pour into you while you offer nothing in return. Rather you are looking for the people that will offer something special in your life, while you offer them your gifts in return. An equal friendship.

3. Do Eliminate Toxic Relationships.

Do you have someone in your life that is constantly dragging you down? Perhaps your old friends group is completely against your homeschooling decisions? Now every time you have a conversation with them, you feel like you’re a failure and a mess. You don’t need that kind of negativity. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you are eliminating them from your life completely.

Perhaps these friendships were once abundant and life giving. In this situation, instead of eliminating the friendship, you can put a pause on the relationship until you and the other person are in a better place to revisit the friendship. Your focus cannot be on negative interactions at this time. Because right now you need to focus on cultivating a healthy, wholesome, and positive education for your children.

4. Do Keep Things Simple.

Sometimes as homeschooling parents we can be our own worst enemy. Are you constantly assuming that you aren’t doing enough as a homeschooling parent? Do you have that ever present urge to add more curriculum? More practice sheets? And more structure? Unfortunately, sometimes as homeschooling moms we can become addicted to adding more to our homeschool. Do you want the cold, hard truth? All these extra events, lessons, and workbooks are actually doing absolutely nothing for your homeschool. In fact, they’re doing the opposite. When you are constantly adding in more, you are inevitably overwhelming your homeschool and causing a high level of unproductively.

5. Do Cut the Extras.

Number 5 of the 20 Do’s of Homeschooling goes along with number 4. Because maybe you’ve already added a bunch more to your homeschool? Maybe it’s way more than you actually need? Now you’re feeling the heavy weight of overwhelm? So, go ahead and cut out all the extras. Seriously, do it! Shave down your curriculum to the very basics, as least just for a time. Do less, but do it best. The truth is, less is more.

6. Do Read Aloud.

Reading to your children has many benefits. Some of them being that it improves concentration and vocabulary. While also building their self esteem. Reading to your child can also help them develop their own reading skills. But one of the best benefits of reading to your children? The fact that this simple act helps to build relationships. You can learn more about this here: 12 Reasons Why It’s Important to Read to Your Children – Caribu.

7. Do Snuggle and Hug Often.

Homeschooling grants the opportunity to connect with your children even more. Even just rubbing their back while they work through their math problems is such a gift. So, be sure to take advantage of all the extra hugs and special moments you can share.

8. Do Include Fun In Your Homeschool.

There’s nothing wrong with adding fun and games to your homeschool. Unfortunately there’s this misconception around education. And that is this idea that if your child is having fun, they clearly aren’t learning. While as of late, this twisted idea is phasing out. It’s important to take action and sprinkle fun into your homeschool. Take a break from books, and add in some fun games! Pinterest is flourishing with fun homeschool games that your kids will love. So go find some that your family loves and utilize them.

9. Do Be the Boss of Your Schedule.

Are you trapped in the mindset that your schedule must look like the public school’s calendar? Or that your schedule must appear like that of your super organized homeschool friends calendar? Snap out of it! Aim to have a daily routine that suits your family, not someone else’s. Check out these simple ways to establish a good homeschool routine: Establish a Good Homeschool Routine.

10. Do Take a Break From Homeschooling.

Homeschooling takes a huge mental effort. Due to that effort, it can lead to burn out quickly. So, aim to take scheduled breaks throughout the year. If you find yourself in between homeschool breaks, and you are tired and burnt out. Take a day or two off to reset. They’re called mental health days, and they’re always vital. Especially when you’re feeling like a train wreck. So, take a break and reset.

During this time your kids can play educational games, or watch educational shows. Actually the other day I saw a post in a homeschool group about a mom laying on the couch as she was so sick. And she said she had moved her homeschool to the living room. Her post gave the idea that she was still teaching, even though she was very ill. And while I have to admire her determination. I also want to point out that you as a homeschooling parent, are entitled to a day off. Especially if you’re sick. So, please do take a break from homeschooling should you need it.

11. Do Look At the World Through Your Child’s Eyes.

It’s so important to value what your child values. When you pay close and careful attention to what matters to your child, they will begin to also pay close attention to what you share with them. It’s so important to remember that what is valuable to your child matters. Everything about your child is important. Their ideas, and creations, their work, their interests, their stories. They’re valuable. So, listen.

12. Do Celebrate All Accomplishments.

You should always focus on what your child is doing right. So much more than what they are doing wrong. When you focus on all the good that they do, they will continually aim to do greater. If your child writes a sight word, but spells it incorrectly. Don’t immediately correct their mistakes. Instead, comment on what an amazing job they did writing the letter ‘b’. Include the phrase “You did such a great job!” frequently. Doing so builds their self-esteem and helps them have enthusiasm to continually improve.

13. Do Remind Yourself That You Are Not Behind!

Homeschooling should run at your families own pace! It’s also important to remember that when you are working at your child’s own unique pace, it’s impossible to fall behind. Read that again. It can be so hard to stay out of the comparison trap and assume that your child is behind. But they aren’t. They are working at the pace that they need to. And you are doing an amazing job helping them with that.

14. Do Place Importance On Personal Growth.

Do your children see you constantly aiming to be a better version of yourself? Spending time in the morning reading, investing in personal development, or listening to positive affirmations? All of these are going to help you keep your head above water and own the person that you are meant to be.

Personal development is extremely important for you. And also just as important for your children. Including important lessons about mental health, and ways to take care of their mental health is so important in the younger years. Encourage your child to constantly work at taking care of their mental health just like they take care of their physical health.

Use The Emotional Health Management unit to help teach your children about their mental health, and ways to cope when things get tough.

15. Do Listen to Podcasts and Read Books.

Podcasts are just such an amazing part of our digital world, that so many people don’t even use! So many of my friends don’t even know how to listen to podcasts, but it’s so simple. Your phone should have a podcasting app on it. Like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. All you have to do is open the app, then in the search box, look for podcasts that speak to you. Like ‘Parenting Podcasts’, ‘Homeschooling Podcasts’, ‘Genuine Mom Podcasts’, or ‘Personal Development Podcasts’. Listen to some episodes and then subscribe to the ones that you like the most. Then that amazing content will be added to your phone whenever they release a new podcast. And, it’s FREE!

Additionally, finding books to help you in every area of your life is essential. I really prefer podcasts because it’s so much easier for me to listen then it is for me to sit down and read. However, there are some amazing apps like Audible, available. Where you can purchase and download a book that will be read to you. You can make a list of books that you’d like to read, then one by one check them off the list when you’ve completed each one.

Pro tip: Subscribe to helpful blogs like The Schoolio Blog, to read amazing blogs like “The 20 Do’s of Homeschooling”.

16. Do Expect to Make Mistakes.

No one is immune to mistakes. Because perfection doesn’t exist. If you’ve chosen the wrong curriculum for your family, or you’ve neglected a certain area of study. Just know that we all make mistakes, and that’s OK. Don’t get stuck there.

17. Do Give Yourself Credit.

You are homeschooling your kids. What? Do you ever just think about that. Was this in your original life plan? No? But look! You’re doing it. You aren’t perfect, but you’re trying. And you’re doing such a great job. We often don’t give ourselves enough credit which is why it’s essential for you to give yourself credit for all that you’re doing right. Instead of always focusing on all that you’re doing wrong.

18. Do Make Goofy Memories.

I don’t want my kids to remember their time homeschooling as a time where their mom was constantly forcing them to answer math problems. Instead I want my kids to remember this time with fond memories. Are bad days going to happen? Absolutely. But my hope is that the good days are the ones implanted in their memories forever. The days when we painted the playhouse outside, or had a food fight at dinner. You’ve assumed the role of their educational teacher, but that doesn’t mean you have to leave fun mom on the curb. Bring fun mom with you, even when you’re doing Language Arts.

19. Do Understand That You Will Have Some Haters.

Homeschooling isn’t for everyone, just like traditional education isn’t for everyone. Will you have people constantly asking why your children aren’t in school? Yep. Will you have that one family member that is always telling you that your kids should be in school? You bet! Is someone going to constantly be asking your kids math questions to measure how behind they are? Probably. Despite the fact that homeschooling has become so much more mainstream in the last 5 years. It still is looked down on by so many. Because people often don’t like that which they cannot understand.

It’s not your job to make them love homeschooling. And it’s not your job to prove yourself to them. It is your job to love your kids, to educate your kids, and to give your kids a safe environment to learn and grow. Forget the haters.

20. Do Know That One Day You Will Be Thankful For This Sacrifice.

Homeschooling is a sacrifice. It’s a sacrifice of your time, your own freedom, and often your mental sanity. Not many people can do what you’re doing. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve thought to myself or verbally stated to my husband that I should just put the kids in school. It seems so easy, watching the kids leave on the bus, and knowing that someone else is covering their academic lessons. Sometimes I think about how freeing it would be to just have whole days to myself to work and maybe clean the house. But then I remember that I’m doing this for them. I remember that my children need this extra one-on-one time with me. My children wouldn’t excel in a class with 30 other children crammed in desks and herded outside for recess. I have to remind myself that my children are receiving a wholesome education, that is tailored to their needs.

And while the sacrifice is great, the reward will be incredible. Not just for them, but for me also. Because I get to keep these memories forever.

We hope that you enjoyed the 20 Do’s of Homeschooling. Don’t forget to check out the 20 Don’ts of Homeschooling (linked above). What was your favourite ‘Do’ of the 20 Do’s of Homeschooling?

20 Don’ts of Homeschooling

Is there some magical way to become a better homeschooling parent? Well, learning the right way to do something and the wrong way are both important. We’ve compiled a list of things you don’t want to do as a homeschooling parent. So, let’s jump to the 20 Don’ts of homeschooling. Created and approved by veteran homeschool parents that know what they’re talking about.

The 20 Don’ts of Homeschooling

1. Don’t Overwork and Overwhelm Your Kids.

Keep your lessons short, sweet, and simple. Many homeschoolers think that they need to cram in an abundance of ‘work’ during school time. In order to keep up with traditional education. Don’t do this. When you overwork your kids with workbooks and lessons. It can actually overstimulate them and cause them to become overly frustrated with their education. When you choose to overwhelm and overwork your kids, you are undeniably choosing stress for them. And that stress is a quick step to a learning block. So, don’t do that.

2. Don’t Over Schedule.

Homeschooling in itself takes up a huge part of your day. Additionally, the default homeschool parent is often the one that is also responsible for housework, and for some, working from home too. Therefore you should always aim to keep your family’s schedule light. Society has this way of making us believe that if our kids aren’t in ballet, ice skating, gymnastics, basketball, hockey or some other extracurricular activity. That they won’t be on the same level as their peers. That’s false. While it can be nice to have those extra activities, it’s vital to protect the schedule. Perhaps your child is extremely talented in one area and you want to cultivate that – that’s totally fine. I’m not saying you should give up on all extra activities. But, over scheduling with activities that they probably don’t even enjoy? What’s the point? Stop over scheduling. Aim for a simple schedule instead.

3. Don’t Overwhelm Yourself.

Number 3 of the 20 Are you the type of parent that is quick to cut up your 9 year olds waffle for him? Stop. Let your child learn how to be independent. Doing so by allowing them the opportunity to actually accomplish tasks on their own. When it comes to class work, are you sharpening the pencils? Are you sitting at the table for hours while your child finishes each question of their lessons? Don’t do that! There’s a reason this is number three on the 20 don’ts of homeschooling. Because it’s important.

If your child is old enough, implement checklists for homework. This can look like ‘Today you need to complete pages 90 – 93 of your Language Arts.” If you know that it’s just practice work, and you don’t necessarily need to teach them directly. Then allowing them to use a checklist to complete these tasks is an amazing habit to get them, and yourself into. Teaching your kids to be independent is one of your greatest goals as a parent, so aim to reach it!

20 dDon’ts of Homeschooling pro tip for teaching multiple grades: Click Here

4. Don’t Compare Yourself.

Please, please, don’t compare yourself to other parents. Don’t compare yourself to other homeschool parents. Above all, don’t ever compare your child to another child. Doing so will just create a complex in their mind and put them on the comparison path for the rest of their life. Rather you should remind yourself that your kids are unique, you are unique, and your homeschool is a reflection of that. Everyone is going to be a little different. And, every homeschool is going to look a little different.

5. Don’t Tear Other Homeschoolers Down.

This is just as important as being sure not to compare yourself to other homeschooling parents. You should never, ever criticize someone else’s homeschooling style. Why? Because you really never know when their style will become your own. Homeschooling changes, constantly.

As your children grow, your homeschool changes. You’ll find different ways that work best for your children. Often (most) times one way of learning will be great for one of your kids and absolutely not for your other kid. It’s easy when you first start homeschooling to assume that you are going to continue to homeschool in that specific way forever. But, you won’t. Your homeschool will change and evolve. A homeschooling style that seemed to be totally foreign and off the rails for you, just might become the style that you end up gravitating towards one day.

It’s also just really important that we should never criticize another individual whether behind their back or to their face. It’s not kind. This is especially true for homeschooling families. Rather than criticizing, we should be supporting them while also learning from them. Homeschool families need to stick together, whether your styles mesh or not.

6. Don’t be Afraid to Experiment.

This is why it’s also so important not to criticize other homeschooling styles. Because it’s paramount for you to find your own style, schedule and even curriculum that works best for your family. Changing things up is a great option when things are getting messy and no one seems to be enjoying the homeschooling journey. Please don’t be afraid to change things up!

7. Don’t Imitate a Public School Classroom.

It’s totally fine to have a schedule, we aren’t saying that everyone should just jump to unschooling. But listen, if that’s your jam than obviously – do it! The point is, you don’t want to get tied up by an unrealistic schedule. It can be hard to wrap your mind around what an alternative educational model can look like when you’re accustomed to the public school model alone.

8. Don’t Feel That You Need to Cover It All.

You don’t need to jump into every subject the first day, week, or even month. Homeschooling is often a really big adjustment for the whole family. So instead, you should give your family and yourself time to get familiar with your learning content and routine. Focus on one or two core subjects, and sprinkle in something that your child really loves! This could be art, music, physical education, or even a nature study. As time goes on, you can start to sprinkle in the other subjects.

9. Don’t Cram It All Into One Day.

I feel like I’ve said this before. But that’s fine. I’ll say it again, especially for the 20 don’ts of homeschooling. Because it’s an important point that needs to be recognized. You do not need to do Math, Science, Social Studies, Language Arts, French, Arts and Music all in one day. Schools don’t even do that! When you choose to homeschool in this way, your child can’t properly grasp all the concepts that they should be grasping.

It’s so much better if you choose one or maybe 2 subjects per day. Take time to really dive into them. Look up neat videos to go along with your lessons. Check out library books, do research together. Find different ways to teach a certain concept. And then reiterate the lesson using different styles (on different days). You can do this until you’ve figured out the unique way that your child learns at this time. Notice I said “at this time”, because their learning style will change.

10. Don’t Belittle Your Children.

This really is just a general tip for parenting. But we can cross it into homeschooling as well. If your child is trying to dig deeper into a topic, or is struggling with something and trying to tell you that they are. Don’t ignore that. Never assume that it’s just ‘them’. And belittle them into getting the work done. Never belittle your children, period. Adding onto that, just please never belittle your children in the name of getting them to accomplish their school work. It’s not worth it, and can and will have lasting negative effects on their lives.

11. Don’t Be a Taskmaster.

I get it. You want to get all the work done so you can enjoy an amazing winter break with no school work, just holiday music playing and cookies baking in the oven. Regardless of that goal, you should never turn yourself into a taskmaster on behalf of trying to have your children reach their goals on the timeline that you have created. You don’t want to get to the point where your children think of school as yet another chore they must accomplish. And, you don’t want your child to look at you and think ‘Now what does she want me to do?’. I know you want to aim to get it all done, and quickly. But that kind of crammed learning isn’t learning. It’s chaos. So don’t do it.

12. Don’t Force a School Day.

Did your kids wake up with runny noses and they’re complaining of sore throats? Are your children just really tired from a busy weekend? Maybe you’re feeling exhausted and needing a break? Then take one. You don’t need to force a school day just because you saw the school bus go by the window outside. Because your child will not fall behind because you took a breather. Forcing school on a day that you know no one will want to participate will really cause more frustration than good.

13. Don’t Teach When You’re Frustrated.

DON’T TEACH WHEN YOU’RE FRUSTRATED. This ‘don’t‘ of the 20 don’ts of homeschooling is really, really important so I had to write it twice. Never teach when you’re frustrated. As a homeschooling parent you will still have life to deal with on top of homeschool. Sometimes you can be teaching a simple lesson of math, the day seems to be going great. Then all of a sudden your youngest comes in with a suspicious grin.

You hear a weird sound and notice water running down the hallway. Suddenly, you come to the horrific realization that while you were happily teaching math to your older child. Your younger child tried to dump their crayons in the toilet. Now there’s a flood down the hallway and you probably need to call a plumber. Ok, Math is done for the day. The frustration you’re feeling in that moment will only come out in your teaching style.

Even if you think you can suffocate the feelings, you can’t. It’ll come out in your body language. If you know you are frustrated, avoid teaching until you’ve gotten yourself into a better headspace. That doesn’t mean you should give up on the lesson for the day. It means you refocus, regroup, and come back to it when you’re more relaxed and able.

14. Don’t Add More Curriculum.

It’s tempting, when you’re walking by the piles of curriculum books at Costco to think ‘Oh this would be great practice work!’. You don’t need to do that. As homeschoolers we are constantly feeling like we need to do ‘more’. Or like our kids aren’t learning or doing enough. So, this feeling of ‘adding more’ just continually pops up. Your child did their Science lesson quickly and didn’t fuss? Does that mean you should add more practice? Make it harder for them? Absolutely not! Learning doesn’t need to be crammed in there, and difficult. It should be simple, fun, relaxing and engaging. Finding that balance will make a world of difference.

15. Don’t Fall For Homeschool Parental Guilt.

You are doing enough. And your kids are learning enough. Also, your home is clean enough. And your kids are eating healthy enough. We love to torture ourselves with these ideas that we just aren’t enough. Or like someone else is doing it better, so why can’t I? Stop! Turn the switch off when it comes to homeschool parental guilt. It literally ally gets you nowhere. Your kids really are learning enough, and you are truly doing such a good job. There’s no room for parental guilt, because you are totally filled up with positive affirmations on how awesome you are.

16. Don’t Assume That Your Kids Are Behind.

They aren’t. Your kids are right where they’re supposed to be. Let go of this idea that your child needs to be in the standard for their age group. Your child is unique and their learning style reflects that. Maybe your child is 9 years old but is reading at a grade 2 level. That’s ok. Your child isn’t behind, they don’t need to catch up. Just move along at the pace that works for your child and yourself. Then all the pieces will fall into place when they’re supposed to.

17. Don’t Be Afraid to Ask For Help.

It’s so good to ask for help and support when you need it. This doesn’t mean that you aren’t strong enough to be a homeschooling parent.

18. Don’t Worry About Messing Up as a Homeschool Parent.

Life is messy! Literally everyone messes up sometimes. Some people just clean it up faster or hide it better. If you’ve messed up as a homeschool parent, learn from that mistake and move forward.

19. Don’t Get Stuck in the Oops!

If you did mess up, or loose your temper, or taught your kid the wrong concept. Don’t get stuck in the mistake. Look at it as a learning opportunity for you too! When you’ve mad a mistake, own it. Take ownership of your mistake, apologize, and strategize how to move forward in a positive way.

20. Don’t Underestimate Yourself.

You are more than capable of teaching your children. Be proud of the choice that you’ve made. Embrace the unknowns, and work diligently towards the future. Because you are capable of accomplishing some really, really amazing things. I’m so proud of you, and I hope that you are too! The very fact that you are searching out ways to be an amazing homeschooling parent, like reading the 20 don’ts of homeschooling, speaks volumes. Don’t cut yourself short, ok?

Did you enjoy the 20 Don’ts of Homeschooling? Stay tuned for the 20 Do’s of Homeschooling, coming soon!

Do you have any ‘don’ts’ to add to the 20 Don’ts of Homeschooling? Let us know!

Is School Giving Your Child Anxiety?

Is school giving your child anxiety? Read the following short story and decide.

It’s morning, and you just spilled your coffee all over the counter because you forgot to put a mug underneath the coffee spout. You finally got the coffee disaster cleaned up, only for your youngest child to spill their cheerios all over the floor. The dog has started to devour all the cheerios off the floor, then promptly begins to vomit it all up.

All the while your oldest child has been following you around because she wants to tell you about how her friend stole her idea for a robot that serves ice cream in their imagination world. With all the chaos going on around you, you glance over at your middle child who is dressed, hair brushed, eaten her breakfast and put her bowl in the sink. You love that your middle child is so self-efficient because on days like this, it’s just so helpful.

Then you look at the clock and realize that your kids are officially late for school drop off.

So, you quickly rush them out the door, yelling “We’re late, we’re late, we’re late!” You hustle everyone to the van like some sort of weird celebratory parade that you do every morning. Finally, you get to the school and say the famous mom words “Love you! Have a good day!” Off goes your oldest child and your youngest. You glance in the very back of your van to notice that your middle child appears to be glued to her seat. “You better go honey, you’re already late.” But she doesn’t move.

You mumble in frustration as you head to the side door to open it to get her out. “Come on, this isn’t like you! Let’s go!” Still she seems frozen in place. “What’s wrong? Are you sick?” You ask in confusion. “I think I am mommy. My tummy is hurting so bad.” You encourage your child that she’s ok and that she needs to go to school. Still your sweet little one appears to be uneasy, and afraid.

Finally, she gets out of the van.

Cars behind you in the drop-off line are now honking their horns in impatience. “Ok! You need to go now!” But still, she is holding onto your hand as if there’s a terrifying monster standing in front of her. ‘What is happening?’ You ask yourself. She was fine this morning, she’s always the one that seems to just do what she needs to. Why is she acting like this? You then decide to just take her home with the assumption that she’s experiencing a tummy bug. Then when you get her home, she’s fine. The next day repeats itself, only this time she’s crying in the backseat, shaking with fear. Unfortunately, you feel that you must be tough on her and get her to go. Because, well, it’s school! She can’t miss it.

What’s going on in this situation?

Anxiety. Although we like to think that our children won’t be affected by anxiety and depression, that’s simply not the truth. In fact, children are just as vulnerable as adults to suffer from anxiety. In fact, according to the CDC: “7.1% of children aged 3-17 (approximately 4.4 million) have been diagnosed with anxiety.” CDC – Children’s Mental Health

“70% of mental health problems have their onset during childhood or adolescence.” – Youth Mental Health Canada.

In Canada it is estimated that 1.2 million children and youth in Canada are affected by mental illness. View Youth Mental Health Canada. According to the Canadian Mental Health Association – British Columbia Division – The most common illness to affect children and youth is anxiety. In Canada it’s estimated that 6% of kids will experience an anxiety disorder at some point. Mental Illnesses in Children and Youth – Canadian Mental Health Association.

The number of children struggling with their mental health is alarming, but what’s more so alarming? The fact that despite these high volumes, less than 20 percent will be able to receive the right treatment for them.

Is school giving your child anxiety?

Some children have been known to struggle with anxiety that is related to school. Some triggers include: Bullying or conflicts with other students, test anxiety, academic pressures, a new teacher, riding the school bus, a specific class or subject. There are many different factors that can trigger anxiety when it comes to school.

Many families are able to identify the very reason why their child is facing a heavy weight of anxiety when it comes to school. However, some children are able to hide their anxiety. Or act out in other ways, causing families to assume there is something else that is affecting their child. In some cases, children really can’t identify the concern or fears that they have around school.

If your child is struggling with anxiety and school, or is refusing to go to school. It’s really important that you find out if your child is being bullied, if they have other medical problems, pain or some other serious issue. Whatever you suspect, it’s always important to meet with the school, and a family physician to be sure. When you’re questioning ‘Is school giving my child anxiety?’

What are some signs and symptoms of school anxiety?

Emotional Symptoms can include:

Anxiety/fear/excessive worry
Irritability
Anger
Embarrassment
Loneliness
Sadness

Physical Symptoms can include:

Frequent Urination or diarrhoea
Headaches
Muscle tension/pain
Dizziness/light headedness
Pounding/Racing Heart
Shaking or trembling
Feeling short on breath
Stomach-aches or a painful abdomen
Vomiting

Behavioural Symptoms can include:

Being overly clingy, not wanting to separate from their parent.
Crying and tantrums.
Incessant complaining.
Not turning in their homework.
Frequent calls or texts to parents.
Skipping class or even cutting school.
Lying about circumstances or feelings.
Trouble concentrating.
Isolation from others.

Some thoughts that your child might be thinking:

‘What if the other kids laugh at me?’

‘Why do I have to go to school anyway?’

‘I’m not good at school. I fail.’

‘What if daddy forgets to pick me up?’

‘If I fail this test my mom will be mad at me.’

‘What if I throw up in class?’

‘I don’t like recess, it’s cold and I get scared of a thunderstorm.’

‘I just want to be home in my room.’

Are you asking yourself how this happened?

‘My child was fine and suddenly just started to not be ok at school. What did I do wrong?’ First of all, don’t blame yourself. Parental guilt will only make you and your child feel worse. Is school giving your child anxiety? Was it something else? The important thing is, to find healthy steps to move forward from here.

Let’s take some solid steps to help your child that is struggling with anxiety and school.

The first step is to identify any potential triggers.

Look for the triggers that might’ve started this decline with anxiety and school. Is your child being bullied or struggling with peers? Did your child just get a new teacher or has a harsh teacher? Does your child struggle with tests? Have you noticed your child’s anxiety to be much worse since covid? Perhaps the fear of catching the disease, or wearing masks, or lockdowns, has caused them to feel a large amount of fear? Find out what could potentially be triggering these feelings.

Second, notice if they’ve been trying to tell you about their anxiety in other ways.

Anxiety can be really scary, especially for a little person who doesn’t understand what they’re feeling. Has your child previously said phrases like: “The work is too hard!” “I can’t concentrate in class.” “It’s so tiring, I hate it.” “I’m going to fail the test.” “I don’t fit in.” “I saw someone getting bullied.” “Joey keeps making fun of my clothes.” These phrases and concerns aren’t just complaints. Sometimes they can be cries for help. If your child brings any of these complaints to you, always dig a little deeper to see what the root cause is.

Third, ask more questions.

If your child has brought up concerns like those above, ask lots of questions! Even if your child is rolling their eyes at you. While pretending that you’re annoying them, you aren’t. Most kids actually enjoy your interest in them and in their day. If your child hasn’t brought up any concerns, but you can just tell that they are feeling off – ask questions. Even if your child seems totally normal, ask questions. Dig deeper. Teaching your kids that it’s good to talk, and that it’s good to bring up their concerns – is so healthy.

Fourth, reach out to their school.

If your child is struggling in any area with school. Then reaching out to their school is imperative as working with their educational team is so important. Most schools and teachers are more than accommodating when it comes to mental health. So if you are wondering ‘is school giving your child anxiety?’ then this is an excellent step to take.

Fifth, give your kid a ‘Worry Journal’.

What’s a worry journal? It’s a place where they can write down all of those big, scary, feelings, that are causing their struggles. In the worry journal, they can write, draw, or doodle. Really, whatever they want. It’s their journal, and they can utilize it to express their feelings in whatever way seems best for them.

Sixth, find helpful coping strategies to help your child.

There are so many amazing programs out there that are fully capable of helping your child navigate on those tough days. Including our very own Emotional Intelligence: Managing My Emotions special interest unit. With this special interest unit your child will learn about why it’s just as important to take care of our minds as it is to care for our bodies.

What else will they learn?

They will also learn ways to name and describe common “unhelpful thoughts” that lead them down thought paths which make them less happy. And lessons on the S.T.O.P.P. strategy for regaining control and assessing the situation when their emotions are high. Along with management tools for runaway thoughts, and how to control their reactions. They’ll also learn lessons about calming strategies, for when they need to gather themselves and regain control of their emotions.

Click here to learn more about the Emotional Intelligence: Managing My Emotions Special Interest Unit

Seventh, help your child understand that they don’t need to be afraid of their feelings.

When we don’t understand what we are feeling it can make it seem much more scary. Helping your child understand that they don’t need to fight those scary feelings can be very helpful. Along with helping them learn the important steps to cope through those big feelings. Above all, telling your kids that you’re there for them no matter what is of the utmost importance.

Eighth, consider switching up their education.

Is school giving your child anxiety? If you know that school is the main culprit of their anxiety, and you’ve tried to work with their school to help them. But nothing appears to be working. You can try to switch up their education, at least for the short term. A lot of children have been experiencing anxiety around school because of the uncertainties that the pandemic have caused.

As a result, there has been a significant amount of parents pulling their children from school to homeschool them.

And many parents have stated that online school/homeschool has actually been good for their child’s mental health. Obviously, there’s no scientific data to back up their claims. But the parents who are with their children full time, should have a pretty accurate view point. Homeschooling is obviously not going to be the best alternative for every child that is struggling with mental health concerns. However, homeschooling has proven to be beneficial for many.

Benefits of homeschooling.

Some obvious benefits of homeschooling include: More one on one time with the parent. Minimizing stress and anxiety. No bullies or peer pressure. And in some cases homeschooling has been known to minimize depression that many students experience because of traditional schooling.

There are many more benefits of homeschooling, including the freedom for your child to embrace who they really are. While also allowing you and your child to create a schedule that fits the needs of you both. Additionally, having a flexible schedule can give your child more time to play sports, go to social events, and have day time opportunities that they wouldn’t have otherwise.

Is school giving your child anxiety?

There are many ways to help your child overcome the anxiety about school that they are facing. Just remember that this often takes time and a large amount of patience on your part. Showing your child that you are there for them, patient with them, and on their team will help immensely.

Giving them options so that they don’t feel stuck is another excellent way to help them overcome the anxiety that is pulling them down.

For a first hand look at a mama who had her child struggle with anxiety and school, check out this awesome blog with Meredith Blunt.

Read her story and what she did to help her child with school anxiety.

Disclaimer: We are not licensed therapists or mental health professionals. If your child is struggling with a mental health condition and you are not sure what to do, please see your doctor for the proper steps to help them.

Additional Resources for this blog:

School Refusal – Anxiety Canada

How Does Anxiety Affect Kids in School? – Child Mind Institute

Anxiety in Kids – Anxiety in the Classroom

Data and Statistics on Children’s Mental Health – CDC

Global Student Network – Is Homeschooling Good For Your Child’s Mental Health?

Youth Mental Health Statistics in Canada – YMHC

Mental Illnesses in Child and Youth – Canadian Mental Health Association

Should You Quit Homeschooling?

Have you ever felt the untameable feeling that you should just give up on homeschooling your kids? Maybe it’s the frustration from always trying to get your kids to do their math? Mixed with exhaustion, and guilt about how you should be doing more for them? All these feelings have mixed together to make a cocktail of negative feelings about giving up on your homeschool. So, should you quit homeschooling? Or should you investigate further to see what the deeper issue is? And how to help it? Let’s find out.

Remember, homeschooling can be a challenge.

Let’s not sugar coat it. While it’s true that anyone can homeschool, the fact is that it still can be an exhausting venture. One that will drain you, while simultaneously filling you up. There’s really nothing like it. Sometimes homeschool parents will look at all they have to accomplish in a day and think ‘Why? Why am I torturing myself with all this extra work?’ So, why are you doing it? Should you quit homeschooling? Let’s investigate further.

Should you quit homeschooling? 5 questions to identify.

It’s important to ask yourself a series of questions when contemplating whether or not to give up on homeschooling.

Question 1: Is this still benefiting my family?

Despite the tough days, is this still the best education plan for your family?

Question 2: Are you just facing some bad days?

Our minds like to focus on the negative. Are you dwelling on the tough times more than the good? Dwelling on the negative can lead you to believe that things are worse than they actually are. Are they just experiencing some bad homeschool days? Or is your whole homeschooling system actually not working for your family?

Question 3: Are your kids still benefiting from homeschool?

Think about your kids, are they thriving off of their home learning plan? Or are they struggling with it? Don’t just think about the bad days and how your children did on those days. You need to also remember the good days, and how your children thrive during those times. Let me ask you again, are your kids still benefiting from homeschool?

Question 4: Do you want to make this work?

You can’t mess with a determined parent. Are you still determined to educate your kids at home? Then those feelings of wanting to quit homeschooling are temporary. And aren’t aligned with what you really do think is best for your family.

Question 5: Are your kids learning?

Chances are that’s a yes. Homeschooled children learn in such unique ways. Because they have the opportunity to learn the way that they need to. While not being rushed to master concepts in a timeline that isn’t their own. Are your kids learning?

If you answered yes to most or all of the questions, (or even just one of these questions) then I’d say that you’re on the right track. We all struggle sometimes with homeschooling and just parenting in general. Occasionally, we may feel the intense feelings of wanting to give up.

Despite the overwhelm, are you determined to make homeschooling work? Yes? Then let’s take a look at some things you need to do to get back in the right mind-set for homeschooling.

You need to: Remember your reason why.

Why are you homeschooling? What’s the reason behind the decision to take on such a huge challenge? Is it perhaps the desire to provide your child with a better education? Or maybe your child needs a little more one on one education time? Are you keeping your child home due to the pandemic? Or maybe school anxiety has become too overwhelming for them? Whatever your why is, it’s valid and it matters. Year ago, when I first started homeschooling my kids, I remember someone telling me that I was doing it because I was being selfish. Selfish? How? I took time to investigate those claims. And the more I thought about it, the more bitter I became about their response. They believed that I wanted more time with my kids, therefore I was being selfish by keeping them home with me. I remember those accusations leaving me utterly overwhelmed. Could I be selfish for making this choice? I let their idea of what my ‘why’ was, interfere with my actual reason why.

I look back on those claims now and shake my head. Homeschooling because you’re selfish with your child’s time? Come on! That’s not even slightly realistic. Homeschooling parents are far from selfish. On the contrary, homeschooling parents are the ones that are giving up their free time, and so much more. Homeschooling parent have to learn how to balance their children’s education, parenting, home life, relationships, social lives, and work. That’s not selfish. That’s strength. Dwelling on the words of someone with a negative opinion will only bring you down and cause you to doubt your decisions. Finding your why is important, but equally important is not allowing other people to distract you with their unrealistic ideas of why they think you are homeschooling.

Let’s recap this point: Find your why, and don’t allow others to tell you what they think your why is.

You need to: Note your surroundings and circumstances.

Generally, the feelings of overwhelm and frustration when it comes to homeschooling stems from frustrations regarding your current circumstances and environment. Did you read the November Homeschooling Slump blog? If you didn’t, check it out here. There are certain times of the year when homeschool parents report feeling like they’re in a slump. A combination of the shorter days, prepping for the holidays, and the excitement of the new school year being gone, has led you to a slump. Occasionally, when you’re caught in a homeschooling slump you may feel like giving up on homeschool. Should you quit homeschooling? When you start to question if you should quit homeschooling, it’s really important to note your surroundings and circumstances.

Are you in a slump? Is your family experiencing a little bit of cabin fever from the shorter days and less activities? These can all lead to moments of questioning what you’re doing. It’s important to take a look at your surroundings and circumstances and remember that these things will pass, before deciding if you should quit homeschooling.

You need to: Identify why you’re feeling this way.

Once you’ve taken the time to properly observe your surroundings and circumstances, you can properly assess why you’re feeling this way. Do you genuinely not like homeschooling? Or are these feelings a result of that slump you’re in? Identifying why you’re experiencing these big feelings can be crucial in navigating your way through it.

You need to: Remember why you started in the first place.

Now that you know why you started homeschooling in the first place, dig deeper into it. Write it down. Grab a notebook. Then pencil in all the reasons you chose to homeschool your children. We can become so caught up between workbooks, grading, our children’s attitudes, and outside activities. That we lose sight of our initial joy for home-learning. That lack of joy leads us to thoughts like: ‘Should you quit homeschooling?’

You need to: Maybe get a new why?

Sometimes our lives change, our family situation changes, and our circumstances and surroundings change. Often times the greatest changes will be from our children. They’re constantly growing and changing into the people that they will become. Perhaps your reason for homeschooling is no longer valid. So adopt a new reason why. You will more than likely think of a new reason why in no time.

You need to: Set your biggest struggle subject aside for a week.

Yep, you read that right! Is your child struggling with Language Arts? Put it away for one week. In its place, add in something interest based for them instead. Watch how this simple reset can help your child refocus.

You need to: Chat with experienced homeschooling parents who have been where you are.

There will always be people that have gone before you. And there will always be someone who has gone through roughly the same experiences as you. Chatting with these experienced (veteran) homeschoolers can help when you’re feeling frustration and despair regarding your homeschool. Even if they don’t offer a huge mountain of advice. It can often help lift your spirits just by chatting with someone. So, don’t be afraid to reach out and talk with some veteran homeschoolers. Their wisdom may just be what you need to keep going.

You need to: Drop those comparisons.

Comparing yourself to another homeschool family will only cause a mountain of grief and frustration for yourself and your kids. Alternatively, comparing yourself to a family whose child is in traditional learning is just a bad idea. The point is: Don’t compare yourself or your family to any other family. Whether homeschooling or not. It’s a recipe for disaster. When you spend time focusing on how your homeschool should look like someone else’s. Or how your child needs to be learning the same concepts and at the same pace as another person’s child. You’re missing the whole point of homeschool. See, you and your family are unique. And, your homeschool reflects that. So, please don’t get caught up in the comparison game.

You need to: Change Your Homeschool Path.

Has your homeschool always been traditional? But now one of your learners seems to be benefiting from an unschooled learning method? It’s OK to change things up. Sometimes we get stuck in this idea that we must continue homeschooling the way we began. But it’s really important to remember that things change. If you feel that you need to change up your homeschool a little to better suit your learners, schedule or yourself. That is OK. Changing the plan doesn’t equal failing. Changing the plan can actually be good for your kids and yourself. If you’re finding that your child just isn’t thriving off of your current homeschooling methods, then experiment with other methods of learning and see what happens.

You need to: Stop Homeschooling.

Wait! Hold on! I don’t mean forever. I mean stop and take a break. No one likes the idea of falling behind when it comes to homeschool. We are all aiming for the spring weather when we can put the books on the shelves and run outside in the fresh spring flowers. Even so, you won’t fall drastically behind if you just take a week or two to reset. Often times when the homeschool mama is feeling like quitting, it’s because the homeschool mama is tired, drained and overworked. Taking a week off to take care of yourself will be beneficial for everyone. Let your kids play legos, or draw pictures while you spend some time reading a book. Taking these little breaks from the routine homeschool life can really help to regain your focus, and get you and your family back on learning track.

You need to: Connect with your children.

Do your children dread the moment you say “Time for Math!”? Have you put your responsibilities as a homeschool teacher above your natural parental tendencies? It’s really important to reconnect with your children especially if you’ve found that you have been forcing the homeschool teacher role more than your natural born parenting role. Take some time to just hang out with your kids, without the pressure of workbooks or TV’s/iPads distracting them or you. It’s important to take time to just be the family that you were before you became a homeschool family.

You need to: Ditch the schedule.

I have to say, one of the main reasons that homeschool parents begin to feel that they want to quit is because they’re holding themselves up to these crazy expectations and schedules. While routine is obviously beneficial for both your kids and yourself. Sometimes we can become too consumed by the schedule and plans. Homeschooling is supposed to be different from traditional education. That’s why it’s called home schooling. Your education can now evolve around your home life. And you don’t need to snap everyone into an intense schedule to be able to help your children learn. Check out this blog about scheduling your homeschool for some excellent ideas on how to have a great homeschool routine.

You need to: Find Joy in Learning again.

Do you remember that moment when your child learned something new? And you actually saw it click in their mind? You saw light fill their eyes, and you knew in that moment that this is why you wanted to homeschool your children. Because you wanted to help your children have those moments of pure learning bliss. Perhaps you used to take long walks in the rain when their school work was much less in the younger years. During those walks, you would chat about the water cycle. But now you are just too busy trying to make sure all the workbooks are completed. Just remember, workbooks aren’t the only form of education. Aim to find joy in learning with your children again.

Educating your kids is an enormous task. But such an important undertaking. Sometimes when something is a big deal and really important to us, we sometimes feel like we are failing. And therefore assume that we must quit what we are doing. The reality is, things that are important to us are often hard. If this were easy, everyone would do it. So, don’t assume that just because you’ve had some tough days you should automatically just give up. This task is large, but it’s worth it. So, should you quit homeschooling?

Don’t give up. Keep going.

Check out this amazing article by a veteran homeschool mama, Jennifer.

What to Do When You Feel Like Quitting Homeschooling – The Deliberate Mom

How To Beat The November Homeschool Slump

It’s homeschool slump season! When the excitement of the new school year has faded. And the days have become shorter and much colder. As a result your family has been spending much more time inside the house. Motivation to complete school work has disappeared. And some homeschooling parents are now asking themselves, ‘Why am I doing this?’ Welcome to the November Homeschool Slump. A very common, and normal feeling that homeschool families often face at this time of the year. So, let’s figure out how to beat the November Homeschool slump and get back on track with learning.

First of all, know that this is completely normal.

Lots of homeschool parents report feeling like they’re in a slump at this time of year. Sibling arguments are increasing. While motivation to get school work done is decreasing. Subjects that perhaps your child was excelling at are suddenly sub-par. The situation quickly turned from your kids being excited to open their fresh, crisp workbooks for fun learning, to everyone wanting to throw in the towel.

Maybe the feeling of wanting to quit homeschooling has become much more persistent in your mind. Your overwhelm as a parent-teacher has become pretty consuming. Before you get down on yourself, please remember that these feelings and frustrations are not at all a reflection of how you are as a parent, or a parent-teacher. These heavy feelings are directly related to the November Homeschool Slump.

How to know if you’re in a November Homeschool Slump?

These are some key characteristics that point to the November Homeschool Slump.

Forcing yourself to paste on a smile when you’re trying to teach your kids a Math lesson.
Trying to appear motivated for your kids, while you feel like you can barely put one foot in front of the other.
Counting through how many weeks are left of school, over and over.
Feeling like you want to quit homeschooling.
Dreading another day of homeschooling.
Feeling tired and fed up with learning.
Losing patience when it comes to teaching.
Finding your curriculum to be boring.
Your kids groan and grump when you say it’s time to do school.
Feeling like you’re failing as a homeschool-parent.

Do these sound familiar at all? Please know, I totally understand how you’re feeling. Because as I write this, I’m in the middle of a homeschool slump with our own homeschool. The truth is, homeschooling is incredibly difficult. Even if you have the very best curriculum, an amazing routine, and are maintaining the happy, supportive, homeschooling-parent role. You will find that a homeschool slump can sneak in out of the blue.

Maybe you aren’t the one that is experiencing the slump. Perhaps it’s your child that is feeling the strong lack of motivation, mixed with agitation and frustration. Whether it’s you, your child or both of you that are struggling with a homeschool slump. It’s important to be able to spot the signs and know how to overcome it.

So, how can you beat the November Homeschool Slump?

Or, any homeschooling slump for that matter. While specifically we are talking about November because, well, it’s November. It’s important to remember that homeschool slumps can occur at any time of the year. Most common times though, are the November, and January – March slumps.

So let’s fix it.

Step one: Know the signs.

Did you skim past them? Scroll back up and check out some of the signs of homeschooling slumps. It’s a really good idea to know what these signs are. So that you are able to catch the slump before it becomes an issue with your homeschool. Write them down if you need to. Or bookmark this blog post so that you can easily reference it when you suspect that a slump might be just beyond the horizon.

Step two: Chat with your kids.

Ask your kids what subjects they dislike the most. Their answers might just surprise you. We often have a feeling as to what they dislike. But occasionally there might be another subject that they really don’t like but force themselves to do it. Which then leads to a frustrating next subject. Make a point to ask your children what they don’t like, be sure not to try to direct their answers. Just give them free space to talk.

Step three: Mix it up!

Think about some ways to make learning fresh and enjoyable again. Are you curious how you can mix things up even more? I mean, you’re already homeschooling, isn’t that enough of a mix up with education? The answer is, no. There are so many awesome ways to mix things up when it comes to your homeschool. Check out Pinterest for some amazing ideas.

Step four: Play more games!

Learning games are an incredible avenue for creative education. They also make learning more fun. While amping up engagement quickly. Another huge benefit of adding games to your school time: They require little to no prep time! And there’re so many educational games available! If you’re having an off day, and can’t seem to get the kids to want to learn via book or normal curriculum. Add in some fun learning games. The brain learns so much better when it’s having fun.

Step five: Go outside!

Maybe you’re avoiding the outdoors because you just really don’t like being cold. I get it. However, it’s super important to get your kids (and yourself) outside for at least 20 minutes a day. As going outside has so many benefits.

For both your child and yourself, the outdoors offers improved short-term memory, restored mental energy, stress relief, better vision, improved concentration, improved thinking and creativity, immune system boost, and more. You can learn more about these incredible scientific benefits here: Business Insider – 11 Scientifically Proven Reasons You Should Go Outside.

Additionally, there are major benefits for your child when you bring them outside. According to Today’s Parent, playing outside boosts academic performance, improves sleep, increases happiness, reduces ADHD symptoms and more. You can view that article here: Today’s Parent – 5 reasons why every kid should play outside.

Clearly the outdoors is an excellent solution to the homeschool slump that you’re finding you and your family in. Schedule in some time each day to head to the great outdoors.

Step six: Get up and Move!!

Sometimes going outside can be difficult, for example: It’s freezing rain and dangerous to head outdoors. Or it’s just pouring rain and you don’t really want to be soaked and cold. You can still get up and move around the house! A known fact is that kids don’t like to sit still for too long. So, if you’re trying to get your kids to work on their curriculum for hours at the table, because you are a bit behind. Nothing good will come from that situation. Take breaks for movement. Run around the house, go up and down the stairs, play indoor tag, or add in a quick game of the floor is lava? There are so many awesome opportunities for movement. So get moving!

Step seven: Schedule out of house days.

They don’t need to be fancy. You don’t need to always have a perfect plan in motion for what you will do on any given day. But scheduling some important ‘out of the house’ days can be super helpful when it comes to homeschooling slumps. Are Thursday’s the most difficult learning day out of your school week? Then plan to go for a nice breakfast at a local restaurant together. Or plan park afternoons with other homeschool friends. You could also sign your kids up for homeschooling activities. Like homeschool soccer, gymnastics, or art classes. There are so many opportunities available.

Step eight: Join a homeschool group.

Not sure where to start? Ask around! Chat with local homeschoolers and ask them what group they are a part of. Google homeschooling groups in your neighbourhood. Because having a ‘real life’ homeschool group to be a part of is really good for both you and your child. Being a part of a homeschool community offers you and your children the opportunity to socialize, and participate in ‘out of house days’ with scheduled homeschool activities. There’re also opportunities for online homeschool groups, you can check those out! As often times you will find local homeschooling groups through the benefit of online homeschooling groups.

Step nine: Schedule Field Trips.

Clearly we are talking about getting out of the house a lot. Because, it’s important! Scheduled field trips are different from ‘out of house days’. Because scheduled field trips can be unique day trips to museums, local farms, sugar shacks and more. Some really fun scheduled field trips that my own homeschool family has participated in include: A day trip to the Ripley’s Aquarium, The Science Centre, art exhibits, rocks and mineral museums, history museums and so much more. There are so many opportunities all around us. So, do some research, ask fellow homeschoolers if they’d be interested in joining you on a field trip and start planning!

Step ten: Lower your expectations.

Holding yourself to high expectations is a quick trip to homeschool slump which is a hop, skip and jump away from parental burn out. Your homeschool doesn’t need to be perfect. I understand you might feel pressured to make it be that way, or appear that way. But all that added pressure will only add a high level of intensity to both yours, and your children’s frustrations. It’s ok to be a little behind with your homeschool. And it’s ok to have days where the lesson is a flop. It’s ok if your child isn’t learning as quick as another. Which leads me to the next step.

Step eleven: Never compare your homeschool to someone else’s.

Comparing is a terrible, terrible habit to get into. So avoid it at all costs. Is your child struggling with reading? While your friends child has been reading since they were 3? Never compare your child’s learning pace to another child’s learning pace. Additionally you should never compare your homeschool to another families homeschool. Every family is unique and has their own learning vibe. When you compare yourself and your family to another, you are messing with your own homeschool vibe. So don’t do that!

Step twelve: Utilize independent work time.

Parents often feel the homeschool slumps more than their kids do. If you suspect it’s you that is struggling the most, plan more independent work for your kids. This can look like: Simplified Math worksheets, novel studies, or creative writing. Adding in some independent work time can be very helpful for you but also for them. As independent work time offers children the opportunity to practice their independence.

Step thirteen: Freshen up your curriculum.

It’s excellent to have a base curriculum to keep your family on track throughout the school year. However, it’s also a great idea to add in specialized studies and lessons around certain times of the year. For example: If your child is struggling with their basic Math curriculum, you can add in a fun mini unit which has unique math sections included in the lesson plans.

Adding in mini units to your study is a great way to freshen up your curriculum, and get a slight change of pace that will help you and your kids get over the November Homeschool Slump.

You can browse the Schoolio Marketplace for fun mini units for your homeschool. Schoolio Marketplace

Step fourteen: Don’t be afraid to take a break.

It’s ok to take a day off or two every so often. And it’s ok to take a week off here and there if you need to. I know that you are worried that your children will fall behind, but they won’t. The fact is that it’s better for everyone to take a break and mentally reset vs. Forcing learning during frustration, impatience and agitation. Learning just won’t happen in the right way under those circumstances. So, take a break!

Step fifteen: Don’t feel guilty.

Please don’t feel guilty. Parental guilt is never a good thing. And, homeschool parents often feel much more guilt than the average parent. Always wondering if they’re doing a good enough job, feeling like they’re failing at their child’s education. Doubting if they purchased the right curriculum for their kids. Feeling guilty when you do take a break or when you force everyone to do copy-work, and are short with them in reply. Please, don’t feel guilty. Homeschool parents are one-of-a-kind. Specializing in self-discipline, patience, and motivation. Homeschooling is not for the weak. Just because you’ve had some bad days or you’re facing a tough homeschool slump. Doesn’t mean you’re a bad parent. Please know that you’re right where you’re supposed to be. You’re doing an excellent job. And the good days will always outweigh the bad. Keep going!

Teaching Your Kids About Remembrance Day

Have your kids ever asked why people are wearing poppies on their jackets at this time of the year? And what was your response to that question? Explaining such an important topic to our kids can sometimes be difficult to accomplish. Even so, it’s really important to teach our kids about the significance of Remembrance Day. Each year there are fewer and fewer living survivors from the World Wars.

Therefore it’s more important now than ever before to remember the sacrifices that these amazing people made for our country. When we teach our children about the significance of Remembrance Day, we are keeping the memories and stories of these brave soldiers and individuals alive now and also in the future. So, we have some tips for Teaching your kids about Remembrance Day this year. Along with the FREE Remembrance Day Mini Unit (available for the month of November – link at the bottom of this blog).

Spend some time choosing age appropriate content.

It’s really important to keep the age of your child in mind when planning learning content. For example, if you have a 4-year-old, you can chat with them about what Remembrance Day is about. While adding in brief discussions about why people wear the colour red and poppies. Then for a child that is a little older, you can discuss with them more about the great world wars. You can share the conflicts that our soldiers are facing in today’s world. And what the moment of silence is for, and why it’s so important to observe it.

2. Listen to stories from soldiers.

Perhaps you know a veteran, or even an active military personnel. Ask them to share age appropriate stories with you and your child. More often than not, they are happy to share their history and stories with you.

3. Learn about the medals and decorations that have been awarded to military personnel.

Your kids may take an interest in the medals and decorations that are awarded to military personnel. You can find some excellent resources about military medals and decorations here: Department of National Defence – Medals

4. Place an Emphasize on honouring people.

Spend some time talking about the dedication and sacrifice that these special people have made to ensure that we have continued freedom and safety today. This is really such an excellent topic. Take some time to chat with your kids about ways that they can honour these important people in our history. Your kids ideas might just amaze you. Be sure to write down their ideas. Alternatively, if you’re having a difficult time coming up with some ideas you could try:

Donating to a local Legion.
Flying a Canadian flag.
Wearing a poppy.
Talk to a veteran.
Write a letter to a veteran.

5. Attend a Remembrance Day Ceremony.

Attending a Remembrance Day Ceremony, whether in person or virtually, is an excellent way to teach your kids about Remembrance Day and the sacrifices made on behalf of their freedom. If you choose to participate in an in-person ceremony, be sure to dress warm and follow public health guidelines. Your kids might just complain if it’s cold, so if they do, don’t get upset with them. Rather use this as a learning experience. Standing still, in the cold for an hour, while you are honouring these heroes, doesn’t even come close to the sacrifices that these soldiers made during the wars. Find out if your city or township is having an in-person Remembrance Day Ceremony, or if they offer a virtual option. Then plan to attend.

6. Take time to visit a war memorial or military cemetery.

If you can’t attend a Remembrance Day Ceremony, pay a visit to a war memorial or a military cemetery for Remembrance Day. Show your kids the inscriptions, have them read some. Talk about the importance of these words. After you return home, have them draw or paint a photo of what they saw that day.

7. Dive into your families own history.

A really excellent way to teach your children about Remembrance Day is to share stories with them about their own family members that were in the war. Share with them all that you know about their stories. Maybe you have a neighbour or older relative that can still share stories about their experiences. Another really fun and educational activity would be to take a little time to research a family member who served in one of the wars. This is a great learning experience for both your children and yourself.

8. Explain the significance of Poppies.

Why do we wear poppies? An interesting fact is that not even all adults know why we wear poppies each November. Teach your children about how wearing a poppy is a way to pay tribute to all those who gave their lives for our freedom. Poppies grew on the battlefields where many gave their lives. A neat fact to remember is that in 1915 the poppy flower inspired a Canadian doctor by the name of John McCrae to write the very famous poem ‘In Flanders Fields’.

9. Help them learn ‘In Flanders Fields’.

Learning about the significance of the famous poem written by John McCrae is so important. John McCrae wrote this poem in 1915 as a memorial to all those who died in the World War I battle that was fought in a unique region of Belgium known as Ypres Salient. This heart wrenching poem describes the immense tragedy of these soldiers’ deaths. While there is much grief in this poem, there is also such hope in the depiction of the ongoing natural beauty that surrounds the graves of those who were lost.

Ways to teach your child the poem:

Recite In Flanders Fields with them once a day leading up to Remembrance Day.
Print out a copy of the poem, or write it out. And place it somewhere they will see it.
Read it to them every day leading up to Remembrance Day.
- Have them write out the poem in their own unique way.
- If writing is a challenge, have them draw pictures of what comes to mind when you read them the poem.

If you don’t already have a copy, here it is:

In Flanders Fields by John McCrae

“In Flanders fields the poppies blow.

Between the crosses, row on row.

That mark our place; and in the sky,

The larks, still bravely singing, fly.

Scare heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago,

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow.

Loved and were loved, and now we lie,

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw.

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die.

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.”

10. Watch documentaries on the World Wars together.

Documentaries provide a flurry of information about our country and world’s history. Additionally, when you watch a documentary, your child will have the opportunity to listen to interviews from veterans. While also having the opportunity to see real photos from those important days in our history. Documentaries will offer an excellent learning experience for our learners. However, you’ll want to be sure that the documentary that you choose to watch is age appropriate for your child. Because some documentaries should only be viewed by older children. It’s really important to check into and watch the documentaries before sharing them with your child.

11. Prepare a war-time meal.

Veteran Affairs Canada gave educators an amazing idea. That idea was to serve a war-time meal to children to help them understand just a small portion of what they went through. Are you wondering what a wartime meal would look like? We’ve got you covered.

War-Time Meal Ideas

Potato Piglets

Using six potatoes, and six sausages, you can create a potato piglet wartime meal for your family. This recipe originated from a Ministry of Food Leaflet. Here’s a recipe for it: Potato Piglets Recipe – Love Food.

Sausage Roll

This unique recipe is part of a complete menu of one-pot meals, issued in the Ministry of Food leaflet number 35. The sausage roll is steamed pudding which uses sausage meat, root vegetables, breadcrumbs, herbs, and even pickles! Here’s some recipes to check out: The Wartime Kitchen – Lavender and Lovage.

Lord Woolton Pie

A favourite of wartime recipes, is the famous Lord Woolton Pie. The Lord Woolton Pie is loaded with vegetables, with a pastry that has a large amount of fat. This recipe is filling, heathy and also super thrifty. Find a recipe here: The Original Lord Woolton Pie Recipe.

Oxford Potato Soup

Soup is such a versatile, filling, and nutritious option for meal time. Which is obviously why soup was a popular meal during war times. Oxford potato soup is another recipe that was taken out of Potato Pete’s wartime Ministry of Food leaflets, on how to cook with potatoes. For this recipe you will need olive oil, potatoes, leeks, onion, celery, thyme leaves and chopped parsley. Check out the recipe here: Oxford Potato Soup – Love Potatoes.

Cheese and Lentil Savoury

What’s a thrifty and healthy recipe for a sandwich filling? Cheese and Lentil Savoury! For this wartime meal, you will need cheese, red lentils, breadcrumbs, and herbs. This unique recipe has a bounty of vitamins, fibre, and protein as well. You can find this recipe more wartime meal recipes here: On The Home Front Original War Time Recipes

More wartime recipes here.

12. Visit The Canadian War Museum

Even if you are unable to visit a museum due to covid, you can still visit The Canadian War Museum website. There are so many amazing videos, resources and more. Additionally there are so many truly unique exhibitions to be seen. The knowledge and experiences that your children will get from either visiting, or watching some of the videos on the Canadian War Museum’s website is irreplaceable.

13. Have your child explain why Remembrance Day is important.

Once you’ve done a fair share of learning about Remembrance Day together, ask your children to teach you about it. Through their story telling and fact sharing you will be able to determine what stood out for them.

14. Pick up the Remembrance Day Mini Unit by Schoolio.

Included with this very special unit, why we observe Remembrance Day in Canada, taking a deeper look at why we observe this special day. While also learning about what it means for our past, present and future. Additionally your child will learn about ‘In Flanders Fields’. And they will learn about why poppies are the symbol of Remembrance Day. Depending on their grade level, they will also have the opportunity to share their feelings about the poem in different ways.

More activities included with this unit: Poppy Math, a whole math section dedicated to poppies. Poppy Stem Project, where your child will have the chance to do a unique science experiment with homemade poppies. And, your child will be able to create a beautiful, hand-made poppy Remembrance Day wreath. Which they can either hang on your homes door, or take to a cenotaph on Remembrance Day. Be sure to share this amazing opportunity with your friends and family.

Schoolio is committed to educating future generations about Remembrance Day.

We here at Schoolio strongly believe that knowledge is power. Being able to look back at our history is a gift. We celebrate the fact that we have the opportunity to do so in freedom, health and safety. Which is why we are so passionate about teaching future generations about how significant Remembrance Day really is. For the month of November (2021) we are offering the Remembrance Day Mini Unit Free of charge. This is our way to say thank you, to give back, and to offer wisdom and education to all. Pick up your FREE Remembrance Day Mini Unit here.

We want to say a sincere thank you to everyone who has given up so much for our freedom. It’s hard to describe how grateful we really are for such an amazing gift. Life as we know it would be so different had so many not sacrificed all. To the families of the over 118,000 Canadian soldiers who have died for our freedom, thank you. Their sacrifices were not in vein.

Thank you.

We Remember.

Click to read about Why Observing Remembrance Day is Important

Tips For Homeschooling Kids With Unique Learning Needs

Tips for Homeschooling Kids with Unique Learning Needs by Lindsey Casselman

Parents that are homeschooling their children with unique learning needs, make up a huge demographic of home learners. Why is that? It comes down to the amazing fact that all homeschoolers have discovered. That fact being that a tailored and individualized program, delivered in a low ratio and loving environment, is the ideal way for a child to learn. This fact applies even more so to our unique learners. Learners who are either struggling, bored, or just unable to be adequately served by the public school system.

Many Schoolio families with neurodiverse children are giving us feedback that our program is working wonderfully for their unique learners. Below are some general tips for homeschooling kids with unique learning needs. Regardless of the program you choose to use. Also included is a little more information on how the Schoolio program strives to meet these unique needs.

Have a flexible learning environment.

Sometimes learning happens at a desk, or at the kitchen table. Other times learning happens while jumping on the trampoline, swimming in the bathtub, laying upside down on the couch in your underpants, or on a blanket at the park. Many neurodiverse learners need change and visual and tactile stimulation consistently. So it’s important to be flexible about where you perceive that learning should take place, and then don’t hesitate to change it up!

Schoolio is a digital PDF downloadable program, which gives you flexibility to take it on-the-go. Whether that’s room to room or to the park, or even to grandma’s house. If you choose additional printing services, you can have books that require little more than a pencil and you’re fully mobile.

Figure out the ideal learning and working conditions for your child’s unique mind.

Some kids need complete silence to focus on their work. While other kids don’t like silence and prefer music to be playing during learning time. Some kids can’t learn from you when you speak orally. Rather they get a lot out of you drawing a diagram on a piece of paper while you talk. Whether you need noise-cancelling headphones or rock and roll music blasting from the stereo. It’s important to figure out what conditions work best for your child. And remember, it may be different depending on whether they are learning from you or doing independent work. The next tip in our 11 tips for homeschooling kids with unique learning needs.

Have predictable schedules and routines when homeschooling kids with unique learning needs.

All children thrive on routine, this has long been a known parenting hack. Many of our neurodiverse learners depend on routine for regulation. It’s ok to have routine changes at times. As all kids need to learn to deal with routine change to some degree. However, striving to keep a fair amount of predictability in the week will go a very long way.

Additionally, you can display schedules in written or pictographic form so kids can see the plan for each day for themselves. You also can discuss the plan for each day the evening before. Try to give your child as much notice as possible, and frequent reminders leading up to, any out of the ordinary routine changes that you think may upset them.

Along with this goes transition warnings. As children are often served well by getting a few warnings before changing from one activity to the next. Try something like a 10-, 5-, and 2-minute warning before stopping the current activity and beginning a new one. Click to read about establishing a good homeschooling routine.

Schoolio provides sample weekly schedules for customers in our exclusive, customer-only community. There are many versions in printable formats for you to download and display as needed.

Hands-on and tactile learning.

Who doesn’t love hands-on learning? Neurodiverse kiddos often learn much better through tactile experiences and real-life relation of facts. Art, crafts, science experts, and games are all amazing ways to learn hands-on. One of the wonderful parts of homeschooling is that if you do a science experiment, your child isn’t one of 30 watching from a desk, or hoping to be that one special kid asked to be the helper. Your homeschool child is always the helper and always right there, in thick of the experiment, learning as they do.

Schoolio programming has lots of hands-on and tactile learning. From science experiments to art projects to card games, board games, or cut-and-paste activities, we all love to get beyond the bookwork for learning opportunities at Schoolio!

Clear instructions broken down into manageable steps.

This is a big one for our unique learners. They often need us to be very clear in our instructions, and sometimes even break the instructions down into simpler steps. Executive functioning can be challenging for many people, not just the neurodiverse! Be sure to explain things in kid-friendly terms. And don’t be afraid to ask your child if they feel like they fully understand. With homeschooling, there’s no one for them to be embarrassed in front of if they do ask for a little extra help understanding or remembering what’s needed of them!

Work at whatever level they are at in each subject area.

This is one of the greatest accommodations you can make for a unique learner by homeschooling. Age means nothing in homeschool. Are you working at an 8^th grade level in math? Great. Are you working at a 3^rd grade level in Language Arts? No problem. You don’t push them ahead when they aren’t ready, or hold them back when they need more, simple based on the year they were born.

Schoolio’s unique unit-model for purchasing programming is one-of-a-kind. You don’t need to purchase all your material in the same grade level. You don’t even need to purchase all parts of a subject area at the same grade level! Is your child a rockstar in Algebra but struggling with Geometry? You can purchase each unit at a different grade level and specifically tailor their entire learning program around their unique learning needs. !

Incorporate their interests into learning.

Kids learn so much more when the content is relevant to their lives and relatable for them. Often, our neurodiverse learners benefit from these even more as they tend to have an amazing ability to focus on the things that interest them!

The Schoolio program is designed for maximum flexibility. Our units cover the essential points needed to cover each topic. While also allowing lots of room for you to tailor that information into any format you choose. For example, our Physical Regions of Canada unit asks students to research a region each day and write about it in a booklet. By the end of the unit they have a complete booklet they wrote on all the regions. One customer recently shared with us that her unique learner was obsessed with dragons, and so after they discussed and researched each region, her learner invented a type of dragon that would live in the region. Along with details about what it ate, where it lived, and how it looked, all aligning with the details she’d learned about the region. What a creative twist to make the learning content even more engaging!

Don’t be afraid to “skip or stick”.

In a classroom, they determine the average amount of time needed for an average child to learn a concept. That may be 3 days of studying and then they move on. But your child isn’t an average! What happens if your child understands it after one day? Or if they need 5 days? Or 15? In a classroom, kids who understand quickly sit around bored, and those who haven’t mastered it when the class moves on, get left behind. So, don’t be afraid to skip ahead if your child is easily understanding a concept and needs to be challenged. Alternatively, don’t hesitate to stick with a concept as long as is needed to achieve full understanding. Remember, it’s not a race to June like in public school. There’s no finish line, just a constant life full of learning!

Schoolio’s program is designed to make skipping or sticking easy for you as the teacher. Each concept is introduced and practiced 1-2 times. Meaning you can assess for yourself when your child is ready to move on. You aren’t paying the price of a program that gives you that “average” amount of three practice days. Instead, you see what concepts should be covered and dive as deeply or as shallowly into them as you’d like.

For example:

The Schoolio unit Ancient Civilizations covers 5 ancient societies in 20 lessons. This is obviously a fairly brief coverage (5 lessons) of each group. This allows you to add and subtract where you, or your learner, need and want. Is your child completely uninterested in Ancient Egypt? Do the 5 lessons in 5 days, knowing you’ve covered the most important parts and skip on ahead. Is your child fascinated by Ancient Rome? Stick here and learn more! Watch documentaries, create art, cook some recipes of traditional foods. You can turn 5 lessons into 5 weeks of learning if it suits you!

Incorporate alternative media into your learning.

We know all brains work and learn differently, so why do we keep insisting all kids learn by reading print materials? Anyone who says an audiobook isn’t “real reading” hasn’t seen the imagination come alive of their dyslexic child upon discovering the world of reading through an audio option! Photos, illustrations, diagrams, audiobooks, podcasts, and video are all valid ways to learn. So don’t hesitate to use these additional tools! Some people learn best from a how-to book, but others learn best from a YouTube video, and there’s not one way that’s “better” or “smarter”.

Schoolio lessons include visual components to enhance programming as often as possible. Units are filled with full colour photos and diagrams to help explain concepts. As well as illustrations and graphics to add fun and engagement to practice worksheets. Media recommendations such as curated YouTube content or episode guides for popular television shows like Magic School Bus or Wild Kratts are listed within lessons for you to use or ignore as you see fit for your learning.

Allow alternative ways to demonstrate understanding.

Can we talk about how outdated and unfair standardized testing is for our unique and neurodiverse learners? There are so many other ways to demonstrate understanding of a concept or topic!

At Schoolio, we really don’t like standardized testing. That’s why you’ll find very little of it within our programming. Instead, we ask students to write about things, talk to people, and present their ideas to show comprehension. And because you’re not hindered by a strictly formatted program, you were able to “stick” on any concept you needed to. So you know without a test that your child understood each concept you went through!

Don’t hesitate to allow your student alternative means of showing that they understand. Public speaking might be hard for them, but they might shock you with their understanding if you let them write a story about the topic. Writing might be a struggle for your learner, but you might be amazed at how much they can teach their younger sibling about the topic. Some kids have a difficult time verbalizing or summarizing their thoughts in writing, but they may be able to highlight all the evidence you’ve asked for within a piece a content.

Some ideas of ways to demonstrate understanding when following the tips for homeschooling kids with unique learning needs:

Oral vs Written
Highlighting vs. Summarizing
Teaching vs Presenting
Art or Experiment

Incorporate lots of opportunities for small successes in your day and in your learning.

Try to incorporate lots of opportunities for success, by setting attainable goals that they can achieve regularly. Be sure to praise not the accomplishment itself (ie, “That presentation was great!”). But rather the effort and growth of your child (ie. “You really learned a lot to create that presentation! I can see you worked very hard at it!”)

One of the greatest gifts we can give our unique learners by removing them from the school system, is self-confidence. No one is teasing them, pressuring them, or making them feel stupid or like a nerd. There is no “ahead” or “behind”, there is just exactly where they are meant to be. And remember, when you homeschool with Schoolio, you aren’t going at it alone. We’re here to support you and provide community for you and your learner all along the way!

I hope these tips for homeschooling kids with unique learning needs has been helpful for you.

Staying in the Moment as a Homeschool Mom

Staying in the Moment as a Homeschool Mom – Guest blog by Tawny Stowe

The idea of being in the moment has been on my mind a lot lately as I contemplate and experience the concepts of time. As a young adult I thought I had all the time in the world. I was certain I could reinvent myself a million times and I never felt committed to one aspect of who I was becoming because I viewed that there would always be more time. Now I find myself seeking out ways for staying in the moment as a homeschool mom.

My younger days.

I travelled the world as a backpacker carrying only what I could on my back. I lived in each moment knowing almost always it was my very first and last in any given spot. Sometimes the thoughts of what tomorrow would bring and where I would be next would creep into my mind. Especially in the beginning of my travelling adventures, the beautiful gift of being somewhere new often found me thinking about where I would be tomorrow. Then what was coming next, This then led me to missing the gift of being present in the moment and appreciating that part of the journey.

And then something happened.

I stopped travelling and I grew up. Soon I became serious and I started to fear never having enough time to become myself. Here I find myself still figuring out what I have become and what I am becoming. However there was a definite sense of urgency at that time in my life. As I hit 30 years old, I started to panic. Thoughts about getting married, owning things like a house or a car, and raising a family became my priority. I found myself panicking about my education, my career and becoming of value in our society. Soon these thoughts took me over. Suddenly each day was only about getting further ahead in the future, not about being in the moment.

I didn’t realize how much this affected me.

Truly I hadn’t thought much about how this was affecting me. That is not until I became a parent and switched to homeschooling. First, I was so consumed by what I was preparing my child for in the future. Second, I was obsessed with Making sure I understood the expectations of a child’s growth and learning development. Third, I was in a state of worrying. Additionally, making my child the most prepared for each new developmental stage took centre stage. I wanted him to be the best he could be for tomorrow.

Through all of this, I noticed something; he was starting to play less in each moment and rather ask about what was coming next.

He was hiking the trail asking what we were doing after and the reality check of what I was projecting on him suddenly hit me. Was I teaching my child to focus ahead instead of just being ok right where we are? Being highly empathic his words got my attention. However it was what I could feel that really hit me. In my son I could feel emotional anxiousness about the day, the objectives, the expectations. This truth hurt my heart. See, as a parent of a child with diagnosed separation anxiety, I chose to homeschool to help him build confidence not to take it away. This is when the deep reflection began within in.

If when I traveled I became free by living in the moment what was it that enabled me to do so? It was owning less, needing less, and trusting that where I was was exactly where I was meant to be.

I felt free, calm, alive, and in flow.

I really want those things for my son too. So, how can I help him discover these things that brought me so much joy? The answer is: I need to return myself to joy, and then I need to model it!

As the world seems to have gained speed and appear to be moving faster than I can keep up. Now more than ever I am coming back to the acceptance that nothing in life is permanent. Each day as I work towards healing my Metis roots I strive to connect deeper to the seasons. While walking gently upon the Earth as one of Her kin. If I am willing to accept impermanence in society and I surrender to the constant that is change in nature. Then surely I can open my heart to model being present in both of these aspects for my son.

This is my work.

As a parent I am always growing, as you are too. My son reflects back to me where I am out of alignment and where I can grow. He gifts me the constant opportunity to be better and rise to be the best version of myself possible. As the fall leaves come crashing down around me, I too have much to shed and I will. I will shed the illusion of becoming. Then I will work at simply being right here, right now. For my son I will let go of who he must become and be with him as he is right now. Together, we will live this season and grow as beings walking hand in hand on a journey designed for us.

Schoolio Guest Blog

Have you read ‘Stay Curious With Your Homeschool’? Another guest blog by Tawny Stowe.

“Every child is different! Isn’t this exactly why I wanted to homeschool? To give time and space to my child so he can learn in his own way? Well, intellectually yes. But then I found myself setting up my home exactly like a school. Trying to do all the ‘school like’ things. My heart was hearing Rudolph Steiner loud and clear. Saying “Why did you bother to read my philosophies if you are going to be so mechanical?” Even so, I just couldn’t let go of this idea of how I thought education should be. Because that is all I have ever known. I wasn’t sure how to stay curious with our homeschool.

What changed…

Luckily for my son and I, I am a Saggitarius who gets bored with routine with ease. So, we were released from the ‘educational’ prison I had created. Just as soon as the weather turned nice enough to spend the majority of our time outside.

Over the spring and summer months I turned my trust to homestead moms. I leaned into Wildschooling ideas, placing a great importance on learning in our natural environment. At first it was sheer necessity, as a single mom I couldn’t manage our spring gardens with a full day of sit down learning. Very quickly this way of learning opened my eyes to a beautiful truth for my son and I.

Learning about Charlotte Mason and Rudolph Steiner spoke to my soul.

Truly the ideologies of Charlotte Mason and Rudolph Steiner speak to my soul. I find that the more I learn about them the better able I am to embody them and to model them. This has resulted in an epic growth for me and a much deeper connection to my environment. A true healing of my Metis roots, and a stronger richer bond with my son.

When exploring homeschooling for the first time, or really at any time. It can be so overwhelming to know what to study, and how to study. To be honest, some days it can be overwhelming to know where to even start. Some people have a natural teacher flow to their life and it comes like second nature. While others, like me, have to nurture their teacher flow a bit more until we can really find it. The true key to success in homeschool, is to stay curious and stay in alignment with your values.

What are the best questions to ask yourself to stay curious?

Some of the best questions to ask yourself usually start with why you want to homeschool? The answers to these questions will guide you towards what philosophies or even curriculums support your desired outcomes. As I deepen my relationship with my son, I find I have to evaluate my reasons constantly against his growth. Constantly checking in with whether I am doing things for him, or for me. Because the answer to that can drastically shift our educational direction. I am continually learning that I must stay as curious as him. Curious about what excites him, what lights him up, what fuels him, what challenges him, what improves his confidence, nourishes his mind, his body and his soul. I use the seasons to prompt my reflection time. This way I can check in where we are both at, four times a year.

Continue Reading…

Schoolio Guest Blog

Read: “Everything has a Season — Even Education” Guest Blog by Tawny Stowe

“Everything has a season” … It’s a cliche, but for me it’s also a permission slip! As a homestead mom and an entrepreneur, certain seasons find me a little over my head! This was my first-year homeschooling. And when I began, I had these grand ideals of how to make school happen in my home the way it does in a classroom.

I failed. Miserably.

First I started off with alarms set, I had specific curriculum planned out every day and books set up on the table. I even had specific days for different topics. At first, my four-year-old was excited and just as quickly he wasn’t. As soon as it turned into a power struggle for our family, I knew something had to change. But being so new to the homeschooling way of life, I didn’t know what!

And then… It happened.

As they say when the student is ready the teacher appears. So as I sat in on a webinar for my business that happened to be led by a homeschooling and homestead mamma of three. In her teaching she fully admitted that as gardening season approaches, her and the kids are done with formal learning for the remainder of the school year. When the demands of the garden increased, all learning revolved around growing food!

This was inspiring!

Suddenly, I felt as if the Spring Season was an open permission slip to let the rigidity and routine of learning go. We could slide into a more “unschooled approach” to education.

Then what took place blew my mind!

The power struggles that my family was facing, vanished. It seems getting a five-year-old to put on rain boots and splash in puddles requires zero effort! We went hunting for bugs, exploring wetlands for migrating birds, and spent time talking about the fertility of the Earth as it unravelled before our very eyes. Then we talked about seeds, and land stewardship (okay he’s five we called it tending to our food and forests). We collected garbage, we kayaked and we explored medicines and wild foods as they presented themselves. As I was walking around from morning to night working in the gardens, wheelbarrowing dirt, starting seeds and transplanting seedlings, and raising baby chicks, my son was with me every step of the way

Another change in our Homeschooling Journey.

So here we are, now watching this season that started as Spring. Moved into summer and is quickly bringing us to fall. I am pausing to reflect on what I am harvesting from the seeds I planted and tended all summer. Both in my garden and in my son’s learning environment.

My son has outgrown his shyness. He thrived in the natural world talking to plants, trees, rocks, and animals. We spent a summer taking our winter learning of Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwe Language) and applying it to our outdoor classroom. We read books, we studied field guides. We had countless campfires helping us heal our Metis roots. Doing so by keeping us feeling connected to the Natural Landscape and all of her beings.

A new cycle is here.

Continue reading this guest blog by Tawny Stowe.

Click here

Establish a Good Homeschool Routine

What’s the very best schedule for homeschool families to follow in order to be successful? And how can you help your family learn healthy habits, especially around homeschool? These are pretty huge topics, and I’m sure that you’re feeling rather overwhelmed by it all. Chances are if you’re reading this, that your homeschool schedule is always changing or perhaps failing. Now you’re wondering, ‘How do I establish a good homeschool routine?’

Truth First.

First of all, you should know that most homeschool families have had or are having struggles with their schedule. As frustrating as that is, it’s common! Why is this? The answer is truly simple. It truly is impractical for most homeschool families to follow a strict schedule. In most cases, time slots on a time chart are only going to cause more frustration than happiness. The reason being, life happens! It’s important for your homeschool to work around your life, not the other way around. Which is why it’s so important to establish a good homeschool routine.

Avoid the Burden of an Intense Schedule.

Instead of burdening yourself with an intense schedule of: 8:00am – Math. 8:45am – Reading. Finally, 9:10am – Spelling and so on. Change it up! Have you heard of time blocks? Time blocks are different blocks of your day designated for homeschool work, and life.

Aim for Time Blocks With Your Homeschool Routine.

Time blocks can look like: 8:30 – 11:30am Block A. Block A can change based on the day. For Monday, it could be Math and Science. Then for Tuesday it could be ‘Free Creativity Time’. Following Block A, you can begin your next block. Or, you can take a break with your kids if they’re feeling tired. You as the homeschool parent teacher will be able to determine how your child is doing with this routine each day.

Avoid Micro Scheduling Within Your Time Blocks.

It’s much easier to schedule in the blocks of your day rather than individual subjects. Plus it’s so customizable. As your homeschool day can have as many or as few blocks as your family needs. It’s recommended to have 2-4 blocks in your homeschool day. While also doing your best to avoid micro scheduling within your homeschool blocks. Additionally, it’s important to keep the blocks running daily at the same time. It’s really important to be careful not to change the times of the blocks, as it’s good for your family to learn the blocks and stick to them.

Life Happens! What Happens in the Blocks Changes. But the Blocks Stay the Same.

It’s obvious that life happens, and changes are inevitable. Which is why having these blocks in your homeschool plan can be so great. For example, if I schedule 3 blocks for each day of the week. And my blocks are scheduled like: Block A 8:30am – 11:30am, Block B 11:30am- 2:30pm and Block C 2:30pm – 5:30pm. Our days can go like: Monday Block A – Math and Science. Block B – Art and chores. Block C – Free play, reading, practicing instruments. Then our Tuesday blocks can totally be switched up. Block A – Day prep, free play, chores. Block B – Language Arts and Social Studies. Block C – Music practice, physical education, reading.

Be Flexible with your time blocks.

It’s important to remember that while the items within the blocks may change on a daily basis, the time blocks remain the same. That’s because I’m not ‘creating a schedule’ to keep my family on track. I’m creating a routine using time blocks. Consequently, my whole family learns the routine because of these blocks. As a result, our family stays on track!

Don’t Do Every Subject, Every Day!

Another huge factor when it comes to keeping your homeschool schedule somewhat on track: Stop trying to do every subject, every day. Obviously you want to make sure that your child remains on track with their education. Because no one wants to fall behind. However, cramming all the subjects into one day will only cause a flurry of overwhelm for both you and your child. Sometimes, if I know that my child is struggling with Math, I will only schedule Math for a block. While being sure not to include any other subjects in that block of time, or other blocks throughout the day.

Figure Out How Your Family Operates.

Some families do better with morning learning, some families do better in the afternoon. First it’s important to find out your families learning rhythm. Then plan accordingly. Additionally, it’s really important to NOT worry so much about ‘book work’ being done daily. Maybe your child learns better with games? That’s fine! This doesn’t mean that you throw out the book work completely. Instead you can aim for book assignments for one day, learning games the next, and educational resources after that.

Don’t Compare Your Homeschool to Someone Else’s.

Everyone’s homeschool doesn’t look the same. For instance, if you see instagram posts of perfectly put together homeschool rooms with incredibly written captions of how the day went. It’s important to remember that most people post the highlight reels of their day. Rather than the chaos that actually occurred.

Switch It Up.

Maybe time blocks won’t work for your family. Perhaps you need a rigorous schedule instead. Alternatively you may feel better with a loose schedule. Irregardless, you should never feel that you must commit to one way of homeschooling for the whole duration of your homeschooling journey. Because things change, and that’s fine! For example, you may start homeschooling with a perfectly planned schedule, and end the year with time blocks. Because homeschooling is like an ocean, you have to learn to embrace the waves that come your way.

Be Confident.

You are doing such a great job teaching your kids! Therefore you should feel so proud of all that you are accomplishing. If your schedule has failed, please don’t be upset. Instead research alternative scheduling methods for your homeschool. Also, chatting with other homeschool parents on how their schedules or routines look can be extremely helpful. Just remember to chat with ‘real’ homeschool parents in homeschool groups. Rather than looking at someone else’s highlight reel, while wondering why your life can’t look that perfect. This is an important step in your journey to establish a good homeschool routine.

Don’t Get Stuck.

Sometimes as homeschool parents you will face tough days. Of course the schedule will change and things may fall out of whack. Sickness, work, life, unexpected situations. All of these scenarios can play a part in throwing your homeschool routine off track. If your homeschool routine/schedule has fallen apart, don’t get stuck. Just keep moving forward with the knowledge that you’re doing an excellent job. And remember, you have the ability to accomplish big things!

Check Out These Schoolio Blogs and Free Resources for Scheduling.

Click Here to read ‘When Your Homeschool Schedule Isn’t Going As Planned’

Click Here to view ‘Daily Homeschool Planning Tips and Free Resources’

Additional Helpful Resources to Establish a Good Homeschool Routine.

A Flexible Homeschool Routine Your Kids Will Love – The Simple Homeschooler

Tips for Planning Your Homeschool – The Happy Housewife

Best Tips for Creating a Homeschool Daily Schedule – Your Morning Basket