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Get Ready for Grade 9

Are you worried about the transition from grade 8 to grade 9? Do you want to spend the summer helping your teen get ready for grade 9 but still want them to have fun? There’s a lot of stress facing parents when it comes to their teen entering high school and even more so with the pandemic learning loss that they’ve likely experienced. So how can you help your teen get ready for grade 9 while avoiding summer learning loss and trying to catch up on pandemic learning loss?

Help your teen get ready for grade 9.

The unfortunate truth is that many children and teens struggle to catch up after enduring two years of pandemic learning. Researchers and educators share their concerns for kids who have slipped through the crack due to pandemic learning. A more significant problem is the added impact of summer learning loss. Knowing that over the summer, many teens will lose 2.6 months of math skills, two months of reading skills and one month of overall learning.

Click here to learn more about Summer Learning Loss.

Knowing these statistics, it can be hard not to stress your teen’s education. Regardless, you must avoid worrying about your teens learning during the summer months. Of course, you want your teen to learn, stay on track and have all the opportunities in life that they deserve. But constantly worrying about that won’t help you or your teen.

So what can you do to help your teen catch up on all the learning they have likely lost? While also aiming to stay on track and not lose even more learning skills during the summer?

Get ready for grade 9 by simplifying the process.

Try to avoid overthinking your teen’s summer learning because we all know that overthinking adds more stress than necessary. You don’t need elaborate plans to prepare your teen for grade nine. This will only lead to you and your teen feeling stressed and exhausted while dealing with that dreaded feeling of not getting enough done.

When preparing your teen for grade nine, what is the best and easiest way to simplify summer learning? Use the Summer Schoolio: Get Ready for Grade 9 book! Summer Schoolio: Get Ready for Grade 9 was created to help your teen stay on track with their essential learning. What’s better is that this program will save you time and money as you won’t be searching and spending money on a homeschooling curriculum to try to fit your summer learning needs.

What’s inside the Summer Schooling: Ready for Grade 9 workbook?

We want you and your teen to have an enjoyable summer without the stress of trying to complete extra tasks. The Summer Schoolio books have been designed in a simple format, without the mountain of overwhelming tasks. This helps your teen stay on track with their learning.

The Summer Schoolio: Ready for Grade 9 book combines the best homeschooling curriculum concepts to give you and your teen a unique solution to help your teen get ready for grade 9. We’ve combined the homeschooling writing curriculum, homeschooling language arts curriculum and homeschooling math curriculum to bring you and your teen a workbook to help practice essential skills to stay on track.

Summer Schoolio: Ready for Grade 9 overview:

The Summer Schoolio: Ready for Grade 9 workbook is filled with learning materials that aren’t just educational; they’re fun too! This combination is an excellent resource to help your teen get ready for grade 9. Created for six weeks of learning, your teen will have the opportunity to learn and refresh different learning concepts each week.

Week one includes:

The Summer Schoolio week includes three days of simple learning that won’t be overwhelming or take too long to complete.

Day one, Weekly Writing – Paraphrase/Summarize – and Math – Number Sense.
Then day two has Weekly Writing and Math – Number Sense.
On day three, your teen will work on Weekly Writing – Scrapbooking – and Math – Number Sense.

Week two includes:

The second week of Summer Schoolio: Ready for Grade 9 is similar to week one, just switching up learning concepts.

During week two, your teen will have Weekly Writing – Persuasive Writing – and Math – Number Sense on day one.
On Day Two, they will have Weekly Writing and Number Sense.
Then on day three, they will have Weekly Writing – Scrapbook and Math – Number Sense.

Week three includes:

During the third week of the Summer Schoolio: Ready for Grade 9 book, your teen will be working on:

Weekly Writing-Expository/Argumentative – and Math – Algebra on day one.
Then on day two, your child will work on Weekly Writing and Math – Algebra.
Followed by day three, which is Weekly Writing – Scrapbook and Math – Algebra

Week four includes:

When your teen is working on week four, day one, they will do Weekly Writing – Literary Devices/Poetry – and Math – Geometry/Spatial Sense.
Then on day two, they will be working on Weekly Writing and Math – Geometry/Spatial Sense.
Finally, on day three, they will get to work on their scrapbook for Weekly Writing and the final day of Math – Geometry/Spatial Sense.

Week five includes:

Day one of week five is Weekly Writing – Formal Letter/Speech – and Math – Data Management.
Then on day two, they will work on Weekly Writing and Math – Data Management.
Followed by day three, which is Scrapbooking for Weekly Writing and Data Management for Math

Week six includes:

The first day of week six focuses on Weekly Writing – Essay Development/Descriptive – and Math – Financial Literacy.
The second day is all about Weekly Writing and Financial Literacy for Math.
Then on the third day, your teen can work on their scrapbook again for Weekly Writing and enjoy their final Financial Literacy assignment.

A daily repetitive learning cycle with refreshing concepts helps your teen stay interested with a structured plan for summer learning. This technique will help your teen master essential math, writing and reading concepts for grade nine.

Get ready for grade 9 The Summer Schoolio: Ready for Grade 9 workbook includes a sample schedule/calendar that looks like this

Monday: Read a Book or Chapter.

Tuesday: Weekly Writing Day 1, Math Day 1, Read a Book or Chapter.

Wednesday: Weekly Writing Day 2, Math Day 2, Read a Book or Chapter.

Thursday: Weekly Writing Day 3, Math Day 3, Read a Book or Chapter.

Friday: Read a Book or Chapter.

Helping your teen stay on track and up-to-date with their learning while avoiding summer learning loss and preparing for the next grade doesn’t need to be an overwhelming and stressful task. It also doesn’t need to take much daily time to succeed. The Summer Schoolio: Ready for Grade 9 book helps your child keep up with their learning needs, refresh, and not become overwhelmed by too much information crammed into one day.

Get ready for grade 9!

Click for Summer Schoolio

Prepare Your Child for Grade Seven

What’s the best way to prepare your child for grade seven? Do so without causing them tremendous stress and frustration from doing too much work on fun summer days? What’s the easiest way to prevent summer learning loss, prepare your child for grade seven and let them have a fun summer?

Prepare your child for grade seven while avoiding summer learning loss.

The most important thing you can do is avoid getting stressed about your child’s learning during the summer months. As parents, we want our children to learn, stay on track and have all the opportunities in life that they deserve. But that constant worry can become distracting and consuming.

It can be tough to avoid worrying about their education when we think of all the learning they’ve lost due to pandemic learning. Heading into summer, we can become overwhelmed by the thought of summer learning loss on top of pandemic learning loss. Especially when we see statistics about summer learning loss, like that 2.6 months of math skills, two months of reading skills and one month of overall learning are lost due to summer learning loss.

Click here to learn more about Summer Learning Loss.

So what can you do to help your child catch up on all the learning they have lost? While also aiming to stay on track and not lose even more learning skills during the summer?

General learning skills like math, reading and writing are essential for your child to practice to develop correctly continually; this is especially true during the summer.

Simplify learning when you prepare your child for grade seven.

Try to avoid overthinking your child’s summer learning because we all know that overthinking adds more stress than necessary. You don’t need elaborate plans to prepare your child for grade seven. This will only lead to you, and your child feeling stressed and exhausted while dealing with that dreaded feeling of not getting enough done.

When preparing your child for grade seven, what is the best and easiest way to simplify summer learning? Use the Summer Schoolio: Get Ready for Grade 7 book! Summer Schoolio: Get Ready for Grade 7 was created to help your child stay on track with their essential learning. What’s better is that this program will save you time and money as you won’t be searching and spending money on a homeschooling curriculum to try to fit your summer learning needs.

Take a look inside the Summer Schoolio: Ready for Grade 7 workbook.

We want you to have an enjoyable summer without the stress of trying to complete extra tasks. The Summer Schoolio books have been designed in a simple format, without the mountain of overwhelming tasks. This helps your child stay on track with their learning.

The Summer Schoolio: Ready for Grade 7 book combines the best homeschooling curriculum concepts to give you and your child a unique solution to help prepare your child for grade seven. We’ve combined the homeschooling writing curriculum, homeschooling language arts curriculum and homeschooling math curriculum to bring you and your child a workbook to help practice essential skills to stay on track.

Summer Schoolio: Ready for Grade 7 overview.

The Summer Schoolio: Ready for Grade 7 workbook is filled with learning materials that aren’t just educational; they’re fun too! This combination is an excellent resource to help prepare your child for grade seven. Created for six weeks of learning, your child will have the opportunity to learn and refresh different learning concepts each week.

Week one includes:

The Summer Schoolio week includes three days of simple learning that won’t be overwhelming or take too long to complete.

Day one, Weekly Writing – Poetry – and Math – Number Sense.
Then day two has Weekly Writing and Math – Number Sense.
On day three, your child will work on Weekly Writing – Scrapbooking – and Math – Number Sense.

Week two includes:

The second week of Summer Schoolio: Ready for Grade 7 is similar to week one, just switching up learning concepts.

During week two, your child will have Weekly Writing – Correspondence – and Math – Number Sense on day one.
On Day Two, they will have Weekly Writing and Number Sense.
Then on day three, they will have Weekly Writing – Scrapbook and Math – Number Sense.

Week three includes:

During the third week of the Summer Schoolio: Ready for Grade 7 book, your child will be working on:

Weekly Writing – Writing Suspense – and Math – Algebra on day one.
Then on day two, your child will work on Weekly Writing and Math – Algebra.
Followed by day three, which is Weekly Writing – Scrapbook and Math – Algebra.

Week four includes:

When your child is working on week four,

Day one, they will do Weekly Writing – Speech Writing – and Math – Geometry/Spatial Sense.
Then on day two, they will be working on Weekly Writing and Math – Geometry/Spatial Sense.
Finally, on day three, they will get to work on their scrapbook for Weekly Writing and the final day of Math – Geometry/Spatial Sense.

Week five includes:

Day one of week five is Weekly Writing – Descriptive Writing – and Math – Data Management.
Then on day two, they will work on Weekly Writing and Math – Data Management.
Followed by day three, which is Scrapbooking for Weekly Writing and Data Management for Math.

Week six includes:

The first day of week six focuses on Weekly Writing – News Articles – and Math – Financial Literacy.
The second day is all about Weekly Writing and Financial Literacy for Math.
Then on the third day, your child can work on their scrapbook again for Weekly Writing and enjoy their final Financial Literacy assignment.

A daily repetitive learning cycle with refreshing learning concepts helps your child stay interested with a structured plan for summer learning. This technique will help your child master essential math, writing and reading concepts for grade seven.

The Summer Schoolio: Ready for Grade 7 workbook includes a sample schedule/calendar that looks like this:

Monday: Read a Book or Chapter.

Tuesday: Weekly Writing Day 1, Math Day 1, Read a Book or Chapter.

Wednesday: Weekly Writing Day 2, Math Day 2, Read a Book or Chapter.

Thursday: Weekly Writing Day 3, Math Day 3, Read a Book or Chapter.

Friday: Read a Book or Chapter.

Helping your child stay on track and up-to-date with their learning while avoiding summer learning loss and preparing for the next grade doesn’t need to be an overwhelming and stressful task. It also doesn’t need to take much daily time to succeed. The Summer Schoolio: Ready for Grade 7 book helps your child keep up with their learning needs, refresh, and not become overwhelmed by too much information crammed into one day.

Prepare your child for grade seven.

Click for your copy of Summer schoolio

Prepare Your Child for Grade Six

Are you wondering the best way to prepare your child for grade six? Doing so without causing them tremendous stress and frustration from doing too much work on fun summer days? What’s the easiest way to prevent summer learning loss, prepare your child for grade six and let them have a fun summer?

Avoid summer learning loss while you prepare your child for grade six.

Click here to learn more about Summer Learning Loss.

So what can you do to help your child catch up on all the learning they have lost? While also aiming to stay on track and not lose even more learning skills during the summer?

General learning skills like math, reading and writing are essential for your child to practice to develop correctly continually; this is especially true during the summer.

Prepare your child for grade six by simplifying learning.

Try to avoid overthinking your child’s summer learning because we all know that overthinking adds more stress than necessary. You don’t need elaborate plans to prepare your child for grade six. This will only lead to you, and your child feeling stressed and exhausted while dealing with that dreaded feeling of not getting enough done.

When preparing your child for grade six, is the best and easiest way to simplify summer learning? Use the Summer Schoolio: Get Ready for Grade 6 book! Summer Schoolio: Get Ready for Grade 6 was created to help your child stay on track with their essential learning. What’s better is that this program will save you time and money as you won’t be searching and spending money on a homeschooling curriculum to try to fit your summer learning needs.

What’s inside the Summer Schoolio: Ready for Grade 6 workbook?

The Summer Schoolio: Ready for Grade 6 book combines the best homeschooling curriculum concepts to bring you and your child a unique solution to help you prepare your child for grade six. We’ve combined the homeschooling writing curriculum, homeschooling language arts curriculum and homeschooling math curriculum to bring you and your child a workbook to help practice essential skills to stay on track.

Summer Schoolio: Ready for Grade 6 overview:

The Summer Schoolio: Ready for Grade 6 workbook is filled with learning materials that aren’t just educational; they’re fun too! This combination is an excellent resource to help prepare your child for grade six. Created for six weeks of learning, your child will have the opportunity to learn and refresh different learning concepts each week.

Week one includes:

The Summer Schoolio week includes three days of simple learning that won’t be overwhelming or take too long to complete.

Day one, Weekly Writing – Writing Fiction – and Math – Number Sense.
Then day two has Weekly Writing and Math – Number Sense.
On day three, your child will work on Weekly Writing – Scrapbooking – and Math – Number Sense.

Week two includes:

The second week of Summer Schoolio: Ready for Grade 6 is similar to week one, just switching up learning concepts.

On day one, week two, your child will have Weekly Writing – Writing Letters – and Math – Number Sense.
On Day Two, they will have Weekly Writing and Number Sense.
Then on day three, they will have Weekly Writing – Scrapbook and Math – Number Sense.

Week three includes:

During the third week of the Summer Schoolio: Ready for Grade 6 book, your child will be working on:

Day one, Weekly Writing – Writing Poetry – and Math – Algebra.
Then on day two, your child will work on Weekly Writing and Math – Algebra.
Followed by day three, which is Weekly Writing – Scrapbook and Math – Algebra.

Week four includes:

When your child is working on week four, day one, they will do Weekly Writing – Descriptive Writing – and Math – Geometry/Spatial Sense.
Then on day two, they will be working on Weekly Writing and Math – Geometry/Spatial Sense.
Finally, on day three, they will get to work on their scrapbook for Weekly Writing and the final day of Math – Geometry/Spatial Sense.

Week five includes:

Day one of week five is Weekly Writing – Writing a Book Report – and Math – Data Management.
Then on day two, they will work on Weekly Writing and Math – Data Management.
Followed by day three, which is Scrapbooking for Weekly Writing and Data Management for Math.

Week six includes:

The first day of week six focuses on Weekly Writing – Writing Non-Fiction – and Math – Financial Literacy.
The second day is all about Weekly Writing and Financial Literacy for Math.
Then, your child can work on their scrapbook again for Weekly Writing and enjoy their final Financial Literacy assignment.

The Summer Schoolio: Ready for Grade 6 workbook includes a sample schedule/calendar that looks like this:

Monday: Read a Book or Chapter.

Tuesday: Weekly Writing Day 1, Math Day 1, Read a Book or Chapter.

Wednesday: Weekly Writing Day 2, Math Day 2, Read a Book or Chapter.

Thursday: Weekly Writing Day 3, Math Day 3, Read a Book or Chapter.

Friday: Read a Book or Chapter.

Trying to help your child stay on track and up-to-date with their learning while avoiding summer learning loss and preparing for the next grade doesn’t need to be an overwhelming and stressful task. It also doesn’t need to take a massive chunk of daily time to succeed. The Summer Schoolio: Ready for Grade 6 book helps your child keep up with their learning needs, refresh, and not become overwhelmed by too much information crammed into one day.

Prepare your child for grade six.

Click here for your summer schoolio book

Prepare Your Child for Grade Two

Is your child prepared for grade two? Should you allow your child to have the summer off to play and avoid books altogether? Or should you cram in as much extra curriculum work as possible to ensure they’re prepared and ready to excel in grade two? We can help you with all your questions and how to prepare your child for grade two.

With summer learning loss being a significant threat to your child’s learning development during the summer months, how can you keep your children from falling behind while helping them prepare for what’s ahead in grade two?

Preparing your child for grade two while aiming to avoid summer learning loss.

The first step to preparing your child for grade two while avoiding summer learning loss is to not stress about it. As parents, we often worry about ensuring our children are on track with their learning. That worry can become increasingly more vigorous with the concerns around pandemic learning loss.

Then there’s the concern about summer learning loss and how most children lose 2.6 months of math skills, two months of reading skills and the equivalent of one month of overall learning during the summer.

Learn more about Summer Learning Loss here.

How can we help our children catch up from the learning loss they’ve already experienced, stay on track and not lose more learning knowledge during the summer months?

Reading, writing, math and learning are essential skills your child must continually practice to develop correctly, especially during the summer.

Simplifying grade two prep to help prepare your child for grade two.

When you’re trying to prepare your child for grade two, don’t overthink it. So often, we assume that preparing our child for the next grade level needs to be a huge endeavour when the reality is that it can be a simple process when done correctly.

You can simplify their summer learning using the Summer Schoolio: Ready for Grade 2 book! Created specifically for helping children going into grade two, your child will stay refreshed and on track with their learning, so they’re fully prepared for grade two. Saving you hundreds of dollars from looking for and paying way too much for a homeschool curriculum will likely not be what you need to prepare your child for grade two.

The Summer Schoolio: Ready for Grade 2 workbook was explicitly created for quick, daily summer learning to prepare your child for grade two.

Let’s look inside the Summer Schoolio: Ready for Grade 2 workbook!

Having an enjoyable summer without the stress of trying to complete extra tasks is essential! This is why our Summer Schoolio books have been designed to be simple. Without the overwhelm of having to complete a mountain of overwhelming tasks.

In the Summer Schoolio: Ready for Grade 2 book, we have combined the best of our secular homeschooling curriculum concepts to bring you and your child a unique summer learning solution that will prepare your child for grade two. In a fantastic combination of homeschooling writing curriculum, homeschooling language arts curriculum and homeschooling math curriculum, we aim to help your child practice those essential skills to stay on track.

Summer Schoolio: Ready for Grade 2 overview:

The Summer Schoolio: Ready for Grade 2 workbook is packed with fun learning materials to prepare your child for grade two. Created for six weeks, your child will have the opportunity to learn and refresh different concepts each week.

Week one includes:

A summer Schoolio week includes three days of simple learning that won’t take long to complete.

Day one, Weekly Writing – Friendly Letters – and Math – Number Sense.
Day two, Weekly Writing and Math – Number Sense.
Day three, Weekly Writing – Scrapbook and Math – Number sense.

Week two includes:

The second week of Summer Schoolio: Ready for Grade 2 is similar to week one, just switching up learning concepts.

Day one, Weekly Writing – Writing Fiction – and Math – Number Sense.
Day two, includes Weekly Writing and Number Sense.
Day three, they will have Weekly Writing – Scrapbook and Math – Number Sense.

Week three includes:

During the third week of the Summer Schoolio: Ready for Grade 2 book, your child will be working on Weekly Writing – Reviewing a Book – and Math – Algebra

Day one, Weekly Writing – Reviewing a Book – Math – Algebra.
Day two, your child will work on Weekly Writing and Math – Algebra.
Day three includes Weekly Writing – Scrapbook and Math – Algebra.

Week four includes:

When your child is working on week four they will complete:

On day one, they will do Weekly Writing – Writing Non-Fiction – and Math – Geometry/Spatial Sense.
On day two, they will be working on Weekly Writing and Math – Geometry/Spatial Sense.
On day three, they will get to work on their scrapbook for Weekly Writing and the final day of Math – Geometry/Spatial Sense.

Week five includes:

Day one of week five is Weekly Writing – Poetry and Math – Data.
Day two, they will work on Weekly Writing and Math – Data.
Day three is Scrapbooking for Weekly Writing and Data for Math.

Week six includes:

The first day of week six focuses on Weekly Writing – Summarizing along with Math – Financial Literacy.
The second day is all about Weekly Writing and Financial Literacy for Math.
On the third day, your child can work on their scrapbook for Weekly Writing and enjoy their final Financial Literacy assignment.

As you can see, the assignments and schedule are repetitive, only switching out concepts to keep your child’s learning structured and interesting. This will help your child master all the essential math and reading/writing concepts for grade two.

What does a typical week look like using the Summer Schoolio: Ready for Grade 2 program?

Their workbook will include a sample schedule/calendar you can follow each day. It will look like this:

Monday: Read a Book or Chapter.

Tuesday: Weekly Writing Day 1, Math Day 1, Read a Book or Chapter.

Wednesday: Weekly Writing Day 2, Math Day 2, Read a Book or Chapter.

Thursday: Weekly Writing Day 3, Math Day 3, Read a Book or Chapter.

Friday: Read a Book or Chapter.

It’s incredible how simplified the process of keeping on track with their learning can be. It’s simple and not stressful! The best part is that their learning time can be accomplished in as little as one hour per day. This way, your child can keep up with their learning needs, refresh and not become overwhelmed by too much information crammed into one day.

Prepare your child for grade two.

Pick up your Summer Schoolio Book!

Why You Should Teach Your Child About Honeybees

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

There are many reasons.

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

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

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

Honeybees are essential to human life and health.

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

The future belongs to our children.

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

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

1. Create a honeybee garden in your yard.

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

2. Set up a visit with a beekeeper.

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

3. Go outside!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Science: All About Honeybees – Special Interest Unit

Pick up your copy of this unit today!

Buy Now

A Digital Learning Platform that will change the world.

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

A Digital Learning Platform, unique innovation by Schoolio.

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

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

Creating a Unique Learning Experience For Each Child.

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

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

Click here to watch Episode 3!

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

Check it out!

Spring Break On A Budget

It’s almost spring break, a much-needed break for traditional and homeschooling teachers. Along with conventional students and homeschooling students. Many of us dream of heading to a tropical destination to bask in the warm sun while sipping Pina Coladas and listening to the sound of the ocean waves. While a tropical vacation may remain a dream, for now, spring break on a budget can still be fun.

Fun ideas for spring break on a budget.

Visit museums.

Did you know that during spring break/March break, many museums offer discounted or even free activities to help keep kids learning and entertained? While you may have to pay an admission fee to enter the museum, the fun activities are well worth it. Not to mention, when the activities are complete, you can explore the museum with your child. To prepare, you can look up museums in your city or a city near you. Then check into the activities that they have planned for spring break! Super affordable and straightforward.

Have a scavenger hunt.

The weather is warming up, so get outside for a fun scavenger hunt! Don’t worry; you don’t even need to plan anything out. Print off this Fun Scavenger Hunt by CBC Kids, grab some pencils, bundle up, and head outside! Once you’ve completed the scavenger hunt, you can stop at the local coffee shop for some nice hot chocolate to warm up.

Go tobogganing.

If you live in a colder climate, you probably still have some snow at this time of the year. This is perfect for outdoor fun and will tire your kids out while giving them fun memories to cherish forever. And if you actively participate in tobogganing, the cardio from going up the hill will also benefit you!

Make some fun crafts!

Most kids get joy from creating and crafting. There’s something so fun about having supplies and a billion ideas about what you will do with them. Letting your kids freestyle when it comes to crafting can be fun. However, having a plan for crafting time can also be very beneficial. Don’t worry; finding crafts to do is as simple as popping on Pinterest and typing in ‘easy crafts.’ Remember to hit the local craft store to get some essential crafting supplies.

Crafting supplies, you need to keep in your home for spring break on a budget:

Coffee filters
Paper plates
Paper cups
Popsicle/wooden craft sticks
Toilet paper rolls/paper towel rolls
Styrofoam balls
Buttons
PomPoms
Beads
String
Pipe cleaners
Feathers
Rocks
Yarn
Tape
Glue
Markers
Card stock
Construction paper
Magnets
Google eyes
Washable paint
Paintbrushes
Tissue boxes
Egg cartons
Clothespins

Check out a Maple Sugar Bush.

If the weather cooperates, a sugar bush near you is likely in full operation. Many sugar bushes offer tours during Spring break. This will allow your family to take a guided tour to learn about the unique process of making maple syrup. Most sugar bushes offer free parking and admission, so research the best one to visit for your family.

Go for a free swim at a local pool.

Many local community pools offer free swims during spring break. That means that you can take your kids for some fun splashing activities for free. Find out if your local community centre is hosting a free swim.

Attend a free ice skating event.

Many communities offer free ice skating events during spring break also. Some community centres have ice skating rentals, so if you don’t have a pair, check in first!

Head to the library.

Libraries are great places to visit at any time of the year, especially during spring break. Most libraries offer free activities, crafts, reading sessions, and more. Check into your local library’s schedule and see when these activities occur. And make sure to pick up some fascinating reading material for your learners while you’re there.

Have a make-your-own pizza night and taco night.

On two different evenings, you can have two separate celebrations! One night could be make-your-own pizza night and the other make-your-own taco night! Get your kids to prepare the toppings for your pizza and taco nights. Then let them choose what they’d like to put on theirs! Make it even more fun by using a map to look up countries where Pizza and Tacos are popular options. And learn some fascinating facts about these places while you enjoy your meal.

Let your kids write and perform a play.

Tell your kids that they can create a one-of-a-kind performance. Their timeline: At the beginning of the week, they can start dreaming up their plans, working together to make them great, and coming up with a script and costumes. By the end of the week: it’s showtime! Have a cherished family member or two and friends attend. Make sure to record their play for future memory purposes.

Have an indoor pool party.

I promise this isn’t as scary as it sounds. This can work if you have an inflatable or small kid pool. Head to your local dollar store and buy some plastic paint sheets, then spread those down all over the floor and place the pool and an inflatable pool toy you might have. Play some tropical music and vacation snacks. Spend the day lounging by the pool. This would work even better if you have an unfinished basement. Use the bathtub if you don’t have an inflatable or kid pool!

Bake some treats.

Baking together is an excellent way to find entertainment, learn, and share something yummy. Bake some banana bread, muffins, cookies or bread! And enjoy!

Have a staycation.

Check your family into a local hotel for a one-night staycation if the budget allows. You can utilize the hotel pool, comfy beds, and change of scenery for an affordable price.

Do puzzles and games.

There are so many fun family games and puzzles that you can do over spring break. And some are even available for loan at the local library. Have a family game day with puzzles, popcorn, and games!

Dive into a Special Interest Unit.

Spring break on a budget can be fun with a special interest unit. There are many fun special interest units and novel studies to choose from. Would your child enjoy learning about Bees and Honey? How about Earth Day, Pirates, Spring Activities, or an Evidence Investigation? These and many more Special Interest Units are available on The Schoolio Marketplace!

20 Celebrities You Probably Didn’t Know Were Homeschooled.

TL;DR: Which famous people were homeschooled?
Many successful celebrities, athletes, and world leaders were homeschooled, including Ryan Gosling, Serena Williams, Thomas Edison, and Billie Eilish. Homeschooling allowed these individuals the flexibility to pursue their passions—from acting and sports to scientific innovation—while receiving a tailored education that supported their unique career paths.

Random Acts of Kindness Ideas

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

5 benefits of being kind to others:

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

1. Kindness can boost your immune system.

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

2. Kindness creates a sense of belonging.

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

3. Kindness helps you feel in control.

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

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

4. Kindness helps you find your people.

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

5. Kindness can give you a mental break.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Random acts of kindness are what the world needs.

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

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

Download the Free My Kindness Goal Sheet

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

Learn more about Random Acts of Kindness Day:

Random Acts of Kindness Foundation

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

Celebrities Who Homeschool

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

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

Why are celebrities opting to homeschool their children?

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

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

Celebrities who homeschool:

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

Farrah Abraham homeschools her daughter Sophia.

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

Jenelle Evans homeschooled her stepdaughter.

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

Big Bang Theories, Mayim Bialik homeschools her kids!

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

Kylie and Kendall Jenner were homeschooled!

Kris Jenner and former partner, Caitlyn Jenner.

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

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes

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

Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise homeschooled their children, too!

Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman homeschooled their children, too!

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

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.

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

Gwyneth Paltrow with children, Apple and Moses.

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

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

Another celebrity who homeschools is Jennifer Lopez.

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

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

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

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

Will Homeschooling Ruin Your Child?

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

This wasn’t in the plan.

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

Will homeschooling ruin your child?

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

8 things to consider about homeschooling:

1. Your schedule.

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

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

2. Your motivations.

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

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

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

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

4. Your ability to be a parent-teacher.

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

5. The cost.

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

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

6. Socialization.

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

7. Your support system.

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

8. Local homeschooling rules.

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

Only you know what’s best for your family.

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

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

Boost your confidence.

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

Should You Take a Break From Homeschooling?

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

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

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

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

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

What if you just took a break?

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

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

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

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

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

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

You can try: Adjusting your school work.

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

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

Using a food delivery service/order take out.

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

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

Lower the standards.

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

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

Outsource when needed.

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

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

Have mandatory fun days.

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

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

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

1. You’re sick.

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

2. A Family Emergency.

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

3. Your Kids are Sick.

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

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

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

5. Your Kids Clearly Need a Break.

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

6. There’s a Fun Event Planned.

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

7. Your Kids Can’t Focus.

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

8. It’s Nice Outside.

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

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

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