Tag: Homeschooling

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! 

Homeschooling in Atlantic Canada – How to Get Started

Homeschooling in Atlantic Canada – How to Get Started 

Are you considering homeschooling? Or perhaps are new to homeschooling in Atlantic Canada? How do you get started? Where do you begin? And what’s the best route to take in order to be a successful homeschooler? Is homeschooling even legal in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland & Labrador? We are going to cover each of these provinces unique learning standards for homeschooling. 

Before we dive into homeschooling in Atlantic Canada Provinces it’s important to select a curriculum that works great for your family. (If you are in Newfoundland & Labrador, please check curriculum standards before selecting curriculum – See below) 

How do I pick homeschool curriculum? 

There are hundreds of curriculum options available for homeschooling families now. We recommend that you purchase a Canadian based curriculum. There are so many phenomenal American Homeschooling curriculum options. However, if you are homeschooling in Atlantic Canada, you will find that you have to supplement your curriculum more often than not for Canadian concepts. 

Here’s an excellent blog about how to pick the very best curriculum for your family: Choosing Homeschool Curriculum

 

The Basics of Homeschooling in Nova Scotia: 

The first province we will cover when it comes to homeschooling in Atlantic Canada is Nova Scotia. 

Let’s start with the basics. 

Is Homeschooling legal in Nova Scotia? 

The answer is yes! In fact, homeschooling is legal in each province of Atlantic Canada, but rules do vary. The Department of education in Nova Scotia outlines the legislation for home education. It’s always best to start there when you have questions about homeschooling in Nova Scotia. 

Does your child need to be registered in Nova Scotia?

Yes! Parents and guardians in Nova Scotia are required to register their children, ages 6 to 16 in an educational program. First, you will need to register your child for Primary (Kindergarten) whether your child is 5 or 6 years old. Be sure to register them in the year that they will be 5 years old before December 31st. Secondly, you will need to provide a copy of your child’s birth certificate for their first year.

What are your responsibilities as a home schooling parent in Nova Scotia? 

First, you need to advise the Department of Education (Halifax Office) of your intent to homeschool your child. 

Secondly, you need to complete the registration form annually and return it to the Regional Education Office, Halifax, Nova Scotia. For a child that has not been registered in public or homeschool before, you will need to include proof of their age with your registration form. 

Third, in June you will need to provide a report to the Department of Education (Halifax Office) on the progress of your homeschooled child(ren). This report should be compatible with the program of study of the child(ren). 

Fourth, you as the homeschool parent need to ensure that your child is diligent in attempting to master their home education studies that had been described in the registration form.

Fifth, as the primary home education parent you must be prepared to meet with the school board officials if and when the child(ren) are to be enrolled in public school. You are required to provide evidence of your child’s education program. Because as the home-educating parent or guardian, you are responsible to provide solid evidence of your child’s education.

Where can you find the Registration form? 

As the homeschooling parent you will need to fill out the registration form for each of your children at the beginning of the school year. Click here to visit the Nova Scotia Department of Education’s Website where you can find the registration form. Overall the registration letter is simply laid out, very straightforward and easy to understand. This form will ask for both you as the parent or guardian and your child’s information along with the name of the curriculum that you are planning on using for that school year. 

What are the requirements for reporting and grading in Nova Scotia? 

Every June, the homeschooling parent or guardian must send in another form. This form is called “The Home Schooling Student Report Form.” Click here to view these forms.  The Home Schooling Student Report Form is quick, simple and easy to fill out. You can fill out the subject/course name, test marks, and the overall course grade. Then you can use the little subject boxes to fill out a little more detail and information on the subjects covered in the school year. While also including  your students learned. 

If you were using Schoolio curriculum and needed to fill out the Science section for Grade 5. You could simply go to the table of contents of your child’s completed Science book. Then write the key lessons that they learned for the year. ‘Forms of Energy, Conservation with Renewable Resources, Electricity, Energy Footprint, Structures’ etc.. 

If you are registering your child for a primary grade for the first time you simply need to: 

  1. Register with the Department of Education by filling in the form and being sure to submit it in September. 
  2. Make a report on your child’s progress within your areas of study in June each year.

If your child is attending school already and you’d like to legally withdraw them from school in Nova Scotia:

  1. Be sure to inform the school that you will be homeschooling. Ask them to remove your child from the school register. 
  2. Complete the Nova Scotia Department of Education Homeschooling Registration Form. Being sure to submit it to the Department of Education to register your child as a homeschooler. 

More information on Homeschooling in Nova Scotia can be found at The Canadian Homeschooler.

 

The Basics of Homeschooling in New Brunswick: 

The second province we will cover when it comes to homeschooling in Atlantic Canada is New Brunswick. 

Let’s start with the basics: Is Homeschooling legal in New Brunswick? 

Yes! It is every parent’s right to home educate their child in New Brunswick. Moreover, you do not need to have a teacher’s certificate or be a college graduate to homeschool your children. Additionally, there is no reporting or annual testing requirements in New Brunswick. 

Your first step would be to establish if homeschooling is the right choice for your family.

The Minister of Education New Brunswick suggests that you answer these 5 questions. 

  1. Adequate Time? 
  2. Do you have Adequate Finances? 
  3. Strong Parenting Skills? 
  4. Do you have Effective Time-Management Skills? 
  5. Common Vision? 

Families that choose to home educate are asked by the Province of New Brunswick to complete the Annual Homeschool Application Form. Then they are required to forward it to their local school district. 

Keeping in mind that in order for your homeschool to be considered effective instruction it must include these areas of learning: 

  1. Language Arts 
  2. Mathematics 
  3. Science 
  4. Technology 
  5. Social Studies 
  6. Health 
  7. Career Development 
  8. French 
  9. Music 
  10. Art 
  11. Physical Education 

What is the Annual Homeschool Application Form? 

The Annual Homeschool Application Form states that you as the parent or legal guardian are taking full responsibility for the education of your child. Once this application has been submitted, the district office will forward the form to the Minister of Education. Following the submission of the letter, the Minister of Education will send the family a signed letter that states they have been approved to home educate their children for the current year. 

Here you will find the French and English Annual Homeschooling Application Form: 

Homeschooling in New Brunswick Recap: 

  • If your child is just starting school, or you are pulling your child out of school to homeschool, you must inform their current school that you are homeschooling.
  • Choose a curriculum that suits your family.
  • Fill out the Annual Homeschool Application Form. 
  • Submit the Homeschooling Application form to the district office. 
  • Await the letter from the Minister of Education for approval. 

Click here for additional information on homeschooling in New Brunswick.

 

The Basics of Homeschooling in Prince Edward Island.

The third province that we will cover when it comes to homeschooling in Atlantic Canada is Prince Edward Island. 

Is Homeschooling Legal in Prince Edward Island? 

Yes! Parents are able to home educate their children in Prince Edward Island! They can do so by using a home education program or public education curriculum. 

How can you legally homeschool your child in Prince Edward Island? 

You will need to notify the Department of Education and Lifelong Learning that you will be homeschooling your child before the school year begins. Find the Home Education Notice of Intent here. 

What curriculum are you required to use? 

You can choose whichever curriculum you would like. In addition to this, there is also another option to access curriculum books with provincial curriculum when home educating your child. At this time the Provincial Curriculum costs $50 per child, and that amount will be refunded once the books have been returned after use. Also it’s important to remember that you as the homeschooling parent are responsible for your child’s curriculum, record keeping and their testing. 

Homeschooling in Prince Edward Island recap: 

  • If your child is already registered in a school, be sure to notify the school that your child will not be attending. 
  • Fill out the Notice of Parent’s Intention to Homeschool form and notify the Department of Education. 
  • Choose a curriculum that suits your family. 

For more information on homeschooling in PEI click here.

 

The Basics of Homeschooling in Newfoundland & Labrador. 

The fourth province that we will cover when it comes to homeschooling in Atlantic Canada is Newfoundland and Labrador. 

The first question, is homeschooling legal in Newfoundland and Labrador? 

Yes! Parents do have the right to homeschool their children in Newfoundland and Labrador. However, there are mandates that local school boards are to monitor the progress of the students that are residing in their district. 

What are the legal requirements of homeschooling in Newfoundland and Labrador? 

Parents or legal guardians need to send in an application to homeschool. Moreover, the four regions of the Newfoundland & Labrador English School District have a Homeschool Coordinator who approves applications. The Homeschool Coordinator also oversees the homeschool program. For information on how to fill out the form click the NLESD Homeschooling Application. 

What curriculum will you be required to use in Newfoundland & Labrador? 

You can either choose to use the provincial curriculum of Newfoundland & Labrador or you can use any other curriculum which has been previously approved by the EECD. Furthermore, if you don’t want to use an approved curriculum, you will need to provide information about the curriculum to the homeschool coordinator. Then the  homeschool coordinator will assess the curriculum that you would like to use. Doing so to decide whether it meets provincial learning standards. 

Homeschooling in Newfoundland & Labrador recap: 

  • Notify the school that your child is attending.
  • Find out who the Homeschool Coordinator is for your region.
  • Fill out and send the intent to homeschool form.
  • Choose a curriculum. Remember, if you choose a curriculum that isn’t approved by the EECD, you will need to  include this curriculum in your homeschool plan for the Homeschool Coordinator. 

For more information: 

 

Homeschooling in Atlantic Canada Recap: 

We hope that this how to guide has cleared up your questions about homeschooling in Atlantic Canada. Please be sure to follow all the rules and guidelines of your province. And if you are still unsure about any of the standards and requirements for your province, please reach out to your local homeschooling group. Local homeschooling groups can connect you with other local homeschoolers. Additionally, homeschooling groups can help you learn the best route to take with homeschooling, along with the legal requirements for your province and region.

Homeschooling can be a huge transition for your family, so be sure to check out the Schoolio Blog for helpful tips on how to be successful when homeschooling. It’s our hope that you will enjoy your homeschooling journey, and that your children will benefit from this unique education opportunity.

For general information on how to get started with homeschooling in Canada click here: How Do I Homeschool?

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Homeschool Mom Self-Care

Homeschool Mom Self-Care

Guest Blog by Rebecca Miller

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

What is Self Care?

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

What Self-Care is Not

Self-care is not just about pampering yourself. Because even things that feel awkward and uncomfortable can be forms of self-care. For example: Setting boundaries, washing dishes, and even having a difficult conversation can be considered self-care. Because these will benefit you in the future, despite the fact that they are not enjoyable in the moment. 

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

Self-care does not have to cost money.

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

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

Why is Homeschool Mom Self-Care Important?

Self-Care is important for everyone, especially during the uncertain times we are facing during the pandemic. According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, 38% of Canadians say their mental health has declined due to Covid-19. Reports of anxiety and depression have risen in both children and their parents during the pandemic. 

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

Is it selfish?

While it may feel selfish to take time for yourself. It’s especially important, because showing our kids that we are prioritizing our health, can help them grow into adults that will do the same. We already know that kids tend to mimic what we do, rather than what we say. Therefore if we are constantly neglect ourselves, while telling our kids that they need to make healthy choices, they are likely to think, “well mom doesn’t do that, why should I?” 

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

When I was growing up.

When I was growing up, I remember how hard my mom worked keeping the house tidy, making meals and taking care of the household. I don’t remember her taking time to relax or care for herself. When I became a Mom, that image stuck with me, and I felt that I needed to be that way as well. Unfortunately, as many of us find out, when I neglected myself, I had little to give anyone else. Can you relate?

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

Let me tell you a story

Last year I was working a lot at my job as a support worker. I was trying desperately to stockpile funds for Christmas, so I was taking on lots of extra shifts. I knew from experience that it was going to be hard on me mentally, so I made sure to schedule time to refill my bucket. 

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

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

Remaining calm changed the situation.

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

Finding Time for Homeschool Mom Self-Care.

Treating self-care as a priority is key. Some homeschool moms wake up before their kids so they can have 10-15 minutes of quiet time as they drink their coffee. Other homeschool moms stay up after their kids go to bed for the very same reason. 

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

Another Option.

You can also practice self-care in the same room as your children. While your children are in the living room watching a movie, or playing with their toys, you can have your earbuds in while you sit with them, and listen to your favourite podcast!

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

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

Where Do I Start With Homeschool Mom Self-Care?

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

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

Self care examples: 

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

 

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

Schoolio Guest Blog

About Rebecca Miller:

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

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

Read more guest blogs by Rebecca Miller:

Important Lessons Learned From Helping around The House

“Learning is happening all around us, all the time. Even when we are not following a curriculum, or sitting at a desk with a workbook, educational opportunities arise every day. One of the most common areas that children learn through experience is in the area of housework. There are many important lessons learned from helping around the house. When children are allowed and encouraged to help out around the house (ie. Cooking, laundry, sweeping floors) they learn many skills that they will take into adulthood.”  Read Important Lessons Learned From Helping Around the House.

How Do You Homeschool With a Toddler?

“Are you wondering if it’s even possible to homeschool multiple children of different ages? How can you possibly teach your 10-year-old math while your preschooler is asking for snacks every five minutes? How on Earth can you practice reading with your 12-year-old while your toddler is climbing on your lap? How do you keep your toddler busy during homeschool?” Read How Do You Homeschool With a Toddler? 

 

Homeschool Mom Self-Care

Homeschool Mom Self-Care

Guest Blog by Rebecca Miller

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

What is Self Care?

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

What Self-Care is Not

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

Self-care does not have to cost money.

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

Why is Homeschool Mom Self-Care Important?

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

Is it selfish?

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

When I was growing up.

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

Let me tell you a story

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

Remaining calm changed the situation.

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

Finding Time for Homeschool Mom Self-Care.

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

Another Option.

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

Where Do I Start With Homeschool Mom Self-Care?

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

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

Self care examples: 

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

 

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

Schoolio Guest Blog

About Rebecca Miller:

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

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

Read more guest blogs by Rebecca Miller:

Important Lessons Learned From Helping around The House

“Learning is happening all around us, all the time. Even when we are not following a curriculum, or sitting at a desk with a workbook, educational opportunities arise every day. One of the most common areas that children learn through experience is in the area of housework. There are many important lessons learned from helping around the house. When children are allowed and encouraged to help out around the house (ie. Cooking, laundry, sweeping floors) they learn many skills that they will take into adulthood.”

  Read Important Lessons Learned From Helping Around the House.

How Do You Homeschool With a Toddler?

“Are you wondering if it’s even possible to homeschool multiple children of different ages? How can you possibly teach your 10-year-old math while your preschooler is asking for snacks every five minutes? How on Earth can you practice reading with your 12-year-old while your toddler is climbing on your lap? How do you keep your toddler busy during homeschool?” Read How Do You Homeschool With a Toddler? 

 

When Your Kids Are Driving You Crazy

Homeschooling is all fun and games until you realize that your kids are with you 24/7 and you’re the teacher. There’s really no break for the default homeschooling parent. So, how do you cope? How do you function on those days when your kids are driving you crazy? Let’s find out. 

First, you need to remember that kids will sometimes be annoying. Especially when they’re trying to figure things out or if they’re just genuinely bored. Did you just start homeschooling this year? This can be a big change, and can sometimes play a big part in their behaviour. As you and your child are both experiencing a major adjustment when they go from traditional education to homeschooling. In this situation, you can start by learning the reason’s behind your child’s behaviour by reading the ‘Why Your Kids Are Driving You Nuts’ blog. 

Additionally, there are two major categories that you should take a look at when your kids are driving you crazy. 

  1. How to keep your child entertained. 

  2. Ways to get a break as a homeschooling parent. 

Let’s start with category number one. 

How to Keep Your Child Entertained.

1. You Don’t Have to Keep Your Child Entertained. 

  Are you scratching your head now in complete confusion? The first step is how to keep your child entertained? But then step one in that category says you don’t have to keep your child entertained. How does that work? I promise I’m not trying to confuse you, or lead you down a rabbit hole. See, it’s good for your child to learn how to entertain themselves. When you are constantly planning events and play for your child, they won’t learn how to embrace their imagination. Notice how I said constantly. Because planning opportunities for your children is great, just not when you do it all the time.

The reason is because your child needs to have the opportunity to use their amazing imagination. Being the constant source of entertainment for your child will only deter their ability to entertain themselves. 

2. Encourage Imagination Play When Your Kids Are Driving You Crazy.

The beautiful gift of having an imagination. I’m sure that you have fond memories of using your imagination as a child. Perhaps climbing a dirt pile while wearing a beautiful white dress and pretending you were the queen in her castle. Some of my most favourite childhood memories are the ones where I was using my imagination as my main source of entertainment. 

How can you encourage imagination play for your child? 

  • Put the iPads/tablets/phones/video games away. 
    • Basically just anything that is electronic, take it away. Wait, you didn’t know you can do that? Surprise! You can! Because you’re the parent. So, take away the electronics and place boundaries around when they’re allowed to use their electronic devices.
  • Include free play in your daily schedule/routine. 
  • Show them how to use their imagination.
    • You might have to actually remind your child how to use their imagination, if they haven’t been in touch with it for a while.
  • Get them outside.

3. Have Your Child Help Around the House. 

Do my kids enjoy chores? Not always! But I have watched them embrace chores using the gift of their imagination. It’s actually so exciting to see. For example, my son will pretend he’s a recycling truck, when he’s taking the recycling bin to the garage. Chores provide an excellent opportunity for your child to use their imagination while building independence. Additionally, you can use chores as amazing learning opportunities also!

Turning chores into learning opportunities: 

  • Sorting laundry is an excellent way to learn and refresh the concepts of matching and colours. While also helping your child learn proper organizational skills. 
  • When your child empties a dishwasher or dish strainer, they have the opportunity to learn about ratios when stacking plates of different sizes together. 
  • Grocery shopping with a parent can help your child read out words on different products. 
  • Making their bed can help your child feel pride for doing something to their own satisfaction.

4. Help Your Child Get Creative. 

Creativity is such an amazing outlet for both children and adults. Which is why helping your child get creative can guide them to find their unique outlet. So be sure to pick up some creative items at the local craft store. Here’s a fun crafty opportunity for your child to get started: How to Make Stickers – Good to Know. 

5. Get Active. 

Are your kids feeling super tired and bored? Get active! Run around outside, play ‘Simon Says’, go for a bike ride, play some hockey or basketball, take a walk in nature, go for a hike. Getting active helps freshen up your child’s imagination. Which then helps them with their creativity. As you can see, getting active has so many benefits. 

6. Add Interest Learning to Your Homeschool. 

When you’re always focusing on Math, Science, Social Studies and Language Arts, your homeschool life can become very boring. Adding in some fun child led learning opportunities will help curb that boredom. And giving your child the opportunity to dive into their interests may result in hours of research and creativity. 

Not sure where to start? Check out our Special Interest Units for unique learning opportunities for your child.

7. Teach Your Child How to Sew/Knit or Crochet. 

There’s a special satisfaction that comes with creating your own designs. So, obviously teaching your child how to sew, knit or crochet will for sure pay off. As teaching your child these skills may result in your child spending hours creating. 

8. Encourage Your Child to Write a Story. 

They may need a little help with ideas on what to write. So, encourage your child to write a unique story, that they can share with friends or family when they’re finished. Remind them that it’s not always a quick event, writing sometimes takes time. 

9. Help Your Child Find Books They Love. 

Does your child not like reading? Maybe they just haven’t found the right material that interests them yet. First, ask your child what they want to read about. Second, get a library card. Third, pick up different reading materials to help them determine which style they like most. Fourth, set a time of the day for independent reading time. 

10. Listen to stories. 

There’re so many amazing kids stories out there. But chances are you’re feeling burnt out and not really in the mood to read books to your kids? You can use a story reading app like Audible. Or look up neat podcast series for kids. They will be using their imagination as they listen to the stories play over the speaker. Additionally, while they’re listening, you can encourage them to draw pictures, or write. 

11. Teach Your Child Mindfulness. 

Mindfulness is such an amazing practice for you and your child to learn. If you’re unsure where to start when teaching your child mindfulness, research mindfulness teachers for kids. Like the Goldminds program. Goldminds believes in the power of teaching mindfulness strategies to children from a young age, to equip them with the tools they need to regulate big emotions, build resilience and improve self-confidence. Goldminds offers live online classes. You can learn more about Goldminds here.

12. Play Board Games. 

Break out the Monopoly! But not just Monopoly, there are some really amazing board games available for kids. So, do some research to find the best games for your family. 

Step one of what to do when your kids are driving you crazy is now complete. Now we are going to jump into category two.

Ways to Get a Break as a Homeschooling Parent. 

Getting a break as a homeschooling parent seems like a myth. Can homeschooling parents actually get a break? You’re with your child all the time. But you’re feeling burnt out, frustrated, over-worked, over-touched, and ready to hide in the dark of your bedroom until your kids are older. Obviously you aren’t going to be able to jump on an airplane and head to a tropical island anytime soon. So, how can you get a break? 

1. Ask For Help. 

  This is number one in this category for a reason. Asking for help can often feel like a foreign concept for homeschooling parents, because we are used to doing it all. If you break down and ask someone to watch the kids for a couple or hours, it could potentially fuel their thoughts about how you can’t accomplish it all. This is false thinking on your part. You’re human, and every human needs a little extra help sometimes. Asking a friend or family member to watch the kids for just a couple hours once a week, can give you that oh so important time to yourself. 

You might feel afraid to ask for help, but you really don’t need to. Asking for help is healthy, and a part of everyday normal life. And, it’s not just for you. Getting a break will benefit your children also. Because their parent will be refreshed, and they’ll learn that it’s ok to ask for help for themselves, too. 

2. Schedule a Homeschool Break. 

During this homeschool break you can take the time you need to reset and refocus. Your child can utilize their creative skills that we talked about above. And you can spend time doing the things that you have neglected during the rigorous daily schedule that you’ve been trying to maintain. 

3. Have Mandatory Quiet Time. 

Scheduling in 20 minutes of quiet time everyday will help you have time to reset during each day. The noise and chaos of the day can become overwhelming sometimes. So being sure to have 20 minutes of quiet time will help you get back in the right mindset before taking on the next task of the day. Your kids can read, write, play in their rooms, or play outside during this time. 

4. Play Some Music. 

I don’t know about you, but music fuels my soul. When I’m feeling burnt out, frustrated, and in desperate need of a soul refresh. I turn on my music. Music has the ability to lighten up our whole house. If we’re all having a rough day, music gives us the chance to dance and laugh and find joy again. 

5. Wake Up Early. 

It might be tough at first, but waking up early is essential as a homeschooling parent. Spending time first thing in the morning without your kids in your face is hugely important to the mental peace that you will need for the day. When you wake up, be intentional about having gratitude for all the amazing aspects of your life. Along with the tough aspects that challenge you. 

6. Exercise Away From The House. 

Going for runs is my lifeline. Typically a run will be my go-to at 5am when my household is still asleep. Knowing that my husband is home with the kids, I can safely and peacefully challenge my body and refresh my mind with exercise. Run, walk, go to the gym, whatever works for you. Just be intentional, because being intentional about your exercise and alone time will benefit you in many, many ways. Including preparing you for when your kids are driving you crazy. 

7. Head to a Coffee Shop With Your Friend. 

Obviously, you are going to need someone to be with the kids. For example, I do this when my husband is home, or if they’re in a co-op/gymnastics class. I take the one hour window to chat with a friend, and just be me, the person that can get lost in the process of homeschooling, parenting, and working. 

Homeschooling is a challenge especially when your kids are driving you crazy.

You will have days in which everything goes so smoothly and you feel like you are on the right track. Alternatively, you will have days when your kids are driving you crazy and you desperately want to hop on a plane and get out. 

When you figure out how to keep your child entertained by teaching them to entertain themselves, and find ways to get a break as a homeschooling parent, you will be on the road to success. Just remember to be patient. Good things don’t come over night. They often take lots of time, and practice. With time, your family will find it’s groove and it will be smooth sailing. Keep aiming for it, and you will reach it. 

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!

 

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!

Popular Canadian Homeschool Curriculum Now Adapted and Available to Parents in the U.S.

In Fall 2021 Schoolio Learning Corp. will expand to the U.S. homeschool market. Bringing popular Canadian homeschool curriculum to the U.S. market. Beginning with their #1 best selling program, a 36-week curriculum covering both PreK and Kindergarten.

Schoolio launched in Canada in 2020. And was met with instant success. Their unique learning program serves both homeschoolers and educators. By providing a full-year curriculum that meets essential educational requirements. While also allowing for flexibility and interest-led personalization. Schoolio has crafted a team of curriculum writers who are teachers. While also having homeschool experience. Leveraging knowledge and skills from both arenas to ensure their offerings meet parents’ needs. After only one year, over 2,000 Canadian homeschool parents use Schoolio’s curriculum for grades K-8.

Schoolio Curriculum
While designed primarily for print-at-home use, Schoolio’s curriculum is also available for shipping as a workbook.

From the Schoolio CEO:

Sathish Bala, Schoolio’s CEO, provides insight into their expansion plan. “Since our launch in August 2020, we have had many U.S. parents asking for a U.S. version of our Kinder program. Our team reworked the entire 900+ pages for U.S. families. Our combined pre-K/K program helps set your child up for success in Grade 1, filling any gaps as needed. Over the next few months, we will continue to release more grades and continue our mission to support homeschooling parents across the U.S.”

Schoolio’s popular PreK/Kindergarten curriculum includes: 

  • A sample schedule. 
  • Themed weeks that parents can build on at home.
  • Core subjects + enrichment activities (Math, Language, Handwriting, Reading, Science, Social Studies, and Art).
  • A weekly program guide that provides suggested guidance every single day.
  • Sight word flashcards.
  • Book recommendations to match each week’s theme.
  • Media recommendations to match each week’s theme.
  • A fun, themed art project or activity each week.
  • A biweekly assessment to help parents make sure their child is on track.

From Co-Founder, Lindsey Casselman:

“The Schoolio Kinder program was written with two goals in mind.” Says Lindsey Casselman, Schoolio’s Co-Founder and Curriculum Lead. “We wanted to completely remove the stress on homeschooling parents about what to teach, when, and how. We also wanted to create a program that was fun, engaging, and hands-on for our youngest learners. This program covers all the academic foundations needed to start Grade 1. So parents can rest easy knowing they have it all covered. And without the stress of planning, they can really engage with their child. Making it possible for everyone to have fun learning together.”

Bringing essential curriculum to all children.


Currently, Schoolio offers curricula to Canadian homeschoolers for grades K-8. Over the next few months, they will expand their U.S. offerings to match. However, their sights are set globally. Schoolio’s ultimate goal is to build a one-of-a-kind online learning platform. This platform will bring their essential curriculum to any child, anywhere in the world, for free. Schoolio will offer parents and educators a premium version that allows for complete customization of each child’s learning experience. And supplementation with premium Schoolio curated content. Along with user-based marketplace content, and more.

Learn more about Schoolio

Featured in Entrepreneur

We are pleased to bring popular Canadian homeschool curriculum around the globe!

Press Inquiries:

Sathish Bala, CEO, Founder – sathish@schoolio.io

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.

  1. 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. 

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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! 

  1. 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!

  1. 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 8th grade level in math? Great. Are you working at a 3rd 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. ! 

  1. 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! 

  1. 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!

  1. 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.

  1. 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

  1. 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.

Important Lessons Learned From Helping Around the House

Guest Blog: Important Lessons Learned From Helping Around the House by Rebecca Miller

Learning is happening all around us, all the time. Even when we are not following a curriculum, or sitting at a desk with a workbook, educational opportunities arise every day. One of the most common areas that children learn through experience is in the area of housework. There are many important lessons learned from helping around the house. When children are allowed and encouraged to help out around the house (ie. Cooking, laundry, sweeping floors) they learn many skills that they will take into adulthood.

Life Skills

The most obvious thing children learn from helping keep a home tidy and clean is “life skills.” Life Skills are those skills that they will use to be successful adults. Learning to wash dishes, mop floors and make meals earlier in life is vitally important. Young adults who are not required to participate in household chores as children, often find it difficult to transition into adulthood. They are not equipped to take on the responsibility of their own household, because it was something they were just never taught. In order to give our kids an advantage when going out into the world, we need to allow them to build those essential skills as they grow up.

Responsibility and Accountability

Children who regularly do chores or housework, learn early on what it means to be responsible. They learn that it is their responsibility to pick up after themselves. They also learn that being part of a family means you each have a role to play and support each other to have a comfortable living space. If your children complain about having to wash dishes, consider having a discussion with them about how being a family unit means everyone is responsible for pitching in. 

Teamwork

There will be many times in our children’s lives when they will find themselves having to work in a team. Whether they join a sports team or get a job where they have co-workers. Teamwork is a skill they will need in the future. Sharing in the responsibility of housework as they grow up, helps kids learn to work as a team. 

Fine and Gross Motor Skills

There are several tasks around the house that can help children build and strengthen both fine and gross motor skills. We do these actions so regularly that we often don’t stop to think of them as motor skill activities. Hanging laundry on a clothesline with clothespins is a great fine motor activity. Sweeping the floor promotes bilateral (using both sides of the body) co-ordination. Setting the table and matching socks are both activities that can improve sequencing, memory and problem solving skills.

Organization

Following a recipe, sorting recycling, and putting away groceries are just a few of the household tasks that can help teach our kids organizational skills. As adults, we use our ability to organize every day: at work, at home and out in the world. Many parents don’t realize that encouraging our children to take part in the upkeep of the family home can help them become more organized adults. 

Sometimes we can tend to overlook learning opportunities that don’t look like “school.” But, everyday tasks such as sorting recycling and taking out the trash have so many skills hidden within them that it’s important not to overlook them. Even when it feels like it would be easier and faster to just do the housework ourselves. It can be extremely beneficial for our kids to encourage them to take responsibility for our household as well. And the bonus is, it can lighten the load for parents as well.

Schoolio Guest Blog

 

Read another guest blog by Rebecca Miller – Click Here –