This week I found myself sitting behind my closed bedroom door crying and gorging myself on giant handfuls of coffee nut M&M's. Feelings of frustration and overwhelming thoughts had finally gotten the best of me. The constant sibling bickering, sickness, rain and endless questions compounded by the extra weight of trying to do All. The. Things. and adulting had finally won out. Some … [Read more...] about When You Can’t Do Everything: Overcoming Homeschool Burnout
Encouragement
Leaving Space in Our Homeschool Year
Are you trying to juggle homeschooling and all of your kiddo's activities? Homeschool parents constantly feel pressure to fill every moment of their kids' days with educational instruction or extracurriculars. The struggle is real, folks. Yet, there is much to be said about leaving space in our homeschool. Learning happens is in those unplanned spaces. Leaving Space in Our Homeschool … [Read more...] about Leaving Space in Our Homeschool Year
How to Create A Learning-Rich Environment in Your Homeschool
There are many things we can do to help create a learning-rich environment in our homeschool. How A Learning-Rich Environment Begins A learning-rich environment begins with a parent that loves to learn and models the excitement of learning new things, asking questions, and hypothesizing. Laugh and enjoy the process of learning with your children because monkey see, monkey do, so to … [Read more...] about How to Create A Learning-Rich Environment in Your Homeschool
Homeschooling with Joy and Sometimes on Impulse
Have you ever bought anything on impulse thinking it would be the "be all end all" and would magically make your life infinitely easier or better or more beautiful? I'm totally asking...for a friend... You know, like those amazingly organic toasted coconut chips made with caramel sea salt...that would make you forget that it was a total health food? That is until you actually tasted it … [Read more...] about Homeschooling with Joy and Sometimes on Impulse
Inspiring a Love of Reading with the Love of Animals
Inspiring a Love of Reading with the Love of Animals Before our son became the voracious reader that he is today, he was anxious and easily frustrated with each attempt to read. You can read about his favorite books here at our Favorite Read Aloud Books. We had a little boy with big ideas that could understand complexities far beyond his years. He knew the sounds that the … [Read more...] about Inspiring a Love of Reading with the Love of Animals
Growing in Our Everyday Moments of Homeschool
While on a family hike at our local nature preserve, I captured this image. The buds of a tree ready to burst forth with life and beauty. Looking at this photo I began thinking....this tree is already full of life and beauty. Those things do not start once the buds open but are there throughout the life of the tree. How different is this from ourselves and our homeschooling … [Read more...] about Growing in Our Everyday Moments of Homeschool
10 Things You Need to Know to Homeschool
I never thought someone would come to me and ask, "How do you homeschool? How do you make it all work." But that is exactly what has happened. Several moms new to homeschooling have asked, "How do I get started?" I'm no expert. I am however, an expert on my own children. We've only been doing this homeschool gig since our children were preschool age. So in that time frame, I've learned a … [Read more...] about 10 Things You Need to Know to Homeschool
The Pressure to be Perfect
Parenting is hard.... there, I said it. Homeschooling is hard.... yes, I said that too. All of these are hard jobs folks. They are marathons not sprints. It takes years for you to see the outcomes of whatever it is you are doing right now in this moment. Years of tiny little moments adding up and filling this little person you are raising. No pressure. This post may contain affiliate … [Read more...] about The Pressure to be Perfect
Through the Lens of My Toddler
My toddler got a hold on my phone and managed to snap this photo of me. Here is Mom wearing no makeup. She's stressed from a play date gone horribly wrong. She has the beginnings of a headache. She has holes and spills on her shirt and pants. She has diaper cream in her hair. She loses her temper. She questions her abilities as a mother. She has doubts and fears. Yet through the … [Read more...] about Through the Lens of My Toddler