4 Fun Ways to Enjoy Summer Homeschooling ~ 
Written by Cait Curley

Our family just wrapped up a 3-day soccer tournament and the kids are prepping for their year-end piano recital. I need to sign my daughter up for the summer swim team this weekend and my oldest needs to decide which merit badges he wants to work on at Scout camp. My husband just brought freeze pops home from Costco and my youngest is working on a summer activity wish list.

Summer is here, you guys. We made it!

I’m ready to hop grab a slice of watermelon, hop in the hammock, and get lost in a delicious book. But, first… I have to figure out our summer homeschooling plans.

Summer Homeschooling Works Well For Many Families

As much as I would like to while away my summer hours reading in a hammock, my kids crave structure. Early in our homeschool journey, I tried taking the summer completely off and it made for rocky re-entry in September. I’ve learned that our family thrives when we maintain a little structure during the summer months.

Summer homeschooling works for several reasons:

1. Kids love routine.
   
   Routines are important for children and teens. Predictable routines help kids to feel grounded and secure. Routines are especially helpful during times of uncertainty and change.
2. Routines help to keep children and teens busy. 
   
   I’m a huge believer in the value of boredom. My kids always do something creative after complaining of boredom. That said, I don’t want to spend my summer days listening to my kids whine about boredom. Adding a dollop of structure to summer days can help decrease the “I’m bored” whine factor!
3. No summer slide. 
   
   Honestly? I kind of hate the term summer slide, but we all know that those math skills can be a bit rusty come September. Sprinkling a little math throughout the summer can make September reentry a breeze!
4. Allows for time off during the year. 
   
   This is one of my favorite reasons to homeschool during the summer months. It allows for more time off during the traditional homeschool year. Feeling burnt out? Want to enjoy the winter holidays? Dying to take an impromptu long weekend? Year-round homeschooling allows for more space during the year.

There are many benefits to year-round, but summer homeschooling need not look anything like the rest of the homeschool year!

Homeschooling in the Summer Needs To Be Fun

• I need the break.
  
  Homeschooling is hard work, and the past year-plus has been more challenging than in previous years. I want our homeschooling to be fun this summer!
• My kids need the break.
  
  I try to remember that when I feel like I need a break, my kids are almost always feeling the same. Kids need downtime, too!
• The weather is better and we need to enjoy it.
  
  Summer is hands-down my favorite season. I live in New Hampshire and summer is but a blink! Because of this, I want to soak up every last bit of our summer days.

Our summer homeschooling includes heaps of outdoor time, stealth learning, delicious books, and -of course- play!

4 Fun Ways To Enjoy Summer Homeschooling

I’m a firm believer that the very best ideas are often the most simple ones. Here are four super simple, super fun ways to infuse more play into your summer homeschooling:

1. Make your own bucket list
   
   Summer bucket lists can be fun, but they often lead to feelings of pressure and overwhelm. I much prefer a Summer Idea List. The Summer Idea List is just that- a list of ideas. It’s not a to-do list. You’re not expected to tick off every box. Instead, this is a boredom buster. Did your teen just whine of boredom? Refer him to the list.
2. Coffee and Books
   
   Reading aloud is the most important part of your entire homeschool day. In our family, we have a simple but beloved homeschool tradition called Coffee and Books. It’s as simple as it sounds! I drink coffee and read books to my children while they eat breakfast. I’m able to check off the most important thing early in the day and that feels pretty darn good.
3. Outdoor Games
   
   We are gameschoolers, but board games do not need to be confined to indoor spaces. When the weather is gorgeous, we take our games outdoors! We love to play waterproof games in the pool or at the beach.
4. Unit Studies
   
   I love unit studies! The summer months are perfect for getting lost in a long, leisurely rabbit hole. Whether you’re interested in backyard science or you want to get lost in a favorite author’s work, unit studies are a great way to sneak in some fun summer learning.

What will your summer look like?

Whether you’re eating your weight in watermelon and spending lazy days reading in the hammock, or if you’re homeschooling through those hazy hot and humid days, I wish your family a wonderful, playful summer!

What’s Your Homeschool Mom Personality? Take Jamie’s quiz now and receive a free personality report to help you organize your homeschool based on what your personality type needs most!

7 Christmas movies your kids might not have watched yet (UPDATED!) ~
Written by Jamie C. Martin of Simple Homeschool ~
Originally shared Dec 2016 ~ updated Dec 2024

If your family is anything like ours, you plan to watch several Christmas movies over the next few weeks.

I keep a list on my phone of our favorite holiday flicks, and many of those we watch are the well-known classics: White Christmas, Miracle on 34th Street, It’s a Wonderful Life, and so on.

But I thought it might be fun to share a few Christmas movies that perhaps your kids haven’t watched yet, to enjoy this week – or to add to your own list for the years ahead!

Happy viewing:

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1. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

~ Good for ages: 8 and up ~ Should we read the book first? Both ways work!

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever book is laugh-out-loud hilarious. And the ending? Always makes me cry. My children beg for one more chapter every time; it’s that good.

Since we’ve loved the book for years, I was thrilled when Dallas Jenkins of The Chosen announced he was making a new movie version.

And when I found out it featured Lauren Graham who I’ve always loved from Gilmore Girls?! Let’s just say we all went to see it opening weekend and it does not disappoint!

Know that the whole story of both book and video centers around kids who display bad behavior. There are also a couple of passing mentions of “s*x” and “s*xy,” and the fact that Mary is pregnant.

2. The Christmas Candle

~ Good for ages: 9 and up ~ Should we read the book first? Not necessary

Based on a Max Lucado novel, this movie has become one of our annual traditions. I first stumbled upon it about three years ago, and I’ve been pleasantly surprised to see it become more well-known since then!

It’s got it all: drama, romance, faith, tragedy, miracles, and laughter. It does deal with some sensitive topics like unwed pregnancy, grief, and the death of a character, which is why I put it in the tween category.

3. Christmas in Connecticut

~ Good for ages: 9 and up ~ No Book

I’m not sure I ever saw this movie in its entirety until this year. I really had to talk my kids into trying it out since it’s in black and white, but oh my goodness: they laughed hysterically almost the entire time! Then begged to watch it again later in the week.

The storyline: A journalist with a popular homemaking column is only pretending to have the husband, baby, and farm in Connecticut she writes about. When she’s about to be discovered, she has to go to hilarious lengths to keep up appearances.

Note: Some may have an issue with the fact that the whole premise centers around a lack of honesty. There is also a situation where a man is attracted to the main character, even though he believes she’s married. She encourages him, knowing that she is not actually married.

4. The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey

~ Good for ages: 8 and up ~ Should we read the book first? YES!

This beautiful children’s book has been turned into an equally beautiful movie! The cinematography is stunning, the plot thought-provoking and full of meaning.

I say eight and up because the main character’s father dies while away at war, and there’s a scene in which the boy and his mother find out. Much of the storyline deals with characters’ healing from grief as another character has also lost his wife and child (not shown on screen).

5. Little Women (1949 version)

~ Good for ages: 7 and up ~ Should we read the book first? Not necessary

Little Women always makes me think of Christmas since the first scene starts out at that time of year. This is the movie version of Little Women I grew up watching, and it’s interesting to me that all three of my children prefer it to newer versions.

Little Women is also one of my favorite books of all time (as I’ve written about here), and this movie allows kids to experience the storyline at an earlier age–preparing them for the book in years to come.

If you have sensitive children, keep in mind that a central character dies toward the end.

6. The Nutcracker Ballet

~ Good for ages: 6 and up ~ Should we read a book version first? Yes, if your kids don’t know the storyline.

Are your children already familiar with the story of the Nutcracker? If not, I recommend this book by Vladimir Vagin to convey the plot before watching a live performance or movie version.

Surprisingly, I found it difficult to find a suitable film of the ballet when my kids were younger.

Some of them feature a creepy Drosselmeyer and an odd Drosselmeyer/Clara relationship, and some make the Mouse King battle too frightening. This is the one we’ve enjoyed most and return to each year.

7. The Wish That Changed Christmas

~ Good for ages: 5 and up ~ Should we read the book first? YES!

This beautiful cartoon is based on the children’s book The Story of Holly and Ivy. It’s not a Christmas book you hear about all the time, and I hope to change that because it is magical and beautiful and sweet all rolled into one!

It’s a story about a girl, a doll, a family, and a wish that comes true. But don’t let the girl/doll plot throw you off–in our home this interests boys just as much as girls!

Know that the storyline features a girl in an orphanage who doesn’t have anywhere to go for Christmas, so if you have adopted children like we do you might want to preview first.

*****

Have you found a few new Christmas movies to watch? I hope so! Maybe one or more of these will even lead to a new holiday tradition in your family–I’d love that.

And if you have Amazon Prime, head here to see all the other most popular Christmas movies included FREE that you can also enjoy this week!

I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.” ~ Charles Dickens

What’s Your Homeschool Mom Personality? Take Jamie’s quiz now and receive a free personality report to help you organize your homeschool based on what your personality type needs most!

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission from some of the links on this page.

Celebrate and Serve: 2 ways to help a wide age-range work together ~
Written by Kari Patterson of Sacred Mundane

The tabs currently open on my computer:

• FAFSA form for college financial aid
• Printable Spiderman coloring pages
• OSAA High School wrestling schedule
• IEW phonetic games
• CollegeBoard SAT dates
• Marvel easy-reader books
• Canvas Parent Observer account

My kids range from 4-18, and the age-differences can be dizzying. We’re navigating basic addition and college applications. Consonant blends and precalculus. 

Anybody else?

There are many helpful articles out there about possible schedules, splitting up the day to help different children, ways to include youngers with the olders. My intent is simply to offer one overarching goal as a guide.

In two words, it is:

Celebrate and Serve: 2 ways to help a wide age-range get along

1. CELEBRATE their siblings.

I have written about this before, but there is great benefit in learning together and living together with wide age-ranges.

We just finished a 1,600-mile round trip road trip to visit my brother and his family over Thanksgiving. It is a long drive, but nothing compared to the 6-week, 10,000-mile road trip we did in 2022.

Yes, being cooped up together for that long can have its moments, and what activities interest some ages certainly don’t interest the others. But I believe the benefits can be even greater when we encourage our children to celebrate the differences between them and their siblings, rather than resenting or despising them.

How? We, as the parents, get to lead the way:

Teens and adults alike do well to not take ourselves too seriously — a little running around at the park, going down a slide, swinging, playing with play-doh, coloring, building Lego sets, and having a Nerf battle.

All of those things delight little ones and, I dare say, delight us big people if we’d just let ourselves relax a little bit and have fun.

Similarly, we can help little ones embrace the lifestyle of older kids — going to sporting events, riding in the car taking big kids to activities, going to museums, and learning to play independently so Mom can help the olders. All of those things can be “big kid” milestones and can be celebrated.

All younger kids want to “be big,” so having older siblings offers lots of opportunities to do just that.

2. SERVE their siblings.

There is just no way to overstate the importance of this, and having a wide age-range is a great way to practice.

We have to model for them and instill in them the value of serving their siblings. Siblings are the first practice they have for relationships, for marriage, for co-worker interactions, for friendships they will have their whole life long.

Sibling relationships matter! And having a wide age-range is incredibly helpful because it gives them a daily opportunity to love, appreciate, and serve those who are different from them. 

I constantly see my teens embody this, and it makes my heart soar. They take the littles for me, play games with them, help them get dressed, get ready for bed, help teach them, and read them stories often without being asked at all.

After six years now of having little siblings, they have learned to see needs around them and step up to serve.

The little ones are still in process. Just today I asked Justice (6) to wait to go outside until Ben (4) was ready, then asked him to also help Ben get his shoes on. He was in a hurry to get outside to join his friend, so he sighed exaggeratedly and lamented, “I’m not his parent!”

So yeah, the enthusiasm to serve each other isn’t always there. *smile*

Little ones can serve the olders as well. Little Ben can carry Dutch’s laundry upstairs for him, since Dutch is at his Community College classes all day. Both little boys can help with chores, make signs to cheer on their older siblings at events, help pack their lunches, etc.

There’s no end to the opportunities to serve each other.

So while yes, a wide age-range can be hard, there are also so many opportunities for good. It can look different for each family, but let’s celebrate and serve.

* Read more from Kari’s 12 years writing on Simple Homeschool.

What’s Your Homeschool Mom Personality? Take Jamie’s quiz now and receive a free personality report to help you organize your homeschool based on what your personality type needs most!

Top gift ideas from Amazon for toddlers to teens ~
Written by Jamie C. Martin of Simple Homeschool

Still need a few more Christmas gifts for the kids?

I asked our Simple Homeschool community for their best ideas, and you totally delivered!

Certain ages (teens, ahem) can be especially tough to buy for at times, so I love that your top picks include plenty that would work well for older kids as well. There’s something for every budget here, too!

I hope some of these choices will be a timesaver for you–enjoy!

4-Player Shut The Box Board Game

Age Range: 8 years and up

I love this beautiful wooden version of the game 4-Way Countdown, which gives players practice with basic math facts. This is fun for all ages–we spent hours on Thanksgiving playing with friends!

Pocket Microscope

Age Range: 6 years and up

Pocket microscopes are fun stocking stuffers for any age!

Snap Circuits Jr. SC-100 Electronics Exploration Kit

Age Range: 8 years and up

Can’t beat this starter set of Snap Circuits! Your young engineers can assemble over 100 different electronic circuit projects with just 30 electronic parts.

HUE Animation Studio: Complete Stop Motion Animation Kit

Age Range: 7 years and up

This kit contains everything your kids need to create their own animated movies, using LEGO, modelling clay, paper or toys.

Learning Resources Tumble Trax Magnetic Marble Run

Age Range: 5 years and up

This set inspires kids to use critical thinking skills to create their own unique marble runs with long, short, and curved magnetic pieces.

VTech Tote and Go Laptop

Age Range: 3-6 years

Littles always long for toys that mimic what their parents use, and this V-Tech laptop offers 20 learning activities that teach words, spelling, shapes, logic and more.

KEVA Structures Plank Set

Age Range: 7 years and up

With 200 wooden planks that can be crafted as scaffolding, ramps, paths, and more, this toy is perfect for any child looking to build and learn basic physics at the same time. No glue or connectors needed!

Portable Parachute Camping Hammock

Age Range: 9 years through teens

I love this portable idea for those outdoorsy teens who can be tough to buy for!

117 Piece Cake Decorating Supply Kit for Beginners

Age Range: 9 years and up

Prepare your tween bakers to start decorating like a pro!

Woodland Friends Sewing Kit

Age Range: 7 years and up

Everything your child needs to create five woodland friends of their own, and I love the sweet carrying case.

DIY Melt & Pour Soap Making Kit

Age Range: 9 years and up

Kit includes Soap Base, Fragrances, Liquid Dyes, Molds, a Pouring Pitcher, a mixing bowl, and sleeves to gift-pack your bar soaps!

Fidget Infinity Cube

Age Range: 10 years and up

The foldable Infinity Cube is composed of eight small cubes. Each one can be rotated from any direction and angle. Hold in one hand and make in any shape–so fun!

Educational Insights Kanoodle Extreme Game

Age Range: 8 years and up

Get ready to cross-train your brain with this new Kanoodle game featuring over 300 puzzle challenges, including 2-D, 3-D, and NEW sliding 2-D puzzles! 

I love giving my kids presents that I feel good about, and I hope this post points you in the direction of top gift ideas from Amazon for toddlers to teens!

Still looking for that just-right gift and need more choices? In past years I curated lists featuring imaginative gift picks, creative gift picks, and inspiring gift picks.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission from some of the links on this page.

What’s Your Homeschool Mom Personality? Take Jamie’s quiz now and receive a free personality report to help you organize your homeschool based on what you need most!

Holiday Advice for the Introverted Mom ~
Written by Jamie C. Martin of Simple Homeschool

To be sung to the tune of It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year:

“It’s the most draining time of the year
…with the kids all demanding
…and parties to be attending
…I just want a nap!
It’s the most draining time of the year…”

Confession: Several years ago, I went to a holiday party organized by a local playgroup. I arrived with my three small kids and we walked into the echo-y gym where about 50 other children ran around, screaming with delight, Christmas music playing in the background.

Still holding my children’s hands, I turned straight around and walked back to our van, strapped them in car seats, and turned on Christmas music of our own. Fifteen minutes or so later we went back inside for the slightly more structured time of pizza eating and cookie decorating.

This post is for anyone who has ever done the same. Or wishes they had.

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Every year I search for a magical technique to help me rock the holidays as an introvert. And every year I fail, LOL.

This is a busy time for all of us, extrovert or introvert. But for those of us who are introverted moms, this time of year holds special challenges. We’re more likely to have our margin for rest and quiet eroded, and as people who gain energy through time alone, that can be crazy-making.

There is no magical method, but here are a few bits of holiday advice that have helped me…

Holiday Advice for the Introverted Mom

1. Keep your homeschool expectations in check.

December will not look like September in your homeschool, so please don’t expect it to.

One of the best parts of the homeschool life is the ability to flex during the holiday season:

to cut back on school, take the entire month off, or just take it day by day, adding in time for baking, movie watching, decorating, crafting – whatever you love (and whatever you hate that still needs to get done for sanity’s sake, ahem).

I encourage you to intentionally consider what you truly must do for school during the month and let the rest go.

As a now-retired homeschool mom, I look back with no regrets on all that we let “slide” in Decembers past. Well maybe just one: that I carried too much guilt over it.

So learn from my mistakes: release that guilt and design a month you’ll enjoy!

2. Keep your holiday expectations in check.

Being an introvert does NOT mean that you don’t like people. #commonmisunderstanding It does mean that you recharge mostly through time alone, however. Therefore the holidays, which are such a “people-heavy” time, present a challenge.

Introverts will not experience the holidays the same way that extroverts experience it. They might not enjoy the same activities that extroverts might. Simply understanding and accepting this will help you be aware of and set appropriate expectations.

Knowing that the hustle and bustle might be difficult  at times, I use a journal to “capture joy,” writing down the beautiful moments as they happen so I can hold on to them when draining moments arise.

3. Create traditions that will be fun for you, not just your kids.

Going to sit on Santa’s knee at the crowded mall might not make the cut, but a Christmas movie marathon with hot chocolate and fleece blankets could be perfect.

If you need help getting started, find my favorite movie suggestions that you might not have heard of here and check out those that are free with Amazon prime here (afflink)!

4. Volunteer to clean up.

This advice comes in handy during any crowded gathering, whether it’s a holiday party or Christmas Eve dinner.

Cleaning up gives you a role to play that is separate but needed, making it ideal when the background noise starts getting to you.

Plus everyone will be grateful that you’re doing a job they don’t want to!

5. Make healthy self-care a priority.

Each day of advent, prioritize a few moments of quiet. And if you need extra help to do so, my book Introverted Mom makes a perfect title to request or gift this month!

Let’s get ready to ride the waves of the next few weeks with courage and grace, fellow introverts.

There will be times when those waves try to crash over us, but that’s okay. Now we’ve learned how to swim out from under them and get on top again.

Here’s to a beautiful advent season, introvert style. xo, Jamie

* Find Simple Homeschool gift guides and more Christmas inspiration here!

What helps you capture the joy of the holidays as an introvert? Do you have any more holiday advice for the introverted mom?

This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission from some of the links on this page.

What’s Your Homeschool Mom Personality? Take Jamie’s quiz now and receive a free personality report to help you organize your homeschool based on what your personality type needs most!

Navigating Election Season as Homeschoolers: Finding Peace in the Chaos ~ 
Written by Amber O’Neal Johnston from Heritage Mom

As a homeschooling mom, election season can be uncomfortable and tension-filled.

It’s hard enough to deal with adults bickering over politics, often letting their strongly held beliefs overshadow grace, respect, or even basic civility. But what really wears on me is how my kids, who are still figuring out their values and learning how to engage with the world, are being affected.

They come home from playgrounds or social gatherings repeating opinions they’ve heard—sometimes parroting the harsh, divisive words their friends hear at home. And suddenly, a place that should be an oasis of learning and growth turns into a battleground of opposing political views.

I find myself wishing it would just stop.

In her book Mother to Son, Jasmine L. Holmes writes about guiding her son to be “the one who speaks calm into chaos. The one who pursues peace. The one who asks clarifying questions and seeks understanding. The one who will not rest until you can state your opponent’s argument in terms so compassionate that you finally understand where they’re coming from.”

I want that for my kids. Heck, I want that for myself!

What if instead of adding to the noise and tension, we could be the voices of reason, the ones who value peace over winning, and understanding over conflict?

I think back to my own childhood and the lessons my family unknowingly taught me about political discourse. Growing up, both of my grandfathers lived on the same street. One was a die-hard Democrat, and the other was an equally passionate Republican.

But they got along—truly, deeply. Their disagreements were never ugly. They took friendly jabs at each other, sure, but it was always with a smile, a handshake, and an underlying sense of respect.

As a child, I never felt that one of them was somehow more “right” or more lovable than the other.

I never felt that one of them was a fool for voting the way he did, or that he couldn’t walk with God because of his political leanings. That kind of respect feels rare today and I wonder sometimes if those days are gone forever.

I’m someone who loves to build bridges. I relish casting a wide social net, connecting with people of all backgrounds and beliefs, learning from their perspectives. But during election season, I find myself retreating.

I nest at home more, gathering my little birds around me to protect them from the vitriol, the anger, and the hatred that spews so freely.

And although I love the warmth, the support, and the sense of shared values and goals within the homeschooling community, during election season, that warmth can feel like a fairy tale.

I’m reminded that we, too, are smack in the middle of every battle happening in this world, including politics. Our children are right there with us, witnessing it all.

United we stand, divided we fall.

So what can we do? How can we make a difference and model better behavior for our children?

I’ve been asking myself these questions lately, and while I don’t have all the answers, I’ve been reflecting on a few practical steps we can take as families:

5 Tips for Navigating Election Season as Homeschoolers

1. Model Calm and Compassion

As parents, we are constantly modeling behavior for our children, whether we realize it or not. When we engage in political discussions, let’s do so calmly. Let’s show our kids that we can disagree with others without losing our temper or demeaning the person we disagree with.

Teach them to ask thoughtful questions rather than resorting to quick judgments. When someone expresses a political view that’s different from ours, we can practice listening first—really listening—before responding.

2. Foster Critical Thinking

Encourage your kids to think for themselves rather than simply absorbing the opinions of others. Instead of reacting to what they hear on the playground or in social settings, challenge them to ask questions and do their own research.

Guide them in understanding that it’s okay to disagree with their friends or family members, but it’s essential to be kind and considerate in those disagreements.

I recommend Julie Bogart’s book, Raising Critical Thinkers, for help in this area.

3. Emphasize Common Ground

During election season, it’s easy to focus on what divides us. But let’s help our kids find common ground with others, even in the midst of political differences.

Remind them that everyone wants what’s best for their community, their country, and their families, even if they have different ideas about how to achieve that.

Finding shared values can reduce the intensity of disagreements and pave the way for more constructive conversations.

4. Protect Their Innocence

While it’s important for kids to learn about the world, it’s also okay to shield them from the full intensity of political debates, especially when those debates become hostile.

Keep an eye on their interactions and help guide them through situations where they might feel overwhelmed or confused. Home should be a refuge, a place where your children feel safe to ask questions and express their own thoughts without fear of judgment.

5. Encourage Grace and Humility

Teach your children that being “right” isn’t the most important thing. What matters more is how they treat people in the process of discussing ideas. Encourage them to have the humility to admit when they don’t know something and the grace to respectfully disagree when they do.

Navigating election season as homeschoolers doesn’t have to mean division and discomfort. With intention, we can use this time as an opportunity to teach our children valuable lessons about kindness, respect, and the importance of peaceful dialogue.

After all, the way we conduct ourselves during challenging times is often what sticks with them the most.

Ultimately, the legacy we leave our children won’t be in the sides we took, but in how we taught them to hold onto their values while honoring the humanity in everyone they meet.

* Find more of Amber’s writing on Simple Homeschool here!

What’s Your Homeschool Mom Personality? Take Jamie’s quiz now and receive a free personality report to help you organize your homeschool based on what your personality type needs most!

Next year will possibly be my daughter’s last year of homeschooling. Wow, just writing those words causes a squeeze on my heart and a tear in my eye! There are plans afoot for her to attend school for her last two years, to sit higher-level exams.

So, this last year homeschooling feels especially poignant.

As I look back over the years, the thing I am so unbelievably grateful for on this homeschooling journey of ours is the deep connection I have developed with my two children through the medium of shared learning.

It’s in all the hours spent snuggled up reading about the endeavours of Scott in the Antarctic or those excited moments of “Oooh, I get it now,” as they grasp a new science concept. It’s in the deep conversations about human behaviour or which political party to vote for, or the light dinner time chats where we tease out a mathematical conundrum.

This bond through shared scholarship over the last nine years has been a real privilege. It’s reminded me to set in place some key traditions for continuing this connection for the upcoming year and hopefully even once they’ve flown the nest.

Creating Traditions for Shared Lifelong Learning

Literary Picnics

Yesterday Rosie and I had the first of what we’re calling, ‘literary picnics.’ We laid out a blanket and delicious picnic alongside a whole range of books. Over the following hour, we cuddled and:

• Recited and discussed our favourite poems.
• Chose selections to read from various books meaningful to us in some way, such as John Green’s book Paper Towns or Speeches of Note by Shaun Usher.
• Read to each other pieces from our own current writing projects.

This all felt so very Anne of Green Gables (our joint favourite literary character) and was honestly such a joy. So much so that we’ve decided to make it a bi-weekly feature of our upcoming school term.

Throughout the winter, we’ll move them in front of a log fire, but the aim will be the same: connecting through a shared passion for words.

This year, she’s studying for exams in English language and literature, as well as a drama qualification. The literary picnic sessions will be an opportunity for her to embed her learning as she updates me on the books and poems she’s studying, the monologues she’s preparing and the dissertation she’s writing.

It will also offer the chance for us to read together a whole range of writing styles from articles to diaries, to letters to interviews, helping her prepare for her English language exam.

Finally, we can vulnerably share our own writing in this forum (e.g. Rosie’s currently writing a screenplay), bouncing ideas off one another and offering honest and loving advice for improvement.

We are both so excited for these sessions and I pray that it’s a tradition we’ll continue to do for many years to come!

Adventures

Since they were small, our family have always connected through adventures, big and small. Together, we’ve walked a marathon, made brass bowls in Marrakech’s medina, climbed inside an Egyptian pyramid, volunteered at an animal sanctuary in Costa Rica, wild camped, tracked the Northern Lights, fat biked through the dunes of South Africa and made our own hammock.

Learning through the world, these adventures teach us fundamental life skills, such as facing our fears, strengthening self-belief, connecting deeply with others, whilst also filling our creative buckets.  Adventure has and always will be a way of life for our family, a place where I know we’ll continue to connect and grow side-by-side long into the future.

Spanish Hour

All three of us are hispanophiles: lovers of all things Spanish! Since we have this joint passion, I thought it would be fun to spend an hour a week learning more about Spanish arts, sports, music and culture, from a smorgasbord of options, e.g.:

• Make a traditional Spanish recipe
• Select a famous Spanish painting, such as Guernica by Picasso, to discuss together
• Watch different Spanish dances, such as Flamenco or the Argentine Tango
• Listen to traditional Spanish songs
• Read an article together about Spanish culture or history
• Watch a movie in Spanish
• Visit the Tate Modern to view works of art by Mexican artists Frida Kahlo or Diego Rivera
• Go to the Cervantes Theatre in London to watch a Spanish play
• Research the life of famous Spanish sporting heroes
• Pick a Spanish-speaking country or part of Spain and research its famous sites

The aim of these traditions is purely to nurture our shared interests in a joyful and non-pressured way, with the hope that we’ll continue to connect like this long after their school is finished. These traditions will hopefully inspire shared lifelong learning in all of our lives!

What’s Your Homeschool Mom Personality? Take Jamie’s quiz now and receive a free personality report to help you organize your homeschool based on what your personality type needs most!

I have an honest admission to make here: I like to be in control, preferably with an efficient plan of action! Delegation and asking for help do not come naturally for me.

I’m guilty of doing things for my teens that they could not only do for themselves, but would hugely benefit from completing without my input. This is especially true during term time, when our lives are at their busiest, as we juggle many extracurricular activities alongside their academics.

During the summer however, we take a long 9-week break, which offers a complete change of pace. Here there is time for me to surrender control and support my teens in developing critical independence skills for the future.

We’re focusing on three simple areas this summer on encouraging independence:

Encouraging Independence in Teens During Summer

1. Completion of a Real-Life Project

Giving your teen full responsibility for delivering a real-life project brings so many opportunities for growth and learning.

Examples might be redecorating their room; selling their old books; managing a patch of the garden; organizing a summer party or holiday; restoring an old piece of furniture; hosting a fundraiser for a local charity; setting up and running a small business; coordinating a long walk and camp-out; or launching a YouTube channel.

This autumn, we’re planning a 4-week road trip to explore the beautiful country of Spain. Over the summer, my two teens will jointly manage planning the logistics for this project.

This will include:

• Formulating our route, liaising with our Spanish tutor for advice.
• Managing the budget.
• Agreeing time spent in each location.
• Sourcing and booking accommodation.
• Deciding (and compromising!) on which activities to do/places to visit, balancing everyone’s interests, and booking ahead where required.
• Learning about the different places we’ll explore.
• Writing a packing list.
• Determining how much homeschool work we’ll do during the trip.

Through projects, a whole variety of skills can be practiced, such as goal setting, communication, teamwork, time management, negotiation, budgeting, researching and more. Ours won’t be plain sailing – they’re siblings so compromise isn’t easy!

However, achieving such a project, even in imperfectly, will boost their sense of being independent young adults.

2. Self Sufficiency in Your Own Contentment

I don’t believe there is a greater gift in life than learning to be self-sufficient in your own contentment. By this I mean the ability to generate your own joy and serenity, either through time alone or by searching out meaningful connections, rather than expecting someone else to provide it for you.

This has really struck me recently as I spend time with my mother in hospital. She has dementia and psychotic episodes. When I visit, she wants me all to herself and will actively push away the nurses to dominate my attention.

There has always been an expectation that in my role as a daughter, I am there to entertain her, to provide color and light for her life. The sad truth is that she has never learned to do this for herself.

It’s made me realize the importance of not repeating this with my own children. I am responsible for generating color and light in my life as are they for theirs. So, I plan to lead by example and ask:

What do I need during this summer break and how will I achieve that?

I’ve shared this with them and encouraged them to answer the same question. I’m there to help them with the practicalities, and to check progress, but that’s it.

They will be responsible for balancing their own needs (e.g. are they getting enough connection with friends, time outside, relaxation?), as I will be for mine!

3. Food Management

Learning how to budget and shop for food, manage ingredients in your home and cook healthy meals are fundamental life skills. During the busy term, I tend to do most of the heavy lifting. But in the holiday, the children get more involved.

As a manageable objective this summer, they will:

• Each tackle one new recipe, and then cook this each week as one of our evening meals.
• Learn how to plan a week’s menu, create a shopping list and do a weekly food shop alone whilst sticking to a budget (even if it happens once, I’ll count it as a win!).
• Be responsible for ensuring the food is eaten in date order and reduce food waste – one of my husband’s biggest bugbears!

Each summer, they grow in their independence a little more. I just need to remember to surrender and let them find their own way.

I hope this helps when it comes to encouraging independence in your teens during the summer holidays. I’d love to hear any of your thoughts and ideas, too!

What’s Your Homeschool Mom Personality? Take Jamie’s quiz now and receive a free personality report to help you organize your homeschool based on what your type needs most!

Starting the New Year with Intention ~
Written by Sheila Petruccelli

I always find it hard to re-start homeschooling in January. After our big break in December and all the festivities that month holds, January and February look long, dark and (if I’m being honest) overwhelming.

Even though the calendar is fresh and marks a brand new year, homeschooling is in that middle ground/no man’s land.

So we start small and we start fun. But most of all, we start with intention.

I believe in the power of intention. I know when I approach something with purpose and reverence, I see differently.

Setting an intention looks a little bit like a wish and a lot like a prayer.

During the week between Christmas and New Year’s, I think a lot about where we are as individuals and as a family. I dream about where we want to go and what we want to do during the upcoming calendar year.

Then, I choose a subject that somehow captures these intentions on a metaphorical level.

Starting the New Year with Intention

Below are some themes we have studied in years past and also a few ideas I’m tucking away for the future:

Birds

I felt like we found our wings and took flight the year we studied birds. I love the idea of flying, soaring and untethered freedom coupled with the safety and comfort of having somewhere to land.

Not to mention, the boys learned a lot about our feathered friends.

Boats and Maps

We “set sail” with this nautical theme the year I was struggling with homeschooling.

What we were doing just was not working anymore and middle school was proving to be a lesson in unchartered waters. After trying to unsuccessfully fight my way through this, I took a step back and tried to embrace where we were.

Listening to Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome, making paper mache boats and drawing maps of places both real and imaginary made for a great month.

My older son continued this theme of exploration by studying individual explorers and compiling a notebook full of hand-drawn maps. (I cannot recommend Mapping the World with Art by Ellen Johnston McHenry enough. It is fantastic!)

Animals

I love the idea of choosing an animal to be a mascot or totem for the year.

Need to slow down and put some foundations in place? Choose the turtle. Is everything clicking and running smoothly? Choose the eagle.

Fables are a great complement to studying the animal scientifically. Plus a mascot just begs to created: think paper mache, clay or fabric.

Trees

I love the idea of using trees metaphorically. From seed to sprout to towering, sheltering giant, they are so rich with meaning.

Plus a nature study in winter can be so much fun. (Not to mention the bonus of hot chocolate when you come inside!)

Light and Rainbows

Candles, the sun, God’s promise, prisms, the color wheel. So many possibilities of illumination.

Biography

Choose a heroic person to serve as a touchstone for your year. It could be a person from history, a figure from your sacred text or even someone in your community.

The lives of others have so much to teach us.

Wishing you all a Happy New Year!!

Do you have plans for starting the new year with intention?

Ode to a December Homeschool Day ~
Written by Jamie C. Martin of Simple Homeschool and Introverted Moms

Jonathan‘s in the kitchen, whipping up tonight‘s subscription box dinner. He sings a Christmas song as he creates spicy chicken and rice bowls, his slippers shuffling back-and-forth on the tile floor.

I sit in front of the woodstove with my journal in hand, attempting to listen to a Christmas piano playlist. His singing keeps interrupting my tunes, so I press “pause” and smile as I listen to him instead.

Upstairs Trishna rests in bed with Covid, poor thing – thankfully a mild case. A text comes in from her: “Can you help me download a new Christmas audiobook? This one is depressing and people keep dying in it.” Whoops #MommyFail

I laugh and do some research, selecting Christmas stories from Louisa May Alcott. She approves.

Elijah pings up and down the stairs like a kernel of corn in hot oil: coming to check the fire, fill up the wood, ponder his chances of catching Covid, share 1,001 thoughts. I remind him that I’m writing, and he heads off to listen to a Great Courses lecture about the brain.

Years ago, I couldn’t sit down for even five minutes – much less thirty to write in front of the fireplace. Life remains as radically beautiful and as radically imperfect this December as it was back then.

Like I did in those days, I have to remind myself that this season – with its challenges and its delights – is also just passing through. It won’t last forever.

One day my calming Christmas piano will play uninterrupted, but I give thinks that it won’t be today.

The soundtrack for this December homeschool day is exactly what it needs to be.

#embracethechaos #imperfectandbeautiful #simplehomeschool

What delights and challenges make up the soundtrack of your December homeschool day in this season? Sending love and Christmas joy to you and yours from our family and the entire Simple Homeschool team! xo

If you enjoyed this post, check out Jamie’s book, Introverted Mom: Your Guide to More Calm, Less Guilt, and Quiet Joy.

Originally published Dec 20, 2022.