How decision fatigue is wearing down your homeschool
~ Written by Sarah Mackenzie of Read-Aloud Revival

It’s 11am. The twins are emptying the tea cupboard onto the floor, the 2 year-old is fussing, and I’m standing at the fridge, trying to decide what to make for lunch. Just then my 11 year-old walks into the room. “What should I be doing right now?”

As the volume of the din steadily rises, the 9 year-old whizzes past me, flinging his math book onto the kitchen counter and tossing a comment about making a break for the basement. Somebody pulls on my pant leg and I rub my head.

“Mom? What am I supposed to be do
ing?” She’s getting more persistent.

“I… don’t know,” I sigh, exasperated, “Just… we’ll figure it out later.”

Sound familiar? It’s a classic case of homeschooling mama decision fatigue, and I can predict it’s arrival in my house (and yours!) like clockwork every day of the week.

How decision fatigue is wearing down your homeschool

By now enough studies have proven that making decisions is exhausting, and as a homeschooling mom, you’re probably making a whole lot more of them than you realize.

My friend Pam came to this conclusion not too long ago. She was recently trying out my spiral notebook hack and said that as she sat and wrote out those checklists, she made about 20 different decisions that she hadn’t at all anticipated.

“These were 20 decisions that were now already made and did not have to be made in the heat of the moment while we were doing school,” she said.

Here’s why I think those spiral notebooks work so well: They force us to make decisions ahead of time, before we’re knee-deep in a busy homeschool day, thereby reducing our in-the-moment stress and frustration. We don’t have to decide every little detail in the throes of a hot moment because most of it has already been decided. [Exhale.]

So how does a homeschooling mom actually combat decision fatigue?

If we have a million decisions to make each day, how do we set ourselves up for success? I’m pretty sure I can’t avoid decision fatigue entirely, but here are a few ways I’m minimizing the number of decisions I make in the heat of a homeschool day.

1. Write out assignments the night before.

I’m currently doing this using simple spiral notebooks, and I can’t believe how much more productive we’ve been in our little homeschool since implementing them. I’ve come to realize a hard truth about myself: when the house is loud (and it is always is) and the day is long (and it often is), I tend to default to, “That’s enough for today. Class dismissed.”

It’s hard for me to be objective about what a reasonable amount of work is when I’m being bombarded with requests for crackers and help over a grammar lesson.

Writing out each child’s lessons the night before has made all the difference.

2. Make a schedule and (try to) stick with it for a set amount of time.

Choose a length of time to make your “term,” if that’s helpful, and then just be as consistent as you can be for its duration. You aren’t committing to a whole year or even a quarter- just try 4 or 6 weeks!

A schedule is just another way of narrowing choices, and narrowing choices reduces decision fatigue. Once your term is over, adjust your schedule as necessary- you’ve given it a fair shot by this point, and it very well may need a little mindful tweaking.

3. Put ideas into a queue.

To counteract my incredibly impulsive nature, I’ve started a discipline of recording ideas into a place I call “The Idea Shelf.”

Stop laughing, it’s a real thing. It’s just a sheet of paper in my notebook, really, but it’s a very, very important sheet of paper. Here’s how it works: Whenever I get the urge to change directions or toss one curriculum in favor of another, I write it down on my Idea Shelf page first.

I write the idea and the date it burst into my brain, and then I let it sit. If I wait a week before doing anything with it, I end up saving myself a lot of headaches (and often a lot of money, if my brilliant idea was buying something new!).

The things that really do need to change- that math curriculum that’s just not working, or the grammar book that is about to melt my 12 year old into a puddle of woe- are still a good idea a week later.

If it’s just some bright shiny curriculum I’ve seen from someone else (and must! try! right! away!), I may not feel so exuberant about it a week later and can cross it off entirely.

4. Encourage your kids to eat their frogs first thing.

There’s an old saying that if the first thing you do each morning is to eat a frog, it’s probably the worst thing you’ll do all day.

Basically, it tells us that tackling the most challenging task of the day can free up a lot of mental space and energy and help us get more done.

Your kids are at just as much risk for decision fatigue as you are. I tend to let my kids choose which order to tackle their daily assignments, but I encourage them to choose the hardest/most loathsome task first (math, anyone?).

It can be so freeing to know that your hardest task is already done for the day by 9 or 10 am, and you may find your kids making better (more cheerful) decisions if they get their frog swallowed bright and early.

What have you done to reduce decision fatigue in your homeschool?

* Click here for more of Sarah’s inspirational writing on SH.

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!

Prioritizing mental health in your homeschool this year ~
Written by Kara Anderson, author of More Than Enough

It feels more important than ever to prioritize mental health in our homeschools.

Little quirks we’ve noticed—a child who has trouble falling asleep or feels a bit anxious—can grow if left unchecked. And truthfully, we all have moments where our own stress or worries feel a little bigger than before.

As we step into this new homeschool year, it’s worth remembering that lessons and schedules matter, but so does the emotional well-being of every person in our home.

When we care for our children’s mental health—and our own—we create a learning environment where everyone can truly thrive.

Prioritizing Mental Health in Your Homeschool This Year

Self-care matters (and isn’t selfish!)

My main mental health struggle is anxiety. Looking back now, I can see that I’ve had it since I was a kid. Luckily, I have a counselor and a doctor who I work with to balance my medication and keep me on track with self-care.

In fact, at every appointment, both my doctor and my counselor ask me what I am doing for self-care.

Much more than a trendy term that translates to manicures and face masks, self-care can encompass many physical, emotional and spiritual components to help us stay at our best.

Things like:

• Exercise or movement
• Journaling
• Prayer or meditation
• Eating well
• Staying hydrated
• Making time for hobbies and interests

If you or your kiddos are highly sensitive, it’s helpful to take sensory needs into account, too – it might help to burn candles to eliminate stale smells or try to limit noise as much as possible.

A daily walk might help you reset when recovering from a melt-down (yours or theirs.)

Mostly, self-care is about figuring what you need, and knowing that it’s okay to need it.

And by prioritizing it, we’re teaching our kids that it’s okay to care for ourselves and good to learn healthy coping mechanisms.

Plan for it

Something I’ve learned is that when things reach an emotional boiling point, it feels so much better to take an intentional mental health day (or even half-day), than it does to lose your cool and throw in the towel on a random Wednesday.

So when things start to get hard, it can be really helpful to just notice…

Signs to look for in our kids can include crying more often, “whining,” arguing with siblings – these things can feel frustrating and feed into our own anxiety, worry and insecurity. But if we can pull back and see the bigger picture, these behaviors are just the tip of the iceberg.

In my book, More Than Enough, I share about how what we see of an iceberg is just the top percent. The remaining 90 percent is invisible beneath the water:

“That’s how I think of behavior.

Throwing the pencil out of frustration is the part we see.

What we don’t see is fear:

• I don’t understand long division
• My brother gets long division and he’s two years younger than me
• What if I never get this?
• Am I stupid?
• Does Mom think I’m stupid? 

Imagine all those thoughts swirling in you. I would want to throw a pencil too.

I’m not condoning the throwing of sharp implements, of course, I’m just saying that when our kids are struggling, it’s so important not to pile on, and to address the underlying cause, not just the outward behavior.”

And the underlying cause might very well be stress and overwhelm.

Our kids may not be able to vocalize it, but many of them feel it.

And parents do too.

So what can you do when it all feels like too much?

First, you can remember that you are not alone in this.

Second, when your kids are having a hard time emotionally, take off your teacher hat, throw it across the room, and focus on your baby, even if that baby is 16 and taller than you are.

Emotional needs are REAL, which is why you must also focus on your own self-care as a parent.

You can’t help anyone if you are just barely holding on yourself.

So my advice this year is to focus on prioritizing mental health in your homeschool.

In ten years’ time, you’ll look back and know that you made the right decision – one that just might have made all the difference for you and your people.

* Click here to read more of Kara’s inspirational writing on SH.

(And if that means you need extra help, don’t be afraid to reach out to your doctor or a counselor. Or, you can also contact the National Alliance on Mental Illness Helpline at 800-950-6264 Monday through Friday from 10 a.m, to 6 p.m., EST or in a crisis, text “NAMI” to 741741 for 24/7, confidential, free crisis counseling.)

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!

Written by Jamie Erickson of The Unlikely Homeschool

As a self-professed word nerd, all of my conversations somehow start and end with, “I read in a book once…” Well-written stories have shaped nearly every second of my thirty-nine years, giving me examples of both the personal and the practical of life.

For instance, I discovered how to be a good friend as I sat with Pooh in the Hundred Acre Wood. I began looking for possibilities while tub diving with Mary Poppins. And I figured out just how hard it was too hard to squeeze a tube of toothpaste during the quiet rebellion of my pal Ramona Quimby.

I learned all the most important things from my childhood books.

Caroline Ingalls’ Productivity Hack

Now, as an adult, while re-reading all these old favorites to my own kids, I’m rediscovering their simple but timeless truths. 

An adult lens definitely has a way of revealing different angles of each story that I never noticed before.

Recently while revisiting the Little House on the Prairie series, I stumbled upon a productivity hack that has revolutionized my days.

Perhaps you remember the simple schedule that Ma Ingalls implemented each week?

• Wash on Mondays
• Iron on Tuesdays
• Mend on Wednesdays
• Churn on Thursdays
• Clean on Fridays
• Bake on Saturdays
• Rest on Sundays

Caroline Ingalls didn’t use an elaborate spreadsheet or even a paper planner to get her life in order. She didn’t have an app or an assistant, or really any of the conveniences of our modern mothering.

She didn’t need to. She just repeated this no-frills routine each week and in doing so, created an uncomplicated rhythm to her days.

The Never-Ending Tasks of Motherhood

As a homeschooling, work-at-home mom, I have a lot of balls in the air on any given week–lesson plans to make, home-keeping chores to accomplish, volunteer projects to plan, church responsibilities to oversee, and work deadlines to complete.

Each day can easily find me trying to do all of them with excellence and in the process, doing most of them with aggressive mediocrity. I’m only one person, after all. I don’t have enough hands, enough time, enough energy for all of those things.

So many of my tasks seem endless and never-ending. And because of that, it’s very easy to feel defeated even before I’ve begun any of them. An ongoing job that’s never officially done to completion can make me feel like a hamster on a wheel, getting nowhere fast.

But instead of contemplating a forfeit because I can’t check a chore off a list or because the moment I finish one task another one suddenly pops us, I’ve decided to redefine “done.”

That’s what Caroline Ingalls did.

She never once got to permanently cross-out “churn butter” or indefinitely check-off “mend” from her TO DO list because those jobs were on-going. They weighed on her time week-in and week-out. On paper, she was never “done” with anything.

Yet she understood the power of small wins, of daily victories. Instead of trying to do it all half-heartedly, she set aside time each day to do one thing well.

And in doing so, she gained forward motion on everything.

Themed Work Days for the Modern Mom

Obviously, my modern-day hustle looks different to hers. But my system is exactly the same.

It goes without saying that homeschooling takes up a great chunk of the day and is a non-negotiable line-item on the schedule. (You’re a homeschool parent. You understand.) But after school, I usually have around two hours of time to work on other things.

And here’s where I steal a play from Ma’s playbook.

I assign each of my non-homeschooling jobs to a particular day of the week:

• Write on Mondays
• Run errands on Tuesdays
• Podcast on Wednesdays
• Write on Thursdays
• Bake on Fridays
• Clean on Saturdays
• Menu plan and Worship on Sundays

Throughout the week, I keep a running list of small tasks that need to get done under each category.

For instance, on Thursday, if I find a stack of books piled up at the foot of my bed that need to be re-shelved in the home library, I can try to tackle the mess right away or I can add it to my Saturday cleaning list. 

Then on Saturday when it’s time to clean, I consult my list to get immediate direction. I don’t have to waste any time stuck in mental lethargy trying to remember what needs to be cleaned or organized.

I just consult my Saturday list and get going. If I meet the time goal–if I put my head down and do the work, I get to claim the small victory of calling my cleaning complete even if something on my short list never gets accomplished.

Your weekly responsibilities might look quite a bit different from mine. Maybe you work outside the home. Maybe you have lots of family commitments or volunteer responsibilities. No matter.

If you find yourself stuck in overwhelm, discouraged by all the un-checked boxes and loose-ends of life, allow Ma Ingall’s chore list to gently walk you down Mt. Never Rest.

Checking a list doesn’t have to be the end game. Weekly forward motion is the old, but new “done.”

Read more Little House inspired posts on Simple Homeschool!

A note from Jamie (Martin, that is!): If you are drenched in doubt, filled with fear, and need more tips on how to juggle home and school, you need Jamie (Erickson’s) beautiful book, Homeschool Bravely: How to Squash Doubt, Trust God, and Teach Your Child With Confidence.

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!

Simple Homeschooling 101: What to Teach and When to Teach It ~
Written by Jamie C. Martin of Simple Homeschool

More than once during my 15 years of homeschooling, I wished I could find a resource that would simply list the basic subjects we needed to cover as well as give me ideas for how and when to prioritize them.

I found plenty of conflicting and over-complicated descriptions, but here, in the name of “Simple” Homeschool and as a veteran/retired homeschooler, I have created for all of you what I once wanted and needed.

Prefer to listen instead? Look for episode 62 of the SH podcast!

To begin Simple Homeschooling 101, here is a list of the four basic subjects:

• Language Arts: Includes reading, writing (handwriting/spelling/grammar/composition), and literature
• Math
• Science
• History

Then depending on your child’s age/grade, you might add in things like:

• PE/Health, Foreign Language, and electives, centered around your kids’ interests, future goals, and your family’s priorities

Below, I’ll share how our family covered these subjects in an outside-the-box way through the years.

Remember: Personalization is the goal, and your homeschool doesn’t have to look like “school” to inspire real learning.

This is not at all a “Homeschooling 101” formula to follow, as you don’t need that! There are a million ways to run a “successful” homeschool, and zero ways to run a perfect one.

Don’t seek to follow my plan or anyone else’s – adapt everything (yes, even that official looking curriculum!) to suit your family’s needs.

I originally divided this article into the traditional categories of elementary, middle, and high school, only to realize that most of my recommendations for middle and high were the same, so I’ve switched to two categories instead: one covering ages 5-12, and one for teens.

Simple Homeschooling 101: What to Teach and When to Teach It (Updated!)

Early Schooling (ages 5-12)

Our family’s main goal during this time was to have our children make tiny, incremental progress in core subjects, while maintaining their love of learning. The traditional system tends to overemphasize a child’s progress while often doing away with the love.

A child’s brain is wired to learn best through play during this time, so keep that in mind as you think about the subjects that you hope to cover. This is especially true for ages 5-9, with slowly increasing maturity as they hit double digits.

Learning to Read – We only did this officially when we felt like each child was interested and ready, and not all children need formal reading instruction – some teach themselves!

If you do need or want to introduce this, I would recommend All About Reading, Reading Eggs, or simply a BrainQuest workbook (afflinks), and start out small – five minute lessons with lots of praise (and/or bribery) as needed.

Learning to Write – When you feel they’re ready, teach your child to form capital and lowercase letters (any basic workbook can help with this, or you may not even need one).

Once they have mastered them, begin doing copywork – copying a few words or a sentence each day. Use their name, inspiring quotes, or passages from their favorite book!

This sets the foundation for spelling and grammar later on.

If you want to add in formal spelling, I recommend All About Spelling – but remember those super-short, high-motivation lessons are key! 5-15 minutes is plenty, and only as a formal practice after your child has a beginner’s grasp on reading.

For grammar, we used Mad Libs, not diving into anything more formal until the tween/teen years.

Literature – We read, read, and read aloud some more during this range, enjoying the natural conversations that would arise through that time together, not trying to force “narration” or anything too schooly. Substitute audiobooks if reading aloud isn’t enjoyable for you.

What should you read? Use a guide to help you discover classics, like my own book (for a global lens) Give Your Child the World, Honey for A Child’s Heart, or The Read-Aloud Family, as well as adding in books that interest you and yours!

We also used audio stories from Sparkle Stories a lot at this age as a “slow media” alternative to excess screentime – they gave us a break and occupied many car rides, too!

Math – We read math books in the early years and enjoyed Bedtime Math, mixed with a little gameschooling for good measure. Later we introduced an online curriculum when it seemed like the kids were ready for more, allowing them to dip in and out as they wanted.

Science – We enjoyed informal nature study, read-alouds, and an outdoor wilderness program for science, not doing any formal curriculum until the teen years, but just what interested each child when it came to this subject. (Long-time readers will remember my son’s intense meteorology phase.)

History – Likewise we covered this mainly through read-alouds and videos during this age range, and it worked so well that my kids fell in love with history and wanted to study it more deeply as teens.

If you want to take it further, begin a history timeline. And if you feel memory work is important in this subject or any other, look for play-based resources (songs, etc) to help you accomplish that.

Interests – Everything Else! This is where we dove into my own interests, family priorities like Bible, and the interests of the children. This is what we emphasized the most during this age range.

Teen Schooling (ages 13+)

Don’t be afraid of homeschooling middle or high school! Generally speaking, 120 hours spent on a subject (including a student’s personal reading, documentaries, online courses, and formal work) or 75% of a textbook completed equals one credit.

Once you get familiar with the process, it’s not scary, and sites like FastTranscripts.com make it a breeze to quantify your teen’s learning in a way that colleges can understand.

Our family’s homeschooling goal during the teen years has always been to meet the minimum requirements for graduation, and then allow tons of extra time to pursue areas of interest and passion!

Language Arts – Here are some of the resources that worked well for us, which we adapted to each child’s interest level and ability:

• Sonlight (literature/history/Bible)
• TJEd High (online mentoring in literature and leadership)
• Wordsmith Craftsman (after searching for AGES, this thin guide contains everything your high schooler needs in order to write well!)
• All About Spelling – We only taught spelling after age 10+, when I could tell whether or not my children were natural spellers. At older ages they progressed quickly and were motivated, too.
• Grammar: Both Fix It Grammar and Life of Fred Language Arts worked well for us!

Math – Using online resources for math allowed me to outsource this subject, which I loved! We mainly used Teaching Textbooks as a key component in our homeschooling 101.

Science – We tried a variety of higher level science options, but the best fit for us ended up being the courses from All in One High School. (Bonus: They’re FREE!!!) We loved it because it was self-sufficient for my child to complete on his own, and was just right for a student who needs a solid overview of the subject but isn’t planning to go into a science-related field.

If your student might want to explore a STEM-related field in their future, the online classes from My Fun Science are highly reputable and recommended!

PE/Health – Our outdoor wilderness school, C25K and Calm apps, and a basic health textbook

Foreign Language – A combination of Duolingo, All in One Spanish, and private tutoring worked perfectly for us!

History – Sonlight, lots of reading (both fiction and non-fiction), Big Fat Notebooks, and the occasional workbook

Current Events – Watching and discussing CNN10 and The World from A to Z led to incredible discussions over the years (sometimes we still watch and discuss these together!)

Electives: This is where teens can focus on areas of interest – it’s where homeschoolers can thrive in ways that teens in traditional school just don’t have the hours for!

Also use electives to focus on your family priorities, like Bible Study, Life Skills, etc. Some of the specialized courses we created for my high schoolers included Drawing, Music Theory, Film Studies, Animation, Lighting Design Technology, and more.

We have seen this interest-led approach go on to serve the children well as they continue to slowly enter their post-homeschooling phase of life. When Jonathan applied to colleges for Lighting Design, he was told that his current level of skill was already similar to that of a college graduate in the field, so they weren’t sure he would “fit in.”

He appreciated their candor and opted out! (Though he did get in to both places he applied.)

Instead of college, he ended up getting hired by a variety of A-list celebrities within a year of high school graduation, and is currently touring worldwide with various artists.

This was never our intention, plan, or goal when we let him pursue his interest through high school, but it is remarkable to see that what one does for love and interest can go on to translate into a satisfying work life!

I hope this list has served as a helpful Simple Homeschooling 101 for you – simplifying your thinking about what to teach and when to teach it!

When we lean into the freedom and flexibility homeschooling has to offer, we can craft a beautiful and highly individualized education that suits each child best, and sets them up well for wherever life may take them.

* Read more of Jamie’s popular posts 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!

This post contains affiliate links, which means my family receives a commission off certain links.

8 things I’ve learned about education in my 8(20!) years of motherhood (UPDATED) ~
Written by Jamie C. Martin – find updates in blue

Education wasn’t exactly my top concern when I first became a mother. Unless it was my own education–I had a multitude of lessons to learn, mistakes to make, and love to give.

The learning curve continued dramatically when I began considering homeschooling.

Now I look back shocked to see that eight twenty whole years have passed. (Um, #howdidthishappen)

I have plenty of new questions I need answers to (still true!), but I’m also far enough down the road, of both motherhood and homeschooling, to feel like I’ve gathered a few lessons under my belt.

I feel far more secure and confident now – in myself, in my mothering, in our choice to homeschool. (No regrets, 20 years later!)

Here are eight things I’ve learned about education in my eight twenty years of motherhood.

I thought about updating this article to 20 things I’ve learned in 20 years…but I don’t have the energy for that LOL, and you probably don’t have the energy to read something that long.  

8 things I’ve learned about education in my 8 (20!) years of motherhood

1. It’s not rocket science.

The idea of homeschooling absolutely petrified me at first. Education seemed like some obscure, foggy, unattainable concept. A topic so complex and complicated that only experts could figure it out.

20 years later, I still agree that learning doesn’t have to be rocket science when relationships are at the center. And by that I don’t mean that relationships are always rosy, far far from it!

I mean that pursuing wholeness in all forms (not solely academics) gave my children an (eventual) foundation of safety that allowed their minds to open to learning, according to their unique strengths and weaknesses.

2. Children are born with a natural curiosity and desire to learn.

2004 – Oh, baby Jonathan, my heart melts to look at you (2024: I still miss that baby version of my boy/man!)

I am far from sending my kids out the door to graduation (um actually, I blinked and we finished homeschooling!), but having seen all three of my little people (currently ages 9, 8, & 7, make that 21, 20, & 19) through the infant/toddler/preschool phase of life I can adamantly say that they each entered the world with a deep desire to learn.

Kids start off naturally curious – and they remain that way unless burnout kicks in.

Burnout can have many causes, not just stress, anxiety, and overwork but also trauma, abuse, and neglect. We have dealt with that our entire homeschool life (and still do) because of what my oldest and youngest went through before they joined our family via adoption.

If you have a child who is no longer curious, it doesn’t mean that it’s your fault or it can never be remedied. Just explore paths to reconnect them with that curiosity and to heal what is at the root of the burnout. This will be a gift for the rest of their lives, and is definitely a long-term project.

3. An absolute wealth of homeschooling and educational resources exist to choose from. (#understatement)

Gone are the days of home learning in isolation. Homeschool groups and co-ops currently multiply like wildfire across the United States, not to mention the vast selection of curricula available as well as incredible, high-quality online educational programs like Khan Academy, TED talks, and so much more.

Check out Simple Homeschool posts about co-ops here.

I have no doubt that this trend will continue (#overwhelm), but:

4. You don’t need much to homeschool successfully. A growing home library of well-chosen books works best. (And it’s so fun to have an excuse to buy books! )

I tend to look for complex formulas or strategies to implement because lofty plans give me a temporary feeling of security. But as is often the case, simple is often the best. And the easiest. (Yes, still agree! And yet, simple can feel awfully challenging in a society that tends to complicate things.)

I want my children to think of books as friends. Because a child who loves reading is primed for a lifetime of learning.

While I still believe this, not every child is going to have the same type of relationship with books that we tend to think of as “loving reading.” And that relationship with books is going to change as they become adults and start lives of their own, and as screens naturally become a part of that life.

While I consistently encourage you to follow your children’s interests in learning, I do want to mention the difference between off-screen interests and on-screen ones. There are a myriad of healthy ways to handle screens. Please be intentional about it, however, as the addictive quality of screens and their impact on the brain can dampen the natural in-built curiosity that leads to learning.

Use screens, for sure. They are an amazing tool, and a horrible master! Don’t be afraid to set limits and boundaries. For ideas, you can see what we have done here. 

5. My children give clues when they are ready for something new.

Jonathan did it as an infant by weaning himself from breastfeeding. He clued me in by his continued lack of interest in nursing. In spite of all my efforts, at nine months he was ready for something new.

My kids still provide these clues: By a new interest in a subject, by asking to learn something, by their enthusiasm, or even by physical changes like losing teeth.

If I pay attention, I can work with these clues instead of against them.

Yes! And following those clues makes your job as homeschool parent so much easier. 

6. Waiting until they’re ready saves a ton of time – and tears (theirs & mine).

Each child has his own timetable of development–his own repertoire of strengths and weaknesses to consider.

It is nothing short of ludicrous to expect each five-, six-, nine-, or twelve-year-old to tackle the same skills judged solely by the date of their birth. My children need an individualized education that matches their readiness so we both avoid frustration.

I still agree! But I’d also add that if there’s something that you feel you must cover at a specific time (either because of regulations or your own anxiety levels!) then find a way to do what’s required while also getting your child to buy in (so you don’t hate your life – cue intentional bribery).

7. Enthusiasm matters in education–especially mine.

If I want to invite joy in learning in my home, I must show that I find joy in learning.

If I want my children to choose learning, they have to see me choose it first. Yes! And the beautiful thing is that this gives you permission to invest in YOU even while you’re inspiring them.

I’d rather inspire them to choose it themselves than use compulsion and force because:

8. Self-education matters most.

I agree with educational pioneer Charlotte Mason that “self-education is the only possible education.” A person–no matter what their age–who is internally motivated is unstoppable.

By teaching my kids how to learn for themselves, I’m giving them the freedom to become who they were born to become.

Yes, and my post about redefining success may help you aim in the right direction!

I hope these 8 things I’ve learned about education have given you some encouragement. I’d love to hear some of the lessons you’ve learned if you’d like to share.

* Click here to read more updated posts from Jamie, Then and Now

What lessons have you learned about education during your years as a parent?

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!

When is my child ready to choose their own path? ~
Written by Kari Patterson of Sacred Mundane

“We homeschool not so our kids are insulated from the world. We homeschool to make sure the concrete has been hardened before we put heavy loads on it.”

I vividly remember setting foot in my first classroom, 34 years ago. I was 10. I had been homeschooled until halfway through 5th grade.

At that time, my brother (two years older) had started 7th grade at the local public school where my dad taught, in order to play sports. Not loving being the only kid at home anymore, I had asked if I too could go to school.

To my parents’ credit, they carefully considered this, evaluating my character and development, and saw the value of letting me begin to make choices about my life.

Though I didn’t make perfect choices, I’m grateful I got to make them.

Even at 10, my parents had already instilled their values in my heart. I knew who I was, I was secure in their love. And I recognized that while they were my anchor, they weren’t afraid to let me have a pretty long leash.

I could explore and make choices, even fail. I learned that failure wasn’t something to be afraid of, but a normal part of life.

I remember knowing I was loved unconditionally, and that they were physically and emotionally available for me, but that they weren’t afraid to let me make decisions for my life.

What this communicated to me was that they had confidence in me. 

This gave me confidence and, I believe, actually helped me make good choices. They were convinced I’d do the right thing, so I most certainly didn’t want to prove them wrong!

I was vaguely aware through the years, that perhaps not everyone agreed with my parents’ decision to let us go to school. I’m sure we seemed “worldly” to some onlookers, my parents perhaps appeared to be homeschool sell-outs.

My mom had been very outspoken about her conviction to homeschool, so it probably seemed strange when she then enrolled us in public school and started working at that same school.

But I am so grateful that my mom did not let her own pride, fear, or her own personal preference, keep her from giving my brother and me the freedom to make choices for ourselves. 

So how do we know when our children are ready to choose their own path about their education?

If I may mix metaphors for a moment: When the concrete has hardened, it can bear a heavy load. 

Of course, we’re never not susceptible to harmful influences. Bad company can corrupt anyone, but as parents we get the honor of discerning when the time is right to begin handing choices and freedom over to our child.

There is a weight to these decisions. To hand them over too early can crush, can leave them tossed to and fro in the storm of this chaotic world. To hold back and refuse them these decisions, even when they’re ready, can create hopelessness, resentment, and anxiety.

I do not pretend to know how to do this perfectly. But here are a few questions that can help us evaluate when to let them choose their own path:

1. What type of friends does my child gravitate toward? Am I pleased with these choices, or do I need to focus more on teaching them to recognize and seek out healthy influences?
2. How does my child respond to temptation? Do they easily give in, or do they have a decent dose of self-control developed?
3. How does my child use their time? Do they constantly dawdle or distract themselves, or are they able to stay on task for an age-appropriate length of time?
4. Do I see any red-flags related to identity? Does my child seek validation from others or seem susceptible to compromising their values in order to gain approval of others? Are they dishonest?

It’s certainly not an exhaustive list, but it can get us going as we consider. I believe that holding children back from being able to choose their own path for their life is just as detrimental as turning them loose far too early.

But when the time is right, when the concrete has hardened sufficiently, we can set them free to build a beautiful life on the foundation we have laid.

* Find more of Kari’s wisdom 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!

Homeschool tips for students with ADHD ~
Written by Colleen Kessler of Raising Lifelong Learners

“He’s an EXTREME thinker,” exclaimed my oldest son’s preschool teacher the first time I met with her for a conference more than thirteen years ago. Since that day, I’ve endured all sorts of similar comments — some judgmental; some tinged with laughter — all of them related to his non. stop. energy.

My son was diagnosed with ADHD by the first of three psychologists we saw beginning when he was five. We’d later discover that his wasn’t truly ADHD, but hyperactivity and impulsivity that mimicked it, a result of his overexcitabilities stemming from profound giftedness.

But as ADHD and psychomotor overexcitabilities tend to need similar adjustments to learning environments and styles, we chose to pull him out of the public school system more than a decade ago so that we could meet those challenging and unique needs.

Homeschooling a child with ADHD can be a great way to adapt learning to their needs, and over the years we’ve found some things that work well as we try to tackle the ever-changing needs ADHD kiddos have.

Homeschool Tips For Students With ADHD

Stick with a regular routine.  While a kiddo with ADHD may struggle with routine, it is an important practice for the future.  Teaching your child about routine will help them to learn to be more focused.  A flexible routine is important, but overall you should have one you try to stick to on a regular basis.

This doesn’t mean you should have your child waking up and sitting at a desk as kids do in public school — for us, that was the kiss of death when we first started homeschooling and I fell back on my public-school-teaching-past. It does, however, mean you need to help your child maintain a sense of control in the daily routine.

Routine trumps a structured schedule every time. When kids know that morning chores come before breakfast, then comes independent work, then group work, then lunch, then free time, then dinner, then bedtime, they know what to expect — regardless of how much time each activity takes.

Create short lessons.  One of the best homeschool tips for teaching a child that has been diagnosed with ADD or ADHD is to adjust the activity times to suit their stamina.  In a traditional school environment, most subjects are covered in 30-45 minute increments at a time.  In a homeschool environment, you can focus on shorter class times that will work better for your child and their limited attention span.

Start with 15-minute sessions or activities.  In between each 15-minute time block, give your child (and you!) brain breaks or a chance to stretch their legs. Play outside, grab a snack, take time to dance in the kitchen… any of these things can get you and your kiddo recharged to keep going.

Allow for movement. Like my son, your ADHD child probably needs to move all the time. In a school setting, this was a “behavior” that gets kids in trouble. Remember — homeschooling offers the flexibility to teach how a child needs to learn. Math facts on the trampoline? Absolutely! Reading while upside down on the couch with the dog curled in the lap and feet tap on the wall? Sure, why not!

Kids can also sit on exercise balls, fidget or hum while doing math, or do jumping jacks in between comprehension questions. Pick what works for your child.  You have to think about the struggles your unique child has to determine what will work best for them in this situation.

Get involved in local homeschool groups. This is truly invaluable for most homeschooling parents.  Including local homeschool group meetings into your homeschool schedule can make a huge difference in your productivity and the success of your child.  

There are tons of options for homeschool groups to consider.  Some are strictly co-op situations that are educational.  Others are for field trips and playdates.  Some, in light of the current situation we face during a pandemic, are only meeting online. Search for options in your city, county, and your state so you check out multiple options to see what works best for your kiddo.

Remember as you are adapting your homeschool — consider your child above all, and not just what others are recommending.  Every child diagnosed with ADHD and ADD (or overexcitabilities) will have different struggles.  Some will be physically more active, while others may struggle to concentrate on one subject for long time periods.  The reason most parents choose to homeschool is to truly make education work for their child.

You’ve got this! Enjoy the adventure.

Oh! And that “extreme thinker” is now seventeen, entering his senior year of homeschooling as a fulltime college student, working towards a Bachelor’s in Computer Science. He also has an internship with the college program to develop a VR campus experience for other remote-learning students while running a freelance audio and video editing business from home.

He’s still an extreme thinker — but homeschooling allowed him to think in his own way, and thrive.

* Read more of Colleen’s work on Simple Homeschool here!

Do you have homeschool tips for students with ADHD? I’d love to hear them. Share below.

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!

Intentional Mediocrity: A Homeschool Not To Do List ~
Written by Kari Patterson

“Anything worth doing is worth doing badly.” -GK Chesterton

Okay, this quote doesn’t top the charts of most-inspiring, but this idea has helped me immensely through the last 15 years of motherhood, homeschooling, and juggling the never-ending demands of ministry life.

Prefer to listen instead? Check out Episode 69 of the Simple Homeschool podcast!

Like you, I’ve been asked many times: “How do you do it all?”

And my answer is always: “I don’t.”

On those glass-is-half-empty days, when I’m discouraged and my perspective is skewed, I feel as though I don’t do anything well.

Dinner’s made, but it’s chicken and rice again. Laundry’s done, because I no longer fold. Kids finished school because I told Heidi to skip the Base 2 math problems (again). The house is tidied but the sliding glass door has so many smeared handprints I can barely see through it.

But eventually I remind myself of Chesterton’s wisdom and the power of intentional mediocrity.

Truth: We can’t be awesome everywhere.

I remember reading Michael Hyatt’s book Platform years ago, where he teaches the importance of exceeding customer’s expectations, of “baking in the Wow” to every aspect of your business. And I remember writing this realization in my journal that day:

“I can’t be awesome everywhere. I can’t ‘bake in the Wow’ in every area of life.”

Truth: Some things have to be neglected. 

Sadly, many people only “bake in the Wow” in the business world, or in the areas of life that are visible to others, but neglect the hidden places, the small people, or the health of their souls. We’re all in danger of mis-prioritizing which areas are worthy of Wow.

We’re wise to give it some consideration so we don’t drop the ball on what really matters.

Our task as parents and home-educators is to thoughtfully and intentionally choose where we will “bake in the Wow” (i.e. focus our attention) and where we will deliberately and confidently choose mediocrity.

If we don’t do this we’ll be enslaved to perfectionism, or convinced we must be failing since not everything is awesome.

One simple exercise that can help: A well-chosen Homeschool Not To Do list. 

Of course my priorities will likely be different from yours. There’s freedom, friends! But as a friend sharing with a friend, here’s a bit of what this looks like for me.

Creating a Homeschool Not To Do List

1. I don’t extra-clean before company comes over. I keep our house medium. Clean enough that you feel welcome (and aren’t grossed out!) but not so perfect that you’re impressed. My goal is to welcome, not impress.
2. I don’t fold laundry, except Jeff’s.
3. I don’t work out. Prayer walks alone, hikes with the kids, and house-cleaning have to suffice.
4. I don’t make elaborate meals. Simple and healthy, that’s it.
5. I don’t try to keep up with fashion, for myself or my house. I try to keep myself and home looking nice with tasteful choices, that’s it. (Side note: I switched to Stitch Fix for this very reason. No more shopping, ever!)
6. I don’t cook breakfast or lunch. I keep simple items on hand, and the kids can take care of this themselves.
7. I don’t worry a lot about school subjects outside the 3 R’s. Other subjects are electives.
8. I don’t watch TV or keep up on news and media much.

Hopefully, this Homeschool Not To Do list helps me focus more on what matters to me most:

1. I will listen to my children and others as much as I can, truly seeking to understand them as much as possible.
2. I will read, to myself and to my children, excellent books that draw my mind to beauty, courage, and truth.
3. I will sleep eight hours a night and observe a 24-hour restful day each week.
4. I will spend the extra time and money to create nutritious meals that strengthen our bodies and immune systems.
5. I will discipline and train my children to be a blessing to our family and others.
6. I will seek to love and serve the people in my immediate sphere — friends, neighbors, church family.
7. I will respond to immediate, pressing needs when I’m made aware of them.
8. I will follow the FlyLady and clean what she tells me to clean.

Every single one of the things on this latter list is really time-consuming. Listening and seeking to understand others is time-consuming. Taking time to sleep and rest is time-consuming. Cooking nutritious meals is time-consuming. But worth it. Why?

Because it’s also life-giving. 

Again, your list will look different from mine, but it can help to actually sit down and figure it out: Where do I want to be intentionally mediocre so I can give myself fully to “bake in the Wow” where it counts? 

Perhaps being present with others and listening to them doesn’t seem like a “Wow” thing to do, but you know what? In a world that’s hurting and divided and discouraged, isn’t that what most people, including our children, are longing for?

Let’s bake in the Wow where it matters most. 

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!

Our Family Learning Diary – Recording Our Homeschool Journey
Written by Lusi Austin from That Homeschool Life

Even before we began homeschooling, I started keeping a learning record. A collection of loose papers with notes on them. I can’t tell you why, but I know I did it because I came across the papers in a box in my shed recently.

My eldest (now 22) was 3 at the time and on this piece of paper, it says that we did an ‘underwater themed art activity’ . I wrote the song that we sang together and we played a magnetic fish game too. I think somehow I knew that homeschooling would be part of our life’s path.

This is our sixteenth year of homeschooling our children. I made a commitment back when I first started, that I would write in my diary each day. Well that lasted maybe two days!

The following year, I made a commitment to write it in a couple of times a week but the same thing happened. I just couldn’t keep up with it.

I used to get frustrated with myself and my ‘lack of self discipline’ until I lightened up and realised that I was imposing something on myself that I didn’t need to.

Instead, I decided to work with my neurodivergent ADHD brain and do it the way that came most naturally to me.

How I keep a family learning diary

The only way I can remember what we have done is by looking at photos. I am a visual person so a single photo can jog my mind and remind me of the learning that took place.

I group the learning photos into months in private Facebook albums.

I give the album the title: Learning From Life, then add in the month and year. This makes it easier to find later on.

After adding all the photos into the monthly album, I go to a café, order breakfast and coffee and have a learning diary date!

I look at my photos and under a month headline, I write down learning activities. I use subject subheadings which I then highlight and color-code.

Purchasing a lined notebook that does not have ANY dates or months in it, has been even more liberating for my brain.

What I Include

I like to think of our learning diary as a bit of a family record.

I try to include things that I’ll want to be reminded about in years to come. Examples of this are events we attended, people we caught up with, overcoming challenging seasons.

I also include learning activities, books we have read, recipes we’ve cooked together, etc.

Instead of just writing down something like, ‘we did a maths lesson’, I think about recording a child’s attitude. I might write, ‘X found the lesson on fractions challenging. There were some tears. So we put the bookwork aside, ordered a pizza and tried to tackle fractions in a different way!’

Excerpts from our learning diary entries of our homeschool journey:

July 2009 “Brett took E to hospital – croup. Kids and I had a relaxed day at home. We watched ‘The Zoo’, ‘Scrap Heap Challenge’ and ‘The Plague’ episode of Little House on the Prairie. Kids did some craft, drawing, imaginary play. S finished writing her fettucine recipe in her recipe book. I read the book ‘Jonah and the Fish’ to S & E. S was tested on her spelling list words. S’s friend M dropped over to show a bonnet she had. S showed her the one I made her for dress ups.”

March 2011 “Reading/Computer: L finished another 2 lessons on ABC Reading Eggs. He read 3 short books to Brett. Confusion with ‘this/is’ but kept trying. PDHPE: Running races. The kids were all good sports. E started getting upset when he didn’t keep up with the others. Still trying to work on that kind of attitude with him and talked again about being a good sport. S continued to read the Secret Garden and is up to chapter 18. L & E used cardboard to make themselves a mobile phone.”

August 2014 “History/Geography: The boys have requested we study WWI. We started by learning about ‘Old Europe’ and the causes of WWI. Identified Great Britain, France, Germany, Austria-Hungary & Italy on the globe. Read about the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance and who they were between. Discussed colonies, empires and then the main causes for WWI: M (militarism), A (alliances) I (imperialism) N (nationalism). Kids coloured in a map of Europe at that time.”

These are just a few examples from over the years. Even now, reading them brings warmth to my heart and reassures me that I really have given my children a rich life.

Why I bother keeping a family learning diary

In my state, I have to show learning samples to my regulatory body. I do this in many ways, but I have grown to really LOVE our learning diary! It is something even my kids look back on as the years pass.

It also helps me remember. Life has been so full and busy for so many years and it’s easy to forget!

The diaries remind me of how nuanced our life throughout our homeschool journey and I’m grateful for that.

How do you record your homeschool journey? I’d love to hear! ~ Lusi x

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!

Homeschooling in Survival Mode ~
Written by Kari Patterson

My dad passed away three weeks ago. I wrote about him in my day-in-the-life post, how we live next door and the little boys run over every day. We helped care for him these last two years after my mom passed away.

She had Parkinson’s; he had leukemia. It’s been an intense few years.

We miss him daily and life isn’t the same without him. But I’m also finding that I’m finally coming up for air in terms of my schedule, that life has a little more space now.

I’m very aware that we were Homeschooling in Survival Mode most of this winter.

A dear homeschooling friend just went through a crisis due to her husband’s addiction. He was in rehab for 30 days, while she was on her own with four kids — two homeschooling, one toddling around getting into everything, and one six months along in her womb.

Pregnancy exhaustion + nursing + a toddler + single-parenting + homeschooling = Survival Mode

She texted our group thread asking for advice, and the flood of helpful responses inspired me in my own Survival Mode status. These caring and wise women rallied to encourage and support her.

So if you find yourself barely army-crawling through the days, wondering how on earth to homeschool through the craziness of Survival Mode, here are a few thoughts from my tribe:

5 Tips for Homeschooling in Survival Mode

1. Build stability as much as possible.

When things feel chaotic, it’s hard to learn. When we’re afraid or stressed, our capacity for comprehending new concepts or tackling coursework is extremely limited.

So I tried to keep as many regular routines as possible. Some were impossible — my little boys could no longer do their daily trips to Papa’s. I had to be away a lot caring for him, and I couldn’t take them with me.

It was hard. But we kept our consistent bedtime routine, we kept our read aloud time, we did our fun little letter worksheets, we continued all of our normal outside-home activities.

I chose to not feel guilty for leaving Dad in others’ care sometimes because it was important to keep a sense of stability and normalcy even in the midst of chaos.

2. Prioritize, and keep the must-do list short.

This is probably obvious, but some subjects can clearly wait. Do you HAVE to finish that unit on the life-cycle of frogs? I remember a seasoned homeschool mama of 9 children saying, “Just keep up on math. You can easily catch up on everything else, just keep up on math.”

And in my dozen years of homeschooling, I’ve also found that’s true. In really crazy seasons, we’ve made math and reading the only must-dos.

Tadpoles can wait.

Now, full disclosure: Sometimes the subjects that suffer are important ones. Our oldest (17) was definitely the hardest hit by this season, and he got so far behind in Pre-Calculus and Spanish he was overwhelmed and depressed and we realized there was no way he could catch up. We made the difficult decision to let him drop those two classes.

He’ll have to retake them next year, but he’s SO much happier and relieved to not feel like he’s hopelessly drowning in coursework. It is painful to feel like you’ve failed, for sure, but I’m grateful we were able to walk through this experience with him, and he gained some priceless lessons.

In the end, those lessons may be more valuable than Pre-Calc anyway.

3. Allow others to help.

Sometimes all it takes is a season of struggle for you to really find your people. I have found that in my times of weakness I’m amazed at how willing other moms are to step up and step in to help me.

But we have to let them. The day that my dad died another homeschool mama offered to take my boys to an Easter Egg hunt. It felt weird to send them off, oblivious to my sorrow, to run around and collect candy.

But I had to attend to details and they had to be gone, and I was grateful for the support, and by the time they were back around I was ready to navigate the grief with them. There are countless ways that other homeschool moms helped me through this season. But we have to let them.

4. Let the kids help.

Kids can feel powerless when life is crazy and there’s nothing they can do. Intentionally enlisting their help, in ways that are appropriate, will increase their stability and security like nothing else. 

Our teenagers helped significantly during both my parents’ final months and weeks. At 17 Dutch has now been a pallbearer twice. Heidi daily cared for two grandparents as they neared death. These are heavy things, but also good.

I was so proud of them, and I could tell that they felt good about being able to serve and make a significant contribution during a time of need. They both also spoke at Dad’s memorial, a learning and growth experience to be sure! The littles couldn’t be involved in that way, but they could “help Mommy”  with chores because Mommy was helping Papa.

5. Hold them, love them, keep them close.

While we certainly need to allow others to help, I also knew that more than ever my kids needed my nearness. There were times I could have easily given over the job of driving someone here, or being at a certain event, etc. but as much as possible, I tried to stay as close as possible.

As you know, most of the priceless, precious conversations we have with our children happen when we least expect it. We can’t schedule “Deep Conversation about Death & Eternity” into iCal. We just have to be there.

And if we stay close, as much as possible, we’ll get to be part of the most valuable part of their education: The growth that happens as they learn through daily life. I don’t want to miss that.

So dear friends, if you are homeschooling in survival mode, hang in there!

Know that you have a community right here who can rally around you as well. Drop us a line if you have questions, or just want to share what you’re going through.

We’d love to encourage you if we can.

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!