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!

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!

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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!

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!

Tips and Tricks For Learning While Traveling ~
Written by Jessica Waldock of The Waldock Way

One of the best things about homeschooling is the freedom we have. We like to take advantage of our homeschooling freedom to plan our schedules by traveling together whenever we can. There are so many places to see and explore!

Learning while traveling happens naturally. Kids are curious and there’s a lot to discover and learn about in a real-world setting when you travel. But how can you make the best use of all that time in the car?

Travel In Our Homeschool

We love to travel in our homeschool! Visiting new places, exciting field trips, and exploring the national parks are some of our favorite things to do together as a family. Homeschooling while traveling is a great way to give Emily all kinds of unique and amazing learning experiences she wouldn’t be able to have at home.

Learning while traveling also gives us a chance to learn from real-world experiences and interactions instead of solely gathering information from books and videos. It’s a wonderful way to deepen our family’s connections with one another. 

Ready to explore homeschooling while traveling with your kids? Keep reading to discover my favorite tips and tricks for learning while traveling. 

Tips and Tricks For Learning While Traveling

Learning on the road is a lot of fun! It’s also very different from learning at home in lots of ways. For example, you’ll need to choose curriculum and materials that will travel easily without taking up a lot of space.

You’ll want to find tips and tricks for learning while you’re in the car so all that time spent in vehicles doesn’t feel wasted. Some of our favorite essentials for carschooling include activity books, reusable sticker books, drawing tools, paint with water activities (using a brush with its own reservoir), and single player games. Another favorite of ours are trivia decks and quiz books which let Kevin and I in on the fun while we drive. 

Here are some ideas for your next adventure.

Audiobooks

We really love listening to audiobooks on the road. Services like Libby through our public library and Audible make it easy to listen to our favorite audiobooks using our devices no matter where we are traveling. Checking out audiobooks from the local library is another great option for listening to stories while you’re on the go.

A good set of headphones for your child will go a long way too! With a pair of headphones, Emily can listen to her own audiobooks, apps, or videos without bothering the rest of us while we travel. 

Podcasts

Educational and kid-friendly podcasts are another go-to when we’re learning while traveling. There are some really silly podcasts we can listen to as a family, story podcasts, and lots of educational options too. Check out my list of 35+ Podcasts for Learning to get some ideas for your family’s next road trip. 

The Barefoot Books podcast and Story Pirates podcast are some of our favorites for listening to great stories on the road. For science we love the Wow in the World podcast and Brains On! When it comes to history our favorites include Greeking Out, Whose Amazing Life?, and The Past and the Curious. 

Car Organizer

Having a great car organizer makes it easier to learn while traveling too. I can fill our car organizer with books, activities, and supplies Emily can use while we’re on the road. Then, swap it out every month to keep things new and exciting for everyone.

Here are some of the things in our car organizer right now: single player games, car bingo, art supplies, some of our favorite printable unit studies. 

An Easy Option For Homeschooling Away From Home

If you’re looking for an easy option to homeschool away from home this year, check out my unit studies. These interest-led unit studies focus on topics your kids can get excited about. For example, my Traveling the States unit study is perfect for your next road trip out of state!

Then, check out Traveling the World for a special journey that includes 30 countries and cultures for your homeschoolers to explore. Finally, learn on the go with Traveling the Parks all about our National Parks. All of these unit studies are easy to take along when you travel and filled with hands-on learning opportunities you can take advantage of no matter where you’re traveling.

These are the tips and tricks we use for successful learning while traveling. Making the journey both educational and enjoyable allows for great memories and connection. 

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!

3 Ways to Help Older Children Choose Books ~
Written by Amber O’Neal Johnston from Heritage Mom

When my kids were little, selecting books for them was fun. I would pour through booklists and browse the shelves of indie shops eyeing all the titles I planned to get in my next book haul. I’d gather my little ducklings at my feet, knees, arms, and wherever else they’d fit, and I’d share beautiful stories.

Fairy tales and adventures. Folk tales and mysteries. Fantasies and biographies. Each book brought a smile to their faces and a sense of satisfaction to my mama heart.

And then, out of nowhere, my kids started growing up. They learned to read and began to crave more independent literary lives. They had opinions and unique interests, and sometimes they resisted my suggestions more than they appreciated them.

Not knowing how to navigate the transition to raising tween and teen readers, I did what I do best when I’m anxious: I panicked!

I fought against my kids’ choices when they didn’t meet my expectations, and I clung to what was comfortable. In short, I became a control freak, and it didn’t work out too well.

I was unhappy, the kids were unhappy, and everyone’s reading life suffered. It was during this time that I decided that something had to change. Well, honestly, someone had to change, and that someone was me.

I talked to a few moms that I admire, read a couple of books, and took an afternoon at our local coffee shop to think through how I could begin to create a new normal. I now have several years of helping older children choose books under my belt, and I’m happy to pass along some of the ideas that worked best in my home.

3 Ways to Help Older Children Choose Books

1. Prioritize your relationship.

The relationships we cultivate with our children take precedence over all other homeschooling matters. I thought my behavior was justified until I saw the impact my heavy-handed approach was having on my family. I started feeling less connected to the kids as they lost interest in bantering about the books they were reading.

The distance caused by something as seemingly innocent as book choices was surprising to me, and I was motivated to recapture the closeness that we’d always had. I decided that books were nowhere near as important as relationships, and that gave me an opening to apologize to my kids and try something new.

2. Share a mutual joy of books.

In a 1913 article from The Parents’ Review, British educator Charlotte Mason wrote, “There is joy in the home, the incomparable joy of intellectual life, when the child strikes sparks of thought from his parent, the parent drops seeds of reflection in the eager mind of the child; but this kind of happy intercourse can only take place where there is the mutual joy of books.”

This idea of parent and child engaged in a bit of a literary dance, if you will, appeals to me.

Just as my children read the lesson books that I selected, I began to read the leisure books that they preferred. We were quickly able to return to our casual book chats, inside jokes, and cool references as we recaptured shared reading experiences.

3. Take on new roles.

For so long, I was the head librarian, deciding exactly what comes on and off the shelf and when. No one minded, and it worked well until it didn’t. As my kids got older, they needed me to fill other roles.

Now I enjoy poring over book reviews and perusing back covers alongside my children while we chat about the pros and cons of various titles. I don’t mind taking a back seat to become more of a procurement agent, chauffeuring children to the library or bookstore, or helping them process purchases online.

Having a say in what ends up in their reading baskets gives them a sense of ownership over their literary lives. It helps them identify as readers and people who value thinking through the books and characters they choose to spend time with.

Guide your children as you see fit, but leave room for the machinations of their own stories to unfold.

Without judgment, let them meander through books that call to them. Honor your older children as they seek pleasure and comfort inside the pages of a beloved book.

Build freedom into your home library.

Allow room for your child to experience what Pamela Paul and Maria Russo, the authors of How to Raise a Reader, call the “natural, timeless, time-stopping joys of reading.” You’ll be so glad that you did.

Are you a GOOD or BAD homeschool mom? Take Jamie’s NEW QUIZ now to find out!

Jessica’s Homeschool Day in the Life (with a 10-year-old only child) ~
Written by Jessica Waldock of The Waldock Way

We have found that a strict homeschooling schedule doesn’t really work for us. Instead, we have a flexible routine we follow. This gives our homeschool days a loose structure without needing to stick to a strict timetable. 

Having a more flexible approach to our homeschool days ensures we don’t feel rushed and anxious about being “behind schedule” either. 

Follow along to see what a day in the life of my homeschool family looks like these days!

Jessica’s homeschool day in the life (with a 10-year-old only child)

Before we get started with the day to day details here is some background on our family: My husband and I both work from home, we are homeschooling an only child, and we are a family of night owls.

Starting Our Homeschool Day Off Right

I am not a morning person. In fact, no one in my house gets up very early. These days we all wake up between 9 and 10 am since we tend to stay up late reading or listening to audiobooks independently. 

The beginning of the day moves slowly with breakfast for everyone. After breakfast, Emily does whatever I strew for her. Strewing items like this allows me to start my day slowly and gives Emily a chance to learn independently through exploration. 

This morning, I set out winter block-building activities for Emily. These activities line up nicely with our winter unit study and encourage her to think creatively before we begin formal lessons. If you’re looking for winter strewing ideas for your homeschool, check out my Winter Strewing Ideas and Printables.

While Emily is busy with strewing items (or doing another activity independently if she’s not interested in what I strew that morning), I’m able to engage in healthy physical activity. This is when I work on lifting weights or doing other exercises. Then we all go for a walk together as a family.

We finish our morning routine with some household chores like making beds, feeding the cat, and doing laundry. This is also when we can get a shower and get ready for the day.

Learning Lunches in Our Homeschool

Once our chores are finished, it’s usually about lunchtime. Lately, Emily has been a big fan of a snack-style lunch. I prep lots of fresh fruits, veggies, and other healthy foods so she can grab food whenever she feels “snacky” throughout the day. 

Prepping healthy snacks like these helps ensure our homeschooler can always grab something to eat when she’s feeling hungry without disrupting the school day.

Then we have our learning lunch. This time is so important for me because it’s a space in the day where I can do things I need to do, take a break, make phone calls, or do something for myself. Meanwhile, Emily continues learning with a great documentary, podcast, or audiobook while she has her lunch.

There are so many great documentaries, podcasts, and audiobooks she can enjoy while she eats. Check out our favorite documentaries and the best podcasts to get ideas for your homeschoolers too.

Our Homeschool Routine

Our homeschool routine is very flexible and interest-led. After lunch, we will get started on lessons including working from whichever unit study we are currently doing together. This Winter, you’ll find us enjoying the read-aloud books and activities in our Wilson Bentley Unit Study all about snowflakes. 

I don’t always know all the activities and lessons we will cover in a day. This is because I try to allow grace for all of us as we homeschool. Keeping it flexible allows us to roll with it and not come unglued when we don’t make it to all the things on the list.

Sometime during the afternoon, Emily engages in a fun STEAM activity or lesson with her dad, Kevin. Today, they’re making artificial snow with a fun chemical reaction science experiment.

Our Evening Routine

Once Emily finishes her more structured activities, we all sort of go our separate ways. This is a time when Emily can have free time to do what she wants. This is also usually the point in the day when I do my work. 

Then it’s time for dinner. Emily sets the table while we prepare the meal. We all enjoy a family meal together.

After dinner, we start our favorite part of the day: family quality time. This normally looks like us playing games together but can also be watching a show or movie together. When we have a family games night each of us gets to choose a game and we play them all together.

After homeschooling and family time, everyone is ready to wind down for the night. Around 10 we do our final household chores and begin our bedtime routine.

Our Bedtime Routine

Our bedtime routine looks a bit different now than it did when Emily was younger. We have a bedtime basket routine (similar to a morning basket) that we use to wind down and build connections before bed.

To learn more about how to use a bedtime basket in our homeschool and get ideas for your own bedtime basket routine, take a little peek at our bedtime basket.

This routine is shorter because Emily often reads by herself or listens to an audiobook on her own when we finish our bedtime basket. Then Kevin and I spend time together watching a movie or reading books and enjoying our bedtime tea routine. 

Lately, I’m using this time to read for my own enjoyment. It’s one more way I’m engaging in self-care as a homeschool mom.

Our homeschool routine works for our family and we have found that flexibility is the key.

Being flexible about the number of tasks we accomplish each day as well as our start and finish times has been a really important part of making our homeschool sustainable and filled with learning opportunities for our whole family. 

What does your own homeschool routine look like? I’d love to read about a day in your homeschool life too, so don’t forget to share your own homeschooling routines and adventures in the comments.

My, how the days have changed:

• 2022:Jessica’s homeschool day in the life (with a 9-year-old)

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!

Erin’s Homeschool Day in the Life (with a 10- and 15-year-old) ~
 Written by Erin Vincent of Nourishing My Scholar

7:30 am – I am up and groggily swap out my pajamas for real clothes and winter boots. I have no little kids to wake me up in the mornings anymore, but I have a 115-pound Great Pyrenees dog to take for a walk before anything else. It’s a cold winter morning here in the mountains of east Tennessee; cold and wet.

I won’t see the kids for a few more hours. They are not morning people. Though my 15-year-old does manage to get up early on the days he goes to his part-time job without prompting from me.

So I take the mornings for self-care. After beating breast cancer last year, I now prioritize my health.

8 am – I scroll Facebook and Instagram for a few minutes while I make my coffee. I decide to make pancakes for breakfast.

8:30 am – After finishing the pancakes, I change into workout attire and head for the treadmill.

9 am – I finish walking on the treadmill, shower, and change.

9:30 am – I do some light yoga stretches while I wait for the children to wake up. I’ve found stretching helps with both my mobility and reduces my anxiety.

10 am – My 10-year-old daughter Jade wakes up and wants to snuggle. We like to watch funny cat videos while she sits on my lap.

10:15 am – My daughter eats the pancake breakfast I made while listening to The Land of Stories audiobook. (afflinks) She’ll listen to audiobooks all day long if I let her, and most of the time, I do!

Getting Started with Our Homeschool Day

10:45 am – While we have a very eclectic and unschooly homeschool, a few “must-do’s” are required nearly daily. Those “must-do’s” include math and reading. My daughter starts her Kitten Math workbook while I start the dishes.

She’s doing a combo of her Kitten Math workbook and Teaching Textbooks for her math. She loves the fun factor of Kitten Math, and I love that we are filling any holes in learning with her Teaching Textbooks.

As I do the dishes, I listen to the Raising Lifelong Learners Podcast on when a child has a diagnosis. It is so good. I highly recommend this podcast if you have children that are gifted or have learning disabilities, or both.

11:15 am – My daughter watches the show MythBusters while I clean the kitchen.

11:45 am – After an episode of MythBusters, my daughter settles in to read a chapter of Inkheart. This is a well-loved and well-worn book. I take the dog out again.

12:oo pm – My son Gabriel wakes up and eats what’s left of the pancakes while my daughter eats lunch.

12:15 pm – After he clears his place at the table, he gets started on his chores; empty the trash, sweep the kitchen, and give the chickens and goats fresh water.

12:45 pm – My daughter takes it upon herself to write a story based on a forest game she plays in the evenings. Her story is about a mama bear and her three cubs. I love her creativity and encourage her to write and expand her love of gaming with writing.

She has several different games that simulate animals in different environments. She loves coming up with new and unique stories about the different animals in their different biomes. Tomorrow we’ll go over the grammar and punctuation of her story.

A Homeschooling Afternoon

1:00 pm – The doorbell rings. It’s the little girl next door that is also homeschooled. She comes over nearly every day at 1 pm.

She and my daughter love to create stories and do art with pencils and watercolors together. They will spend the rest of the afternoon playing together, either inside or outside on the swing set.

2:00 pm – Now that my son’s chores are done, he starts on his Wondrium/Great Courses videos on psychology. He loves these courses, and they are perfect for an audio/visual learner like him.

3:00 pm – My son has a guitar lesson with Gentle Guitar. He’s been taking lessons for over four years. He and his teacher like to take music from his favorite video games and compose them specifically for the guitar.

It’s awesome to witness. Today they are working on a music composition from the game Ark.

3:30 pm – Now that the guitar lesson is over, it’s time for math. Math is not his favorite subject, but my son is doing well with Denison Success Algebra.

4:00 pm – My son starts another Wondrium/Great Courses video on World War II as part of a modern history course. I take the dog out again.

5:00 pm – I start to make dinner.

5:30 pm – The neighbor girl is called home for dinner, and my daughter starts to play Minecraft until our dinner is ready.

A Homeschool Evening

6:00 pm – My son and I go over his Brave Writer Boomerang for the book he’s been reading, Divergent.

6:30 pm – Dinner is ready, and my husband comes home. He’s only home long enough to change, and then he and my son head off for their Tae Kwon Do class.

7:00 pm – My daughter and I settle in to watch more MythBusters until bedtime. We usually watch some educational shows in the evenings while my husband and son are at Tae Kwon Do.

9:00 pm – I take the dog out one last time. My husband and son returned from their martial arts class. They fill me in on new techniques and sparring that happened.

They only have another year and three months before they become black belts!

10:00 pm – Bedtime for me and my daughter! I’m exhausted. But my husband and son will stay up and either play a game or watch a show together. It’s part of their guy time, as I call it.

Not all days look the same with our unschooly/eclectic approach to homeschooling. Some days are filled with more games, movies, or books.  We are always learning and growing in a way that works best for each kid and for us as a family.

Thanks for following along!

My, how the days have changed:

• 2022: Erin’s Homeschool Day in the Life (with a 9-, and 14-year-old)

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!

Kari’s Homeschool Day in the Life (with a 2-, 4-, 13-, and 16-year-old) ~
Written by Kari Patterson

Warmth. It’s January 12th, and as I stir awake I’m grateful again for the flannel sheets and plush Pendleton blanket we got for Christmas. Four-year-old Justice brings more warmth beside me; he has crawled in at some point last night and I love it.

I know how short these snuggle years are.

He stirs. Mama, want to go downstairs and read your Bible?

Yeah Buddy, just a few more minutes is my form of hitting snooze. He snuggles for a minute more than asks again, and I see the light rising outside. It’s time to start the day.

We currently live with my dad as he undergoes treatment for leukemia, and we build a house next door. We began in a travel trailer in the driveway last March, but we’ve slowly settled inside.

Dutch (16), Heidi (almost 14), and Ben (2) have their own rooms (well, Ben has a big closet), while Justice, Jeff, and I have mattresses on the floor of the bonus room.

With ages ranging from 2 to 80 in our household, the demands are diverse. Dutch and Heidi still attend a school (FCCT) for homeschool teens once a week, where Jeff teaches PE and I teach Literature & Composition. They also do a weekly Run Club with their friends.

Additionally, Dad & I go to chemo and infusions 2-3 days week, Heidi has theater 3 days/week, and during cross-country and track season, Dutch has practice/meets 6 days/week. Add in a couple wily little boys and it’s full time all the time!

Kari’s Homeschool Day in the Life (with a 2-, 4-, 13-, and 16-year-old)

Morning

Today is Thursday, so Jeff has left early for his 6am men’s group. Other week mornings he makes breakfast for everyone, giving me a chunk of time to read and pray alone. Today I slip in a chapter or two and brief prayer, then start the oatmeal and omelette, sip my coffee, and check the monitor to see if Ben’s awake.

Inspired by Amber’s post, I made some mid-year adjustments after Christmas, creating a board-game style schedule for the littles, to add more structure and predictability to their day. This also creates some continuity since I need to be gone a lot right now–whoever is caring for the littles, the day looks roughly the same. It’s been hugely helpful!

Dutch and Heidi both manage their school on their own. Dutch is taking Algebra 2, Chemistry, Communication & Interpersonal Skills, and SAT Prep all through HSLDA, then Literature & Composition and PE through FCCT. In the spring he’ll also attend the TeenPact leadership school at our state capitol.

Heidi’s taking Pre-Algebra through HSLDA, then Literature & Composition, Marine Biology, and Yearbook at FCCT. I know there are some gaps in her academics this year, but it’s a unique season and we can’t do it all. *smile* She also takes dance class, voice lessons, and performs in theater through Christian Youth Theater – she’s a busy girl!

I also keep additional booklists for each of them. I don’t require a certain number of books each year, but encourage them to read from these lists (I keep the books on hand) whenever they can.

After breakfast, the big kids tackle their school tasks at the table. They take their live online classes in their rooms, but usually gravitate toward the shared spaces for the rest of their school. During the morning, the littles and I do some household chores together, a little “schoolwork” (math with beans or working on our letters), as well as spend at least an hour outside.

Baseball, soccer, biking, and playing in the sandy river bank are the their favorites.

Around 11:30 we come inside for lunch and after cleaning up, the littles watch Letter Factory or Talking Words Factory  (afflinks) while I tidy up and take a minute to respond to texts and think through what needs to be done before evening activities.

Afternoon

At 1pm Ben goes down for a nap, and I get some recharge time. Justice plays Legos and I try to do the three simple things that most renew my soul:

Go for a prayer walk, take a hot shower, and read fiction.

The fresh air, exercise, and time alone is critical for my soul. On these walks I can sort my jumbled thoughts, talk to God, ask for wisdom, and lay out my needs. It’s just 30-minutes or so, but peace settles over my soul, and I feel at least somewhat more prepared to face the rest of the day.

Then, a hot shower. I love to do this in the middle of the day after I’ve done chores, been outside with the boys, and walked.  I’m ready to be warm and clean.

Next, I curl up under a warm blanket and slip into a literary world. Right now it’s Les Miserables, although Dutch just finished Project Hail Mary and is begging me to pause my book to read this.

The time for all this varies, but sometime around 2:30-3pm, Justice is ready for some interaction, so I try to give him some undivided attention. We play a game or read some of his favorite books. I keep a basket up high of all our “fragile favorites”–the ones we love so much they’re starting to fall apart.

During the time I also try to squeeze in some dinner prep, so I’m not trying to cook with both little boys underfoot. I like involving littles in cooking tasks, but for us dinner isn’t the best time for this.

Around 4pm Ben is stirring and ready to take on the world. I try to have a snack ready when he comes down as it makes for a happier transition.

For me, the 4ish-5:30ish window is the usually hardest of the day. When I try to do dinner-prep during this time it usually ends poorly, so now I try to focus on interacting with the littles until Jeff gets home.

We play a game, read, or if Papa’s watching something, we join in the snake hunt or the football game or whatever it may be.

Evenings

Evenings vary. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Sundays we’re usually home as a family. Tuesdays I have Bible study, Thursdays and Fridays Heidi has theater, and Saturday nights Jeff helps set up the church building for services the next day.

During evenings at home, we play with the littles until they head to bed around 7:30pm. As soon as they’re down, the big kids, Jeff, and I enjoy some big-people time! Code Names, 7 Wonders, and Settlers of Catan are some of our favorite games, or we’ll watch a movie (spread over two evenings since I can’t stay up late enough for a full one!) and eat popcorn.

In the last few months we’ve enjoyed the most-recent Spiderman trilogy, Karate Kid, and Arrival. Most recently I introduced them to my all-time favorite, the 1998 version of Les Miserables.

Between 9:30-10pm the teens are at the height of their alertness and the parents are basically comatose. So, bedtime involves Jeff and I slowly backing away from their enthusiastic chatter and escaping into our room. Jokes aside, we do love this time with the big kids so we try to stay engaged as long as we can! Eventually we slip into bed and invariably say, “We did it!”

It’s a lot of work, this homeschool life.

But we wouldn’t trade it for the world.

Goodnight.

My, how the days have changed:

• 2022: Kari’s Homeschool Day in the Life (with a 1-, 3-, 13-, and 15-year-old)
• 2021:  Kari’s homeschool day in the life (with a newborn, 2-, 11- and 14-year-old)
• 2020: Kari’s homeschool day in the life (with a 1-, 10-, and 13-year-old)
• 2019: Kari’s homeschool day in the life (with a 5-month, 9- and 12-year old)
• 2018: Kari’s homeschool day in the life (with a 9-and 11-year-old)
• 2017: Kari’s homeschool day in the life (with a 7- and 10-year-old)
• 2016: Kari’s homeschool day in the life (with a 7- and 9-year-old)
• 2015: Kari’s homeschool day in the life (with a 5- & 8-year-old)
• 2014: Kari’s homeschool day in the life (with a 4- & 7-year-old)

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!