10 Ways to Spring Clean Your Homeschool Days

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10 Ways to Spring Clean Your Homeschool Days

This is a guest post contributed by Stephanie Radcliffe. You can learn more about Stephanie in her bio at the bottom of her post.
When we decided to home educate as a family, something I wrestled with and often still do, is this sometimes daunting feeling that “it is all up to me”. You know the saying ‘if mama ain’t happy, nobody’s happy’? It also feels true that ‘if mama can’t get the routine ship sailing, ain’t nobody else going to go sailing that day either’. And sometimes it just feels like my rudder is stalling out.

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How To Reset Your Homeschool

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How To Reset Your Homeschool

This is a guest post contributed by Leah Hudson. You can learn more about Leah in her bio at the bottom of her post.

Each year I go through some sort of purge. Some sort of reorganization. It happens throughout my home. Yesterday, I was sorting through some things on my bookshelves and I came across some notes to myself about homeschool.

I looked up the Bible verses jotted down and realized they were a reset for my homeschool, at just the appropriate time for spring cleaning. These notes are the way to reset your homeschool any time of year. But somehow they seem to work best right now—in the midst of the wind-down of the year. Weariness has set in. There is light at the end of the tunnel and yet there is still so much work to be done.

I offer these simple ideas for resetting your homeschool as a sort of torch to guide the way to the rest of the year. I hope you find them encouraging. There are three “gets” and a “remember.”

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5 Practical Ways to Your Best Homeschool Day

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5 Practical Ways to Your Best Homeschool Day

This is a guest post contributed by Lara Chomout. You can learn more about Lara in her bio at the bottom of her post.

I often wish I was “perfect.” As I dream of what this must look like, I imagine the mom I want to be -- the mom who wakes up before the kids, reads her bible, has breakfast ready, dishes put away and a load of laundry going all before the day truly begins. But just as quickly as that dream begins, I roll over in bed, groan, and press the snooze button… over and over again.

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When You Need to Reset Your Mom-Mood

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When You Need to Reset Your Mom-Mood

This is a guest post contributed by Amber Palmer. You can learn more about Amber in her bio at the bottom of her post.

“Mom, I think your signature look is the side-eyed glare,” my daughter shared with me one day while we were getting ready to start school.

I chuckled at first. I wanted to brush it off as tween sass. But the more I thought about it, the more it bothered me to think that this was how my kids saw me.

As the day went on, I started to pay attention to my mannerisms—and sure enough, when my children asked me to do something for them or interrupted me in any way, my “signature look” showed up fast. Along with that side-eyed glare, I realized I had a deep sigh of annoyance to match.

I couldn’t shake the conviction: this was not love.
 This was a grumbling heart.
I was knee-deep in major “mom mood.”

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A FREE Skills + Activities Checklist For Your 2-5 Year Old

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A FREE Skills + Activities Checklist For Your 2-5 Year Old

What are some milestones that I need to look for in my child’s behavior or abilities?

  • How do I know he’s ready for school?

  • How long should she be able to pay attention?

  • How much time should we spend on “school”?

  • My child doesn’t do ________, is that ok?

  • What are some ways that I can engage my child in a meaningful way during our busy days?

These are all questions I’ve asked over the years and questions I hear daily from busy, concerned homeschooling moms who want to make sure they’re doing best for their child.

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How to Protect Your Time, Homeschooler

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How to Protect Your Time, Homeschooler

This is a guest post contributed by Lara Chomout. You can learn more about Lara in her bio at the bottom of her post.

When homeschooling was simply a dream, I imagined... well… that we would be home. I remember asking the worried questions about socialization and which curriculum would serve us best. From these questions, I learned about the world of homeschool community and all the wonderful things our local group had to offer.

So, of course, when we stepped into our first year of homeschooling, I added all the social things I could find. Wild + Free groups, co-ops (P.E. co-ops, presentation co-ops, I even started a weekly co-op with friends), and sports.

Everything we were involved in was wonderful. But I quickly learned I could not do all the things, homeschool my children, keep a house, and still be a present mom and wife.

People would constantly ask me how I could do it all. They were impressed with me—and the facade I had created. The reality? I wasn’t a very good mom at the time. My marriage was hurting. And honestly, I have no idea if my children were learning anything.

I was running on empty.
I had to let things go.

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Learning that Lasts - Simple Practices to Point Kids to Christ

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Learning that Lasts - Simple Practices to Point Kids to Christ

This is a guest post contributed by Leah Hudson. You can learn more about Leah in her bio at the bottom of her post.

I spend a lot of time thinking about how best to educate my children. Hours and hours are dedicated to simply planning the year ahead. Another immeasurable chunk of time is consumed actually carrying out those plans—reading, writing, discussing, reviewing. It is a lot.

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Three Things To Do While Waiting on Your Homeschooling Community

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Three Things To Do While Waiting on Your Homeschooling Community

This is a guest post contributed by Amber Palmer. You can learn more about Amber in her bio at the bottom of her post.

Five years ago, my husband and I made a decision to pull my daughter from a small private school and homeschool her. When we made this choice, I didn’t realize what a challenge it would be to find a homeschool community or just a few good friends for my daughter to connect with.

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