6 Steps to Start Homeschooling Successfully (or HOW to get started without losing it...)

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6 Steps to Start Homeschooling Successfully (or HOW to get started without losing it...)

Seasoned homeschool mom or brand-newbie, it’s extremely easy for any of us to get stuck in the “about to start” mode. Does any of this resonate with you?

  • You have everything you need to get started… but it’s all sitting in a box unpacked.

  • You have things pretty organized, but things aren’t just right yet.

  • You took a break during the holidays, and the idea of starting back feels you with dread.

There are a few different emotions that can hold us back from beginning, and two are most prevalent:

  1. Fear.

  2. Burnout. (Which is actually also rooted in fear.)

Honestly, I’m so thankful I started homeschooling over a decade ago…

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FREE: Charlotte Mason's Formidable List of Attainments Posters

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FREE: Charlotte Mason's Formidable List of Attainments Posters

In a curriculum from the 1890’s, Charlotte Mason outlined a list of “attainments” that she believed were a challenging set of skills and knowledge that a well-educated child of 6 would do well to have. This list of skills is not for a child to hav e mastered BY the age of 6, but r ather to be challenged with AT the age of 6. This means that the following list of attainments are not a “kindergarten readiness” list but instead would be considered Miss Mason’s “kindergarten” program.

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FREE: Ocean Fun Pack!

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FREE: Ocean Fun Pack!

My little guys love ocean animals! As a child I had a deep desire to become a marine biologist. I mean, who doesn't want to swim with dolphins and closely observe whales?

Over time, the Lord had different plans for me, but that doesn't mean I don't still love ocean animals. As a matter of fact, Volume 2 of Nature (release: Spring 2022) is allllll about oceans and shorelines.

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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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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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Joy When Motherhood Feels Crushing

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Joy When Motherhood Feels Crushing

And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil. Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. -1 Thessalonians 5:14‭-‬24 ESV

There it is. In black and white: Rejoice Always. Literally two words for an entire verse. That's how big and powerful and important. Rejoice always.

But how? I was awake the entire night rocking a teething baby. I walked downstairs to what looked like a war zone. No one had done their chores, a 2-year-old was running wild like a banshee, and the house reeked of overdue diapers to be trashed.

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Playing in Motherhood: Mother Culture

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Playing in Motherhood: Mother Culture

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

The tick, tick, tick of the clock starts to drown out my thoughts.

I’m finally slowing down from the daily hustle of my routine of laundry and dishes, making meals, sibling arguments, spills- daily motherhood, really- and home education. The children are calm as we settle into our “quiet time” for the day - and perhaps now, for the first time, I can think.

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Home Education as Process

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Home Education as Process

This is a guest post contributed by Stephanie Radcliffe. You can learn more about Stephanie in her bio at the bottom of her post.
It’s far too easy to think that when our days don’t look smooth and seamless that we are failing or that we aren’t offering quality education to our children. Somewhere along the way, we got it into our heads that cooperative children, perfectly executed rhythms and routine, and checking off all of the boxes in our curriculum guides was not only the standard and evidence of success; but also whether we feel accomplished or not as homeschool mothers.


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