6 Ways to Motivate the Middle School Learner

6 Ways to Motivate the Middle School Learner

If there is one thing that I have learned so far in homeschooling this year is that I am not naturally good at motivating unwilling learners. I have little patience and energy when it comes to helping someone else see the benefit of working hard or pushing past a lack...
Homeschooling When Your Spouse has a Home Office

Homeschooling When Your Spouse has a Home Office

It sounds like it would be all peaches and cream to have a spouse with a home office. There are, in fact, some good things about your spouse working from home, however, sometimes it can be frustrating and a challenge to coordinate homeschooling and a spouse’s...
Top 8 Christmas Gifts for Your Artsy Middle School Homeschooler

Top 8 Christmas Gifts for Your Artsy Middle School Homeschooler

Good quality colored pencils—Pass the green and yellow boxes that you bought at the back to school sales and look for the nicer quality pencils. Your student will get bright colors and smooth coverage with a better pencil. Watercolor Paper Pad—Look for sturdy and...
Making Snack Time Learning Time

Making Snack Time Learning Time

You can become a multitasking educator by taking advantage of an often skipped learning opportunity—snack time! Eating is fun for all ages and can be a good distraction from mundane coursework and tests. Our favorite snack time (or meal time when dad isn’t around) is...
Introducing Your Homeschool Student to College-Level Skills

Introducing Your Homeschool Student to College-Level Skills

As a parent working to prepare your homeschooled student for college, you already know that his/her transcript is not the only information source admissions offices review.  Credentials are definitely important, but some colleges might pay as much attention to a...
Four Easy School Day Lunch Ideas for the Homeschooler

Four Easy School Day Lunch Ideas for the Homeschooler

If you’re like me, the lunchtime hustle is more of a bust than a break. We work to get everyone focused and on task for the morning and before we know it, we have kids looking a little pale, falling asleep, swinging from the ceiling fan, or pretending to toss punches...
Making It On One Income

Making It On One Income

If you ask me, I’ll tell you that my family is living high-on-the-hog considering we are a one-income household. Without going into detail, it’s important to understand that I am speaking from the position of a homemaker with four children and several pets...
Keeping a Homeschool Schedule

Keeping a Homeschool Schedule

Last year—and all my past homeschooling years—looked tremendously different from this one.  Because this year I’m on a schedule! I have actually planned out 15 weeks of lessons, including page numbers and skill lessons. But I haven’t decided if I like it yet or not....
Connecting With Other Non-homeschool Parents

Connecting With Other Non-homeschool Parents

It’s inevitable that you, fellow homeschooling mom, will run into someone one day that does not understand you. I must confess, that I don’t always understand us either. In fact, I don’t get myself all of the time. Sometimes we dive so deeply into our world of...
Teaching Kids to be Independent

Teaching Kids to be Independent

When it comes to teaching kids to be independent, I am apparently an expert. My nine-year-old is notorious for doing all sorts of things without asking my permission.  He will rewire his toys with his dad’s tools, rearrange the icons on my laptop, download games to my...