I recently saw a photo series by a professional photographer that showcased homeschooling and it irked me a little bit. Don’t get me wrong, the photos were beautiful! The captions depicted children hunting, exploring nature, scaling ponds, and playing in the mud: unschooling in all its glory. The lighting was perfect, the focus was crisp […]
Does My Bad Grammar Give Homeschooling a Bad Name?
I have noticed critiques on my blog about spelling and/or grammar. I am aware of the fact that I make mistakes in my writing, both in grammar and spelling (especially when I am writing passionately). Don’t get me wrong, I am not bothered when someone mentions a spelling error or grammatical error, in fact, it […]
20+ Tips for Homeschooling the Distracted Child
One of the greatest challenges we face as homeschoolers is keeping our kids on task. Whether you have a large family with kids that would rather play together than work or have a child that can’t seem to concentrate for longer than a few minutes, I have put together a list of over 20 practical […]
The Day I Gave Up On Homeschooling…
I gave up on homeschooling! Yes, I did! I just had it and had to say: “No more!” I gave up on homeschooling PERFECTLY, without any flaws! I gave up on having the perfect homeschool room that never gets used and buying curriculum other moms brag about that don’t work for my children and are […]
Why do Kids Chew on Their Shirts and What Can You Do About It?
I will never forget the day I realized I had a chewer. When my son was a baby he would chew on the side of the crib… no biggie, he was teething right? The problem is that it didn’t stop. When he was four years old, he moved to a wooden bunk bed with his […]
How to Make Small Space Homeschooling Work for YOU!
Hello everyone! I am SO excited to be here helping out on Hip Homeschooling while our beloved Rebecca is away. I’ve been a fan of this blog for a long time now, and after taking Rebecca’s How To Start A Blog Coaching program, I’ve started blogging over at Up Above The Rowan Tree. I am […]
What Homeschooling 5 Kids Really Looks Like
Let’s put aside Pinterest and Facebook, even Instagram! Let’s put aside the bright photographs of smiling children and talk about reality. Homeschooling 4 children with tornado toddler hanging off my legs is far less glamorous than I would have you believe. I wish I had it all together, the perfect children with the perfect curriculum […]
How to Deal with Homeschool Haters
We all have those people in our lives, the ones who raise their eyebrows in skepticism when we tell them we homeschool our kids. The ones who always have to make a biting comment or express their heartfelt (negative) opinion on your choice to homeschool. How do you stay strong when you are dealing with homeschool […]
Make the Bible Come to Life for your Children & Enter to win!
I have heard a lot of controversy over Sarah Young’s “Jesus Calling” book so when I saw “Jesus Today” (Devotions for Kids) I was intrigued. This is a 150 day devotional for children that essentially takes scripture, paraphrases it for little minds, and writes it as a letter to them from God. Whenever something is […]
5 excellent ways to keep a clean house while homeschooling
Homeschooling is a difficult task but having to keep a clean house at the same time can be very daunting. Check out these 5 practical tips to keep a clean house and stick to them in your daily schooling and household activities. Make your homeschool day more efficient and less stressful today! 1. Involve your […]
5 Things Husbands Wish their Wives Knew about Homeschooling
Many women feel alone when it comes to homeschooling. Their husbands seem standoffish at best, judgmental even of their progress. When they try to approach their husbands they are met with what appears to be indifference. I have caught myself wondering if my husband even cares that I am homeschooling or recognizes what I do! […]
Organize your Homeschool and Life with this 1 Powerful Tool…
As a homeschool mom to five young children… I have had my days (possibly months) of utter chaos; days when I wanted to quit. Weeks when I felt like I was hanging on by a thread, when I have questioned what I am doing and why I am doing it! Have you been there? […]
Teaching in a Way That is Not Your Strength
Are you teaching in a way that is not your strength? School in this house generally means workbooks, readers, paper and pencils. That’s MY kind of school. The smell of fresh workbooks, the excitement of a blank assignment before me with endless possibilities. However, for my very kinesthetic, hands on daughter, this type of learning is […]
What is the point of report cards?
I have a confession to make… I hate report cards, especially for the younger grades (they become more necessary in the upper grades). I don’t really see the point and think they can have some really negative effects. Take a look at some of the top reasons I don’t give my child’s report card a […]
5 Reasons my House is a Mess when You Come Over
Many people have asked me how I keep my house clean with 5 young children, the short answer… I don’t. Every day is a battleground with me: the vacuum, the dish pile, and the laundry pile. Every day I go through my lists and tidy up the random chaos of my home. And yet every […]
The 5 Days of Homeschooling: Which One Describes Your Homeschool Day Today?
On the first day of homeschool my children brought to me: a pile of books and blissful harmony! On the fifth day of homeschool my children brought to me: Screaming and fighting! Run and hide away, drink more coffee, please let it be Friday, and patience that I cannot seem to find… I recently read an […]
Science Experiments to learn about the sun, soil, and water! These are awesome!
These last few months we have been working on our Environmental Scientist unit in our Nancy Larson Science 1 curriculum. We have been learning all about the sun, soil, and water with hands-on lessons, science experiments and fun workbook exercises too! If you haven’t heard of Nancy Larson Science before, you may want to read […]
Homeschooling During a Move
If you have been following my blog you will know that we just moved a 24 hour journey away from all of our family and friends. We packed up, sold our home and came to a small island underneath Alaska. We left behind my precious Starbucks coffee, Walmart shopping, Costco warehouse, Superstore PC points and […]
Reality Check: Homeschooling is stupid hard!
This last week was one of the most challenging weeks I have ever faced as a homeschooling mom! It was not idyllic or joyful, nothing went as planned, the kids were bent on completely ignoring everything I said, my house has been chaos. I have lost my patience, I have felt like a failure, I […]
A Real Homeschool School Room Video Tour (that didn’t cost a fortune!)
We love seeing the beautiful Pinterest pictures of these stunning homeschool school room areas. You know the ones I am talking about. The ones that are bright and filled to the brim with beautiful, white ikea shelving and amazing wall maps and hanging things from the ceiling. Custom paint jobs and Montessori trays and amazing […]
All About Reading Curriculum Review
Teach your children to read with no tears! We have been using All About Reading for three years now and I can’t see us ever going back! This program has taken all of my children, with all of their different learning styles and challenges, from knowing their alphabet to reading fluently. It works for kinesthetic […]
First Day of School 2015
Today was our first official day back at school and honesty bomb… it was pretty awful! After 4 years of homeschooling, I must finally be mentally prepared for this day. I was excited and looking forward to getting back into the swing of things, but at the end of the day I realized that it […]
Top Preschool Curriculum Choices for Homeschooling
Looking for a detailed list of available Preschool curriculum to help you start with your little one? Look no further! I’ll give you a brief overview of each program, the cost, and links to go find more details! Make sure you stop and pin this post for later so you don’t lose it! If you […]
The AMAZING Curriculum Reveal Roundup 2015 and Favorite things Friday # 19
I love reading curriculum reveals and seeing what other homeschoolers choose, don’t you? I searched around the web and found as many curriculum reveal posts I could to share with you! If you’re a blogger, make sure to add your curriculum reveal to the link up below! I hope you find these as inspiring and […]
5 Things you Need to Know Before You Start Homeschooling
Back to school signs abound all around us, sales on paper and stationary are dangled in our faces. Alas, it’s that time of year again and many people are considering homeschooling as an option for the first time! If you are new to homeschooling or need some fresh inspiration as the school year approaches, read […]
Grapevine Studies Review
I am always on the lookout for Bible curriculum that isn’t boring, that makes the Bible come to life for my children! God isn’t boring and neither is His story, why should our curriculum be???? Grapevine Bible Studies‘ catch phrase is “Stick Figuring Through the Bible.” Their approach is to teach symbols and have the […]
Homeschooling the Uncooperative Child
We’ve all been there: the buckle at the knees, the unappealing pout, maybe the folded arms and determined scowl, all preceding the dreaded “WHY do I have to do this?!?!?!?” Find out how we homeschool the uncooperative child. Make sure you pin this so you can find it after! Do you have an uncooperative child? […]
Will I be Homeschooling High School? What are the pros and cons?
A lot of people have been asking lately if I will be homeschooling high school. High school seems to be scary territory, “how can we teach things so advanced? How will they get a diploma? They need their friends!” Although I went to public school for grade 11 and 12, the homeschool scene has changed […]
SmartKidz Media Learning Resources for Homeschoolers: Full Video Review
Have you heard of SmartKidz Media? I heard about it for the first time from the Schoolhouse ReviewCrew and as soon as I clicked on the link, I wanted in! This is a detailed review AND video review of the SmartKidz Media Library for Homeschoolers. If you have been looking for some fun, engaging learning resources to supplement […]
HELP! I’m Starting Homeschooling and Don’t Know Where to Start! And Favorite things Friday #12
Are you starting homeschooling and feeling completely overwhelmed? Don’t panic! Grab a cup of coffee, a pen and paper, and come make a plan with me on what to use for curriculum, how to understand and teach your child successfully, and more! 1. Before you do anything, check out this post, “How to Get Started […]
