7 Things Every New Homeschooling Parent Should Know

1 Relax and believe you are doing the best for your children. If you have little ones start by just reading aloud on the couch. Enjoy this time.
Learn what philosophy of education you like.  If you are taking your children out of the system, deschool for a while. Don’t worry about academics and just reconnect with your child. Ask them what they want to learn.  I call it Delight Directed Learning, though I am sure I didn’t coin that term.

2. Find a local support group that isn’t just an online group. Get plugged in, that means participate. You will make lifelong friends.

3. Think outside of the “school” box. Don’t try to recreate a brick n mortar school at home. Make your school cozy, a joy to learn in. Don’t be afraid of messes. Clean up time instills good habits and discipline.

4. Find someone you can connect with that is older been there done that. That has a heart for homeschooling families.  Likeminded in your philosophy of education, religion, politics, just generally someone you can trust.  I know this can take time, and I am not saying people who aren’t the same are bad or wrong, it just makes it easier for you if you are not confident. 

5 Learn your child’s learning style. Check out The Way they learn by Cynthia Tobias. 
Everyone learns differently even moms. 

6. My number one thing I tell every new homeschool parent. If you do nothing but love your child, you are doing more than the public schools.  No one will love them like you do.

7. If you are a Christian parent, pray over your children and make reading the bible the first part of your day.

Who's Holding Up Your Arms When You Are Weary?

If you are a home school mom and are getting to the end of your rope at the end of the year, who do you turn to?  Who is your Arron or Hur?

Exodus 17:11 "So it came about when Moses held his hand up, that Israel prevailed, and when he let his hand down, Amalek prevailed." Eventually, Moses became weary, and so Aaron and Hur responded by holding up his arms until the Israelites were able to finally defeat the Amalekites. 

Do you have a group that supports you? A trusted friend to say you can do this?  I encourage you to seek out Godly women, Titus 2 women that will hold you up in prayer, phone/text support, or just getting a quick cup of Joe to get you out.  

If you don't know anyone in real life that will encourage you, there are many home school sites with wonderful support. I just joined Homeschoolscopes on Facebook. What a fun place!
You get to see real women who love to share their hearts, ideas, blogs, and resources. 

2nd Timothy 4:1-8  I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at[a] His appearing and His kingdom:2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. 5 But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.

We need to finish well. With Him all things are possible! God Bless you in your journey.

#homeschoolingforlife  #20yrsandcounting 

End of year Mother's Day project: Mom's Shed. 

A New Year in Schooling

Fourth grade. What an exciting time in life! Young enough to enjoy and old enough to try more things.  Delayed learning can be hard when you are waiting for you little one to catch on, but oh the joy to see those sparks!

This year, as always when I ask Joe what does he want to learn about, he rattled of WW1, WWll, weapons of this age, civil war, revolution war, and stars.  This is not surprising as my boys are gun lovin, bad guy, alien, and zombie killing kind of boys and their father is always watching Morgan Freeman's Though the Worm Hole or other such space shows.

So we started our adventure. We have already taken a field trip to the FL Holocaust Muse am, which I could not take pictures. However, after that sad place we went to a tea house which we had lots of laughs with our friends trying on different hats.

We also started our co-op classes and we are doing a mini unit on animals which what young-ling doesn't love? Our friend has been kind enough to host it at her house where there are chickens, goats, horses, cats and dogs. A dream for my son.

We visited Winter the Dolphin at the Clearwater Marine Center. The whole family came for that.

There's Winter! What a hot day, but it was good to have Grandma, Eddie & Sean with us.  Time is fleeting. I missed my dad that day as he loved to do things like this with us.

No back to school kick off would be complete without a trip to MOSI, our local science and industry museum.

Joseph also started piano this year. All I can say it's about time the piano Ed got from Miss Cheryl is finally being used the right way.

Lastly to this post all is not just fun and games, there are chores. If a man doesn't work he doesn't eat the bible says. Joe has taken on a few more this year and is becoming a helpful lil guy.  I need all the help I can get!

You may be thinking but come on where is the real school?  This is life, it is learning as we go.  It may not be what you think it should be or how you think it should get done, but every child is different and brings different challenges. Joe is no exception.  He is full of questions and full of laughter.
Here he is doing his math program, Teaching Textbooks. Mom loves this.  He is for the first time motivated to take charge of his day. He reads his daily bible first, then gets right to his math.

Next journey this year is for Sean.  He is officially a 2L.  That's a second year law student. It was heaven for me to have him home this summer, but as always way too short for the Mama.
This is the morning he left before the tears came rolling.  I am praying my daughter in love who ever she is can deal with me loving him so much and doesn't take him out of state! Not my will though Lord, whatever you choose.

It is really hard to take a good picture of yourself with a cell phone. Just sayin.