All too often I see or hear of homeschool families divided.

The Unschoolers v.s. the Classical; the Charlotte Mason v.s. the Textbook Style, Christian Homeschoolers v.s. the Secular Homeschoolers, etc.

But, what if we stuck together, despite what style, method or philosophy we adhere to?

What if we celebrated what we have in common instead of separating ourselves by our differences?

What could we accomplish?

For one thing, we could give homeschooling a stronger more unified voice. When it comes time to defend our rights and freedoms as parents to choose how our children will be educated, we need to build upon our similarities.

We could also willingly lend each other a helping hand. Encouraging one another in this vocation we have taken on is so important. While homeschooling is great, I don’t think anyone of you would disagree when I say days of challenge or even doubt do arise; and in those times we need someone to listen.

We can improve everyday if we keep the lines of communication open to one another.  Not for the sake of evangelizing our ways to sway a family into our methods, but to learn from one another and our experiences.  I have learned many bits of wisdom from those who follow a different faith or method of homeschool, which I then adapt to fit my family. Some of my greatest supporters don’t even homeschool!

So, with the theme of standing together, here is a start to a list of similarities you and I have.

Be Stronger – Stand Togehter!

What All Homeschoolers Have in Common

1. We all love our children.

2. Our hearts fill with joy when our kids hit a milestone and break through a previous barrier.

3. All of us have children in our family unit who will learn differently than their siblings.

4. We all have books/curriculum on the shelf we thought would be awesome and have yet to crack open.

5. We all need quiet time to replenish and nourish our souls (Time for Mom (or Dad)).

6. Everyone has had a day (or many in my case) where we don’t get one thing done on our looming ‘To Do’ list.

7. We’ve all stepped on Lego or hotwheels in the night and have had to hold our tongues as not to wake a sleeping child. (Why, oh why does that Lego hurt so much??)

8. There are days when we overhear our kids ‘expertly’ conversing with someone over a topic we know nothing about.

9. We’ve all answered the socialization question 2,348 times (or more).

10. Those days as 5 pm approaches, your husband is due home and you realize you are all still in your p.j.’s because it’s been ‘one of those days’.

11. Then your husband does get home to find you in your p.j.’s, as stated above, you just roll with it and enthusiastically declare “It was fun p.j. day!!” pretending it was planned long ago.

12. We’ve all struggled with what or how a child learns v.s. what or how we, as parents, like to learn or teach.

13. Someone’s science experiment has ended up mistakenly in the garbage because we thought the kids just forgot to clean the kitchen. (Or worse yet … we’ve eaten it!)

14. Bugs and critters have been brought in the house only to escape. (Ask me about Stacey the ladybug, or our painted lady butterfly fiasco.)

15. We have all learned something (or many things) from our kids. (check out this link up from iHomeschool Network bloggers: What My Child Has Taught Me)

16. We have all witnessed how big, loving and forgiving our children’s hearts are.

17. The wisdom and innocence our kids possess has helped us appreciate we can homeschool them.

18. There are days when we raise a white flag, days when we need support and a cheerleader to keep going.

19. We’ve all wished for a laundry fairy and are truly disappointed that she never show up for duty.

20. The internet and researching have sucked a whole day out of us at one point or another.

21. We’ve all wondered if we are doing enough for our children.

The grass isn’t greener on the other side, it is just different grass. So please, don’t fall for the comparison game which can lead to division and feeling too proud, it’s a trap.

We need to humble ourselves,  be welcoming and soften our hearts.  We all come from different backgrounds and beliefs which can build us up rather than divide and tear us down.

Today, make an effort to reach out, in real life or via social media, to encourage another homeschooler!  Share your experience; but also take time to learn what works well for others so you can improve your homeschool day too.

Be Stronger – Stand Together

What kind of planner are you?

I am a list maker, the “old fashioned” pencil and paper kind of list maker.

There is something about a pencil or pen in my hand which helps me to own my to-do list.

When we physically write something out, it helps our minds to own those tasks a little more than if we write it via a keyboard, in a virtual way.

 Although, having smartphones and apps certainly are useful too.

Organizing Your Day

In fact, at our house we have a virtual calendar for our family where each member is colour coded, to go along with my paper list.

My husband and I enter our appointments, business travel as well as our children’s sports and other out of the home activities into our virtual calendar.  As our kids become more involved with activities outside the home, this has helped my husband stay in the loop.  When he is out working or if he has been out of town, all he has to do is check our calendar to know what the rest of us are up to.

 It also helps me!

At the beginning of each week I enter all the activities or appointments we have planned as a family and as individuals.

Once all of that is entered I can let it go and allow myself to focus on all our other “to-do” lists.  As homeschoolers, we all have a lot on the go from planning each child’s subjects and projects to the regular household stuff like laundry.

(That never ending pile of laundry, or is this just my house?  Lol.)

What Goes on the Master List?

Making a master list is great, but you have to be picky.

Discern what is on your list and what can or should be on your children’s lists.

Then break it all down, into your daily  Action List.

1. Have – To’s

2. Should – Do’s

3. Want – To’s

I keep my “Have to’s” as focused and clear cut as I can, and try to attack at least 1 “Should Do”.

Once my “Have to” and “Should do” lists  are done I get to pick something from my “Want to” List.  I can work away at one of my hobbies, read a book, or just sit.

At our house the goal of our action lists is to provide our family with:

• organization

• direction

• strategy

• peace of mind

• a sense of accomplishment

This may sound all neat and tidy, but let me tell you, we definitely live a real life around here which also means it can all just be a whirlwind of organized chaos!

  Preserving the Why and the Wonder in our children can help them be more creative, brave and successful in life.

Who knows…it might just help keep you inspired too!

Here is some encouragement for you to slow down and take the time to look into those sweet eyes of your children:

For more on this topic check out my blog post:

Engage Eye to Eye and Learn with your Kids!

Eye Contact… we expect it, but do we give it?

How often have you heard yourself say to your children…”Look at me when I talk to you!”  We have all done it at one point or another.  In fact  I said it just the other day, and it inspired me to write this post.

Was I inspired to write about how to get your children behave better and have proper manners?  No, not really; I was inspired more through my own self reflection/criticism … which is sometimes difficult to see, let alone do.

You see lately I have been really busy, barely getting things done and spread a little thin.  I have been multitasking a little too much, which is something we all go through at one point or another.  We all have times of over filling our plates, whether it was our choice or whether it is life just throwing it all at us.  We have all walked this road and while it is  sometimes necessary, it is also wise to remember to slow down enough each day and embrace what really matters.

Upon  uttering these words “Look at me when I talk to you!” I could feel frustration creeping in…then I realized something.

I, through all my busyness, had not been offering the same to my children! …Gulp!

My frustration eased and I quickly started to get things back on track.

I had been so busy that each time the kids wanted to share something with me or ask me a question,  I had my nose buried in one important task or another.  Sure I’d look up from the laundry, dishes, cell phone, or meal prep…but I never stopped.

I felt sad because I realized when we give eye contact we are doing so much more than just showing the other person we are listening…we are showing them:

• How much we care

• Respect

• How special the other person is to us

• Love

• They have a safe place to share

• Their ideas and experiences matter

• You believe in them

Children can fill our hearts with so much pure love and pure joy, they are amazing little people and deserve better than a mumbled back  response over the pot of spaghetti sauce!  If we, as their parents, are not taking the time to fully engage with them and model how to do so, then who will?

Life is all about a process of  give and take; you give respect,  love and eye contact,  that will be returned to you.

The opportunity we have to learn from our kids, once we slow down enough to engage with them, is also part of that give and take.  They can give us back  some our childhood whimsy and innocence.  Eye to eye we are pulled back into the world of our kids looking at it through their eyes.  Discovering once again the beauty and wonder of  everything around us!

Our children are an absolute treasure and gift; their eyes have a special sparkle which is magically contagious…

All you have to do to catch this sparkle  is slow down enough to look into their beautiful eyes!

What sparkle did you catch from your kids today?

Rise Above! Stay Focused! Have Fun!

So you are homeschooling, or thinking of homeschooling, you’re excited and start to share with others what you do or what you are planning to do…then it happens….

The negative talk, raised eyebrows and the hesitant…“Oh?”

Sooner or later we are all faced with this and I hope that for your sake it is few and far between.  The truth of the matter is … the negative outlook others share can slowly eat away at us, not to mention it just plain ol’ hurts!

 The negative talk can even make us question what is in our hearts and all the thought we put into homeschooling…don’t let that happen to you!

There are many approaches to dealing with negativity and difficult people and I should share with you that  I am not an expert in this field.  However, I can share what has worked for me, as well as what has worked for others.  Maybe something here will help you get through one of  ‘those days’.

What Can We Do?

• Know with conviction and passion why you homeschool!  The true grit to your everyday.

• Smile!  Smiles can be contagious, it might throw those nay-sayers off track when they see you love what you do.

• Be understanding!  Some comments I hear/see scream insecurity and ignorance.

• Know you don’t need to explain your why to everyone.  No matter what you say or solid research you provide, some just will not hear you out anyway.  No need to go there, rise above!

• Consider that some may just be flustered by your confidence.   As a homeschooler, you are going against the norm and following your heart’s desire.  This is hard to do for many, maybe those who are questioning you and your decision are looking for real answers for themselves.

• Surround yourself with positive people. Find some like-minded families to hang out with.  They don’t necessarily have to be homeschoolers themselves, just people who support you in your homeschooling.  There are also many on-line forums for you to check out, and don’t forget the many social media sites as well.

• Reach out to other homeschool families.   Create your own positive vibe by helping someone else out with their homeschooling.  Invite someone over for tea or coffee!
  

Other Things I Do

• No “school work” that day.  If I feel deflated from the negative conversation, we go home and put away any core “school work” for the day!   I do not want the negative energy seeping into our lessons.

• Make sure the rest of your day is FUN!  Crank the tunes, do crafts, go out and buy new pencils, watch a movie, go for a nature hike, start a new read-a-loud book, make a volcano…so many options for having a fun day.

• Gather up those amazing little people in your life and hand out the hugs. Talk about all the fun things you have done that month because you have the freedom to homeschool.  (My boys, 11 and 9 years old at the time, have already had the privilege to go out and volunteer!  They have done many little things, but have also each done a 5  hour shift during the “school day”. )

• Grab your  spouse and let him/her know how thankful you are.   It is easy for us to complain and lean on one another when our days get long, instead just give each other a hug and a pat on the back.  Build each other up and chat about why you love homeschooling!

Take Time to Play!

These are just a few  things to help you get through some negative comments that may come your way.

I really want to convey to you that we can all rise above the negativity of others in a positive and proactive way.

Rise Above!  Stay Focused!  Have Fun!

So now it is your turn!   Please share with us …

Have you guessed what it is?

 It is LOVE.

Love is something we all share and when our  heart is open,  meaning not closed off or hardened, it can break through barriers giving us more opportunity in life.

Love is like our own real life super-power!  It gives us undeniable strength, resilience, passion, emotion, inspiration and drive.

We have all walked hard roads in life at one point or another, we have all been tested and we have all had the experience of feeling….”How did I EVER get through that?”

We get through it all with LOVE.

It has different meanings and works differently in all our lives, but we all possess this key to success.  The question is…are you using it?

We can use love to power through life.  Love can  give you the courage to take on a new challenge, or to make hard decisions easier.

Choose to love your way through trials v.s. allowing negative thoughts to creep in and take over.

Always go back to the love in your heart when you are too tired,  or down and out.  It is an amazing pick me up!

LOVE can be the extra fuel to your WHY.

Lately I have had some quiet  reflection time and focused on LOVE.  It is an infinite topic, so here are just a few of my personal reflections to share with you.   L O V E

• The feeling you have when you first hold your newborn baby…That’s LOVE.

• The nagging intuition or gut feeling…

• The extra push you have to finish something…

• The smile you give or receive…

• The shoulder you give…

• The empathy you feel…

• The scared feeling you have at the thought of loosing something/someone…

• The feeling of your heart living on the outside of your body…

• The hand someone gives…

• The inspiration…

• The charity you give or receive…

• The generosity you show…

• The hope you have, the hope you can give..

• The sleepless nights of caring, worry or prayer…

• The burden you carry…

• The sacrifices you make…

• The tears you shed…

• The strength you feel…

• The courage you need…

LOVE is eternal, a universe all it’s own, a motivational force, encompassing all other virtues. Protect and nourish your heart, let it be free to both give and receive LOVE.  Witness it’s infinite possibilities in your life. Spend some time each day to reflect on what LOVE is for you and what you can  do to harness it’s power!

What are some of your possibilities if you let LOVE fuel your WHY for today and for your future?

I used to really dislike getting bombarded with this question since it seemed like no matter what I said for my reasons why we chose to homeschool, they never seemed to be enough to satisfy those who were asking.

Then I had a bit of a revelation…

The Power of WHY

Knowing your why will empower you in your:

• home school

• life

• business

• relationships

• sports

• workouts…..etc.

The list can be endless, the power of WHY can empower your whole being!

So, when you get bombarded with the question “Why do you homeschool?” for the 273rd time, instead rolling your eyes and brushing them off with the quickest answer like…”we just thought it would be better”; use it as an opportunity for growth.

After all, you don’t know the motive behind that person’s question.

Perhaps they want to know because they have been yearning to homeschool their children and are searching for a mentor.  Then again they could be people who just don’t get it or even feel threatened somehow that you homeschool.  Either way, taking the time to answer  this WHY question will at minimum empower you, but it also has the ability to reach out and empower others.

Reasons Why We Homeschool

23 Reasons Why:

1. My children  They are the best little people I know…I do it all for them!

2. I love their inquisitive nature!

3. The sparkle in their eyes!

4. I want them to love books….and they do!

5. I want them to be properly prepared to know how to gather information.

6. I want them to learn how to apply that information…which doesn’t always mean writing out a report.

7. I want to free them from “busy work”.

8. I want them to be on fire for knowledge.

9. The extra hugs.

10. The family read-a-loud times.

11. The great discussions.

12. The ability to handle situations as they arise.

13. The fact that I am more aware of any situation almost immediately v.s. a week or more later if child was at school.

14. I can celebrate with them when they learn to tie their shoes, or print their name!

15. Our playtime is far more productive.

16. No useless worksheet after worksheet.  We do real learning for our current needs.

17. We can make a mess.  We have fun with our projects!

18. I get to be the one to wipe the tears when they are frustrated or sad.

19. I have the power to outsource if need be and I also get to search for the best possible person to help with aerodynamics (as one example).

20. I get to laugh with them when they say the best one liners.

21. We have time to volunteer.

22. More time for sports and extra curricular activities.

23. We can instill our family values day-to-day.  Again I am aware of situations and I am available to them to help figure it out and guide them.

There are so many more reasons why we chose to homeschool.  These are just 23 reasons why, that I had on my mind this sunny afternoon.

Here is another post I wrote that fits well with this topic:  “Why Do You Want To Homeschool?”

This post is part of the “Why We Chose to Homeschool” link up at iHomeschool Network.

To read more “Why We Chose to Homeschool” posts from my fellow iHomeschool Network bloggers, click the photo below!

Why We Homeschool

Homeschooling with Games

“Break Free in Your Homeschool”  has made me think of so many mini posts!

This one is about:

Games

How often do you use games during your home school week?

We used to play a lot of games and for some reason these past few months,  games have been an after thought or even pushed right aside.

Children love to play and they also need to play!

Playing  provides so much opportunity to lock in knowledge or learn something in a different way and often without realizing just how much they are learning.

Playing board games, as one instance,  can offer so much to your home school and it engages both hemispheres of the brain.

Let’s not forget that they are fun and a great way to break free from the same old routine!

Brain Hemisphere Processing:

I’d also like to add that both hemispheres of the brain will be engaged when the task is more complex, so don’t forget to play games that challenge everyone a little too!

Now when you think of games as not learning, or as a waste of  “school time” reference this chart with your game closet…take a look at all the ways your brain is stimulated and challenged!  Games are a great way to spend some home school time.

Games to Enhance Your Homeschool

*This list contains affiliate links to games we love to play in our home

Schedule games into your day and have some fun!

What game are you going to pull out this week?

   Share with us in my Comment box below!

I help set them up and get them going, then all I did was supervise and mediate.

Through their own experimenting they came to conclusions that if a substance was at either end of the pH scale that it would be very harmful v.s. something that is closer to the middle or pH of 7.  That opened up some great discussion and lead to a list of what we will test next time.

Not bad for 11 and 9 years old

Science does not have to be over complicated, simplify and supervise (we don’t need any explosions or injuries)  and let them discover things on their own.   I always ask open ended questions for them to make a hypothesis, without leading them.  They need to make their own prediction even if it is way off, it is good for them to carry out the experiment and for them to see where their hypothesis may be wrong or right.  Both outcomes facilitate great discussions.

Let them record data different ways too.  Sometimes we chart data, and sometimes we draw pictures; while other times we just discuss and take pictures.

Science does not have to be overwhelming or intimidating, it does require some supplies and some shared enthusiasm.

Think ahead book a morning or afternoon, gather your supplies and get ready for some fun!

What experiment did you try?