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Homeschools Are NOT Public Schools (and That’s Okay!)

homeschools are not public schools and that's okay

Today, my 7th grader did his math lesson on a laptop in my parents’ dining room, his spelling on the living room floor, and his history on the couch.

Yesterday, we planned a last-minute field trip to a children’s museum since grandma was available to join us.

Last week, when all the public schools were in session, we took our Spring break because it worked better for our family’s schedule.

A month ago, my 4th grader and I decided to switch to a different math curriculum. We transitioned mid-year to a program that worked better for him.

We’ve got no school desks, no bulletin boards, no interactive smart whiteboard, and no lockers. Some days we start school at 7am and other days at 10am. Our homeschool is a far cry from a public school classroom. 

But it wasn’t always so. 

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Give Your Family the Gift of Time… Homeschool!

Give Your Family the Gift of Time... Homeschool!

(There may be affiliate links in this post – click here to learn more. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.)

We all have 24 hours in a day. 

You can work hard to earn more money, you can study to gain more knowledge, and you can always buy more stuff. But time is one commodity we can’t get more of, no matter how hard we try. 

You can’t earn it. You can’t buy it. You can only spend it more carefully. 

Spending your time wisely and intentionally is the closest any of us can get to gaining more time. One of the best ways – in fact, the best way – that my family has found to take back time in our lives has been by homeschooling.

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10 Ways to Build a Career as an Architectural Engineer

10 Ways to Build a Career as an Architectural Engineer

Before I was a homeschool mom, I was an Architectural Engineer (AE).

Over the years, it’s seemed to me that AE doesn’t get the publicity it deserves. So I jumped at the chance to let homeschooling families know about it when The Old Schoolhouse Magazine did an issue on careers in engineering.

(The following article was originally published by The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, LLC in the Spring 2020 print edition of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine. It can also be viewed online here.) 

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How to Plan Your Homeschool Week: A Step-by-Step Guide

How to Plan Your Homeschool Week A Step-by-Step Guide

How you plan out your homeschool week will depend on many factors. The curricula you use, your educational methods, your personality and your kids’ personalities will all affect what your weekly planner looks like (or if you use one at all). 

I’ve always considered myself a planner connoisseur (yes, I’m aware I’m a nerd). But when it comes to our weekly school planner, I’ve found just using a very basic spreadsheet for each of my kids works best for us. 

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Homeschooling’s Secret Weapon

Homeschooling's Secret Weapon

What is this secret weapon, you ask?

Here’s a hint…

All moms and dads have this parenting tool in their arsenal. But homeschooling offers the advantage of significantly more time and freedom to use it!

So, what is this thing that makes homeschooling so effective, even when it’s used by average Jane’s and Joe’s teaching their kids in their kitchen?

Drum roll, please…

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How to Homeschool – A Quick Start Guide for Desperate Parents

How to Homeschool - A Quick Start Guide for Desperate Parents

It’s August…. The END of August…. 

If you’re being thrown into homeschooling unexpectedly, this might be the moment you start to panic. 

Or, it might be when the panic you’ve felt rising for months turns into full-blown freaking out. 

As a friend of mine says to lighten the mood when her kids are stressed out, “don’t worry… sausages!” 

Take a deep breath. It’s going to be okay.

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How to Survive School at Home During the Coronavirus Pandemic – Tips From a Homeschool Mom

How to Survive School at Home - Tips from a Homeschool Mom

You never imagined yourself doing school at home. Or maybe you did, but not yet… and definitely not because schools closed suddenly during a pandemic! You don’t have the luxury of researching and planning over the summer months – this is happening NOW! 

But for now – right now – you want to make the most of this. For the next three weeks or three months or however long it lasts, you want to take the lemons and make lemonade. 

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Top 10 Time-Saving Tips for Homeschoolers

Top 10 Time-Saving Tips for Homeschoolers with hour glass on sand background

Homeschoolers have gained back a lot of time with their kids by keeping them home. But it still seems like it’s never enough! So, in the spirit of not wasting any more of this precious commodity, let’s get right to the tips!

The list below includes the top ten ways I’ve learned to save time in our homeschool. It’s organized from very general to very specific – hopefully there’s an idea for everyone!

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