The Heart of Homeschooling

This week I’m talking about why it’s important to reflect, take stock, evaluate how the year went. So you can tweak what needs to be tweaked and set yourself up for the best school year yet next year! I’m sharing the reflection questions I use for my own homeschool and then the ones I use when I’m thinking about how I personally did as the homeschool teacher. They’re both important to think about.  In this episode I hope you embrace how far you’ve come this year or in all of the years of homeschooling. When you look at those reflection questions you’ll be able to see how much you’ve learned over the year or years. And finally, I’m going to try to help you be comfortable with sharing your experiences and advice with those moms coming behind you who are going to be asking you how you do it all.  When moms at church or anywhere else you go find out that you homeschool, they have a million questions, right? Now I know you might not feel like the best choice to be advising other moms who ask you about homeschooling.  But I’m going to give you some Biblical and practical encouragement to embrace the level of experience you already have and just share it with them.  You’ve got a lot of wisdom to share, I promise! You can grab a copy of the end of school year reflection questions here. Visit my site, homeschoolingwell.com, for this episode's transcript, show notes and all of the other resources I have to help you homeschool well!

This week I’m talking about why it’s important to reflect, take stock, evaluate how the year went. So you can tweak what needs to be tweaked and set yourself up for the best school year yet next year! I’m sharing the reflection questions I use for my own homeschool and then the ones I use when I’m thinking about how I personally did as the homeschool teacher. They’re both important to think about.  In this episode I hope you embrace how far you’ve come this year or in all of the years of homeschooling. When you look at those reflection questions you’ll be able to see how much you’ve learned over the year or years. And finally, I’m going to try to help you be comfortable with sharing your experiences and advice with those moms coming behind you who are going to be asking you how you do it all.  When moms at church or anywhere else you go find out that you homeschool, they have a million questions, right? Now I know you might not feel like the best choice to be advising other moms who ask you about homeschooling.  But I’m going to give you some Biblical and practical encouragement to embrace the level of experience you already have and just share it with them.  You’ve got a lot of wisdom to share, I promise! You can grab a copy of the end of school year reflection questions here. Visit my site, homeschoolingwell.com, for this episode's transcript, show notes and all of the other resources I have to help you homeschool well!

You know how we’re always wondering what to do with kids who don’t want to have school on any given day?  They just don’t seem to want to sit still or pay attention. And it really starts getting bad when the weather gets nice? It's the bane of a homeschooling mom’s existence! Buuuut, what do you do when it’s mom who doesn’t want to have school?  Time to fess up.  You know it’s not just the kids who aren’t always in the mood for school.  Right now, we’re wrapping up our school year and I have about one million other things on my plate and my mind and I just can’t seem to focus on school.  So while I’m trying to stay on task and keep going even when I don’t want to, I thought I would hop on the podcast and talk about what I’m doing to hang in there just in case you’re feeling less than motivated to teach right now too.  I’ve got 5 things I do to keep me moving, keep me steady and getting to the finish line at any given time. I've got homeschool planning pages you can grab here  to help you get organized and have some mental clarity going into the next school year.  Visit my site, homeschoolingwell.com, for this episode's transcript, show notes and all of the other resources I have to help you homeschool well!

This week I get to share another conversation I had with my friend and former life coach, Sarah Cramer.  I mean, she’s still a life coach, she’s just my  former life coach.  But I’m excited about this conversation even more than last week’s because this is what I really  wanted to talk to Sarah about.  She’s helping me through some fear I’ve been struggling with which I fully share in the episode.  She shares her own personal struggles with fear of homeschooling, fear of losing her children, fear of moving across the country and gave a little professional advice as well, which I very much appreciated.  I had a suspicion she would be the right person to help me with what I’m going through because I figured she must have come up against a lot of fear. For starters when she made the decision to live in that RV and homeschool her kids in it for the past year.  And I was right! She’s got a lot of wisdom in there.  So if you’ve ever struggled with fear related to homeschooling, you know things like, “I’m afraid this will ruin my life if I do it, or ruin my children’s education, or they won’t learn enough to get into college,” all those fun thoughts that run through our minds. Or if you’ve got fear about anything else going on in your life like I do, then this is the episode for you! You can visit my site, homeschoolingwell.com, for this episode's transcript, show notes and all of the other resources I have to help you homeschool well!

I brought my friend Sarah Cramer back on the show for the next two episodes. This week she’s sharing about how she’s surviving and thriving homeschooling her four active boys in an RV this year, traveling the country.  We probably all think we could use more space to school our kids, but Sarah’s going to give you a whole new perspective on that.  She’s figuring out how to get it done in 400 square feet.  I also got to pick her brain on how she keeps all of her boys’ attention spans on math and all the other things when they’ve got awesome things to get to every afternoon.  And even though none of us are parked at the Grand Canyon, I don’t know about your house, but there are A LOT of short attention spans in my house at this time of year.  The trampoline in the backyard feels just as exciting when the weather’s nice.  Sarah’s got some ideas for what we can all do to keep moving with school even when everyone’s itching to get out and go.  You can follow along with Sarah's RVing adventures on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/the_coaching_cramers/ You can visit my site, homeschoolingwell.com, for this episode's transcript, show notes and all of the other resources I have to help you homeschool well!

This week I’ve got to talk about prioritizing REST in our lives as homeschool mom.  Because we all need it! And when you’re a busy wife, mom, homemaker and homeschooler, time for rest doesn’t just magically appear, we have to be a little intentional with fitting it in.  Rest is so elusive in our culture as Americans, we don’t even realize it. We don’t have it built into our culture as a normal part of our day. For so many other cultures, their days center around afternoon tea, siesta and long lunches. But in America, our days center around work. We focus on work so much here, the first thing we ask someone when we meet them is, what do you do? And maybe you didn’t need as much rest in the past as you do now that you’re homeschooling. But you do now  or you’re on the fast track to burnout town! So I’m bringing you some thoughts and ideas and things that I do in my life to get the rest I need. And of course, bringing my cautionary tales of what happens when we don’t rest.  You can visit my site, homeschoolingwell.com, for this episode's transcript, show notes and all of the other resources I have to help you homeschool well!

You know, those pesky problem areas either personally or circumstantially that make it hard to homeschool?\r\nThey bother us, they weigh on our minds, they can downright plague us. \r\nAnd I’m sure you’re thinking about every last one of them if you’re trying to decide whether or not to keep homeschooling next year. Right??\r\nWe can’t pretend they don’t exist, they’re totally real, so let’s dive into what we’re all dealing with and how we can either overcome them or just homeschool around them. \r\nThis week I’m breaking down all those limitations into 4 different categories and tackling them each head on. \r\nWe’ve all got 'em. They're our:\r\nPhysical limitations\r\nCircumstantial limitations\r\nIntellectual limitations\r\nPersonal limitations\r\nAnd of course sharing what makes homeschooling so difficult for me.\r\nI hope you get a good look at what other moms have holding them back and realize you’re not the only one. \r\nI’m also positive God has given us those hurdles to work around for a reason so let’s think about why that would be. \r\nI hope you’re enlightened, uplifted and encouraged when you listen!\r\n\r\nYou can visit my site, homeschoolingwell.com, for this episode's transcript, show notes and all of the other resources I have to help you homeschool well!\r\n

This week I’m talking about all the things making us tired or down right exhausted in our homeschools. \r\nWell, maybe not all the things, but I have 5 things I’ve struggled with at various times over the years that I think you might have too. \r\nThe bad news is, they’re all things we’re doing to ourselves. The good news is they’re all things we’re doing to ourselves and we have every ability to change them. TODAY. \r\nYou can have more energy TOMORROW, I’m serious!\r\nThat’s a big deal for most of us.\r\nYou’ve got to have something left in the tank at the end of the day for your sanity and for your husband.\r\nBut especially when you’re wrestling with whether or not to keep homeschooling next year, your energy level might be one of the things you’re taking into consideration. \r\nAnd it probably went on the cons list. \r\nSo, if you’ve been wondering why homeschooling is zapping so much of your energy, let's take a stab at getting some of it back!\r\n\r\nGrab your Daily Action Tracker in full page format here and in half page format here.  And start your daily mini-plan today!\r\n\r\nVisit my site, homeschoolingwell.com, for this episode's transcript, show notes and all of the other resources I have to help you homeschool well!\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

This week we’re diving into the burning question, SHOULD YOU KEEP HOMESCHOOLING? \r\nI know this question is on a lot of hearts and minds at this time every single year. But especially for our covid homeschoolers, you’ve got a lot of thoughts running through your minds about where this homeschooling thing is going for your family. \r\nI have two of my friends joining me for a roundtable discussion about how we answer that question in our own lives. Because you want different ideas and viewpoints when you’re thinking through that question, not just mine, right? \r\nSo I brought on Rosario Cintron, homeschooling mom of 3, household of 7, who’s going to be sharing all the reasons she has for not homeschooling next year and the reasons she’s still going to keep going. \r\n\r\nYou can follow along with Rosario's life at her blog: https://rosariocintron.wordpress.com/\r\nAnd my very adventurous friend, Sarah Cramer, who homeschools her four energetic and sweet boys in an RV while her family travels the country and learns through experiencing life! \r\nShe also has some great insight into how her family chooses the lifestyle they choose one year at a time, including homeschooling. \r\n\r\nYou can follow along with Sarah's RVing adventures at https://www.facebook.com/thecoachingcramers/\r\nI hope hearing all three of us work through our thought processes will inspire you to prayerfully make some decisions of your own. \r\nWe don’t all think about and tackle homeschooling the same way, so I hope you enjoy the different angles we come from!\r\nVisit my site, homeschoolingwell.com, for this episode's transcript, show notes and all of the other resources I have to help you homeschool well!\r\n\r\n\r\n

Meal planning itself might not be fun, but it’s super duper fun to ditch decision fatigue when it comes to meals. It’s super duper fun to free up your mind to think about other things during the day. \r\nAnd it’s super super duper fun to save time and money when you stop making emergency grocery runs because you don’t have what you need to make dinner on any given night. \r\nSo I think meal planning is fun!\r\nLet’s give our families some more stability and security around family meals and together time at the table. \r\nLet’s just feel like we’re providing for our families and nailing this homemaking job. \r\nPlus, I hate thinking about what I need to cook during the school day. My kids need my undivided attention to get through the school day. And I want to give it to them.\r\nThis week I have a bunch of tips and tricks to get your started meal planning or tightening up the system you already have.\r\n\r\nGrab your blank weekly menu plan here. \r\n\r\nAnd if you want to check 3 weeks of my family's exact menu plan to use as an example, you can download that here. \r\nVisit my site, homeschoolingwell.com, for this episode's transcript, show notes and all of the other resources I have to help you homeschool well!\r\n\r\n\r\n

Meal planning itself might not be fun, but it’s super duper fun to ditch decision fatigue when it comes to meals. It’s super duper fun to free up your mind to think about other things during the day. \r\nAnd it’s super super duper fun to save time and money when you stop making emergency grocery runs because you don’t have what you need to make dinner on any given night. \r\nSo I think meal planning is fun!\r\nLet’s give our families some more stability and security around family meals and together time at the table. \r\nLet’s just feel like we’re providing for our families and nailing this homemaking job. \r\nPlus, I hate thinking about what I need to cook during the school day. My kids need my undivided attention to get through the school day. And I want to give it to them.\r\nThis week I have a bunch of tips and tricks to get your started meal planning or tightening up the system you already have.\r\n\r\nGrab your blank weekly menu plan here. \r\n\r\nAnd if you want to check 3 weeks of my family's exact menu plan to use as an example, you can download that here. \r\nVisit my site, homeschoolingwell.com, for this episode's transcript, show notes and all of the other resources I have to help you homeschool well!\r\n\r\n\r\n

This episode is all about the habit of taking action! \r\nBecause sometimes it’s easier to THINK about something or maybe be “encouraged” when you hear someone else talking than to actually DO it. \r\nThat’s a lot of us! \r\nOr probably ALL of us at some point in time in one area of our lives or another. \r\nAnd the thing about homeschooling is it’s a super duper action oriented vocation. Action, action, action all day long. \r\nWhether it’s the actual teaching, the organizing, the cleaning up from it or the planning, homeschools are always in motion. \r\nBut even in the rest of our lives we might have really good ideas about what we could do with this, that, or the other thing, but we just can’t seem to get moving.\r\nOr maybe we like to learn about new things and research things, but never get started implementing them. \r\nBecause it’s tough! \r\nSo this week I want to talk about how to get things out of our heads and move from idea to action. Or maybe from conviction to transformation if you feel like there are some spiritual things going on your life you need to take action with. \r\nVisit my site, homeschoolingwell.com, for this episode's transcript, show notes and all of the other resources I have to help you homeschool well!\r\n\r\n\r\n

We’re still going with the “Good Habits For Mom” series. And this week I’m talking about the good habit of practicing contentment. \r\nBiblical contentment in every area of our lives. Even homeschooling. \r\nA little while back I couldn’t figure out why I had stalled out in my spiritual growth and personal development. It seemed like I was finally making strides toward becoming the woman God wanted me to be for years and then I hit a brick wall. \r\nI couldn’t figure out what was going on. \r\nAnd then God brought to my heart and mind that I had an issue with not being content in those areas of my life that I was stuck in. More to the point, I had a discontent heart.\r\nSo if you’re anything like me, or every other human that has ever walked the planet, you’re going to identify with all the things I’m talking about in this week’s episode!\r\n\r\nVisit my site, homeschoolingwell.com, for this episode's transcript, show notes and all of the other resources I have to help you homeschool well!\r\n\r\n\r\n

We’re moving through the series, “Good Habits for Mom.” And this week I’m talking about the habit of always considering your husband.  Because even though we’re in the trenches all day, every day in the home with the kids and all the stuff, there’s an entire other adult with a stake in all of this. And the Bible says we have to respect him.  So what does he think about what’s going on in your home, with your homeschooling and how much or little would he actually like to be involved? You already know, putting some good habits in place for relating to your husband is foundational to a thriving home life, but I just want to remind you again and maybe give you some ideas for how you can do it. I have to confess, I have a soft spot for husbands since losing mine several years ago and having to step into the role of head of our household myself.  I have a little bit of a unique perspective on the marriage relationship because of it, and I would love to share it with you! Because having a better understanding of where your husband is coming from will go a long way in smoothing out all the rough edges of your days and even trickle down into your homeschooling.  I guarantee it! Visit my site, homeschoolingwell.com, for this episode's transcript, show notes and all of the other resources I have to help you homeschool well!

We’re moving forward with the series, "Good Habits For Mom.” And this week it’s all about the habit of doing the next right thing.  ‘Cause that’s hard to do when you’re an autonomous homeschooling mom home alone all day with a bunch of kids and a bunch of school work and a bunch of housework.  No one’s telling us what to do or when to do it.  So what do you do first, what do you do next, how do you keep moving forward?  It’s a lot to sort out with no real guidance from anyone else! Here's a couple of tips and tricks for you and I’ve got 3 questions you can ask yourself to keep you on the track you want to be on. You can download some of my personal and school schedules here for some examples of how my family's days flow. Visit my site, homeschoolingwell.com, for this episode's transcript, show notes and all of the other resources I have to help you homeschool well!

Good Habits for Mom: Morning Routine

For years, I’ve been telling myself that if I just had more time in my schedule, or a more organized schedule or a more whittled down schedule, I would be able to be more present with my kids when I spend time with them.  I tweaked my schedule for years and it got a little better for sure.  Then covid came along and my schedule was whittled down to something I couldn’t have ever imagined.  I finally had all the time in the world for my kids!  And guess what? I spent a lot more time with them, but I wasn’t all that much more present.  I learned what's going on is we've all been born with a specific orientation to time. Each of us is either past, present or future oriented and that determines our behavior and the lens through which we see everything. And it sure as anything, determines how present we are with our kids in our homes and homeschools.  You can visit my site, Homeschooling Well, for this episode's transcript, show notes and all of the other resources I have to help you homeschool well!

Homeschooling through the winter can be a total drag. It’s the darkest, coldest part of the year. We don’t have as many field trips, playdates, park days and everyone starts climbing the walls.  If we let that get on top of us, we can start thinking negative thoughts about our abilities or whether or not we should even keep going.  But that’s just winter talking! It tells us all the same thing.  I’ve got some tips for surviving, and maybe even thriving during your winter homeschooling. If you start with some appropriate expectations, ditch the perfectionism and don’t take yourself too seriously, you’re going to be breezin’ through like a champ. You can visit my site, Homeschooling Well, for this episode's transcript, show notes and all of the other resources I have to help you homeschool well!

This week, I’m wrapping up the three-part series I’ve been doing entitled: Getting Your Kids to Love Your Homeschool Because we ALL want that, right? I’m super excited to get you this final piece of the puzzle I’ve been building!  Especially because I think this one’s full of the most practical ideas. And I’m a practical girl at heart. So for part three I’m talking all about how all of the things going on in your home life can play into whether or not your kids love their school.  And I’m bringing you some ideas of how to build a bridge between school hours to home hours. I think we all know that our homeschool doesn’t occur in a vacuum. All of the pieces in our lives touch each other and impact each other, especially all of the different things that happen inside of our home.  But sometimes they seem completely separate and disjointed and maybe even at odds with each other. Or at odds with what your hopes and dreams for what they would be actually are. If you want an idea of why that’s happening or how to fix it, give the episode a listen You can visit my site, Homeschooling Well, for this episode's transcript, show notes and all of the other resources I have to help you homeschool well! If you're enjoying the podcast, I would be honored if you  left a rating or review so other moms like you can find it!  𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲: https://ratethispodcast.com/heartofhomeschooling

This week I’m coming back with part 2 of what is now a 3-part series. The way that you view your child’s education can deeply impact whether or not they love being in your homeschool.  Because let’s face it, we might not consciously know how we're viewing their education or our homeschool, but our actions are speaking a lot louder than words. I know I’ve had all kinds of funky thoughts in my head about teaching my kids.  I’ve done the whole grin and bear it just to make it through to the end of the day thing. I’ve done the whole, I have more important things to get to today so let’s get this over with thing.  And in the beginning I did the whole, “you better make me look good at this homeschooling thing in front of your grandparents or else” thing. Yikes! But then I learned what education truly is according to God’s word and a whole bunch of dead philosophers and it helped me get my head on straight.  And I really want to share that epiphany with you! Because the rotten fruit that came from all of the other ways I was thinking about my homeschool definitely did not help my kids love being there!  You can visit my site, Homeschooling Well, for this episode's transcript, show notes and all of the other resources I have to help you homeschool well! If you're enjoying the podcast, I would be awesome if you could leave a rating or review so other moms like you can find it!  𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲: https://ratethispodcast.com/heartofhomeschooling