Parenting

50 posts

Aaaand…We’re OFF!

“Aaand … we’re off! … like a dirty shirt!” This is how every road trip begins for our family. Well, sometimes if my husband hesitates too long after the first part, the kids (or now the grandkids) try to “fake him out” with maybe “like a dirty undershirt!” or “like […]

What to Do with Your Young Learner

Note: While this article is geared primarily for preschool, most of the suggestions are also applicable through the early primary grades. SEE RESOURCES listed at the bottom of the page.   A young mom writes: I’m new at homeschooling—I have 2-year-old twins. I want to teach them and get them […]

What About Socialization?

Q: What about socialization, and how can I be sure I’m doing a good job at it? Are there any tools to help me? A: It may help to first define terms: Socialization is the lifelong process through which people learn (dare I say internalize?) the values and norms of […]

Pen Pals

Pen pals! What a fun idea! It’s always more interesting (and motivating!) to write to someone specific, rather than to have our “pretend letters” (a.k.a. school writing assignments) filed into a drawer. Why Write Letters? Letter writing encourages conversation skills while allowing children to practice grammar, spelling, and composition in […]

ElderCare & Homeschooling

An increasing number of homeschoolers are considering the question of whether to provide in-home care for aging parents or grandparents. Many of you face—or may someday face—the challenge of helping to manage a parent’s daily life of nurses and therapists, chemotherapy and blood transfusions, oxygen providers and medical equipment, prescriptions […]

Field Trips 101

Field trips can inspire your child to study a topic, give him further insights into his current studies, or provide closure to a completed unit. Is there somewhere you’d like to take your children to reinforce a topic this year? Or just want to visit because it would enrich their […]

teen homeschool

Making the Most of the Middle School Years

If you homeschooled your child through the primary grades, you may find that you initially experienced moments of self-doubt, but you managed through the first year (or two, or three) and gained confidence to educate your child at home…until now! It is not uncommon for parents to second-guess themselves all […]

Life is Still Messy

Let’s be real … homeschooling is not a cure for all that ails our families. Life is still messy. In fact, sometimes all that one-on-one time can really magnify shortcomings in our relationships with our children as well as with our spouses. Some of the most heartbreaking consulting calls I […]

Cultivating the Habit of Kindness

We all have probably heard the principle that it is better to give than to receive, but how do we teach our children to treat others kindly, give generously, and serve willingly? What are our kids mirroring? Children are often like little mirrors, reflecting our attitudes and actions. They are […]

Holidays as Homeschool Curriculum

(While this was originally written for homeschooling families, most of the ideas are easily adaptable for any family.) Do you ever feel stuck in the day-to-day sameness of your school routine? If you circle the holidays on your calendar, you can have not just instant mini-units, but family fun and […]