Whether you’re home because school has been cancelled (Hi! Welcome!) or you’re an experienced homeschooler who is actually staying home now, you probably suddenly have hours upon hours on your hands. For those extra hours, check out these free educational resources to use online while you are practicing social distancing. The post 50+ Free Educational Resources To Use Online During Social Distancing appeared first on TheHomeSchoolMom ..read more

You work. Or you cannot imagine yourself as a homeschool parent. Or your kids are demanding, and you don't mesh with them well. Or you have a child who has special needs you don't feel prepared to help with. Or you have a health problem that will make homeschooling challenging to impossible. Or really, you just don't want to homeschool. But your kids need to be out of school, and they need to be homeschooled. I hear your question: "Can somebody homeschool my kids?" The post Can Someone Else Homeschool My Child? appeared first on TheHomeSchoolMom ..read more

How YOU can get involved in real science! There is a new craze hitting the streets, and hopefully this one is here to stay. It's called citizen science. With the advancement of technology, it has become easier and easier for "regular" people to do real science. There are people everywhere interested in contributing to science, especially if it's made easy for them. With citizen science, it is. Not only do citizens collect and report data, but they are becoming valuable helpers in analyzing the vast amount of data that is now available due to increased technology. The best part is that these ar ..read more

February 14th - It seems like a day just for lovers. Chocolate hearts, flowers, "I love you" cards… most of us tend to think Valentine’s Day is more for us parents than for the children. And no doubt, homeschooling parents, probably more than anyone, need some time together away from the kids! So how can Valentine’s Day be a teaching opportunity within the homeschool? The post Teaching Love: A Homeschool Valentine's Day for Children appeared first on TheHomeSchoolMom ..read more

Because I get asked about resources and classes for teens all of the time, I'm sharing a peek into what our 15-year-old twins are tackling this year—each teen has very different learning styles, methods, and "ways" that we approach their school.    The post How We Homeschool 10th Grade: Outsourcing, Interest-Led, and Box-Checking appeared first on TheHomeSchoolMom ..read more

Our 10th grade non-traditional learner stated that he wanted to tackle more challenging content, more in-person classes with homework and projects, and wanted to be in charge of his schedule. I got to work researching local classes, online classes, curricula, and more. We had long conversations, lots of texting back and forth, and finally came up with a plan that worked for him, for me and his dad, and for our budget and schedule. The post Our 10th Grade Plan for a Non-Traditional Learner appeared first on TheHomeSchoolMom ..read more

Spring might be my favorite time to homeschool. It has quickly replaced the awesomeness of back-to-homeschool in late summer. It’s not necessarily because of the weather—spring just feels different. My kids are all working on different things at this point. It can be overwhelming because I feel like I'm not staying on top of everyone's everything. In the end, that's not my job. My role is to be an Educational Opportunity Provider. We can flow with the seasons and our energy levels. It's spring and it's a good time to both shake things up and create a flowing routine. The post How We Keep a Spr ..read more

Does your child really only have two choices? To homeschool your way or to attend regular school? I keep reading this comment on social media when parents are looking for support for homeschooling resistant kids. In some kids? Sure. Do firm boundaries and limiting choices work for all kids? Not so much. The post Homeschooling: My Way or the Highway? appeared first on TheHomeSchoolMom ..read more

What do we, as homeschooling parents, want this holiday season so that we can stay fresh, sane, and grateful? I've put together a list that I hope will inspire you and make you smile too. The post 20 Things Almost Every Homeschool Parent Wants This Holiday Season appeared first on TheHomeSchoolMom ..read more

Homeschooling middle school is a new season of life. I prepared by buying a new prepackaged curriculum, and while I loved everything about this curriculum, I had forgotten to take my kids' learning styles and desires into account. I assumed they would be happy to go along with whatever I put on the table. I had to accept that we were in a new season of homeschooling. I had to acknowledge that my kids were growing up and had developed their own interests. They had their own strengths and weaknesses. They were ready to let go of some anchors in our days that I was clinging to for dear life. Anch ..read more