New Title: Homeschool Mom

This year we (Mom) began homeschooling the littles. The oldest graduated high school this summer and we decided to keep the kids home this year and see how things go. We have done this once before and I knew that things would be a bit different this time around. There are two young girls (5 & almost 4) and a 6th grader. I was looking for a curriculum that would allow for some flexibility and also allow me to teach them all things like History, Science and the Bible. We are 7 weeks into the school year and we are already making some changes.

The Kids First Day of School 2018 @ The National Museum of Natural History

First, let me just say that my kids have been Rock Stars through all of this! We are always on the road since one of the girls is on a competitive team track for gymnastics and the gym is NOT close. Secondly, the youngest one is as excited about learning like the other two and that makes things so fun. Lastly, homeschooling is perfect for families who want flexibility and the freedom to learn about the things that interest them. Another great thing is that we get the freedom to travel without the threat of truancy court.

One of the things that I love about this style of learning is that the kids can participate in a minimal amount of lesson planning. It usually just goes something like this:

Me: Kids what are some things that you are interested in or want to learn about?

Kids: Halloween! Cooking! and Tonga! (Sidenote: Really? Tonga? Thank You The Bucket List Family for helping us explore and lead our Geography lessons)

Me: Ok…. let's get out some books and I will do some research. Then you will do some research (the oldest) and teach us a lesson on Friday.

Easy Peasy!!! ←--- Speaking of Easy Peasy, my kids have been using Easy Peasy All in One Homeschool and I think that it’s great. There are some aspects of it that don’t quite vibe well with my kiddos so moving forward we are going to be using a combination of things and see what works and what doesn’t. One of the things that I love about it is that you don’t really have to buy anything and it can be done online. If you are an active family, this is a great option. I like that it didn’t require much of a financial investment and most of all it is comprehensive. The schooling can be done while teaching multiple levels and there is NO lesson planning involved.

Some things that didn’t work:

My oldest had difficulties flipping between the web pages, likely because of some of his learning challenges. He would get confused and off track. My kindergartner seemed to get bored easily and I didn’t feel as though it completely filled up her day even when I had activities planned.

The things that I LOVE: **All the things mentioned above** My child was able to read, comprehend and even write his own poetry. I can’t tell you how happy this makes me. This is a child that is very literal and has difficulties with things like inferencing. It has such great content and it is relatively simple to navigate once you get the hang of it. Although it is secular, the author still goes into science etc… so it can be used for those that are not. Again…. It is COMPREHENSIVE. The older kids can work independently and they have a variety of subjects to work on.

Where are we now?

I recently invested in The Good & The Beautiful curriculum. I have heard so many great things about it and it was one that we had been considering if E.P. wasn’t working. I ordered the Pre-K, K and 6th Grade Language Arts, the History Kit, a Science Kit, and some journaling books. I will update you on how this works out. I also recently purchased the Minecraft Curriculum to supplement any subjects that I feel he needs some more engagement in, like Math. We are using BitsBox to teach my 6th grader coding and HE LOVES IT!!!! It is amazing and the kids can work independently once they can read and navigate the computer. It is such a great confidence booster to watch them create things using this technology and they are often begging “TO CODE!”

My kids are also in Gymnastics, Baseball, Swim Lessons and a local Homeschool Co-Op. They are currently enrolled in Art and Videography which they are digging! Overall, we are incredibly busy and are learning to work on our normal as we get a schedule down that works. This requires a ton of prioritizing and it’s a work in progress. We are still working out the kinks and I find myself on YouTube seeking out the ways of other homeschool families. Seriously though-----> ANY advice on this is greatly appreciated. I am just getting started so I am positive I have so much to learn.

I also want to point out that we are NOT against public or private school. These opinions are just that, my personal thoughts and opinions that come from our collective experiences as a family. I am so grateful for the amazing teachers that my kiddos have had from Pre-K to Highschool and now college. They truly have assisted us in fostering a love for learning in our kids. Some of them have been my best encouragers and my family's personal heroes! There are so many that are apart of our lives still to this day. We made the decision to homeschool because it works best for our family and we LOVE it. Sure there are very stressful days, but there are many more successful days. Plus, we get to do what we love….. TRAVEL!

Located Below are some links to the various books we are using. These are affiliate links that will give us a small commission if you choose to purchase using this link. There is nothing to do on your end, it all looks the same. Thank You for supporting our family,