SURPRISING HOMESCHOOL SECRETS FROM A NEW HOMESCHOOLER // Things I Have Learned Along the Way

You can tailor your day.... love all your secrets! Thanks for always sharing with us and helping us mama's in our journey ❤🙏

Well I can't wait to see what everybody has to say. This is my second year as a homeschooling grandma of a 8-year-old ADHD granddaughter. I will say that last year was really rough. Although I have worked with tons of kids through 4-H over 25 years as a leader and Junior bowling coach and running a concession stand for Little League it didn't prepare me to deal with my extremely active granddaughter. She even fell out of her seat at least three or four times a day because she's just all over the place. We had to take lots of breaks which made the school day longer. By the end of the day I was just so done LOL This year we are changing things up a lot and hopefully things will go better. I am definitely taking in all the advice I can get.

Good morning from Oregon. xoxoxo

For comment 2, something I thought was really funny, I asked my granddaughter if there was anything that she would like to learn that we didn't have planned. She told me that she wants to play a ukulele and study squirrels! Is that a combination or what? Her ukulele is on order and her dad plays guitar and he will help her with that. I found a lap book about squirrels and we can definitely go out in the wild and see what they are doing.

Yes to year 1 being a roller coaster! The first couple years were a *big struggle for me! They truly were! Things are a different kind of hard, these days...even still, as we enter year 9! ❤

Organic learning experiences vs. forced textbook learning! YES! 😃

Great video! I have finally realized that we don’t need to complete a whole lesson of Language arts or math. We can break it up and everything will be fine. It only took 4 years foe me to realize it 😃

So true that one company very rarely can do it all well.

Yes mental health!!!

The first year can be a 💩 show 😂😂 WINGING IT. I am feeling so much peace as I close out my first year and begin year 2!!

Oh yes… don’t do it all!!

So many great things learned in just 3 years!

Yes, The first year is quite a journey! We love rabbit tails!

The last secret is true! I’m glad you mentioned it 💗

Oh yes year one a mess!!! Quickly learned to use what works for us. We use 3 different curriculums. Game changer for us. Each child is different. Great video.

This is our 6th year homeschooling. We were really starting to find our flow until last year when i had our 3rd child. That really threw us for a loop! It almost feels like starting all over again, ive had to really slow down & just do core subjects for a while. This year has went a little smoother, i really try not to sweat the small stuff.

Yes to the first year being a roller coaster! The 2nd year for me was too.

Last year was our first year. I realized that I found it incredibly useful to get a packaged curriculum to make it really easy to get started and give me time to research and observe what’s working and what isn’t. My son finished it quickly, so I mixed and matched after that, because I gained confidence by then. I had a much better idea of what we needed. I suggested to a friend who is interested in homeschooling, to start with a Masterbooks bundle and change the next year as needed. We aren’t using Masterbooks currently, but it’s a gentle start. I also realized this year, that not everything needs to start on the first day. Some subjects could start in the 2nd half of the year if it is short or full completion isn’t necessary. That relieved our schedule this year! I also highlight one of each math problem my son has mastered, just for practice, instead of making him do all of them. Math problems can be tedious!

Yes rabbit trails have grown me so much. So fruitful 😍

I cross things out all the time lol

This is not our first year of homeschooling, but we've focused solely on reading and a bit of math thus far. My oldest will be six in mid-September and I think they're ready for a light version of first grade. At least we'll try it. Since I had three sets of twins in about three years, preparation is key. If I have to think about what we need to do that day or what we're doing next, everything might go up in smoke!

Yes! The need the for rest! So important!!

Homeschool doesn’t have to look like school (what we’re used to) at home! Pretty sure my son wore just underwear during school the whole first year.

Ugh...honestly, rabbit trails are something I definitely struggle with! That is something I'm STILL learning to embrace. One thing at a time 😬😂

I just today shocked my daughter today by saying that I don't have her do everything in her books...glad to hear I'm not the only one 😊 trying to have the patience to rabbit trail, but it definitely doesn't come naturally to me. Also keeping the flexibility in curriculum is important, I have the tendency to bite off more than I can chew (such as deciding to learn both ASL and French this year 😣) so remembering we don't have to do everything is a good reminder that just because we've done 1 French lesson is ok. She wants to learn it, but ASL has taken a higher priority since I can more easily incorporate it (was a sign language interpreter for years) and it allows her to directly communicate with our friends who need it.
Thank you for the encouragement ❤️

I have only been homeschooling for about a year but I have already learned to focus on the things my kids and I get done and accomplish during the school day instead of focusing on the things that don't get done. Keeping this point in mind has really helped me and my kids to have so much joy.

Take the Rabbit Trails! I love that!! 💕

Does anyone struggle with one of their kids not wanting to learn, separating mom and teacher and just having trouble focusing? Would love some feedback.

Just in case it hasn't been mentioned yet, your link for my father's world doesn't lead to the curriculum page, it leads to a website about a guest speaker and free boat rides :) have a wonderful day

So interesting you make great video thanks you so much for your beautiful sharing

With my kids if I say some of these things to them, they would think it's a free card to sit around and do nothing 🙄

I like you more every month I watch you. Thank you for posting x

These are some great thoughts, Christie! Love your encouragement to focus on the KIDS and not the schedule or the curriculum. 💖💖

I totally agree there is a balance between teaching perseverance and that sometimes we do just need to take a day to recharge.

Haha! I LOVE rabbit trailing too!!!

“If you feel led in that direction, it will be all worth it in the end..”👏🏽💕

We're going into our 3rd year, first grade... its been a struggle with somethings what many homeschool moms don't touch on is HOW HARD it is to draw the line between mom and teacher.. thats been the hardest to me

Yes! You don't have to use everything from the same place. Very true.

Thank you for the encouragement!! 💛

I needed to hear this!for the encouragement ❤️

Absolutely love the idea of taking a mental health day! We all need it. 🙏🏾

Aww this is so good! I am learning how to implement my homeschool vibe into my new private school job. Like how mastery and love for learning is more important than grades! And leaving room for rabbit trailing! Happy school year!!

Year 2 here and I am so glad I feel comfortable to cross things out!!!

Yes to rabbit trails! Awesome video

I remember wen I started homeschooling and worrying that we had made the wrong decision but I’m glad we choice to. We use different curriculum companies!!! We love rabbit tails and end up learning more and it makes learning fun!!! Ive learnt not to teach grammar but allow my kids to learn it thru reading. It’s worked better for my kids!!!

I definitely needed a few of these reminders! Thank you!

I’m new here! And I am not ashamed to say I have been binge watching your videos allllll day in the background as I go about my daily activities haha. I was a physical therapist assistant who turned stay at home mom! I have 3 kiddos (7 year old son who is color blind, 3 year old son who has epilepsy, and a newborn baby girl who is 3 months old). I am married to a physical therapist, and we live in AZ. I have recently started homeschooling our three year old and are debating on homeschooling our 7 year old at the start of next school year. You are so inspirational, I love you already! So happy to have found you.

Thank you for this! This is more helpful than you will ever know!

So much YES on the mental health days!

Good morning, Mamas! ☕ What kind of things have you learned along the way in your homeschool journey? Has anything surprised you? 🤍