Tina Robertson

Purchasing a secular kindergarten program when I started teaching my first child, I thought I had a full grasp of the definition of secular homeschool curriculum. That was 19 years ago. I've since learned that the meanings of secular homeschooling and secular curriculum are not as straightforward as I may have thought.

Here are some considerations to help you dissect what is a secular homeschooler and what is secular curriculum.

To celebrate going back to school one year, my mom sewed the prettiest pink and purple, paisley bell-bottom pants for me. Because my mom didn’t know bell-bottoms had been out of style for a few years, I was called names and made fun at school that first day back to class. On the outside, I expressed anger and wanted to punch the bullies in the mouth, but on the inside I was crushed.

Years of homeschooling through a pregnancy or two, having a mix of older and younger children, and a few house moves, it’s not easy to admit as a seasoned homeschool mom that homeschooling is more grueling now than ever.

Choosing a boxed curriculum later in your journey does not mean sacrificing your goals or ideals./p>

When we venture out on field trips, our kids get first hand experiences that a book can never mimic. At the same time, homeschool field trips can be stressful, time consuming, and sometimes expensive. Weather is an added factor to consider with outdoor events such as a Civil War re-enactment.

One alternative to packing snacks, loading the van, and buying tickets is the virtual field trip. These online explorations can awaken your child’s love of American history. Besides supplementing your American history curriculum, virtual field trips also provide a way for your child to explore places that may be inaccessible.

Although figuring the appropriate tip amount for my waiter still gives me a tinge of stress, I fortunately didn’t pass my math anxiety to my sons. Today, two of my homeschool graduates find math stimulating and even rewarding.

Understanding how to crush homeschool math fears in the early years made all the difference in not passing on my math phobia and ensuring my sons are proficient with the subject.

If empowering kids to take charge of their learning were an easy to follow formula, then we all would be able to effortlessly raise successful and happy kids. But it’s not. The first time my oldest son marched out of the school room, refusing to complete my meticulously planned art lesson, I overreacted. An all-out battle of wills ensued.

As homeschooling parents, it’s hard for us to give up control.

Living near the Gulf Coast during hurricane season brings a heightened sense of preparedness and anxiety. One year as a hurricane slammed the Texas Gulf Coast near our home, we fled and took shelter in a hotel.

It was important to me to homeschool gently so that my boys would feel a sense of calm and normalcy. As soon as we moved into the hotel, I located a beautiful and serene state park nearby with a waterfall, clear pond, and walking trails.

Choosing to homeschool can be a disappointing decision. Once the honeymoon period wears off, you get a clear view of the responsibility resting on your shoulders. I could try to comfort you with empty platitudes such as "Homeschooling is not for every family" or "You have to be called to homeschool." But I don't believe those sentiments, and they aren't encouraging at all. Instead, I’m sharing three surefire ways to help you bounce back quickly from homeschool disappointment.

You absolutely cannot re-create public school at home. When your child trades a desk at public school for an arm chair at home, he has only changed the geography of where he learns. You’re not homeschooling yet.

With one foot in childhood and the other entering adulthood, eighth-grade is a pivotal time. Choosing homeschool curriculum can be nerve-racking when you realize that eighth grade can set your child up for success or hold him back. I found inspiration for my son's curriculum choices in a very odd place—a 1912 eighth grade exam.

It can be challenging to keep the overflowing amount of homeschool materials organized especially if space is at a premium in your home. Focusing on the endless possibilities of creating storage options and having a tidy homeschool space at the same time, these storage hacks will have you rethinking small homeschool spaces.