Homeschool curriculum shopping can be challenging when searching for a secular curriculum. Curriculum providers tend to market to the conservative Christian homeschooler, so there are a lot of options of that flavor while secular choices are fewer.
Even homeschoolers who do homeschool for religious reasons don't necessarily want a Christian homeschool curriculum for several reasons.
Our children are with us everyday yet, how often do we connect or encourage? How often do we break that teacher role and just be mom?
Our children see the best and worst in us; they get the brunt of our bad days and the joy of our good days. They spend more time with us than our friends, family, or spouse. Yet how often do we take the time to encourage them as children, as individuals, not just as our students?
Looking at my calendar, I immediately felt overwhelmed. Where was the white space? Where was the down time? There was no margin and certainly no room for personal me time.
We had something to do everyday for weeks. I was exhausted, and the week hadn’t even started yet. I knew at that point something had to give.
Have you been there — where you feel all you do is run between your obligations as a working mom and a homeschool mom? Can I tell you a secret? You don't have to constantly feel ragged! The solution to an over-packed schedule is to say no so you can say yes to what really matters.
One of the fondest memories I have of my childhood is my mom reading with me. We read books like Call of the Wild, Little House on the Prairie, and Misty of Chincoteague. Now as a homeschool mom, I am creating those same kinds of memories with my children. But reading aloud to our children provides so much more than memories. It provides long lasting benefits that can carry on throughout childhood and into adulthood.
Summer vacation —we all look forward to the days off from homeschooling: lounging by the pool, catching up on reading, taking that class we’ve been eyeing, finishing the to do list we’ve been putting off.
Summer is amazing, right? Wrong! Well, kind of wrong. Summer is nice, but those picture perfect days are short lived. Before too long our kids are going to be driving us bonkers.Let’s face it, homeschooling means our kids are used to structure. They are used to days filled with learning, and too many days off will make us all a little crazy.
I remember my very first year homeschooling; I ordered one of those big boxes of curriculum from one publisher. Everything came in one box, and my shopping was done in one swoop. I was thrilled!
Fast forward a few years later. I'm still homeschooling, and we still order a boxed curriculum each year despite my new-found expertise in educating at home.
I walk into a new book store, and take a whiff. I find a seat, pull out a book, and read. Taking in the sights and smells that surround me, I revel in the smell and feel of a new book.
We are a family of readers, and most of the time we have a book in our hands. However, I rarely buy new books. One reason is of course to save money, but the other is that, quite frankly, we don’t have the space.
As parents, we encourage our children to read high quality literature at home, but another great way to boost interest in reading is through peer experiences such as a homeschool co-op. Through my own experiences in numerous local co-ops, I've discovered some helpful steps for forming a group and making it run smoothly.
Who do you want to include in your homeschool literature co-op? Just boys? Teens? Girls Only? All ages? Think about what you want out of the group and what age ranges you are going to include.
