Category Homeschooling

Is there benefits to a 4 day homeschool year?

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Have you ever considered a 4 day homeschool year?

Or should I say… have you even considered homeschool at all? If not, head here first to my post on “why homeschool”! If you have never used or considered a 4 day homeschool plan, you may be wondering… “why would I want to try 4 day homeschool year?”

Reasons to try a 4 day homeschool year

Here are just a few reasons that you might want to try out a 4 day homeschool year, this year!

  • Does your homemaking/ family responsibilities seem to lag behind once the school year begins?
  • Does doctor visits and necessary errands throw your school days off each week?
  • Do you find yourself lagging behind with the curriculum due to “non emergency” , life interruptions and responsibilities ?
  • Is your weekend never long enough?
  • Are your children struggling to finish up homework or “extra projects”?
  • Do you need a few extra hours to bring in extra income, WITHOUT neglecting your child’s education?
  • Do you need some ‘one on one’ tutoring time with a certain child?
  • Do you struggle to find family time?
  • Are your children (or you) easily overwhelmed by long school weeks?
  • Do your children seem to always need more sleep during the tiresome school year?
  • Do your children struggle with the post summer break “learning lag” after such a long summer break?

If your answer is yes to ANY or ALL of these, then keep reading! You may find that a 4 day homeschool year will benefit your home.

More stats on a 4 day school year

Edweek.org reported a research stating that more than 1,600 U.S. school districts have adopted the model as of 2019-20 including 60 percent of Colorado’s districts and around 40 percent of New Mexico’s and Oregon’s. Here are a few statements from their research.

First of all, this is the numbers and statistics that participated in this research.

Now on to the results!

  • “Four-day secondary students spent more time on homework, at jobs, at school activities, and on hobbies than their counterparts.” And “Most students in the four-day districts—80 percent of high school students and 90 percent of elementary students—spent their “off day” at home.” I think this demonstrates the freed up schedule.
  • “The four-day week did not appear to affect student-absenteeism rates or result in more food insecurity for students.”
  • “It did seem to change some sleep patterns, with four-day elementary students reporting that they got more sleep and four-day secondary students saying that they felt much less tired than their counterparts in five-day systems.”
  • “Parents and students, given the choice, overwhelmingly said they favored the four-day model, with 69 percent of the former and 85 percent of the latter preferring it over five-day schedules.”
  • The last main result I want to point out is this one… “When timing was added up, districts in the sample using the four-day schedule had longer days by about 50 minutes, but over the course of the year averaged 58 fewer hours of school.”

The difference in how I plan my 4 day homeschool year

Now I want to spend a minute on this last finding of research. This is where my homeschool plan differs from this research. I encourage planning a 4 day a week homeschool plan that equals the required amount of school hours or in some cases , the added up value of 5day a week school hours. This could be accomplished in a couple of ways. By either lengthening school hours (but more carefully) as done by many of the schools researched above, or by shortening summer break which is what I have chosen. Some would call this a all year school year although we do get about a month long summer break.

Does homeschooling the right way really matter?

As a homeschooling mom, I believe in homeschooling the right way. If your state has minimum amount of school days, school hours, and required subjects, be sure to abide by these schooling regulations.

Using a school planner can really help out here and is, in my opinion, a must! Link below to my absolutely favorite affordable homeschool planner that is super adaptable and comes in super fast through Amazon! (I may receive a small commission if you use my link).

Getting your required/ recommended amount of yearly school hours can be important for a couple of reasons.

1. As a Christian Homeschooling Mom, I do not take the liberty and freedom of homeschooling my children lightly. I want to make sure I abide by the time regulations and do my part in keeping my right of freedom from being voided.

2. Second, although I do not agree with all of our state’s schooling ideas (public schooling) I do believe, our states have put together these school time requirements to help our children succeed in their education. I want to make sure my children are not under educated by my negligence.

Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

1 Corinthians 10:31

Please research your state rules and laws for yourself! Each state is different and can change from year to year. You will want to make sure you are up to are on all requirements before beginning the school year. Don’t just take someone’s word for it.

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Can I love homeschool when I don’t always like it?

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“School Books” by Krzysztof%20Puszczy%u0144ski/ CC0 1.0

Can I love homeschool when I don’t always like it? This may seem like an odd question but let’s be real. I don’t know about you, but my family’s homeschool days are NOT always perfect. They do not fit into the fairy tale land of perfect school schedules and no whining. And for some reason, my child thinks I’m still “mom” whether I am teaching or not. And that’s because I am! 😂

Being Mom + teacher is just one of the many factors that makes homeschool a bit of a challenge at times. But, I am not here today to tell you how to fix all of your homeschool obstacles. To be honest, I could a use a few tips myself! My intentions are not to fix your problems but to encourage you as a homeschooling Mother to keep going on!

But what about those days when I really just don’t like homeschool?

Those are the days I want to encourage you through. Oftentimes, homeschool is just plain hard. It can be a challenge for you, your child, and even the younger siblings. It takes a lot of creativity, flexibility, love, patience, determination and prayers.

Homeschool is not a bed of roses for everyone, but never forget that it is a blessing.

Can I love homeschool when I don’t always like it ?

I bring you back to my question. Can I love homeschool when I don’t always like it?

Yes! Let me illustrate it like this. Do you like washing dishes, folding laundry, scrubbing toilets, changing diapers, picking up toys or cleaning up puke? Maybe a couple yes’s but probably not 100%, right? But if I was to ask if you love being a wife & mother… of course you do! Without one waver, yes!

My point? Just because homeschool consist of bad days or tasks we do not enjoy should not determine if we love or despise homeschooling. Just as dreading cleaning up puke and scrubbing toilets does not determine your love of homemaking or motherhood.

Just because you had a bad week doesn’t mean you should quit or give up! If you have already reached the point of giving up, I encourage you to step back and take the situation into perspective.

Ask yourself why you started homeschool in the first place. Think upon the alternative of homeschool for your child. Remember the advantages your child has by having you as their “one on one” tutor. And most of all thank God for the privilege you have to homeschool your own child! Homesschool is like anything else in life. Sometimes it’s hard, but hard is not always bad.

Now, I ask once again, do you still love homeschool?

I hope so! If you’re not convinced, I encourage you to read my post on why should I homeschool. Also, if you are struggling with homeschool, consider reaching out for advice or help from family or friends. Maybe try a different homeschool approach, schedule, curriculum, or routine. Also, feel free to check out my other homeschool post linked below such as Is there benefits to a four day homeschool week.

Is there benefits to loving homeschool?

Embracing a love for homeschool and realizing what a privilege it is can be enough to get you through those hard weeks!

Loving homeschool can even rub off on your children. When you make a positive mindset change, your kids will notice and often follow in your path.

If quitting is an option, the hard days will always seem hard. When quitting is not a option, you will learn to deal with the hard days the best you can and prepare to make tomorrow better.

If you believe homeschool is for your family, then I encourage you to love homeschool for the sake of your children and for the sake of your sanity!

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LINKS

Why should I homeschool?
Benefits to a four day homeschool week

20 homeschool tips to rescue the remaining of the school year

Entertain your littles with these trigger activities while the older ones school!

kids playing flour on the kitchen

How to trigger your Child’s imagination this winter

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How to trigger your Child’s imagination this winter

I personally do not believe in entertaining my kids 24/7. Meanwhile, I do believe that you can trigger your child’s imagination to help teach them to entertain themselves in a healthy, “non electronic”, old fashioned way.

With that said, some kids have an amazing imagination, whilst others not so much. Me and my sister are perfect examples of this. My sister could of been found any time of the day playing with her imaginary friends for hours. I, on the other hand, was the child, when not able to go outside, was whining “but mom..I’m bored!”😂. My Mother had never read a post on how to trigger your Childs imagination but she didn’t have to, she was a pro and maybe you are too! If so, I would love to hear in the comments below what kind of “trigger” activities you use in your home. I am always on the look out for more to add to my newly growing list.

The goal of a trigger activity

The goal here, is to take a few minutes of preparation in providing your child with a trigger activity that will result in a longer period of imaginative and independent play. You want to “trigger” the imagination of your child, and teach them to use it more in the future.

I have noticed that STEM activities, hands on games, and toys that require thinking such as blocks and Legos are all awesome triggers

When you trigger your Childs imagination, you are simply giving their mind a boost of insinuative.

I have been guilty in stating that some kids have great imagination while others, like myself, just don’t have one at all, but in reality I really believe that most of us, child and adult alike, have an imagination deep down inside that God gave us. Some of us are just better at using it while others need a little initiative, myself included!

This initiative can come in many ways, for me, it may be surfing the web for craft or party ideas to get my brain rolling. I eventually come up with my own personalized ideas that were “triggered” by someone else’s. This is a good example of imaginary initiative or as I like to call a “trigger”.

For a child, imaginary insinuative may look something like some Play-Doh and cookie cutters or simple craft supplies. Just something, anything, that will trigger an idea.

kids playing flour on the kitchen
Photo by Meruyert Gonullu on Pexels.com

Why should you trigger your Child’s imagination when they have so many toys?

You may be wondering why you should trigger your child’s imagination when they have so many toys. After living a somewhat minimalist ‘full time RV” life, I am a firm believer that most of our children have way too many toys.

Having too much of something does a couple things to our brains. First of all, it can be downright overwhelming. Think of the last time you looked around your home when it needed some cleaning out. When we have to much stuff, things get our of hand. Things begin to pile up, feel messy, and even get lost. The same goes for our children’s toy rooms. If you are interested in more on my outlook of toy many toys and how to minimize then I encourage your to read my toy posts linked below.

The second thing I have experienced with to many toys in our home, is that my kids forget what they have and cannot find what they want. Once we limited the toy bins to what they actually play with and imputed a very simple form of organization, my children play much better with their toys.

If my children play better with their toys, why am I encouraging trigger activities, right?

Because, lets be real, Most kids with a lot of toys or even less toys end up bored at some point in time. And boredom usually breeds but one thing in youngsters and that is TROUBLE.

There’s been times when shut indoors due to weather etc. that I expect my kids to use their imagination with the toys they already had and even got frustrated when the they constantly act bored or begged to turn to electronics to entertain themselves instead. That’s when I began to incorporate initiative or AKA .. trigger activities and so far, they work great for us!

I have found that trigger activities actually help my kids to play with their toys MORE. The more they use their imagination, the more it comes alive in their day to day play.

Trigger your Child’s imagination with these 14 FREE trigger activities!

Stop fighting your kid’s boredom with electronics or useless comments and try the 14 trigger activities, I have included at the bottom of this post.

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If you enjoy these trigger activities then please subscribe for a BRAND NEW MONTH WORTH OF TRIGGER ACTIVITIES FOR JANUARY in just a couple weeks. Once you subscribe you will be emailed when the NEW list is added to our subscriber only content.

Go ahead and subscribe here, but soon as you are done reading please head to your email inbox to CONFIRM YOUR SUBSCRIPTION or you will not receive any emails. If you cannot find a email from a simpler life, check your spam. After you subscribe, keep reading for more on how to trigger your Childs imagination and a 3 week long list to get you started this month.

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Now for your FREE starter list of trigger activities…

Yes, many of them are very simple! Simple seems to work best for these type of things. They should be cost effective and quick for me to pull together while leaving room for your Childs imagination to blossom. No more asking how to trigger your Childs imagination, lets do it!

1. Blow up some balloons!

Balloons can entertain young children for hours. Occationally we even pick up a helium baloon from dollar tree.

2. Make cards for someone.

Set out the paper and colors, Let your children use their own imagination to make someone a card.

3. Dig out the Pladough

Or make some homemade and add a new “playdough assesorie”. This could be cookie cutters, rolling pins, or even hot wheels.

4. Build a blanket fort.

Anybody need a explanation? Back to my childhood days here!

5. Set up ‘minute to win it’ style competition of any type.

The silliest things can become a competition whether aginst eachother or aginst the clock. See who can stack the most cups or blow the most pom poms across the table to the finish line the fastest.

6. Make animal mask from paper plates with very few supplies.

Don’t stop there, turn the animals into live animal actors when finished!

7. Cut snowflakes from printer paper.

This traditional fun craft can be found anywhere on the web and they are soo cute! Don’t forget to let them “decorate” with the snowflakes when finished.

8. Finger paint.

Make your own or find some in the craft section. Depending on your childs age, you may wits to monitor a little closer on this one. I prefer to put a plastic table cloth down and stay in the same room myself lol. Also, make sure your using washible paint helps!

9. Record a funny video.

Older kids love this. Making their own video with a old phone, tablet, or camera can be quite fun. Althoug this does reqire an electronic devise, if done corectly, it can still encourage creativity and even learning.

10. Make hot wheel tracks with painters tape.

My children LOVE when the painteres tape comes out! I do recomend not sticking it to wooden surfaces but besides that, it is amazing for creative play. They usually go from making hot wheel tracks to limbo bars and even mazes.

11.Make play money and set up a “store”.

After shopping once or twice yourself, leave it to them to continue the play.

12. Unroll some old Christmas wrapping paper.

Use old wrapping paper or pick up a roll of brown packing paper from dollar tree and tape it down to the table or floor with the back/blank side facing up. You now have the coolest, longest coloring book ever.

13. Turn that same long “coloring book” into a indoor hop scotch!

14. Make a paper airplane track.

Again with the long paper roll.. draw some lines and add some scores. Now you have a paper airplane racing track. Help/teach your child how to make a good paper airplane and let them have endless fun racing it down the flying track . Supply extra paper and encourage them to make different airplanes to see show far they go.

Related links and post

How to manage toys in my home?

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More than 50 family activities to do this fall

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50 activities to do this Fall!

check out these mostly reasonably priced local fall activities to do this fall

  1. Visit a pumpkin patch

  2. Go on a hay ride

  3. Go through a corn maze

  4. Visit a family farm

  5. Go kayaking, paddle boating etc.
  6. Play Put-put
  7. Visit a apple orchard.
  8. Find a Petting zoo or safari (Petting zoos are often a lower price option to large zoos while still offering lots of fun.)
  9. Horseback riding

Enjoy the cooler weather with these mostly free activities 

  1. Plan a pic-nick
  2. Visit local state parks
  3. Visit local favorite landmarks that will look extra beautiful with the fall foliage.
  4. Go camping (consider borrowing a tent from someone if you don’t have your own)
  5. Go geocaching (Never heard of geocaching? It’s practically a world wide scavenger hunt! Download the app for FREE HERE or below. To learn more! )
  6. Visit local historical sites & markers
  7. Visit a local cemetery (okay so this one may sound a bit odd, but a lot of people find old cemetery’s very fascinating especially if a local hero piece of history is there.) Take advantage of the time to teach your children about eternity, historical figures, and grave respect.)
  8. Go Spotlighting. (only for legal states!) Spotlighting can be a lot of fun for those who live in legal states, borrow a spot light or dig out your own and take the family out on a late night drive, you would be amazed at the deer you will see out! Just be respectful of people’s houses and be sure to KNOW YOUR STATE LAWS 1st
  1. Go biking
  2. Enjoy local hiking/walking trails
  3. Go fishing

Have some Family Friendly Competition this fall! Try out these family friendly sports 

  1. Wiffle Ball
  2. Frisbee golf
  3. Tennis
  4. Pickle ball
  5. 4 square
  6. Horse (Basketball game)
  7. Corn hole
  8. Bad mitten
  9. Krochet

Enjoy THESE fall activities in your own home & yard this fall!

  1. Decorate for the season together
  2. Work on a house project together
  3. Make Christmas gifts
  4. Build a Squirrel or bird feeder (Place wild life feeders by the family window or porch, use as a opportunity to teach kids about winter food storage this year.)
  5. Build a scare crow (search for old clothing and scare crow accessories in your own home, use your imagination, ask family for old unused items then purchase any remainder items second hand if possible.) this is SO fun!!
  6. Bake fall goodies as a family (Make extra for neighbors & friends)
  7. Star gaze
  8. Make fall crafts or DIY fall decor together
  9. Build a family oppstical course
  10. Decorate a pumpkin for fall

dessert or 2 ingredient peanut butter fudge by link below!

Fall activities to do this fall with friends!

  1. Try making homemade iced coffee or lates together, turn it into a friendly family competition.
  1. Consider Hosting a fall party or game night for close friends & family
  1. Host a bom fire
  1. Have dinner over the fire
  1. Host your own fall photo session (Use fall decor or local fall scenery as photo props & back drops.)
  2. Build your own hay ride
  3. Plan a group shooting practice (Whether you are a hunter, concealed carrier, archer, paint ball lover, or dart thrower, a group shooting competition can be great fun! Use the time to teach your children safety tips.)
  1. Host a canning or fermenting party (Did you know you don’t need a garden to can! Local farmers market and farms or even sales at stores can provide low priced seasonal harvest to can . Also try fermenting for good probiotics.)
  1. Plan a fall themed scavenger hunt
  2. Host some friendly competition with the sports listed above .

Go Shopping! Need a excuse to go shopping this fall?

  1. Going to flea markets are a such fun activities to do this fall! The beautiful weather makes it so enjoyable and flea markets are a great place to find pumpkins or other fall grown items at a great price!
  2. Christmas Shop (Get some shopping done early before the cold sets in, this can be a great family activity and a good excuse to shop with a purpose) don’t forget to stay on budget.

More tips while discovering activities to do this fall with your family

  • Make use of GOOGLE to discover new local events, places,discounts, & phone numbers
  • Call ahead & ask about free activities & prices .
  • Decide on which activities you will be doing before you go. Prepare kids so their are no disappointments for unplanned activities that may be there.
  • Pack a lunch/pic-nic to save money or choose value fast food items and take them to go- to at the park to make lunch time more exciting.
  • Check your local library for free rentals of museum tickets and even sports equipment! Our library has had rental tickets for the local history museum, a football, pickle ball equipment etc in the past!
  • If you are a homeschool mom, don’t forget to use some of these ideas as fall field trips!
  • Use fall family photos for Christmas or Thanksgiving cards to save time and money on a Christmas card photo sessions.

Even if you do not “plan” a photo session. You can often get the best pics ever while just enjoying yourselves. Hay rides, corn mazes, leaf piles, or even a pumpkin at the flea market can be turned into a wonderful photo props!

 
What fall activities do you have planned for your family this year?

Please share below in comments! also, If you have enjoyed this post please Share and subscribe below to my blog for weekly updates and new post notifications. As a SUBSCRIBED HOMEMAKER you will also have access to my homemakers only page with FREE printable’s included in many of my past and future post!

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More On Geocaching HERE

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20 Homeschool Tips To Rescue The remaining School Year

e.renee94 2 Comments

These homeschool tips were put together to help you through the last half of the school year…

The excitement has waned and summer break is nearing… (well, sorta lol). If you need a few “homeschool tips” to encourage you on, then keep reading!

*Although some of these homeschool tips could be used for any homeschooling age, the main focus here is on elementary age students

20 Homeschool Tips

1.Begin your day with prayer

The first homeschool tip I want to share is to begin your day with prayer. This may sound obvious to some but it is often the obvious that gets over looked. Be sure to take your homeschool struggles to the Lord and remember we can and instructed to pray about all things.

Philippians 4:6 (KJV) Be carful for nothing: but in everything by prayer ans supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God

2. Plan

The second tip of my homeschool tips is to PLAN. Line out and plan your lesson BEFORE you begin the school day. There is no reason to slow your day down or cause stress from lack of planning. I like to plan each day’s lesson the day before, using my clipboard, highlighters, calendar, and so on.

3. Focus on your routine

Whatever your routine is, set it and keep it. Kids seem to be most productive when they know exactly what to expect.

4. Start the day out with your child’s more challenging subjects

That’s right.. the earlier part of the day is proven to be the best time to focus. Take advantage of this time, while your child’s mind is sharp & the school days weariness has yet to set in, by knocking out their greatest challenge. This will also give you both momentum for the rest of the school day, with lack of dread for the remaining task.

5. Take breaks

Don’t be afraid to take breaks. Breaks get the wiggles out and gives your child a good mental “reset”. Even a 10 minute break can do wonders.

6. Practice struggle areas by incorporating fun activities.

Need to work on letters? Dig out the play-doh and make letters together or practice multiplications with old fashioned hand play (Miss Mary Mack anyone ? lol…?) You know you want to lol .

7. Rid of as many distractions as possible

Before you start your school day, make sure to eliminate as many distractions as possible. This homeschool tip is talking about the eliminations of things like hunger, excess potty breaks, thirst, dry lips, etc. Anything that can be attended to beforehand that may distract your child.

Setting these concepts into your routine really helps. Make sure to feed your child a good breakfast before school starts. Set a “potty” break time or ‘drink’ time to keep the child from being distracted by spontaneous breaks to just “get out of work.” Don’t let them fool you, wouldn’t you have done the same?

8. Make plans to Occupy other “youngsters”

One of the biggest distractions to older children can be the younger (non school age) siblings. Make plans ahead of time to occupy these little guys! Coloring pages, play-doh, learning apps on a tablet (tablets like ours linked below), snacks, paint, and so on, are great ideas.

Silencing headphones for the schooling children can also help. I’ll link our compact pair below!

9. Be you

Got new ideas or teaching inspiration ? Try them! You are the teacher and you know your child best.

10. Add hands on activity

If your child has a hard time with school boredom, focusing , or excess energy, try incorporating hands on activities to busy their little minds & bodies.

11. Encourage “school in play”

While “playing in school” may be frowned upon in most cases, “schooling in playtime “should be encouraged! Encouraging learning activities in your child’s playtime is a great way to implement learning outside of school time.

12. Stop stressing!

The first couple months of pre-k, I was fretting like crazy, afraid my child was lagging in some way. After talking to several moms & reading others experiences, I decided to just quit stressing! That’s right, just stop! Yes, do your best. Yes, challenge your child. But don’t flip out if your child doesn’t love math or struggles with reading. Everyone has their strengths , weaknesses, loves, and hates and remember, theirs may be different from yours.

13. Encourage, reward and praise their BEST

It’s seems so natural to praise the A+ above all other. Of course we want ALL of our children to have 4.0 GPA right? Well.. all kids don’t. As I said before, you know your child better than anyone. If you know, without a doubt, your child is doing their BEST then treat their best like you would a A+! Even God expects only our best, and looks down upon the comparing of one another.

14. Don’t fret over a specific curriculum

If your beloved, researched, 5 star, curriculum doesn’t seam to be working for your family or child. Don’t worry, it’s really ok! Be thankful that you are homeschooling and have the liberty and freedom to choose the BEST curriculum for you and your family . This is a blessing not a problem. So get to praying, researching, and talking with your husband, then go make the beat decision for your child. But before u do all of that, make sure it’s the curriculum that’s problem and not just a lack of planning, organization, or commitment, excess distractions.

15. Smile & be fun

“When mama’s not happy, nobody’s happy”. We all agree on that, right? Remember though, “mama” is the teacher now so the same goes for the teacher! Set the tone for your school day early on and you will be happy you did.

16. Keep it new & exciting

“New” may seem a little hard halfway through the school year but use your imagination and add in fun activities throughout the school day.

17. Personalize it

Whatever curriculum you use, be sure to take advantage of the homeschool opportunity by personalizing it accordingly. Everything from your lessons to schedule can be and should be personalized to fit your Childs needs.

18. Be flexible

How exactly can you be flexible while keeping a consistent routine ? I have found, that on days that the normal “schedule” doesn’t work, we can still keep the same routine with only a few adjustments. This helps my children adapt easily on days we need some flexibility. Flexibility, in general,, is a must with homeschool. You are not just a teacher, you are mom which sometimes includes nursing, secretary work, mothering, and who knows what else that contains schooling conflicts. You must be flexible while staying true to your task.

19. Stay true

If anything needs to be reminded towards the end of the school year, it would be to stay true to your task. ‘Homeschool slacking’ is never rewarding. This is probably my most important homeschool tip of all. If we don’t homeschool “right” then all our work is in vain. Do it right and you will never regret the lasting benefits, benefits our children can pass on and use the rest of their lives.

Homeschool is not easy but it is so worth

#20 Of The Homeschool Tips Is To Laminate!

The last of my homeschool tips is to laminate. Laminate those worn out flash cards, schedules, calendars, work sheets, laminate everything! To see more on how to laminate with a heat laminator and how my laminator benefits my homeschooling, watch my video linked below.

https://youtu.be/UGQjmA4wzMQ

I hope these homeschool tips have encouraged and inspired you in some way! You can do this!

Don’t forget to like subscribe & share before you go!

Related Links

My Scotch Laminator Here! Check out this great deal that includes bonus 20pk of pouches. https://amzn.to/3FYT1j3

225 variety pack of laminating pouches shown in my video. love these! https://amzn.to/3tLgqSA

Compact Silencing headphones https://amzn.to/3fFDUA7

Tablets like ours https://amzn.to/3GLQoC8

Why Should I Homeschool?

e.renee94 4 Comments

Note from the author

I realize homeschooling is not an option for every family and I also realize that there are a few families that have been blessed with the opportunity to have their children be apart of a wonderful private Christian church school with many of the same benefits of homeschooling. I am not underestimating how wonderful church schools can be nor am I slamming those who have no option except public school.

If you wish to homeschool your children or have them apart of a good Christian school but do not have the opportunity, do not feel guilty or underprivileged. God has grace and strength for every situation when we are living for Him.

Many a Christian child has succeeded wonderfully in a public school environment with God’s strength and grace and yours can too!

On the other hand, if you are fully cabable of homeschooling your child (or sending them to a good private Christian church school) and you have not considered the option, please reconsider!

You are really missing out and so is your child!

Lastly, if you are a teacher or public school worker of any kind, Praise God!

Our public schools need good, Godly, Christian influences in these dark times. If there were more people like you, we would not be facing the current schooling crisis of which we are currently in today.

Thank you for your burden!

Why Homeschool?

Last year, many parents found themselves plunged into the scary, dark world of “unprepared” homeschool. For some, the experience opened a door of future opportunity, while others looked on in horror at the thought of returning to homeschool ever again.

First of all, anything unprepared for often turns into chaos.

No one, myself included, was really prepared for the lifestyle changes that the ‘2020’ pandemic brought upon us. Homeschool itself cannot adequately be judged by this unjust opportunity.

If last year turned you against, once a option, of homeschool , please reconsider!!

Homeschooling, when done right, is a great honor and can produce amazing success in your children, along with many extra benefits.

Why Do I Believe So Wholeheartedly In Homeschooling?

SAFTEY

Safety is just one of the reasons I count the opportunity of homeschooling a true honor and blessing.

You may be surprised by some of these public school facts listed below.

*financesonline.com did a survey and discovered these troubling facts of public schools.link here for see full article

During 2017, students 12-18 experienced 827,000 non fatal victimizations at school

(Bureau of Justice, 2018)

More then 3,434 threats and acts of violence happened in the k4 American schools during the 2018-2019 school year

(Educators school safety network 2019)

In 2018, juveniles accounted for 19.7 arson arrest . 60% of these arrest were of children under the age of 15

( FBI 2019)

85% of all violent incidents at schools during the school year 2018-2019 was done by students

(Educators School Safety Network 2019)

In the year of 2019 schools seen a total of 45 school shootings , averaging nearly one school shooting per week

(CNN, 2019)

During the 2019 report by NCES, only 21% of public schools had a security personal present at least once a week.

(NCES, 2019)

63% of teachers strongly oppose to receiving special training to carry a gun in school.

(Gallup, 2018)

Schools reported the three lacking factors they believe have effected the school crime rate in a negative way.

1.Inadequate funding ( 36%)

2.Lack of alternative programs for disruptive students (34%)

3.District policies on disciplining special

education (19%)

Violence can happen anywhere but it is a scary thought that many of our schools are not well equipped to handle these dangerous situations and adequately protect our children.

School Systems may blame these problems on lack of programs, funding and policies. While some of these resources may need attention, the biggest factor is the lack of God in our schools. Anytime you leave God out, sinful problems will increasingly occur.

Being able to provide a safe haven and refuge through homeschool is an amazing opportunity and should never be taken lightly.

My second reason for homeschooling is due to the concern of..

What Is Being Taught To Children In Public Schools.

FALSE TEACHINGS

Many of these lies listed below are taught as truth in our public school systems.

Let us compare these worldly point of views to the biblical, truthful point of view.

Remember, if God’s Word is truth, (and it always is) then anything contradicting God’s word, is false.

–LIES OF THE WORLD-

The world says pursue the highest career,

God says pursue His will first .

Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all of these things shall be added unto you. Matt 6:33 (KJV)

The world says perfection is best,

God says your best (for Him) IS perfect.

As for God, His way is perfect …

2 Sam 22:31 (KJV)

God is my strength and power: and He maketh my way perfect. 2 Sam 22:33 (KJV)

The world says seek honor and be proud of your accomplishments.

God says be humble and He will exalt you in due time.

Humble yourselves therefore under the might hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time. 1 Peter 5:6 (KJV)

The world says earthly possessions will make you happy,

God says earthly things will pass away.

Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. Matt 24:35 (KJV)

The world says “be you”!

God says “be His”.

Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

2 Cor 6:17-18 (KJV)

The world says you are who you feel like you are.

God says you are who He made you, in His image and His likeness.

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.. Gen 1:26 (KJV)

The world says you are a accident, not needed or noticed.

God says you have a purpose .

The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. Psalm 37:23

The world says to better yourself,

God says better others.

And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved. 2 Cor 12:15 (KJV)

The world says be your own boss,

God says be submissive to authority.

Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another.. 1Peter 5:5 (KJV)

The world says you have one life, live it to its fullest!

God says you have two, prepare for the second here in the first.

Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. John 14:1-3 (KJV)

The world says love yourself,

God says love your neighbor as yourself.

..Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Matt 19:19 (KJV)

The world says when you die, it’s over.

God says when you die, eternity has just begun.

What exactly are my kids missing by Homeschooling?

Many people worry about what their kids might miss if they homeschool. I, myself, am so grateful full for the many things my children DO “miss”.

I’m so glad you asked!

So many times the world wants to point out the friends , interaction, sports, extra cariculars, and socializing that your child may be deprived from while home schooling. Many of these things are just myths if homeschooling is done properly.

(More on this below).

In reality, a few things children are really missing by homeschooling are ..

1.Early Sinful introductions

2.Bullying

3.Lack of Physical protection

4.Lack of security

5.Loneliness or rejections when he or she

“don’t fit in” with the sinful actions and

ideas put forth

6.Lack of ‘one on one’ education in

needed subjects

7.The ability to work at their capable pace

8.The emittance of Christ in his or her

daily learning

9.False teachings and ideas that do not

align with God’s word

10.Lack of traditional standards and

morals.

11.Bad influences

If you don’t believe these things are present in much of today’s public school system, I suggest you do your own research.

Here are just a few articles posted by CBN news (Christian Broadcast Network) that may open your eyes to “behind the scenes” of many school systems.

These links will also be listed at bottom of my post.

I highly recommend reading them and searching for news outlets, like CBN, that provide the conservative side of things.

Racism in school?

http://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2021/august/parent-takes-action-after-atlanta-elementary-school-allegedly-segregated-kids-by-ethnicity

Teachers required to refer to child’s preference of gender as pronouns.

http://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2021/august/virginia-school-board-approves-pro-transgender-policy-forcing-teachers-to-use-students-preferred-pronoun

Scotland 4 year old children can decide gender without parents consent , teachers are not required to inform parents.

http://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2021/august/scotland-decides-4-year-olds-can-choose-new-gender-at-school-without-parental-consent

It don’t stop at high school, well known college votes in new lead chaplain, an atheist

http://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/2021/august/harvard-rsquo-s-new-lead-chaplain-is-atheist

Now The Choice Is Yours

I’m not saying your child will become one of the many statistics I have given if you do not homeschool . God can keep and protect anyone .

But the question is, do you really want to put your child through that kind of challenge durring this vital influencual time of their hearts and lives?

We are to be molded in the image of God.

A child’s mind is influenced more now then anytime of its entire life.

I want to do everything within my power to ward away evil while I can. To protect, shield, and teach their heart to be molded like Christ. If my child spends x percent of it’s time at school each week, I must ask myself

“who is teaching my child?” and “what are they teaching him?”

Each person and child will have their time to stand for God. I want to make sure my child is well equipped for when his time comes. It is my Responsibility to prepare, and train him.

Proverbs 22:6 (KJV)

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

God personally chose you and your spouse to raise and rear your child . He did not give this great responsibility to your best friend, to the school system, the day care, not even to your own mother.

Although family members and other people may have great influence in your child’s life, God ultimately laid this great wonderful privilege & responsibility on you as the parent.

But never fear! He not only gave you the task, He also promises to equip you for the task IF YOU LET HIM guide you in every step!

-In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He will direct thy paths. Proverbs 3:6 (KJV)

It is vital that we stand up and take our duty serious!

We must pray about what school and which curriculum our children will go through. We must research, greatly consider and carefully choose each step and year of this great process called “school”, that will influence so many years of our child’s life.

Rumors about homeschooling.

As mentioned earlier, many parents face the fears of homeschool rumors.

Rumors like..

-My child will be lonely

-My child will sacrifice his or her education

-My child will lack caricular activities or

lessons

-My child will be socially challenged

-My child will be deprived

-My child will appear weird or out of place

-My child will be unprepared for the real world

These are just a few of the common homeschool rumors and questions I have faced as a homeschool graduate.

First of all, you must realize that only you can make sure these statements stay indeed, RUMORS.

It is true, if homeschool is done incorrectly, it can result in many bad experiences including those listed above.

What matters most, is that IT DOES NOT HAVE TO but only you, as the parent, can make sure it doesn’t and that is by homeschooling the right way .

How Do I Homeschool The “Right” Way

There are many “right ways” to do something.

It’s not about the perfect curriculum or the daily start time. Families can live on different schedules, schooling from different curriculums, living in different countries, and still “do it right”.

Schooling” right” is not a bed of roses and should never be looked at as “a schooling short cut” or “an easy way out”. If this is your mentality, you are probably on the wrong path.

You must realizeyou get out of something what you put into it.

1.PLAN

Homeschooling takes a lot of planning. Do your research ahead of time. It’s never to early to look into curriculum content, save accordingly , plan for a school space etc.

Once you begin making these decisions, it is time to begin preparations. Preperation may include things like, but not limited to..

•Fixing up your school space

•Saving for supplies and curriculum

•Research your state laws such as

schooling days and hrs required, record

keeping, enrollment laws etc.

•Decide on a start date

•Purchase / order school supplies

(Your curriculum should supply some sort

of start list)

•purchase and enroll your child if

applicable in plenty of time to begin on

your start date .

•Set up a tentative daily schedule that

works for your family’s routine.

You can adapt it as needed.

•Set up a record keeping plan

2.Sacrifice

Realizing that homeschooling is a commitment will get you a long way.

As mentioned before, it is not an avenue of escape or a easy way out. If you want to get results from it, you will need to put something into it .

As a homeschool mom, you now have taken place of the teachers, the school system and the principal. You have a great role to fill, you must step up to the task. All the time and effort it will take, ask yourself, is it worth it? If you can truly admit that it’s worth it and whole heartedly commit to the task, then you are half way there.

A right mindset has set the road to many a success.

3.Endure

Now that you’ve prepared and the school year has began it’s time to hold out and ENDURE!

• Face each obstacle together with your

child. The way to finish a school year is

one day at a time.

•Focus on each day. Do your best as the

teacher/supervisor and challenge your

student to do their best.

•Seek help or counsel when needed.

•Talk to other experienced homeschool

parents.

•Take part of or put together a

homeschool group in your church .

•Let your child know first hand they are

not alone.

•Apply online music or extracurricular

classes that they are interested in.

One of the best tips I can give is to encourage and provide the opportunity for church choir, church music envolvment , church activities, youth group functions and church trips.

These should be the center of a Christian child’s social life. If they have a church family strongly established in their life , they will never miss or feel deprived from the social life public school offers.

4.Reap The Benefits

Now that you’re in, began reaping the benefits of homeschooling!

Homeschooling provides the best way possible to personalize your child’s learning experience.

If you see they are struggling in an area, you do not have to wait until they are home to work on the problem, instead, focus on it throughout their daily studies. This will relieve much stress on their end and give you a peace of mind about their learning.

Homeschooling provides flexibility for homes in unusual circumstances. I do not recommend following “ no schedule” in any homeschool setting . I believe, children need the stability of a schedule or routine to encourage the best learning possible.

On the other hand, your schedule may look totally different than mine and that’s okay with homeschool! This is great for family’s in unique situations.

Set a yearly and daily schedule that abides by your state’s guidelines and fits perfectly in your families lifestyle.

The fact that homeschooling allows you to monitor and choose exactly what your child is learning, is a huge benefit .

Watching your child develop mentally, and spiritually is an amazing process and knowing you have a hand in influencing this development is a priceless benefit.

——————————————————-

From my experience

I am in no way a homeschool professional or advisor! I am writing most of this post from a homeschool graduate’s prospective.

I was greatly affected by my homeschool life, in a positive way and want to share my experience and insight for those who were not so privileged and are still considering homeschool for their children.

Don’t let bad experience scare you away. But only consider if you’re truly willing to commit. We don’t need any more past “bad experiences” affecting our children’s education and giving a bad taste to the homeschool world as a whole.

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Happy Homemaking!

Erica,

-A Simpler Life-

 

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Related Links

“Benefits  of a 4 day homeschool year“

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