October 14, 2024 Events, Our Homeschool, Workshops Post a Comment

Fall Refresh Homeschooling Workshop

homeschooling workshop

November Reset and Refresh

As we all know, heading into November can be a challenging time for homeschooling. The days get shorter but feel longer, our curriculum isn’t new and shiny anymore, and routines start to feel stale and confining as our attention is drawn toward holiday planning and preparation. 

It’s time to refocus, reset, and refresh.

This is a great time to pause and evaluate what’s happening in your homeschool. You’ve probably been consistently schooling for 6-10 weeks or so. You have probably achieved a pretty good routine for at least a decent chunk of that time. 

You are also maybe getting a little bored with your routine and curriculum. And you might be feeling a little antsy or distracted as you start to think about the upcoming holidays. 

It’s time to refocus, reset, and refresh.

Join me for a morning that promises to both nourish and motivate you so that you can reinvigorate your homeschool before heading into what can often be the hardest time of year to homeschool. 

It’s time to refocus and reset.

We’ll take some time to revisit the plan you started the year with. How is it working? What’s going really well? What needs some tweaking? What isn’t working at all or has been completely forgotten? Is anything missing? 

Then we’ll spend some time looking ahead to make sure the current plan will fit the reality of the upcoming holiday season. I’ll give you tools to craft a plan that allows you to meet your homeschooling responsibilities while also observing the fun and beauty of the season. No one wants to be the Grinch!

It’s time to refresh.

This will be hard work. So we need to take care of ourselves while we do it. To that end, the morning will include time for prayer, friendship, and a lovely brunch custom-catered just for us. 

October 16, 2024 Encouragement, Events, Workshops Post a Comment

4 Signs of Homeschool Burnout and 5 Things You Can Do About it

How to beat homeschool burnout

Are you dealing with homeschool burnout? Do the days seem impossibly long and filled with unpleasant interactions with your children? Do you feel like you’re drowning in the details of life and never getting to the good stuff? It happens to the best of us. Here are some of the ways it shows up in my homeschool.

4 Signs of Homeschool Burnout

Snapping at my kids

I’m pretty sure none of us entered into this motherhood/homeschooling gig because we wanted to spend our days feeling frustrated and overwhelmed by our responsibilities to our children. We imagined joyful tea parties, pushing squealing toddlers on swings, witnessing the moment when reading finally clicks for our child, and deep, meaningful conversations that reveal to us the beautiful souls of our older children.

So why does it feel like so many moments are filled with barking orders, frustration, whining, and tears? 

If this is your current reality, it’s a pretty good sign that you are overwhelmed and facing burnout.

Looking for any excuse not to do school

As homeschoolers we have the luxury of choosing our school days and deciding how to fill them. One of the benefits of homeschooling is being able to decide to drop everything and head to the hills to enjoy an unseasonably warm afternoon, or to start the day late because everyone was up late stargazing the night before.

But when you have more days of not schooling than schooling, when your days start later and later because it’s easier to let the kids sleep than to deal with them, it’s time to look at what’s going on. We have a responsibility to educate these little ones, and if we’re avoiding it, we need to confront our burnout.

Googling “good schools near me”

I’ve even been known to tour a couple. One time our tour was scheduled for 8 am and we woke up to below freezing temperatures and enough snow to make life miserable but not enough to cancel school. I felt like the Holy Spirit was reminding me of just one of the many reasons I go through the trouble of homeschooling.

When you start fantasizing about sending your kids to school, it’s time to figure out how to manage your burnout. Changing the way you school your kids is a big deal and the decision should be made from a place of peace, not overwhelm.

Shopping for curriculum

There are times when a curriculum change is what is needed. But in general, what you have is just fine. You may need to tweak it to make it work for you, but, chances are, you spent a lot of time and money picking it out and you chose it carefully. Rather than shopping for new curriculum, admit you’re starting to burn out, and take some time to figure out how to make what you have work for you – at least for now.

 

5 Things to Help you Fight Burnout

Take a morning to reset 

Ask the Holy Spirit to be your guide in this process. Brainstorm what is going well, and what is not working. Do you love your language arts curriculum? What about your current routine feels glitchy? How is morale? Are there attitude problems that need to be dealt with? If you could wave a magic wand and change three things about your homeschool, what would they be?

Now, pick one  problem and tackle it – either the easiest to solve or the one that will yield the most fruit if solved. 

Phone a Friend

This can be especially helpful if you are an external processor. I have certain friends that I call when I want to think through specific problems. I let them know by text that I have something I want to pick their brain about and we schedule a time to talk. We may or may not talk about her on that call and we may or may not exchange pleasantries. Good friends are happy to help and they know you’ll be there for them when it’s their turn. It’s amazing how much can be figured out in a focused 15-30 minute conversation with a fellow traveler. 

In order for this to be most effective, the call needs to be focused on solving problems, not venting. Venting is fine and definitely has its place, but it doesn’t move us forward when we’re stuck. 

Give yourself a (healthy) treat

It is important to give ourselves treats from time to time. They help boost morale, allow us to ask more of ourselves, and make life a little less sad. They are a form of self care that make us feel, well, cared for. So go ahead and give yourself a healthy treat. Spend 30 minutes reading a book just because, go for a short walk all by yourself, put fresh flowers on the table. Treats are very personal. They don’t have to be expensive or edible. Make a short list of things that give you a little jolt of joy and keep it handy when you need a little pick-me-up.

Spend an hour being a friend to your future self

Treats can be a very important part of self care, but they’re not the only way to care for yourself. Think of how you care for your children. It’s not all about making them feel good in the moment. It’s the same when we take care of ourselves. Sometimes, self care means doing some work now to save us some trouble later. When you’re facing burnout, sometimes taking an hour away from homeschooling to improve your environment can go a long way toward making you feel better about your life.

You could:

  • Organize your homeschooling supplies
  • Plan your next week of homeschooling.
  • Clean your bedroom.
  • Plan your meals for the next couple of weeks.
  • Fold and put away all of that laundry on the sofa.

Attend a Homeschool Workshop or Retreat

Homeschool Burnout is a real issue and we need to face it head on if we’re going to have the homeschools we all dream of. Many places offer retreats, conferences, or workshops for homeschooling moms to come together for fellowship and professional development.

 If you’re local, and you want to join some wonderful women for a morning of work and refreshment, check out my upcoming Reset, Refocus, and Refresh workshop. I’d love to see you there!

 

October 9, 2024 Book Reviews: Books for Children, Media Reviews Post a Comment

Room on the Broom: is there room in your life for a perfect picture book? {Picture Book Review}

Room on the Broom picture book review

Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler {Picture Book Review}

A generous witch shares her broom in this wonderfully illustrated and delightfully rhymed picture book.

Age Range: 3-5, 4-8

Overall Rating: 5 stars

Literary Value: 5 stars

Artistic Value: 5 stars

 

Themes of Truth, Beauty, and Goodness

Generosity, helping friends, helping strangers, teamwork, triumphing over adversity

Discussion Questions

How did the witch show generosity to the animals?

How were the animals good friends to the witch?

Academic Tie-ins

This one is just for fun!

Parents might want to know

If you’re not into witches and dragons and magic potions, you probably want to skip this one.

Spectacular Illustrations

From one of the best picture book author/illustrator teams, this gem from Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, creators of The Gruffalo, is one of my family’s all-time favorite picture books. 

 

This is one of those picture books that you can enjoy from across the room – without seeing any of the pictures. Julia Donaldson is a masterful poet using meter and rhyme and all of the literary devices to create a book that is a delight to read aloud. 

 

This is also a picture book that a non-reader can enjoy on his own. Curled up on a big comfy couch a young child can revel in Axel Scheffler’s illustrations which tell the whole story in delightful detail. The pictures are whimsical and energetic and you can tell exactly how the characters are feeling by the expressions on their faces.

 

Combining the talents of these two artists creates a picture book that is more than the sum of its parts. Without feeling at all preachy, this is a tale of true generosity. Each time the witch is asked to share her broom, she does, no questions asked. When the witch needs help, the animals help her. When her life is in peril, they work together to save her. And they all live happily ever after. 

 

October 8, 2024 Book Reviews: Books for Children, Media Reviews Post a Comment

The Pumpkin Fair: Fall festival fun makes you feel like you’re there! {Picture Book Review}

The Pumpkin Fair by Eve Bunting

The Pumpkin Fair by Eve Bunting and Eileen Christelow {Picture Book Review}

A warty little pumpkin wins the most-loved prize.

Age Range: 4-8

Overall Rating: 4 stars

Literary Value: 3 stars

Artistic Value: 5 stars

 

Themes of Truth, Beauty, and Goodness

 Siblings having fun and celebrating together. Poetic language.

Discussion Questions

Why do you think the little pumpkin wanted to be fierce?

Who was the pumpkin’s role model? Do you think he was a good role model? Why or why not?

What are things that make you feel big and important?

Academic Tie-ins

Science (change, pumpkin life cycle, fall)

Parents might want to know

There is a scene where the children dance in a circle around the pumpkin “singing a song to the terrific, terrible pumpkin with the zigzag grin.” 

Spectacular Illustrations

This beautifully illustrated picture book captures the wholesome fun of a local fall festival with all of its costumes, contests, games, and pumpkin-themed fun.

It’s a rhyming book, but, honestly, the rhyme scheme is fairly clunky in parts. There also isn’t much plot to this book. A little girl takes her pumpkin to the pumpkin fair knowing that it isn’t the biggest, the smallest, the prettiest, or the most creatively presented. But she really loves it anyway, because it’s hers and she grew it. Somehow, at least one of the judges sees this love, and rewards it a ribbon.

So why am I reviewing it? Why do I love it?

I really love the illustrations in this book. They are so detailed, and colorful, and everyone looks so happy. You can feel the bright sun and the cool breeze. You can hear the pumpkin seeds being spit and the cheers of the tug-o-war. I can even almost smell the funnel cakes, but maybe that’s just me.

The illustrations make you feel like you’re right there in the middle of all of the best fun that the best of small-town America has to offer at the best time of year. It’s the perfect addition to your sweater weather picture book collection.

October 4, 2024 Book Reviews: Books for Children, Media Reviews Post a Comment

Picture Book Review: The Witch’s Hat is laugh-out-loud spooky fun

Halloween picture book, The Witch's Hat

Picture Book Review: The Witch’s Hat

After inadvertently casting a spell on her hat, a witch must catch the tricky hat and return it to her head.

Title

 The Witch’s Hat
Author Tony Johnston
Illustrator Margo Tomes
Publication Date 1984
Age Range 3-5, 4-8
Overall Rating 4 stars
Literary Value 4 stars
Artistic Value 3 stars

Themes of Truth, Beauty, and Goodness

This one is mostly just plain fun. The witch demonstrates bravery and perseverance in the face of frustration. The language is rich with literary devices and simple but fun dialogue.

Discussion Questions

Have you ever created a problem for yourself that was way harder than it should have been to fix?

Academic Tie-ins

This one is just for fun!

Parents might want to know

If you’re not into witches and spells and potions, skip this one.

If you’re looking for a funny, light-hearted Halloween picture book to share with your children, The Witch’s Hat  tops my list of recommendations. The repeated rhyming aside (“It was a magic pot, in case you forgot”) and the witch’s exclamations of triumph and frustration combine to make this one of my favorite Halloween books to read aloud.

The story is simple. A witch inadvertently casts a spell on her hat which in turn tries to run from her, taking on a variety of disguises to avoid detection. She’s a clever witch though, and she devises simple tests (pinching the bats, poking the rats) to separate the hat from the bats/rats/cats. It’s a battle of wits and perseverance. Who wins? Make sure you turn to the very last illustration before you decide!

This one is out-of-print, but you can watch it read aloud here:

October 3, 2024 Book Reviews: Books for Children, Media Reviews Post a Comment

Book Review: The Fierce Yellow Pumpkin is just spooky enough

Book Review: The Fierce Yellow Pumpkin by Margaret Wise Brown

The tale of a special place where children create a grown-up world of their own.

Age: 3-5, 4-8

Overall rating: 3 ½ stars

Literary value: 4 stars

Artistic value: 3 ½ stars

Themes of Truth, Beauty, and Goodness

 Siblings having fun and celebrating together. Poetic language.

Discussion Questions

Why do you think the little pumpkin wanted to be fierce?

Who was the pumpkin’s role model? Do you think he was a good role model? Why or why not?

What are things that make you feel big and important?

Academic Tie-ins

Science (change, pumpkin life cycle, fall)

Parents might want to know

There is a scene where the children dance in a circle around the pumpkin “singing a song to the terrific, terrible pumpkin with the zigzag grin.” 

This is a peculiar little book. The language is delightful, as one might expect from the beloved author of Goodnight Moon. The repetition of “fat little, round little, orange little pumpkin” and phrases like “fierce, ferocious gobble-gooble face” make it a real joy to read out loud. The illustrations are captivating. The drawings of the children have an oddness to them, but the pictures of the mice and the pumpkin and the scenes of the fields with the scarecrow are all very engaging. 

 

What makes the book peculiar is the protagonist. Our fat little, round little, orange little pumpkin wants to be big. Fair enough. But he also wants to be mean. In the end, he gets his wish. He becomes a “terrific, terrible pumpkin with [a] zigzag grin.” And, as he wished, the mice run when they see him.

 

If you are looking for a “spooky season” book for your little ones that isn’t too dark or scary, this fits the bill. My sensitive little boy (now 19!) gasped when the pumpkin’s fierce face was revealed, which is particularly amusing given the drawing is pretty much the same as the one on the cover of the book. The prose and illustrations also perfectly capture the crisp yet dreary feeling of late October. The book more than delivers as an addition to the Halloween atmosphere.

 

You can read it for that alone – enjoy the illustrations and the lyrical language and then let it go on its merry way. Or, you can dig a little deeper and wonder together why this pumpkin wants to be mean and scary. It could be an interesting conversation starter, especially if you have a little pumpkin who likes to be scary.

October 2, 2024 Book Reviews: Books for Children, Media Reviews Post a Comment

Book Review: Happy childhood memories come to life in Roxaboxen

Book Review: Roxaboxen

The tale of a special place where children create a grown-up world of their own.

Age: 4-8

Overall Rating: 5 stars

Literary value: 5 stars

Artistic value: 5 stars

Publication date: 1991

Themes of Truth, Beauty, and Goodness

 A tale of friendship, family, growing up, warm memories, home and belonging, creativity and imagination.

Discussion Questions

Why do you think Marian was mayor “of course?”

Have you ever had a special place like Roxaboxen?

If you were a citizen of Roxaboxen, what kind of shop would you open or what job would you have?

Academic Tie-ins

Economics, government, social studies

Maria Montessori was known for saying that “play is the work of the child.” In this beautiful and lyrical book by Alice McLerran, lovingly illustrated by Barbara Cooney, we see children playing at being grown up. 

Out in the desert, with very few resources, Marian and her friends create the town of Roxaboxen. Complete with houses, shops, a Mayor, money, and laws, Roxaboxen provides a place for its citizens to do the important work of childhood. 

We learn in the back matter of the book that this is a true story belonging to the author’s mother. Roxaboxen was such an important part of her childhood, that she had written her own manuscript about it as a child. Combining that manuscript with memories of relatives as well as maps and letters from other former residents of Roxaboxen, Alice McLerran lovingly recreates the special place of her mother’s childhood. 

Barbara Cooney’s beautifully detailed illustrations bring McLerran’s loving descriptions to life. Cooney made two trips to the desert home of Roxaboxen to capture the magic of the place.

This is the kind of book that soothes and inspires children. Read it with your kids, and don’t be surprised when they create their own magical world in your backyard. 

December 26, 2018 Uncategorized Post a Comment

Homeschooling in November is Hard

It’s November. Traditionally a month of homeschool burnout. Because it looks sad outside. Because it’s dark. Because we are being bombarded with images of Christmas cheer and screaming deals and so many things we want but can’t afford. Because we feel like we have to create an awesome Advent and Christmas and that is just around the corner and we’re losing focus on homeschooling because our heads and hearts are being pulled in 1,000 different directions and we must absolutely be failing our kids because they’re surly and unfocused and, quite frankly, so are we.

Yuck. 

If you want to quit right now, just know you’re not alone. 

It’s time to take a deep breath, refocus, recenter, and remember why you’re doing this in the first place.

There’s only one reason to homeschool. There are infinite benefits of homeschooling, but there is only one reason to do it. The only reason to homeschool is because God is asking you to homeschool. And if God is asking you to homeschool, He will equip you to homeschool according to His will. 

St. Francis de Sales, a Saint of unbounding good sense and practicality frequently discusses the rough patches that come in faithfully living our vocations. He has this to say about the temptation to quit (emphasis mine):

Stay strong, sisters. We are not alone in this walk. We have each other. We have the Saints. And as one of my favorite priests likes to say, we have three divine persons and the mother of one of them on our side.

“… having implored the light of the Holy Spirit, applied our consideration to the seeking of his good-pleasure, taken the counsel of our director, and if appropriate, of two or three other spiritual persons, we must resolve and determine in the name of God, and not afterwards revoke or doubt our choice, but devoutly, peacefully, and firmly pursue and keep to it. And although the difficulties, temptations and the various circumstances which occur in the course of executing our design, might cause us some doubt as to whether we had made a good choice, we must remain firm, and not regard such things, but consider that if we had made another choice we might have been a hundred times worse; to say nothing of our not knowing whether it be God’s will that we should be exercised in consolation or desolation, in peace or war. Once the resolution has been holily taken, we must never doubt of the holiness of carrying it out; for unless we fail it cannot fail. To act in another manner is a mark of great self-love, or of childishness, weakness and silliness of spirit.”

There’s more of St. Francis’s teaching on discerning God’s Will here.  And I highly recommend this little book for a small daily dose of St. Francis’s spiritual direction. (That’s not an affiliate link.)

November 5, 2016 Encouragement Post a Comment

Control Your Curriculum (Don’t let it control you!)

The holidays are upon us.

How did that happen? It’s still 75 degrees here in Denver, but Thanksgiving is just 3 weeks away.

Historically, I have taken two different approaches to homeschooling in November and December:

  1. Completely give up on any homeshooling and “let the season be the teacher.” OR
  2. Try desperately stick to the plan while cramming in as many fun things as possible. Which often ends with me screaming “Get your math done or we can’t go the party!!!!” Which everyone knows is really just an idle threat.

The problem with the first approach is that, at least around here, “letting the season be the teacher” quickly devolves into hour after hour and day after day of Netflix. And not good Netflix either – stuff like Garfield and Littlest Pet Shop. <shudder>

The problem with the second approach is that it’s NO FUN. It just stresses everyone out and makes me feel like I’m always behind because I’m trying to cram too much into the limited hours of the week.

Knowing when it’s time to learn at home with our curriculum and when it’s time to learn from living life isn’t just a holiday problem. There was the year I had to decide whether to stick to the plan or head to the farm. After a tearful conversation with my husband I chose the farm, and I am so glad I did.

Since then, I’ve learned how to balance things a little better. How to make reasoned choices about what we do and what we don’t. How to plan our weeks so that we use the best of our curriculum and don’t sweat what isn’t critical for us. How to use a pre-planned curriculum as a guide rather than making it the boss of my homeschool.

I’d love to help you find that balance too.

Come to the workshop. Bring your planning guides and your calendars and we’ll work together to create a plan that will get you through the holidays. You’ll find that there’s room for carols and eggnog and math.

Click here to get signed up. And please, do forward this to a friend so they can bring some sanity to their holidays as well.

I can’t wait to see you!

September 10, 2016 Uncategorized Post a Comment

Morning Basket: Family Learning Time for Homeschoolers

What a fabulous workshop we had last week! Thank you to everyone who came out to make it a fruitful time of learning and support. While there's no substitute for the in-person camaraderie and exchange of ideas (not to mention the tea and cake!), I wanted to offer a little taste of what you missed if you weren't able to join us.

Hard Work and Hospitatlity

Sadly, I was too busy to take pictures of the lovely ladies and the lovely spread. But, as I mentioned, there was tea and cake - on real dishes! And fresh lavender in a vase. And I turned off the nasty fluorescent lights and just used the can lights in the room. I made it feel as much like my living room as I could. My workshops feel way more "mom's night in" than "lecture in a library." They're cozy. You should come.

workshopteaset

The workshops are also productive. The ladies who came left with a whole list of ideas of things to put in their Morning Baskets, and the star students even left with a Morning Time Agenda they can put into place with their kids on Monday Morning. I don't just throw a bunch of ideas at you, I give you time to figure out how to put them into practice in your own home.

Morning Basket How To's 

Just to show you I love you even if you weren't able to make it this time, I want to share a few of the treats I shared with the ladies who were there.

First, if you're not already familiar with the Morning Basket idea, I think one of the best places to start dipping your toes in is at Morning Time Moms. There's a series of posts there that will gently introduce you to the idea of having a family learning time in your homeschool. That link will take you right to it.

If you're already familiar with Morning Basket, check out Pam Barnhill's website and podcast, Your Morning Basket. Each podcast is an interview with an often well-known homeschooling mom about how they use Morning Time in their home. There's lots of good stuff there.

But you don't have to do a lot of research to get started with Morning Time in your home. You can (and should!) just throw some things in a basket and bust it out when your kids are all gathered for breakfast. Or if that doesn't happen at your house, do it at lunch time. Or institute a special afternoon cookie time and do it then. You don't have to have food at Morning Time, but it does help get people to the party.

Free Goodies!

To help you figure out what to put in your morning basket, I have two free printables for you.

First, this page will help you brainstorm what you already have in your house that you can put in your Morning Basket.

After you fill out that page, pick 4-5 things from your brainstorm list and go put them in a basket. Or a box. Or even a grocery bag. Just get them all together. You can buy a pretty basket later.

Now, fill out this Morning Time Agenda. Start with a prayer or a song. Then list the 4-5 things you chose in the order you want to use them.

Great! You're ready to start Morning Time with your family!

One last goodie. This list of Morning Time Rules. This is to remind you that Morning Time is supposed to bring peace and joy to your homeschool. If what you're doing isn't bringing Truth, Beauty, and Goodness, stop it.

Don't Miss Out!

The next workshop will be October 18 from 6-8pm. We'll be talking about Learning Through Play. I'm super excited about it and I can't wait to see you there! You can get registered for it here.

 

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