Tina Robertson

2017 to 2018 2 Page Academic Calendar – For Appointment Keeping

March 30, 2016 | 2 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Oh my goodness, I think I am going to pass out because I am too excited. I have finally got my planning mojo up and running and have the 2017 to 2018 2 Page Academic Calendar ready!!!

Curriculum Pages for Planner

Okay, I’m easily excited, but it has taken me years to finally organize my 7 Step Homeschool Planner on each page or step here on my site along with all the jillions of options I have for each step.

My long-term goal was to create not only the academic calendars for the current year, but one for the following school year.

This way it’s like you are getting two years worth out of each calendar. Does that make sense?

Too, keep in mind all of these options are kept here at Step. 2. Choose Calendars/Appointment Keepers.

Now, I have 2 page calendars for the current academic year, the following academic year, the current physical year and the following academic year. Yippppppeeeee.

This just means more options for you.

Today, though I have what I call the glamorous 2 page calendar. It’s glamorous and beautiful, which is how I like all my forms.

I put a few sample pages at the bottom so that you could see some of the colors.

The two page spread I share today is for keeping appointments for any of your family’s needs whether its personal or homeschool.

Also, this two page spread can be used in a home management binder, blogging planner, financial planner or fitness planner.

My copyright allows you to print it off as many times as you need it for your needs. (By the way, I have a new copyright permission form I am keeping on the front page of my site all the way at the bottom right hand side if you need it. I know some of you are having trouble printing my pages at different printing places because of copyright permission.)

TOS

Important: READ THIS FIRST.
Before you email me asking where your download link is or tell me that it is not working, read this to ensure that you get your pretties timely and that you don’t pay for something and not get it.

• All my products are digital. You will not receive a physical product for anything in my store. A digital physical year calendar does not mean a physical product or calendar.
• Downloads are INSTANT. When you pay, you will receive an email with a download link INSTANTLY. Depending on your internet connection, the email could be just 30 seconds or so, or a bit longer. The point is it will be soon, not a week later,etc.
• The email with the download link will go to the email you used for paypal. If you used your husband’s paypal, your downloads will go to that email. Please check that email and your spam before emailing me telling me you can’t find it.
• Please put my email tina @ tinasdynamichomeschoolplus dot com (of course substitute the right symbol for dot) in your address/contact list so that your product does not go to spam.

MY GUARANTEE: To treat you like I want to be treated which means I know at times technical problems may cause glitches, so I will do everything possible to make your experience here pleasant. I value your business and value you as a follower. I stand behind my products because they are actual products I use and benefit from too. Though I cannot refund purchases after you have been given access to them, I will do what I can to be sure you are a pleased customer.

You can grab it today for .99.

Hugs and love ya,

Don’t forget to follow BOTH of my Pinterest accounts for more AWESOME pins.

Visit Tina Robertson’s profile on Pinterest.

Visit Tinas Dynamic Homeschool ‘s profile on Pinterest.

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Frugal Mommas Friday|

The Truth About Delaying a Start to Homeschooling

March 29, 2016 | 6 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

From the depths of my heart, I feel that homeschooling is the ideal choice for any family. Reality is though, that there are just some people who are not willing or don’t have the circumstances to homeschool – yet. Kids being bullied, kids that have a compelling desire to move ahead academically and kids struggling with learning especially benefit from homeschooling.

Is Homeschooling The Last-Ditch Effort?

However, I have on more than one occasion discouraged parents from starting to homeschool because the truth about delaying a start to homeschooling is that there are 3 things that you want to consider before you dive into homeschooling.

Look at these 3 reasons why you should consider delaying a start to homeschool until you have time to address them.

1. If there is more of a discipline problem than an educational problem.

Several times as a homeschool leader, I have spoken to lawyers, locked horns with public school counselors who were not informed of current homeschooling laws and even testified in court one time. Most of the time the parents had behavioral problems with their kids.

Disciplining desperation led parents to homeschooling.

I had to think about testifying in court on behalf of two families that wanted their 15 year old children homeschooled because the daughter of one family was pregnant by the son of the other family.

Now, they wanted to homeschool. That is what I call the ugly side of homeschooling because families are not embracing homeschooling because they believe in the value of it or they are trying to head off some disciplinary problems before they happen.

I wouldn’t take parents in my homeschool workshop that are now wanting to homeschool because their child were in drugs or mischief. It may sound harsh, but there are two very different classes of parents who come to homeschool.

There is the class that believes in it because of all the advantages a child has (and I don’t mean those parents who thought they never would homeschool and are homeschooling) and then there are those that come to it because they don’t have a choice because they were not involved parents.

Parenting is a hard job and sometimes no matter what we do, teens will make their own choices.

It may be no fault of the parent, but then again the relationship with the child is what needs to be worked on now instead of the educational system.

In the end, I decided to testify for those two families that wanted to “homeschool” because they were both expecting their first grandchild from two 15 year old kids and because I knew they didn’t have many options.

My heart was absolutely broken for both families. It was not homeschooling like it should be, it was just being homebound. Look at my article, What is REAL Homeschooling? Homebound, Co-op or Public School at Home.

2. When one parent is completely against it.

I am not talking about a scenario when Dad may be skeptical and wants you to prove it to him the year you start, but where he is flat out against it.

Having a family and successful marriage is tough enough these days without adding to the stress of it. Marriage doesn’t afford you the luxury of avoiding controversial subjects.

If homeschooling is a controversial subject now, then it will always be until you both see eye to eye on it. If your husband is against homeschooling, don’t nag him, but graciously keep showing him all your well thought out research.

As long as he wants to continue talking about it, then keep on discussing it. But I have never encouraged a spouse, husband or wife, to go against the wishes of the other.

There are more things than academics to teach kids when you bring them home to school and one very important thing is teaching them how to work out things in a marriage. Agree first to homeschool and then homeschool in peace.

3. Lack of support system.

Sad to say, I have seen many parents bring their teens home to school only to leave them alone at home every day while they work. Teens are at various levels of maturity and while some can stay home and stay self-motivated each day, others still need some kind of support.

A support system doesn’t have to be a whole lot of people. It can be just one family member or a trusted close friend that will help you when you need it. By the teen years, most kids can work independently. Independently doesn’t mean always being alone or not having someone to supervise their work or monitor their success or lack of it.

Ideally, a family will meet with more success if the main homeschooling parent, which normally is mom in a lot of cases can dole out a bit of time each week to go over the child’s assignment.

Even if she has to work full time, spending a bit of time each week with her children, no matter how self-sufficient her children are is the best gift you can give to your children. Your kids still need parental guidance and supervision to make the shift to being responsible adults.

I have helped single moms and single dads learn how to begin to homeschool their children while they worked because they had a plan in place which is to get grandpa or grandma to help so their children were not alone all day.

One single mom that I helped even gave up some of her independence and made the decision to move back in with her parents (of course her parents were on board with it too). Her daughter would not be alone during the day and the grandparents and homeschooling mom worked out an arrangement where the homeschooling mom provided a good amount of income for all of them.

When the Going Gets Tough Do the Tough Really Need to Get Going?

Many years later after her daughter graduated, I heard from that mom as she came to me with tears of appreciation in her eyes.

I am no good when somebody else is crying, I have to join in too. I told her then that I was the one grateful for her friendship and that she taught me the power of a strong-willed parent and the value of a support system.

Homeschooling is not always about what we want, but what we are willing to give up so that we can homeschool. I learned so much from that single homeschooling mom.

Too, homeschooling is not about educating at all costs even at the cost of your marriage or sacrificing the relationship with your children.

Have you carefully weighed the cost of homeschooling?

Hugs and love ya,

In the meantime, go through my 31 Day Free Homeschool Boot Camp and look at Go Ahead and Make a Mistake: Homeschool Without Fear and Homeschooling – Beginnings are Usually Scary, Endings are Usually Sad, but It’s What’s In the Middle that Counts!

Don’t forget to follow BOTH of my Pinterest accounts for more AWESOME pins.

Visit Tina Robertson’s profile on Pinterest.
Visit Tinas Dynamic Homeschool ‘s profile on Pinterest.

Free Homeschool Academic Year Calendar – 2016 to 2017

March 28, 2016 | 5 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I am always excited when I get my free 7 step homeschool planner printables ready early. Today, I have the first color choice for the free homeschool academic year calendar for the 2016 to 2017 school year.

You know how I get bored easily and so I need a variety of styles and color choices, so more will be coming. I am loving this newest color option I named ice cream.

Curriculum Pages for Planner

Don’t forget this is JUST a calendar for you to glance at the school year and make a few notes at the bottom.

I also make a planning your school calendar which gives you room to plan your school year. It is found every year on Step 5a. Choose Unique forms JUST for You. The current planning your school year calendars is kept at that page/step.

Look below at the picture so you can see the fine, but huge difference between just calendars like the one I have today and an actual planning form with a calendar and room to plan your year.

Do not try to write in your plans for the year on this calendar, I give you plenty of room on the tracking calendar.

Also, this calendar is not for writing appointments because you can grab a huge 2 page spread for noting appointments on Step 2. Choose Calendar/Appointment Keepers. The current 2 page appointment keepers are kept there.

Look at a picture below from one of the previous years.

I hope these pictures make it more clear that the calendar I have today is just that. It is perfect for glancing at the year and for reference in your planner.

Save it and print off as many as necessary when you print your planner.

I always have two or more spread throughout my planner. I put one close to my lesson planning section, one close to the front of my planner and sometimes I even put in the back so I don’t have to hunt very long for it.

Of course, as I add a few more color choices, they can go in your planner too. Grab your free copy below!

Hope you like ice cream.

2016 to 2017 Academic Year at a Glance Ice cream

If you’re ready to start building the MOST unique planner ever because YOU built it, start below!

7 Easy Steps – “Tons of Options & Pretty Color”

Step 1. Choose a Pretty Front/Back Cover

Step. 2. Choose Calendars/Appointment Keepers

Step 3. Choose Goals/Objectives

Step 4. Choose Lesson Planning Pages Right For You!

Step 5a. Choose Unique forms JUST for You! Not a kazillion other people

Step 5b. Choose MORE Unique Forms JUST for You!

Step 5c. Choose MORE MORE Unique Forms Just for You!

Step 6. Personalize It

Step 7. Bind it! Love it!

Hugs and love ya,

Don’t forget to follow BOTH of my Pinterest accounts for more AWESOME pins.

Visit Tina Robertson’s profile on Pinterest.

Visit Tinas Dynamic Homeschool ‘s profile on Pinterest.

10 Homeschool Co-op Subjects That Are Better Learned With a Group

March 27, 2016 | 2 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Homeschool co-ops may not be a good fit for some homeschoolers. And though I feel co-ops can be an ill fit when they are ran more like private schools than a homeschool meet up, there are 10 homeschool co-ops subjects that are better learned with a group.

Look at these 10 things, which are more fun to learn with other homeschoolers.

One| History Projects.

When we did our history lapbooks in our co-op, the kids couldn’t wait to get together and work on their lapbooks.

Some of the work they did at home, but a lot of it they did together. This helped my boys who were interested in the history topic, may not particularly like putting a lapbook together.

Two| Learning to Dance.

One of our co-ops to learn about Texas we kicked off the school year by hiring a professional square dance caller. Not only did the kids enjoy it, but grandparents and parents could get involved.

It was a fun activity for all ages, from K to gray, and it set the tone for learning about Texas.

Three| Art project.

Art is another activity which is fun by doing it with a group. Whether it was drawing or making a collage, my boys were inspired when they got together with other homeschoolers.

Four| Book Challenge.

A book challenge is one where I wished we would have done. It was on our list to do but we had so many ideas that it was hard to fit it all in.

But presenting the characters of a book, the plot and telling about the author would make for a great group project.

Not only would reluctant readers benefit, but advanced readers would be challenged to find a new genre to get hooked on.

Five| Around the World Geography Project.

Whether you decide to do a dish from around the world geography project or have each family take a country and present facts about it like we did, this was so much more fun when we did it as a group.

Six| Learning a Foreign Language.

When the kids were little I wasn’t sure if a group sitting was the best way to get an introduction to Spanish. I was proved wrong.

Not only was the homeschool teacher exceptional that taught the class, but she made learning come alive as the kids worked together on presenting a simple play as they learned new words and phrases.

Learning a foreign language was not only natural, but exciting to learn in a group setting.

Seven| Host a Critter Show and Tell.

Just like anything in homeschooling, some of the best things I learned were stumbled upon.

For example, we started off one co-op learning about reptiles and amphibians and realized that having a bring your critter to show and tell about it was the perfect ending to the co-op.

Exciting or Exhausting When Meeting with a Homeschool Co-op?

Looking back now and because the kids were young, it would have been the perfect topic for the whole co-op. Make learning relevant by tying it to a child’s pet. Learning about critters is the perfect activity in a group.

Too, the other kids got to experience a variety of pets from different families.

Eight| Writing Classes.

If your child loathes writing, then a class with other students can sometimes be the best way to inspire him. This is especially advantageous for a kid that is in high school and struggles with writing.

A group setting can be the perfect prod a child needs to bring his writing up to par.

Nine| Photography Classes.

When the boys were little we would go to another homeschool mom’s house to learn basic photography. I can’t imagine my boys learning this by sitting in a class.

Showing up at different hours each time we went, the boys learned about lighting tips during the day and evening and techniques for taking pictures. Of course taking pictures of each other was a big hit.

Ten| Learning to Cook.

Many homeschoolers in one of the groups we were in got together frequently to teach their kids how to cook. My boys were real young then.

At the time I remember being impressed because one of the high school boys was the one that was leading the co-op.

He had a natural talent for cooking and many years later, I learned he went on to be a professional chef.

From humble homeschool co-ops, kids can find a life time profession or just be propelled outside of their comfort zone for learning.

What co-op topics do you find learned best in a homeschool co-op setting?

If you are looking on tips for starting a co-op, then check out my series on Homeschool Co-ops.

Hugs and love ya,

Have you seen this book that I co-authored?

Don’t forget to follow BOTH of my Pinterest accounts for more AWESOME pins.

Visit Tina Robertson’s profile on Pinterest.

Visit Tinas Dynamic Homeschool ‘s profile on Pinterest.

3 Things a Homeschool Mom Wants From Her Husband (Besides Support)

March 26, 2016 | 19 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Though I was a teenager, I clearly remember my mom visiting a homeschool mom to ask questions about homeschooling. This was back in the 80’s when homeschooled kids had to duck down in the backseat of the car if they were out during public school hours. Curriculum was not easy to find, organized field trips with a group were almost impossible and finding support for a homeschool mom was flat out hard.

However, out of all the things that seasoned homeschool mom could talk about, she ended up spending more time talking about the ways her husband helped her.

The Challenge Homeschool Dads Face

The longer I homeschool, the more I treasure those priceless tidbits shared by that seasoned homeschooling mom because they have been the same things that have kept me going though homeschool times have changed significantly.

Look at 3 things a homeschool mom wants from her husband (besides support).

1.Take the kids and leave.

Yes, taking the kids and leaving the house sounded harsh when that seasoned homeschool mom told my mother, but it’s so very true.

My husband, like a lot of other husbands who wholeheartedly support homeschooling felt like I wanted to leave the house to be by myself. Sometimes I did. A hair appointment without kids was the ultimate treat.

However, I soon realized that I was never at my home alone, with my thoughts, and at the place where I ultimately rested best.

This was especially true when the kids were all very little. When my husband took the kids and left the house, I felt an immediate stress release.

Some days I would catch up on things I wanted to around the house, but many times I just relaxed. Not that superficial relaxing where you know the kids will be back, but I fixated on making myself calm down completely so that I could rest and recuperate.

Of course, it matters how long they are gone, but even a few hours were enough to rejuvenate me.

2. Not just play with the kids, but find ways to roughhouse.

No, I don’t mean the kind of playing that most dads do naturally, but I mean the kind of playing and entertaining where kids can really let off some steam.

I thought it was just important when they kids were little, but I have learned that it is equally important when they are teens.

Let’s just face it, though we love our kids to pieces, we all get sick of looking at each other every day. Besides the normal getting outside to play, kids need time to roughhouse.

From what I have seen, it’s not just boys that like roughhousing. Girls can be just as active and need more than just playing outside or with dad too.

When Mr. Senior 2013 hit that real active stage, my husband cleared out the garage and set up a weight lifting bench and other exercise equipment in the garage. What a life saver for me from those raging hormones. That hadn’t even crossed my mind to set up an area like that because I was so hyper focused on homeschooling.

My niece wanted to jog every day and so she needed a way to get to the track since it was safer there. Dad to the rescue. That is one less thing for a homeschool mom to do at the end of the day when she is already tired.

3. Accept simple meals.

My father admits it. He never liked leftovers and my mom always tried to accommodate his wishes since my dad worked so very hard to provide us. That same mindset followed me to marriage and trickled over into my homeschooling.

However, there is one huge difference between my mom and myself and that is my mother only homeschooled one out of four kids. Too, my younger sister was in elementary school when my mom started and my mom had three other teen children at home who were quite capable of cooking and cleaning. She had a lot of help.

It is quite different when you homeschool more than one child and you start homeschooling all of your littles from the very beginning.

Completely stressed about meal planning, homeschooling and all the 1001 things I needed to do each day, I discussed it with my husband.

I was shocked because one thing I had not learned in all our years of being married is that he is all in for simple meals. Unlike my father, he was pretty easy going. With my dad, I too learned why he felt that way about food and things were just very different back in his day.

Of course, because my husband was easy going didn’t mean I was going to go overboard by not making delicious meals. He too works hard for us. It did, however, mean that some nights I needed a break and he believed that too.

Soon, I realized that simple meals could be just as delicious.

Things like having a quick breakfast for supper, hot sandwiches and soups and making one night a themed night like Italian food night gave me permission to stress less about simple meal planning.

There are a few other things I learned along the way about the help a homeschool mom needs, but these ways stood out to me today.

Clearly, I needed my husband involved in homeschooling besides just his general support.

Ideally, it would be great if dads could do projects or even school, but not all dads have that kind of time.

Instead of pining over what a dad can’t do because a lot of dads work full time, savor the times that your husband helps steer you through the challenges of homescooling.

Homeschool support from my husband goes beyond just approval, but it is shown in action.

Things that might seem little and natural to a homeschool father to do are meaningful and large ways to support to his wife.

What ways does your husband support you that you want to tell to the world?

Let other family members support you too.

Look at How Grandparents Can Inspire Your Homeschool Journey.

Hugs and love ya,

Grab some more go juice.

Homeschool Quitters, Dropouts and Wimps (Want to Join Me?)

Top 5 Tips for Homeschooling Parents

Don’t forget to follow BOTH of my Pinterest accounts for more AWESOME pins.

Visit Tina Robertson’s profile on Pinterest.

Visit Tinas Dynamic Homeschool ‘s profile on Pinterest.

Tina Robertson

2017 to 2018 2 Page Academic Calendar – For Appointment Keeping

Curriculum Pages for Planner

TOS

The Truth About Delaying a Start to Homeschooling