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What to Expect When You Expect to Homeschool (25 Silliest Questions Ever)

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

When I started homeschooling I wasn’t prepared for the onslaught of questions asked by family, friends, and total strangers. Some questions were harsh and others were down right quite silly to me. Today, in sharing what to expect when you expect to homeschool, I have rounded up some of the silliest homeschool questions that you’ll ever be asked.

Homeschool Critics Want to Know

Hopefully, you can have your answers prepared when you get asked the silliest homeschool questions ever.

Okay, true some people really wonder, but homeschooling today is more popular than ever. So we wonder why folks aren’t informed.

What to Expect When You Expect to Homeschool (Why 25 of the Silliest Homeschool Questions EVER} @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Silly Homeschool Questions

We love talking about our homeschool style, but always find a chuckle in one or two of these questions.

  • How does he socialize?
  • Are they home with you all day?
  • Are they going to go to real school one day?
  • What about prom?
  • You can’t issue a high school diploma, can you?
  • When your kids are grown, won’t they get in trouble because they didn’t know there is real authority?
  • Do you have to wear dresses?
  • Do your kids have to wear uniforms?
  • What about teaching high school math?
  • What about extracurricular activities?
  • Do kids pass to the next grade? How do you know?
  • What qualifications do you have to teach your kids?
  • Are you going to at least put him in high school?
  • When do they start real school?
  • So, are you a teacher?

Don’t forget to grab my book, Homeschooling 31 Day Boot Camp for New Homeschoolers: When You Don’t Know Where to Begin to be empowered and to be in the know!

  • Is it legal?
  • How will your kids ever make friends?
  • How will your kids learn to be normal?
  • What are you using for your curriculum?
  • When are you going to get him tested?
  • Do they actually do any work?
  • What grade are your kids in?
  • How can you teach your kids if you don’t know everything?
  • Do your kids have friends?
  • Do your kids get out during the day?

I’m sure you can add some more to this list even if you’ve homeschooled for a short amount of time.

Do you think this now adequately prepares new homeschoolers for their start? tee hee hee

What other silly questions have you been asked?

What to Expect When You Expect to Homeschool 25 of the Silliest Questions You May Be Asked as a Homeschooler @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

You’ll also love these other reads:

How to Know What A Homeschooled Child Should Learn Yearly?

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

You’d think having a year by year list of requirements which a homeschooled child should learn would be helpful. Also, look at my page The Dynamics of How to Homeschool Easily and Smarter.

A list of requirements may or may not be depending on your circumstances.

If your child is on a faster track than most kids his age, then such a list could set your child up to be a resistant learner.

How to Know What A Homeschooled Child Should Learn Yearly?

Nobody wants to go over previously mastered material.

On the other hand, if a child needs to stay on a concept longer, then the beauty of homeschooling is allowing him to linger longer.

I won’t leave you hanging though because I know paramount to maintaining sanity is having a guideline or idea of what to teach.

After 25+ years of teaching, I have found easy ways to guide my kids to graduation.

Look at these 3 quick planning tips you need now and I rounded up some resources for you.

3 Quick Planning Tips You Need Now

Skill subjects are the backbone of ALL years from Prek to High School; the skill subjects are math and language arts.

ONE/ ALL subjects can be categorized into a SKILL or CONTENT subject.

Language arts is a general term to including many different subjects depending on your child’s age.

Because language arts includes all facets of English, you want to be familiar with the subjects that fall under the broad term of language arts.

Two of the three Rs — reading, writing, and ‘rithmetic are part of language arts.

Giving your attention first to language arts and math is vital.

While choosing content subjects is important, your child could struggle terribly if skill subjects are not introduced in a sequence.

One example of how important laying foundational steps is learning to read.

You want your child exposed to a wide variety of sounds and have a rich print environment to boost his reading skills.

Look at these subjects that are language arts.

Subjects for Younger Grades

Reading
Phonics
Penmanship
Grammar
Spelling
Poetry

Subjects for Older Grades

Literature
Word Study
Vocabulary
Grammar
Spelling
Composition
Poetry

Oral speaking is also part of language arts.

Some things about language arts like conversations are not specifically taught, but learned through interaction with your kids each day.

TWO/ Instead of focusing on a scope and sequence, glance at the table of contents.

A scope and sequence is how topics are covered in a curriculum.

Scope is the depth or amount of knowledge or information to be covered in each grade level and sequence refers to the order or steps based on grade level.

The idea for sequence is that it builds on knowledge based in previous grades.

In summary, a scope and sequence is an agenda or schedule of what to learn and when to learn it. That’s it.

Kids have the ability to learn facts from two or more grade levels.

Knowing the scope and sequence is helpful, but I find that glancing at the table of contents of any curriculum is an easier tip.

Each curriculum has a different scope and sequence. So unless you stick with one curriculum, I find that taking a closer look at the table of contents has always met with a better fit for my kids.

Focus on the grade level your kids will be on, but more important study the skills on the curriculum that are up one grade level and down one grade level from that same curriculum to ensure a good fit.

Ask yourself these questions while looking at the table of contents:

  • how much of it is review,
  • how many new concepts will be introduced,
  • how many days are lessons assigned, and
  • how much help does it give the teacher.

THREE/ Your state standards can be used as rule of thumb.

This is my least favorite way of understanding what a child needs to learn unless of course you have required subjects required by state homeschool law.

It’s my least favorite because most of us start with our local state standards, but find that we want to cast a wider net of knowledge.

How to Know What A Homeschooled Child Should Learn Yearly?

Many years I’ve let go of grade levels and concentrated specifically on skills or concepts.

This is a helpful tip whether you have a gifted learner, a child who seems to be right on target, or a child that needs more time for concepts to stick.

Also, be sure you’re getting tips from my YouTube Channel How to Homeschool EZ.

Focusing first on skill subjects, glancing at a table of contents, or scanning a scope and sequence will cut your planning stress in half. It’s a simple starting point.

Year by Year Home Learning Resources

However, you’ll eventually become an expert at choosing levels when you also grab a few of these empowering resources.

Home Learning Year by Year is a great resource that has been around for a while.

It’s a very useful guide if you want to glance at what kids are capable of learning each year.

Too, for many years, I used this guide and highlighted concepts we we’re covering.

I love using it when I prepare my unit studies too.

Another series of books that have been extremely helpful to me through the years is What your __ Grader Needs to Know.

You’ll love having a detailed explanation for both content and skill subjects in each grade level.

Also, grab these free downloads which will help you to gauge grade levels to get a better fit for your kids.

Keep in mind that if you make a mistake, it’s all still OKAY.

If a grade level proves too easy, save it for another child or keep the level as a review. You can resell your used curriculum too.

Too, if you chose a grade level that has proven more challenging than you planned, then take the pace slower. Divide the lesson plan into two days until your child’s maturity rate catches up.

6 EZ Homeschool Planning Steps

  • Focus FIRST on Math and Language Arts.
  • Determine if you need to meet state law requirements.
  • If not, glance over one of the above resources.
  • Study the current grade level, the next higher grade level and the lower grade level table of contents. Choose the best fit based on your child’s quest for knowledge and not age.
  • Remember your child can move ahead or go slower. Making a mistake is okay.
  • Enjoy watching your child’s knowledge grow layer by layer because there is a lot of overlapping between grade levels.

You got this!

Look at these other practical and useful tips you’ll love:

Paramount to maintaining sanity is having a guideline or idea of what to teach in each homeschool grade. You’ll love the tips shared by a veteran homeschool mom with 20+ years. CLICK HERE to read these sanity savings tip and grab the resources!
Paramount to maintaining sanity is having a guideline or idea of what to teach in each homeschool grade. You’ll love the tips shared by a veteran homeschool mom with 20+ years. CLICK HERE to read these sanity savings tip and grab the resources!

10 Fun Amazon Prime Movies for the Youngest Homeschoolers

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Occupying or teaching the youngest homeschoolers can be tough. Whether you need a break from the little dears or you need to give the older set of kids your time, you’ll love these 10 fun Amazon Prime movies for the youngest homeschoolers.

10 Fun Amazon Prime Movies

Too, add in a few of these hands-on things I list below each movie and you can have a fun and full homeschool day without much fuss.

Look at these 10 fun Amazon Prime movies you can stream anywhere you have Amazon Prime:

10 Fun Amazon Prime Movies for the Youngest Homeschoolers

Justin Time

Follow Justin and his friends . . . as their imagination takes them to bite size historical adventures – from building a giant stone monolith without cutting corners, to a balloon journey in Paris!

Team Umizoomi

Use your mighty math powers to race around Umi City, explore super shapes and turn Umicar into a firetruck, and save Bot on his crazy skates! . . .

Magic School Bus Gets Lost in Space.


Climb aboard the Magic School Bus with Ms. Frizzle and her class for a wild ride . . . as they learn about science first-hand in this . . . science-adventure

Add in a few science kits and have a movie and science day!

Amazon Prime Movies for Young Learners

Reading Rainbow

Skill Sharpeners for Grades PreK, K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie

Odd Squad

Designed to help kids ages 5-8 learn math. The show focuses on two young agents, Olive and Otto, who are part of the Odd Squad . . . whose mission is to save the day whenever something unusual happens in their town.

Daniel Tiger

Leapfrog

Tumble Leaf

Tumble Leaf is a series aimed at preschoolers, set in a whimsical land where a small blue fox named Fig plays each day and discovers adventure . . . around every bend in the path.

Nature Cat

An animated series that follows Fred, a house cat who dreams of exploring the great outdoors. Once his family leaves for the day, Fred transforms into Nature Cat, an outdoor explorer extraordinaire . . .

Occupying or teaching the youngest homeschoolers can be tough. Whether you need a break from the little dears or you need to give the older set of kids your time, you'll love these 10 fun Amazon Prime movies for the youngest homeschoolers.

You’ll love these other fun things to do:

26 Best Fifteen Minute Self-Care Tips for Homeschool Moms

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

We all know that motherhood is the hardest job you’ll ever love, right? When you’re homeschooling, that’s even more true. Not only are you on the clock 24/7, but you’re also responsible for educating your kids while raising them to be productive people.

So how is a homeschool mom supposed to work in any time for self-care?

Here’s a list of ideas to recharge that can all be done in 15 minutes or less. Perfect for those times when we just don’t have time, but need a breather.

26 Best 15 Minute Self-Care Tips for Busy Homeschool Moms at Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus. Click here for these AWESOME tips!!

26 Ways to Recharge in 15 Minutes or Less

  • Read a blog, book, or magazine
  • Have a favorite indulgent snack, like chocolate or ice cream
  • Sit outside for a change of scenery
  • Call a friend, your sister, or your mom
  • Take a shower
  • Blast your favorite music
  • Go for a short drive
  • Do something creative, like crocheting or painting
  • Zumba
  • Take a short power nap
  • Take some deep breaths and/or meditate
  • Make a gratitude list
  • Yoga
  • Word puzzles
  • Exercise
  • Walk the dog
  • Surf social media
  • Do some stretches
  • Watch something on YouTube
  • Clean and organize a small project, if it relaxes you
  • Give yourself a facial or paint your nails
  • Do a brain dump — write lists or schedules to fight the overwhelm

Whatever works for you, don’t forget to include some self-care time into your days. You’ll feel more refreshed and that mini attitude adjustment will help with your homeschooling efforts.

26 Best 15 Minute Self-Care Tips for Busy Homeschool Moms at Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus. Click here for these AWESOME tips!!

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7 Simple Fitness Tips for Busy Homeschooling Moms

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Do you have fitness goals you’re struggling to achieve? Have you started that workout plan over for the 7th time this week? Maybe you’re kicking yourself because you’ve let another month’s gym membership go to waste? You are not alone! You’ll love these 7 simple fitness tips for busy homeschooling moms.

Finding time to meet your fitness goals can be a challenge, but you are worth it!

Disclaimer: I’m not a doctor or professional. Just a busy wife and mom who used to be a lot lazier. I’ve run three half marathons, love yoga, running, and paddle boarding. I’m happier when I’m focused on my personal fitness goals, but that’s all the expertise I have. Please speak to your doctor about your plans and goals. These are some ways I’ve been able to meet my own fitness goals and I hope they help you too!

Here are some practical tips to help get your fitness goals off to a fabulous start.

ONE/ Make workouts a priority.

When you think about your family’s schedule, which seems more realistic:

• Early for morning workouts before the day begins.
• Mid-day slump-busting workouts.
• Evening/night-time sessions after the daily grind of the day.

Find your sweet spot. For me, it was waking up early and getting in my runs before the family even woke up.

I’m naturally a morning person and do better knowing I started the day right. I’m also more motivated to make better food choices throughout the day after having busted my tail working out.

Maybe you’re kicking yourself because you’ve let another month’s gym membership go to waste? You are not alone! You'll love these 7 simple fitness tips for busy homeschooling moms.

TWO/ Start small.

You want your fitness goals to be a challenge, but don’t set yourself up for failure. Set attainable goals that you know you can achieve. Don’t run out and sign your life away to a gym or spend a bunch of money on a subscription to workouts you’ll never use.

Let’s all have a moment of silence for DVDs workouts of years past.

Find a workout plan different than what you’ve tried in the past and just get moving with a simple goal to workout three times a week. For someone who is starting from zero, it’s going to take time getting used to sticking to a workout schedule and prioritizing.

THREE/ Set goals.

Once you have found the workout plan that best fits your needs, set goals. What is the best part of setting a goal and achieving it? The Rewards! Don’t forget to treat yourself when you meet your goal.

What are your fitness goals? Write them down. Take a “before” picture of yourself so you can see your progress off the scale as the weeks progress. You’ll be surprised how much difference you can see in the mirror before the scale even cares about your workouts!

Fitness Tips for Homeschooling Moms

FOUR/ Create a schedule.

You’ve got the plan, commitment, and motivation. Now let’s make it happen!

Sit down with your calendar and pencil in your workouts when you plan to get them in. Each week is different especially if you’re a homeschooling family.

That flexibility of schedule gets too flexible sometimes! Our schedule is often all over the place, so I begin the week by creating a plan with specific times I plan to get to my workout each day.

Saying I plan to workout on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday is all good until Monday comes and I forgot I had to drive to three appointments.

Having a schedule with actual times of the day in the margin helps me so much when carving out time for workouts.


FIVE/ Be accountable to a friend or group.

Find a friend who’s willing to go on this fitness journey with you.

I’m positive I would not have made it through training for my first half marathon if it weren’t for the daily encouragement from a dear friend who shared the same goal. We wanted to run a half marathon; we found a training plan online and trained “together”.

We planned some days for long runs together, but for the most part we encouraged each other by text messages throughout the week, reminding each other to get our miles in.

A little competition never killed anyone. Some days it was a simple screenshot of her run results to motivate me to get off my lazy butt and get my run in too.

You can also find encouragement and accountability through joining a gym, yoga studio, finding a meetup, or event online.

You’d be surprised how many free fitness classes you can find in your area simply by searching through Facebook events. There are also endless options of online fitness programs with active communities.

SIX/ Let go of guilt.

A healthy mom is a happy mom. The time you put in to invest in your health will trickle down to your family in ways you might not expect.

There will be times when focusing on yourself and making your workouts a priority will feel selfish. There will inevitably be a time when you will have to choose your fitness goals over something else.

Don’t let mom guilt get in the way of where you want to go!

SEVEN/ Involve the family.

Do you know a great cure for feeling guilty? Invite the family along!

One of two things will happen. They will turn you down immediately and laugh at your invitation to go running and you will be able to enjoy the time alone guilt free or they will join you and get excited about getting fit too. It happens!

If you’re doing home workouts, the whole family will see you sweating your buns off in the living room. It’s quite the mood booster when my boys are laughing at me trying to work out without dying.

I’ll never forget my Brazil Butt Lift DVD days. Those were comical workouts! Lord, help those boys.

Speaking of home workouts…

Homeschool Fitness Tips

Home workouts vs. Gym memberships or in-person classes.

It’s hard to know what your magic fitness formula will be, but expect some trial and error. In the beginning just focus on the basics: routine, exercise, and healthier habits.

Finding the right workouts will be key! You want to enjoy your workouts and not dread getting out the door or up off the couch to do them.

What works best for you? Working out at home or joining a gym or club? There are pros and cons to both. Play around with each. Most gyms and yoga studios have a visitor and new member specials.

I don’t think I’ve ever been to a yoga studio that didn’t offer some type of first-month rate at an extremely low price.

Home Workouts for Homeschool Families

Pros
• Convenient-You can find just about any workout online. Home workouts can be done at any time of day, any day of the week, so it’s easy to fit them into your schedule.
• Low cost (often free)-there are so many apps and online programs to choose from and many are very inexpensive. Even the most popular of fitness apps don’t compare to in-person memberships.
• You can work out in PJs-you don’t have to get ready or worry about having cute workout clothes.
• Easy for kids to join. (YAY for PE credit!)

Cons
• Easily interrupted-Nothing is more frustrating than carving out the time, getting dressed, or lacing up those shoes only to be interrupted by kids, a phone call, pets, etc. Being home makes it a little more challenging to fully focus on your workouts.
• Low accountability-there are no set times and anyone to motivate you. It’s all on you!
• Less mental break-Some days, pushing the coffee table out of the way and sweating in my living room just isn’t motivating enough.

Gym memberships & in-person classes for Homeschoooling Families

Pros
• Training-This is a big one for me. You get what you pay for. In most cases, membership is going to give you access to the professional training of some kind. Having someone instruct your positions or teach how to properly use equipment makes a huge difference in your work out and your results.

• Accountability
• Firm schedule
• More mental break – change of environment, getting out

Cons
• Must leave kids, often a challenge
• Cost is usually higher
• Time constraint-not only do you have to make class times, but travel time to and from the class adds to the constraint as well.
• Stress hanging over your head when you can’t make it. UGH! I’m guilty of paying for memberships and yoga passes only to let them go to waste. That is a big downer and makes you feel like a failure.

At home or away, you need to find the workouts that are the perfect fit for you! I do best when I mix things up with a little of both worlds.

Homeschool Fitness: Nutrition, Vitamins and Doctors.

I can’t stress enough how it important it is to take care of yourself behind the scenes. Drink the water. Take your vitamins. Get your physicals, mammograms, and annual exams! What’s the point of taking the time to get fit, if we’re not going to get healthy on the inside too?

Deal with anxiety and depression. Those two will really mess up your goals! Don’t be afraid to talk to your doctor about medication if needed.

There is NO shame in that! Your fitness journey will be so much easier with a clear mindset when it comes to your health.

Get to those doctor appointments you’ve been procrastinating and find a healthy meal plan that matches your goals and needs.

Maybe you’re kicking yourself because you’ve let another month’s gym membership go to waste? You are not alone! You'll love these 7 simple fitness tips for busy homeschooling moms.

What fitness tips would you add to the list?

Let’s make this year count!

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