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10 Days Why A Homeschool Mom Is Not Better Than a Public School Mom (but could be). Day 1

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10 Days of Why A Homeschool Mom Is Not Better Than a Public School Mom (but could be). Day 1. Patience Is Not Instantly Bestowed

Jumping into homeschooling is a scary thing. Just ask any homeschool educator. Whether she is new or not, she vividly remembers the uneasy feeling of beginning.

Looking at homeschooling from the outside in is quite different than looking from the inside out and I want to give you a peek into our days as homeschool moms.

Why A Homeschool Mom Is Not Better Than a Public School Mom (but could be).

Too, so that you can step into my toes (or is that shoes, sorry couldn’t resist) I will be sharing this series of 10 Days Why A Homeschool Mom Is Not Better Than a Public School Mom (but could be) starting with day 1 why patience is not instantly bestowed upon us.

Saying that we are going to homeschool doesn’t mean our personality as a mom is immediately going to change.

You would think that choosing curriculum for our children is the only fear, but right up there on our list of top concerns is the idea that we will need to exercise some extraordinary amount of patience.

Though I am in my 18th or 19th year of homeschooling, I admit patience is not the shining trait that bubbles forth from my kids when they describe me.

Does Patience (Calm) Equal Closeness While Homeschooling?

One definition of patience is to wait calmly for something. Normally calm is not a word that synonymous with me.

What I can say is that learning to not rush judgment on my boys while schooling them or judging other homeschoolers for their choices has made me closer to them.

Seeking calm and quite while homeschooling is key though to successfully blocking out the negatives thrown our way.

Though I never achieved perfect homeschooling, I’ve found a perfect calm for whatever situation we faced at the time.

Patience IS Power!

Beginning homeschooling with an overconfident attitude is the difference between a homeschool mom and a wannabe homeschool mom.

The point is as homeschool moms we struggle just as much as a public school mom when it comes to teaching our children patiently or waiting on them to reach a milestone.

Through the years we have learned patience through the many challenges we have met.

Learning that patience is a sign of strength and character that is tested and strengthened while on the job, not at the beginning of it, you have to be willing to learn as a homeschool mom.

If you begin homeschool with an unteachable attitude as a teacher or try to wear your feelings on your sleeve and never accept any suggestions to change, you can set yourself for failure. Who wants that?

Being patient is not about being hesitant or unsure, but it is about taking time to change your personality so that you not only savor the special moments of homeschooling, but so that you become a rock star teacher.

It’s true. The difference between a homeschool mom and a public school mom is that a homeschool mom learns patience on the job and then her enthusiasm for teaching overflows. Her children are affected by the excitement she brings to the learning table.

Today, I do admit that if you were to ask my boys about me being calm while I’m explaining a new point to them, they’ll admit I have that mastered.I still have plenty to work on though.

And don’t get me wrong, patience is never mastered, just cultivated all the time and especially while homeschooling.

I will be sharing 9 more ways why a homeschool mom is not better than a public school mom (but could be).

Do you feel that you have mastered the art of patience?

Also look at these three articles 3 Homeschooling Myths Debunked, Should A Child Have a Choice to Return To Public School and Looking Back To Stretch Forward.

Hugs and love ya,

Signature T

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.

Top 10 Tips for Maximizing Space in (Really) Tiny Homeschool Spaces

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I have 10 awesome tips for maximizing space in really tiny homeschool spaces. Also, you’ll love How to Turn a House Into a Homeschool Space Part 1.

Improvising and finding inspiration when setting up a learning area in cramped quarters doesn’t mean you have to give up style too.

I have not always had such large homeschool spaces to have my boys learn in, but I’m always up for new and creative ideas to expand on what I have already used.

Does that resonate with you too?

Top 10 Tips for Maximizing Space in (Really) Tiny Homeschool Spaces @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Look at these top 10 tips for maximizing space in really tiny homeschool spaces.

Maximizing Storage

First, I love any idea which maximizes spaces and there are some creative ones here.

10 Tips for Maximizing Space in Tiny Homeschool Spaces

Creating more storage from smaller spaces is not easy to do. But I have gathered some great ideas for your homeschool area.

Photo Credit: www.hgtv.com

Short on Space? Turn a Closet Into a Homeschool Station

I love this area and whether you need a place to store your curriculum, or your teen needs a quiet place away from siblings, this is a great idea when limited on space.

Photo Credit: www.twotwentyone.net

2. Use for Laundry Bag

Store puzzle pieces, school supplies and even books in them.

Use a S hook and hang the bags on the wall. Looking at a row of clear mesh bags, it’s easy for you to take down what you need.

Your children can bring one or two bags down and put them away when not in use.

3. Height Adjustable Dining Table

Have you seen dining room tables, which lowers and raises?

When it’s lowered, it can be used for younger children or do double duty as a coffee table.

4. Crystal Clear Over The Door Hanging Shoe Organizer, Turquoise

An over-the-door organizer is one of the most versatile and inexpensive ways to add instant storage.

Sure, it can be a shoe organizer, but an over the door organizer can come with different size pockets.

Just be sure to label each pocket so that your children know what belongs in each one.

Photo Credit: www.lushome.com

5. Keep your books underfoot.

Books are always challenging to store in small spaces. Don’t forget floor spaces under furniture.

If you have the room to create a drawer, that is best.

Photo Credit: hiphomeschoolmoms.com

6. Homeschool Bookshelves on Small Wall Space

The small wall area between the bottom of a widow and the floor may seem like wasted space.

Create DIY shelves to fit the exact niche by using inexpensive repurposed wood or sturdier industrial looking pipes.

Photo Credit: lalymom.com

7. Use a baby gate as an alphabet wall or sight word wall.

Many years, I used several baby gates in my home. That too is valuable ‘wall space’ that is just waiting to be used.

I love this idea from Lalymom. Create an activity center for your preschooler by creating the wall with soft fabric.

Adding pockets for a preschooler to sort letters or numbers in makes this a great learning area.

Not only does it make for a pretty cover for your gate, it doubles as an activity center. When the baby is up, put away the small pieces, like letters or numbers that fit in the pockets.

Photo Credit: www.alwaysneverdone.com

8. Sofa Table Tutorial

Then I just couldn’t pass up sharing this next genius spacing saving hack.

Can you say, oh let me add some more books there? And the best part is that not only can you do this skinny minny table yourself, but it’s inexpensive.

I would, however, measure my books and use the one that has the largest depth to use as the width of the table.

Look at the tutorial over at Always Never Done.

9. Free up precious wall space. Use the middle of the floor.

When the boys were preteens, I bought a large oversized craft table and put it in the middle of the floor to free up valuable wall space.

Our wall space was also limited because one wall had all windows.

The added bookshelves under the table was a welcomed storage space.

Photo Credit: www.pinterest.com

10. Curtain rods are not just for curtains but for hanging storage.

Use magnetic curtain rods. And though you can put them on your walls, hang them on your refrigerator for extra storage.

In addition, you can add two or three stylish curtain rods at eye level on a wall. Add and use drapery clips to hold clear storage bags.

The storage uses for a humble curtain rod are endless. It can corral paper clutter, school supplies and even a book. The best thing is that when you hang clear bags, you can see what is inside.

Pin by Lanell Proffitt on Back to school | Teaching organization, Classroom fun, Teaching classroom

paintaninteriordoorwithchalkboardpaintforhomeofficehomeschoolroombathroomkidsroombedroom

toy-storage

(Credit: Two Twenty One)

For younger kids, use storage folding lap desks, which can be folded and tucked away behind a sofa or in the closet.

homeschooling in tiny homeschool areas


When my boys were younger and we were limited on homeschool space, they sat on the floor and set up lap desks on the floor for our science activities.

Homeschool Learning Spaces Without Limits

under bed storage

(Credit: Lushome)

bookshelve to fix an exact niche
homeschoolbookshelves-copy

(Credit: Hip Homeschool Moms)

curtain rod

Homeschool Hacks

DIY-Baby-Gate-Cover-Alphabet-Chart-from-Lalymom

(Credit: Lalymom)

sofa-table-Always-Never-Done-23-400x600

(Credit: Always Never Done)

More Tiny Homeschool Spaces Ideas

Taking a homeschool space from drab to fab is worth it especially when you’re homeschooling because of how much time we spend in an area.

What tiny space hacks are you going to try or have used?

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.

How to Grow to Love Being a Homeschooler

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How to Grow to Love Being a Homeschooler. You can begin to homeschool without adopting the homeschool lifestyle but you would be missing out @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Whether it was a last-ditch decision or you planned for years to homeschool before your first child was born, everybody who begins to homeschool has to make the decision to grow to love being a homeschooler or not.

It can just be an educational choice or you can decide to passionately live the homeschool lifestyle.

Enjoying the benefits of the homeschool approach without adopting the lifestyle is possible, but not without being short-changed.

How can you adopt the homeschool lifestyle or be sure that you are embracing it to the fullest extent that your circumstances allow?

Look at these three ways how to measure your growth.

ONE | You have stopped trying to find the perfect curriculum.

It was about five years into my homeschooling journey when I learned that the challenge of choosing curriculum wasn’t going away. I knew that teaching my sons through everyday life was paramount.

Nurturing a Love for Lasting Learning

Living the homeschool lifestyle means that curriculum is now just a tool and you learn that it doesn’t really teach anything.

Sure, I need to have objectives and choose curriculum that gives me the freedom to teach my worldview, but I am doing the teaching.

What you are willing to do to teach your children is way more valuable than what you are willing to buy to teach them.

The challenge in homeschooling is not the endless pursuit of curriculum, but in helping your child to maintain his love of learning that he had when he was young.

Adopting the homeschool lifestyle means that you have moved beyond curriculum, progress reports, tests and needing accolades from friends and family that you are doing a super job.

Now, you simply don’t care what other people think. Did I mention it’s really liberating?

Learning that your life, no matter how boring you may think it is, it’s full of rich meaning for your children.

TWO | You maintain a homeschool routine, but not necessarily a rigid schedule.

Another tell-tale sign that you have embraced natural learning is that no longer do you fight to maintain your homeschool routine, but now homeschooling is not something extra you do in the day. It is the way you spend your day and everything else now revolves around it.

It’s hard for anything you begin to become a lifestyle overnight.

I think about being newly married or when I lost a lot of sleep when I brought my first son home from the hospital. Significant changes in my life called for significant effort to make them part of my life. It’s not long after the new changes in your life that you realize it’s hard to remember a time without your kids or your spouse.

Homeschooling becomes the same way. You are not constantly worried about completing curriculum or making grades and testing. Like life, you realize homeschooling has certain tests that need to be met, bt you meet them like you do anything else in your household.

THREE | You learned that you can’t homeschool on an ‘island.’

Associating with and joining with homeschoolers is like being immersed in learning another language. Until you do it, you can’t see where you’re coming up short.

For example, I didn’t fully appreciate how much faster we could learn another language until we had moved overseas. Having studied Spanish for many years, I had a good command of the vocabulary, but it was fragmented.

After we moved to South America and received total language immersion, it made me fully appreciate the language, lifestyle and culture.

When you refrain from meeting up with other homeschoolers or isolate you and your kids, it’s not only unhealthy, but it’s unnatural.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not telling you that you have to be a social butterfly and join every possible homeschool groups. Some groups are just too extreme for my taste and I tend to be very picky.

How Are You Measuring Up in Adopting the Homeschool Lifestyle?

What I am saying is that when you and your family stand in stark contrast to those in your neighborhood or your friends, you need a support system with others who are like-minded.

Instead of being overly critical of other homeschoolers’ choices when you meet with them, look at what you can learn from them. I received tips on how to homeschool multiple children, make time for myself and move ahead on curriculum when we were hitting a brick wall. Without the tips, I would have struggled longer.

Growing is part of everyday life and it’s amazing. If something or someone is not growing, it’s always a sign that something is wrong.

Have you adopted the homeschool lifestyle?

Grab some more ways to be an empowered homeschooler below:

3 Reasons Why Homeschoolers Are Take Charge People
Go Ahead and Make a Mistake: Homeschool Without Fear
10 Books That Boost Your Homeschool Zen (When It May Be Sagging)

Hugs and love ya,

Signature T

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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3 Reasons Why Homeschoolers Are Take Charge People

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

3 Reasons Why Homeschoolers Are Take Charge People @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Whether you’re timid by nature (sometimes, I wish I were) or if you’re loud and get fired up easily like I can be when talking about homeschooling, homeschoolers are take charge people.

Did you know that you’re in the norm when you can’t figure out which curriculum to use with your children or when you worry about socialization for them?

What you have figured out is that you don’t swallow the bunk meted out by homeschooling critics when they tout that your kids are unsocialized or that we are die hard religious fanatics.

We very well may be religious zealots or our kids may be on the weird side, but we do know the answer is not sending them to public school.

Shatter The Image – All Homeschoolers Are Not Religious Zealots

Admittedly, I do get tired of hearing how the only reason we homeschool is for religious reasons and the reason our kids say offensive things is because they are homeschooled.

Look at these 3 reasons why homeschoolers are take charge people.

ONE | Homeschoolers are take charge people because we are willing to not just question the educational system, but to step out of it and go against it.

What you have figured out is that the educational system can’t have it both ways.

Either public schools are becoming more dangerous, only care about tests, don’t teach our kids math and reading well, don’t do enough about bullying, not to mention drugs or it is the place we are suppose to send our kids to learn to get a superior education and be “socialized.”

The public school educational system is flawed and though I don’t think none of us claim to be experts on parenting, we are the experts in knowing the needs of our children.

TWO | Homeschoolers are take charge people because we don’t make excuses for our kids.

We don’t make the assumption that could be a trap for homeschoolers which is that homeschooling ensures success.

Instead of making excuses for our kids, we are willing to exert the effort to ensure that they not only get the basics of a well-rounded out education, but we go above and beyond what the curriculum is teaching.

Not making excuses for our kids negative behavior, lack of study skills or bad attitude, we are willing to confront that head-on.

Knowing that we are not guaranteed success, but that homeschooling sure stacks the chances of success in our favor, we are willing to work hard for our kids.

THREE | Homeschoolers are take charge people because we are homeschooling to equip our kids to be independent adults and to learn valuable life skills.

Do I really need to mention that we are not interested in just meeting academic standards of public school, but exceeding them?

We already know that superior academics is a given as a standard for most homeschool families, but we want it all when it comes to educating our children.

For example, most parents know that their kids don’t know how to budget, know about checking or savings account or about taxes.

Let me rephrase that, teens may think money comes from putting their debit or credit card card in the machine and money miraculously comes from a checking or savings account.

Appreciating the value of hard work, budgets and how to manage money is something homeschool parents are not leaving up to public school.

True, not all kids coming from public school are ill-equipped to handle life skills, but we both know that teaching life skills is not top priority in public school.

We are take charge people because we are willing to work extra hard at teaching our children not only academics, but valuable life skills so they can be an effective decision-maker.

Whether Christian or secular, we want to teach our children our values and want to go above standards set by any school. Too, our children are bad on their own without the influence of public school and that too is our problem as a parents.

Going against the current is flat out hard and I too want to give up on some days. But then I think about the flip side of this homeschooling life by floating along and following the masses and that I can’t imagine.

Having it all figured out doesn’t make you a take charge person, but taking on the lifelong journey of educating your children does.

I’m glad to be in your company.

Hugs and love ya,

Signature T

Also look at The Truth About Delaying a Start to Homeschooling because homeschooling because it is a last ditch effort may not work for you, and 10 Books That Boost Your Homeschool Zen (When It May Be Sagging).

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.

The Problem Choosing Between Homeschool Mom and Homeschool Teacher

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

The Problem Choosing Between Homeschool Mom and Homeschool Teacher @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Do we really need to choose between homeschool mom or homeschool teacher? Do our kids benefit when we separate the two roles?

My first few years of homeschooling, I hardly recognized myself.

Sounding more like a drill sergeant when we started our day than a caring loving educator, whose first concern should be the emotional well-being of my children, something had to change.

I didn’t like myself and my kids for sure didn’t like me. Like any new or seasoned homeschool educator, I too was concerned that my kids wouldn’t learn how to develop study skills, self-motivation and an intrinsic love of learning. It’s flat out hard to find a balance. More on that in a minute.

Fast forward to now after graduating two of my sons, I learned that I didn’t need to separate the two roles.

Instead of using energy draining formal teacher tactics, my focus should have been on valuing the many future opportunities that I was going to have of bringing meaning to learning and naturally teaching my boys.

Unlocking the Natural Teacher Within You

Learning to unlock the natural teacher within you is more about appreciating that you shouldn’t choose between homeschool mom and homeschool teacher, but it’s a fuse of the two.

First, it’s important to remember when you homeschool that mom is your first calling.

When you have a child, you know the role of mom is important because the emotional stability, health, safety, personality, spiritual and educational well-being of your child is a serious responsibility.

What I am saying is that I learned educating my child was just another facet of motherhood and not something separate from it.

Furthermore, like me, you are probably the first person, who taught your baby his first word and he started to learn his mother tongue. All the pieces started to fall into place as I pondered what I had done right up to the age before “formal” schooling.

Realizing that I had to leave behind the public school mentality, I didn’t have to learn how to be a teacher. To successfully homeschool, I needed to learn how to be the best mother I could be.

That huge revelation brought homeschooling into something that not only could I achieve successfully, but to treasure, love passionately and stick to because it is as natural as mothering. 

When the switch flipped to a new thinking, my focus was on teaching my sons all those things I worried about like any other homeschool mom.

Letting Every Day Life Teach Meaningful Lessons

Energy could now be focused on identifying my son’s weakness.

For example, when I was teaching my sons to write, a homeschool room was a must-have for us. I didn’t have to be concerned with a seasoned homeschool mom tell me when I started homeschooling that I would never use a homeschool room. We did and it proved exactly perfect for my family. Look at my article, Dedicated Homeschool Room or Dining Room Homeschooler.

I trusted my mother instinct, not my teacher instinct. Too, workbooks and books are only part of learning and rigorous standards are important to me and I know too for other homeschoolers.

But we have a huge advantage when we learn outside of four walls and that is we allow every day life to teach our children meaningful lessons. They do happen.

Taking homeschool co-op classes outside of the home and taking instruction from another teacher gave my boys a sense of working with others. Again, as a mother I am concerned with my sons’ lasting happiness. That means I want them to learn to accept others and learn how to communicate with them.

Did I mention they learned to take notes and manage deadlines, which are valuable study skills that I wanted my boys to learn?

Do We Really Need to Prove our Homeschool Worthiness?

All of this and more happened because naturally as we lived life, I seized moments to teach them.

Yes, I think as homeschool moms we tend to try to over achieve and feel we may have to turn every moment into something learning because we may feel the weight of our lifestyle choice hanging around us.

Shedding that let-me-prove-it-to-you mindset allows you to homeschool more freely without feeling you have to prove something to friends and to the world. Can you relate? Look at my article, Homeschooling for the Love of Learning – Does It Really Work.

Learning that things happen in life, which give me perfect teaching moments has made homeschooling natural without worrying which hat I am wearing.

Too, not choosing between two hats, but as the person that knows my sons the best, I know when it’s time to be mom and when it’s time to be teacher. Being a home educator is just another role as mom.

Hugs and love ya,

Signature T

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.