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Top 5 Tips for Homeschooling Parents

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Best Parenting Tips @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool PlusLet’s face it. Parenting is hard enough, but then you decide to homeschool. Knowing which hat to wear, the teacher hat or parent hat seems more like a juggling act than educating a child.

By the way, this blog hop is organized by The Jenny Evolution, where bloggers have connected to share their top parenting tips of the year. Be sure to click the image above to visit all the other articles shared on each blog.

Look at these top 5 tips for homeschooling parents that I rounded up from 2015 that I hope will help to smooth the homeschool path for you.

3 Wrong Ways to Homeschool a Hotheaded Child @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

My article, 3 Wrong Ways to Homeschool a Hotheaded Child really resonated with you. Avoid my same parenting mistake.

Here is my excerpt from my article that you need to scoot by and read:

When I started homeschooling my first son, Mr. Senior 2013, he was the perfect child to school or least I thought so.  Along came Mr. Awesome and I was humbled because all of the sudden I had a hotheaded and stubborn child on my hands or least I thought so.

Then this next article goes directly to the decision you have to make to homeschool your children as the homeschooling parent.

But the Little Dear Doesn't Want to Homeschool

You’d be surprised at how homeschooling parents feel with this article, But the Little Dear Doesn’t Want to Homeschool.

Fake It Til You Make It

Here is my excerpt from my article that you need to scoot by and read:

“In my workshop, I hear the statement often “but the little dear doesn’t want to homeschool”. Okay, maybe not quite like that, but you get the idea. And it’s not from just parents of preteens and teens, but from parents who have very young children, as young as 5 years old.”

What is the alarming truth behind who makes the decision to homeschool? It goes directly to parenting!

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Then, I received a lot of emails and feedback about this next article, which is Treasure the Moments of Homeschooling Testosterone Armed Teen Boys.

It’s tough to  homeschool boys, who can think completely different than I do much less parent them.

Geography BundleThey learn differently, handle their emotions differently than girls and you have to be ready to teach and parent outside the box.

Real Life Parenting Tips

Here is my excerpt from my article that you need to scoot by and read:

“I don’t want to sound cliché, but I treasure the moments of homeschooling testosterone armed teen boys.  Thinking back when all the boys were real young, my sis came over to my house one day with her girls, which are about the same age as my boys to discuss how we could join forces to homeschool our kids together. 

When we looked up, my boys were outside in the yard with tree branches fighting and her girls were inside coloring pages, inside the lines no doubt.”

Patience, Confidence, Knowing all the Answers – NOT Required to Homeschool @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Then many things are required of us as homeschooling parents, but Patience, Confidence, Knowing ALL the Right Answers is NOT Required to Homeschool.

Here is my excerpt from my article that you need to scoot by and read:

“If somebody had told me that prior to starting homeschooling I needed patience, confidence and all the answers to every subject, I would not have plunged into homeschooling.”

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Then, this next post, 3 Homeschooling Myths Debunked, you loved because it goes directly to facing head on some of the critics of homeschooling because we do spend a lot of time together as a family.

“Taking time to debunk popular homeschooling myths helps to avoid mommy guilt.  Confronting head-on homeschooling myths that I have both encountered and that I hear from homeschoolers that I’ve helped through my New Bee program also deepens my dedication to homeschooling.  It gives me a chance to ponder, because I know there is always room for improvement in both my parenting and homeschooling skills.”

Also, don’t forget to go through our New Bee Homeschool Program for more great homeschooling parent tips!

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Hugs and love ya,

Tina Signature 2015c

Be sure to follow BOTH of my Pinterest Accounts to grab more homeschooling parenting tips!

Visit Tinas Dynamic Homeschool ‘s profile on Pinterest.

 

Visit Tina Robertson’s profile on Pinterest.

3 Ways You’re Making Homeschool Harder Than It Has to Be

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

3 Ways You're Making Homeschool Harder Than It Has to Be @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

3 Ways You’re Making Homeschool Harder Than It Has to Be

If only magic fairy dust could be sprinkled in my fairy tale land that I like to escape to when the hard times of homeschooling hit. And then all my homeschool woes could go away. I’m still waiting for it to happen.

In the meantime, sharing 3 ways you’re making homeschool harder than it has to be, I hope these tried and true tips will help you make some changes and sprinkle a little magic fairy dust for you.

1. STICKING POWER OF A SCHEDULE.

Wait, don’t run. This is not another tip about a schedule that holds a stranglehold on you, however, a workable schedule has sticking power and it relieves stress.

The magic fairy dust is that a schedule can be as detailed or not as you need it to be.

If you don’t have a schedule, you really aim for nothing in the day.

It can be as simple as scheduling zones in your day like a homeschool zone, a cleaning zone and a resting zone.

Divide your day into zones that work for your family and you’re done.

Simple, but effective schedules gives you a flow to your day.

I go into more detail in my article, How to Create a Homeschool Schedule that You Can Stick To. And if you are doing unit studies like I do, look at the flow to my homeschool day with this schedule.

2. ARE YOU STILL TEACHING YOUR CHILDREN AT SEPARATE GRADE LEVELS?

Believe me, transforming over to teaching multiple ages of children together only sounds like it’s for tough homeschoolers.

You know the ones you think that have it all together. They may or may not have it all together, but they have successfully tapped into a teaching tip from the past that has worked for homeschoolers for many years.

Staying Ahead of the Pack

The one room schoolroom is a thing of the past, but not for most homeschoolers.

The big scare factor when you have not taught multiple ages is thinking that you need to teach them all together at the same time.

Tap into the tips I share in 5 Days of the Benefits & Challenges of Teaching Mixed Ages Together series.

3. NOT TAKING TIME FOR YOU.

When I started homeschooling, I only read encouragement about eating right, taking vitamins and exercising to take time for you.

Though I love all those things and have done them throughout the years, I really crave time to read more, organize my house, write lesson plans, search for hands on activity.

Every mom is different, including me and sometimes my mom time includes meal planning or kitchen organizing.

It also includes using YouTube for workouts and lesson planning.

The longer I homeschool, the harder it is to separate teacher and mommy things I enjoy and I don’t need to because I am both of those things.

Homeschooling becomes a way of life and so in my mommy time, it’s about what makes me rock or relax for the day.

Things like organizing, meal planning, exercising with YouTube and doing nothing at times all fall under mommy time for me.

Create a simple, but effective schedule, learn from the past about how to teach children together and spend free moments in the day the way that relaxes and refreshes you.

You’ll also love these tips when you start back at the basics of homeschooling.

Day 1: Learn the Lingo – Then Go

Day 2: Homeschool Roots Matter

Day 3: What is NOT Homeschooling

Day 4: ” Speak Now Or Forever Hold Your Peace” – Confronting Relatives & Naysayers

Day 5: Wheels on the Bus Go ‘Round & ‘Round – So Get Off

Day 6: Homeschool Hangouts & Socialization Situations

Day 7: Tied Up With Testing?

Hugs and love ya,

Be sure you are following BOTH of my Pinterest Accounts for more tips on not just surviving homeschooling, but thriving, growing and flourishing.

Visit Tina Robertson’s profile on Pinterest.

Visit Tinas Dynamic Homeschool ‘s profile on Pinterest.

Go Ahead and Make a Mistake: Homeschool Without Fear

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

Go ahead and make a mistake. Homeschool without fear @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Go Ahead and Make a Mistake: Homeschool Without Fear

Perfectionism somehow has been linked to excellence altthough they are completely different concepts.

Unintentionally, some homeschoolers feel that homeschooling is about making all the right decisions.

Messing our kids up for life can be a paralyzing and harder to shake for some homeschoolers than others.

Well, guess what? It’s okay. Go ahead and make a mistake. It’s the expectation of perfectionism that is the burden, not making a mistake.

The first of my many big homeschool mistakes was choosing the wrong reading program for Mr. Senior 2013.

Tears and the ugly cry followed. You know the kind of cry that is uncontrollable where you don’t want anybody to know that you can still cry like a baby.

However, after the ugly cry stopped, I could face constructive self-criticism that I wasn’t the excellent teacher I thought I was. It was a huge eye opener.

As I sat down wondering if I had messed my first homeschooled kid up for life, I realized then that my first mistake was like a huge exhale and really a relief. Wait, this wasn’t about me, my ego or my intelligence. It is about finding what is the best for my children.

The buildup to my homeschool mistake was far worse than actually the great big blunder.

How To Go from Stuck to Unstoppable

Instead of making me want to quit though, what I learned was that I knew deep down that mistakes were going to happen.

Who was I kidding? I am not into homeschooling by perfect parents. I am far from that.

To take that mindset one step further, as I examined my homeschool fears, I knew that to survive homeschooling I had to let go of my perfectionist tendencies.

Facing the fact that perfectionism is an ugly tendency is a giant first step in letting go of homeschool fear.

Perfectionist homeschoolers can be so busy or so they tell themselves that when in fact it’s procrastination because they want to find the perfect (?????) insert here: math, reading, history or whatever curriculum.

It didn’t mean that I had to let go of my standard of excellence in teaching reading, but I had to learn something from it.

Releasing the fear and facing a mistake dead on didn’t make my knees crumble, but it did make me stronger.

Mistakes are stepping stones to progress.

Must read book for new homeschoolers. 31 Day Boot Camp for New Homeschoolers!

Not wanting to homeschool with constant stress because a perfectionist attitude makes me constantly wanting something better and bigger, I know accepting best, even mistakes meant that I was on the road to homeschool progress.

Learning from the mistake and now knowing what to choose or not choose whether it was a reading program or activity outside the house enriched my homeschool journey.

My mistakes moved me from novice to empowered educator. Look at my tips in my article, From Struggling Homeschooler to Empowered Educator.

Too, I have never wanted to be the kind of person who is wounded by criticism, let alone be that type of homeschool teacher.

Constructive criticism is part of making a mistake and being a novice. It is part of growing as a seasoned homeschooler.

When Teaching is Infectious and Contagious

Not only does making a homeschool mistake make you stronger, but it gives you empathy for other homeschoolers who are struggling.

It’s true that I can’t even start to be an awesome teacher unless I learn first from my mistakes and then help others.

Homeschooling is not for cowards or the faint-hearted because it takes courage to learn from the mistake and not make the same mistake again.

Removing the fear of a mistake or perfectionism allows room for excellence to grow in our homeschool journey.

Don’t let fear breed, cripple, poison, and paralyze your homeschool day.

Make a mistake and feel the freedom of guilt and fear unburdened. Progress is just a few tiny steps away.

What homeschool mistakes have you made that set you on the road to an empowered educator?

Hugs and love ya,

P.S. My homeschooled child, Mr. Senior 2013 that I knew I was going to ruin for life not only reads well as a young adult, but has a passion for reading. It is a toss up between how many books he and I hoard collect.

Update: Did I mention he has graduated homeschool (along with 2 more kids) and has moved on into successfully being an adult? Did I also mention HOW GRATEFUL he is to us as his parents that we did not give up homeschooling. No better gift ever have I had.

Also, look at:

Follow Both of My Pinterest Accounts too for more homeschool fortitude.

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

Homeschooling – Beginnings are Usually Scary, Endings are Usually Sad, but It’s What’s In the Middle that Counts!

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 Homeschooling - Because Beginnings are usually scary, endings are usually sad, but it's what's in the middle that counts @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Homeschooling – Beginnings are Usually Scary, Endings are Usually Sad, but It’s What’s In the Middle that Counts!

On the street I grew up on, my family got close to a neighbor or family that had a set of twin boys.

The twin boys were younger than me and my sister and we came to view them as “little brothers”.  As the boys grew up, they both became pilots.

We went on some of their first flights in a little 4 seat Cessna as we flew to La Grange,which was another small city nearby. We thought we were cool as we went to grab a steak and fly back home that same evening. (By the way, it was the cutest small plane ever. okay. okay.)

I loved those times as a young girl and have fond memories of our exciting times as we entered young adulthood. But I was equally impressed at all the knowledge and information that went into getting that piece of machinery up in the air.

Did you know the twin pilots had a huge list of items they had on a checklist to check off every time before they even lifted up?

In Search of a Homeschool Adventure?

Without doing that every time, there could be a terrible accident. Not one detail could be overlooked.

Too, the “routine” wasn’t left up to memory.

They had a physical clipboard with their checklist on it and checked off each part as they walked around the plane checking every part of it.

It made taking off less scary.

Homeschooling is scary on take off too and the beginnings remind me of my first air plane ride.

Check out these two tips as you get ready to begin.

EMBRACE THE ADVENTURE.

Any adventure worth taking will have risks.

I hinted about this when I shared When Homeschooling is Not an Overnight Success (Is it Worth the Risk?), but I also want you to understand that risk taking without planning is not necessary when beginning to homeschool.

Though sheer passion will not overcome all tragedies, it is the fuel needed to boost your beginnings.

Just remember though that there simply is no need to have to leap before you look because so many other homeschoolers have gone before you.

The time is long gone when folks did not hear about homeschooling. Too, there are many homeschool bloggers for just about any topic you can think about.

Francis Bacon said, “Knowledge is power” and that couldn’t be more true when beginning to homeschool.

Knowing that an abundance of information exists on the homeschool how-tos, I want to remind you to embrace the adventure.

Homeschool without inhibition. Don’t let fear hold you back from stepping out and trying another homeschool approach.

Grab my 31 Day Free Homeschool Boot Camp to start your adventure.

CHECKLISTS ABOUND GALORE –  GRAB ONE, TWO, OR . . .

Checklists are not only important, but vital or essential to homeschool success.

What type of checklists would you want?

Like the checklists that ensured our safety when taking off and landing, checklists serve as a guide to help you in your adventure.

Because the Middle Is What Matters.

After taking off in the Cessna airplane, it was the breath taking aerial views of the Lone Star State and time we had flying in the air that made our trip memorable.

I soon forget the jitters I had in the beginning of our airplane ride and only remember the trip and the beautiful night sky and not the checklists.

Homeschooling has been much the same way. Beginnings are not only scary, but almost paralyzing. It fades into the background as you get up and running.

Freedom to Have Fun

After you take much energy to get your homeschool up and running, it will be what you do during your journey that your children will fondly remember.

Sure, we all are going to mess up our children at one time or another and it’s almost unavoidable. We’re not perfect parents.

However, mistakes just mean that you get a do-over and you’ll do your due diligence next time to get it right.

And try to remember, that endings are normally sad because life changes and kids do grow up! Make the middle count.

Are you ready to take off? When are you going to start homeschooling?

Hugs and love ya,

Tina Signature 2015c

Are You Following My New Homeschoolers Must Haves Board On Pinterest. It will make your beginnings less scarier.

Follow Tinas Dynamic Homeschool ‘s board New Homeschoolers Must-Haves on Pinterest.

 

The Best Bad Homeschooling Advice (That You Should Actually Consider Trying)

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The Best Bad Homeschooling Advice (That You Should Actually Consider) @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Homeschooling advice is not only limited to new homeschoolers; it can come from any well-intentioned person, even a non-homeschooler.

Even if you don’t look like you need it, you’ll still homeschooling advice. You know what I mean.

The Best Bad Homeschooling Advice

After getting some “bad” homeschool advice, I have to admit that I actually needed to follow some of it.

■ Use a boxed curriculum.

I left behind boxed curriculum after I was past being a new homeschooler.

So when another seasoned homeschooler suggested I use a boxed curriculum while I was in the process of moving, I was taken back by the advice.

I never told her, but that day I did just what she suggested because it made sense.

I purchased a boxed curriculum for one semester.

I gave my boys laid out curriculum, packed my boxes and we made a huge move.

I spared myself a lot of anxiety by following that best bad homeschooling advice.

Also, check out my article, How to Use a Boxed Curriculum Without Giving Up Your Homeschool Approach.

■ Get your mom or dad to help you teach a subject or two.

If you have parents that are not supportive of homeschooling, then one of the best ways to get them on your side is by asking them to help you teach a subject or two.

It’s not exactly what you want to hear and especially if your parents are not supportive of your decision to homeschool.

However, grandparents bring a richness of life and a whole wealth of experience that your children deserve.

When the boys were real little, my parents lived on the same wooded acreage as we did.

My boys would run over to my mom’s house every day after school to “narrate” back what they learned. Having a captive audience when I no longer could listen to them helped them to retain information more readily.

If your parent’s health is good, they may be better at teaching a subject or two that you may be weak at.

My mother excelled at math and math has been my weak area always.

Her influence on my sons has been a valuable asset to my homeschooling journey because two out of the three sons are advanced in math. I am grateful.

Did I mention that time away from me was a break for my boys? Check out my article, How Grandparents Can Inspire Your Homeschool Journey.

■ Stop running around so much!

Ouch! That one hurt.

I thought the “good little homeschool mom” kept the roads hot while she took her children to “socialize”.

Slow down, stay at home and homeschool was the best piece of advice I could have received from a seasoned mom when I started my journey.

Of course at the time I had the miffed look thinking that was bad advice because I was going to be sure my children didn’t crawl under a rock somewhere.  Can you just say ugly?

Humbled by what I know now many years into my homeschooling journey, I spared myself a lot of wasted time on the road when we could have stayed home a bit longer.

Too, I have never wanted to be known as a sensitive homeschooler or one who takes offense easily thinking that all homeschooling advice is well- intentioned, but misguided.

Homeschooling is about a whole hosts of difficult choices, so I am glad that I actually tried some of the best bad homeschooling advice I’ve ever had.

How about you? Have you ever received some best bad homeschooling advice?

Hugs and love ya,