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8 Colossal Pitfalls of Homeschooling in the WHAT IF World

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When I imagine how things are going to be, I tend to be dramatic. Is that a nice way of saying I can be delusional? The pitfalls of homeschooling are plenty if you let them sidetrack you from your vision. Instead of losing vision, hone your goals.

For example, when I started homeschooling, I had visions of children eager to learn each day around our little public school desk. My house would be kept tidy every day. And laundry would never get more than a load or two behind. Supper would be on the table at 5:00 p.m. on the dot. Delusional I am telling you.

DELUSIONAL HOMESCHOOLING OR DELIBERATE HOMESCHOOLING

High levels of confidence, conviction, and fortitude wane easily and can be completely sucked out of us if we enter the what if . . . world of homeschooling.

Look at these potential 8 colossal pitfalls, if you let them.

What if

. . . I start to homeschool and my children get behind?

Guess what? They will. That is what catching up is about. Look at my article, Am I Doing Enough When Homeschooling.

. . . I choose not to test my children. Will I be doing them a disservice?

Look here at my tips about how to measure progress at my article, Narration – Telling Back or Testing? Books that Make Teaching Narration Easy Peazy.

. . . I’m not a creative person? I might be the most boring teacher.

You may, but you can change and learn too.

Look at how I did it at my article, Easy Hands on Homeschooling Ideas When You’re Not the Bomb Mom and 7 Homeschool Lies I Want to Tell My Younger Self.

. . . I can’t find friends for my children?

Unless you plan to homeschool your kids under a rock, there will be so much interaction over the course of your journey.

Look how we did it at my article, Socialization – A Homeschool Hallucination and I Am Homeschooling Because I Want My Kids Socialized.

. . . I decide that I want to put my child back in public school?

Before you do that, look at my tips at It’s a New Homeschool Year and My Child Wants to Go Back to Public School and Why My Homeschooled Kids Are Not Given the Choice to Go to Public School.

. . . my health or my children’s health prevent me from homeschooling?

Yes, that may happen. Look at how I dealt with in my article, Taking a Hit Doesn’t Mean to Quit– Homeschooling Through Crisis.

. . . while I’m pregnant I may not do my kids justice because I am too sick to teach them?

Hopefully, you put your health first if that time comes and realize that you’re teaching your kids way more than academics.

. . . I am not prepared for the upper grades?

All the preparing in the world won’t matter if you don’t have you teen’s heart. You can learn academics right alongside your teen. Focus on the relationship too.

And look at my articles in my blog category How to Homeschool Teens to Graduation.

COMBATING HOMESCHOOL PARALYSIS

We resist the urge to homeschool in the what if . . . world by applying these C tips.

Commitment.

Having practical teaching tips is important, however, that can be gleaned over any period of time.

Commitment is attached to an obligation. In some ways, I view my commitment to homeschooling like the marriage vow I made to my husband 23 years ago.

It is a guarantee that I will do everything in my power to make it work. Is a long term commitment for “just a year”?

View your homeschooling journey as a long term commitment.

Instead of bringing stress by applying pressure on your child to perform, start thinking of milestone markers. We plant certain milestone markers we want to reach for the long term.

Camaraderie.

Even though we can be consumed with the “nuts and bolts” of how to lesson plan, or how to teach writing, how to teach reading, or how to prepare a top notch high school transcript, it is the companionship of other homeschoolers that is the true glue that makes us stick to homeschooling.

In the camaraderie of our local homeschool support groups, summer homeschooling conventions, blogs and on line support groups, there is always somebody who understands our similar circumstances.

Conscientious.

Though many of us may live in states or countries where we do not need to test or keep attendance, our being attentive to our duties as parent and teacher keep us principled.

We do not adopt laxed attitudes about our house, our school, our worship, or our families. Again, we let go of the what if . . . world because our heart and conscience are stronger forces than any test score and they can motivate us to keep going.

My dramatic idealist person has not completely left, but my sons have done their work on many types of desks.

We eat meals close enough to 5:00 and there is always a load or two of laundry I could do.

The homeschooling what if . . . world is full of worry and guilt. Resist the urge along the way to re-enter it.

What counts in a journey is the ending!

The pitfalls of homeschooling are plenty if you let them sidetrack you from your vision. Instead of losing vision, hone your goals. High levels of confidence, conviction, and fortitude wane easily and can be completely sucked out of us if we enter the "what if . . ." world of homeschooling. Look at these potential 8 colossal pitfalls, if you let them. Click here.

Hugs and love ya,

21 Amazing Homeschool Graduation Ideas (Making Memories)

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I've gathered 21 amazing homeschool graduation ideas that will help your family to celebrate old traditions and make new memories. Click here to use them!

Planning two homeschool graduation parties has been one of the happiest times in my life and yet overly emotional at the same time. I’ve gathered 21 amazing homeschool graduation ideas that will help your family to celebrate old traditions and make new memories.

Before I share them though, I want to tell you real quick what I’ve learned – so far. Every day life affects how we feel when the time finally arrives to celebrate a special time as homeschoolers.

For example, in my life the Mr. had to recover from a life-threatening heart attack and Mr. Senior 2013’s graduation was a bit postponed. After the Mr. recovered, we celebrated. You can imagine how eternally grateful I was for not just the family gathering, but for life itself.

When Mr. Awesome 2015 graduated, we savored our time living overseas in Ecuador and celebrated that time differently and uniquely. Although we focused on the achievements of Mr. Awesome 2015, it was again a time to cherish our family being together.

Your journey up to this point will also define what this time will be for your family. Don’t try to separate life from one of the happiest times for your teen. Embrace it and make your time with family, loved ones and homeschooling friends a treasured time.

Like your homeschooling journey where you lived and learned together, don’t forget to do the things on that special day that mean the most to your family no matter how seemingly insignificant they are to others.

What I’m trying to say is that this is also a celebration of your family and the unique homeschool lifestyle you chose. Let your party reflect those values.

From mundane to memorable, from fun food ideas to family fun, I hope you can use one of these 21 amazing homeschool graduation ideas.

1._Have your teen show a talent he has studied. He could play a musical piece or have a collage to showcase his art talent.

We recently went to a graduation and the graduate had a beautiful voice as a jazz singer. We enjoyed a film presentation of her singing. It was nice that it was a prerecorded film so that the graduate could enjoy her family and friends.

2._Mr. Senior 2013 loves to public speak and prepared a short speech at his party. I found that about 5 minutes or so is enough time to talk to his audience.

Mr. Awesome 2015 didn’t want to be in front of the people to make a speech, so we didn’t make him.

However, he did know that he would have to make remarks to express his gratitude for the volunteers of his party. That is all we required of him. Each kid has a different personality for sure.

3._ Several picture collages placed around were perfect conversation pieces and especially for our family and friends that were not homeschoolers. It showed what an enriching introduction to a wide range of learning topics we had covered.

4._ Everyone differs on food. We love having a gathering where we can enjoy a meal. For Mr. Senior 2013, I felt like we had the best of both worlds, ie. catering and budget-friendly meals.

I ordered food at a local favorite restaurant and had it delivered, but not catered. I saved hundreds of dollars by having everybody go through the food line buffet style.

For Mr. Awesome 2015, we provided some of the main dishes like turkey and dressing, but had several volunteers bring side dishes.

Also, don’t forget finger foods like crescent roll sandwiches, ham and cheese and minisliders made ahead of time. Those are great and fun options.

On another note, a taco, nacho or even potato bar are great ideas that please a crowd.

I went to one party where all the toppings for tacos were lined up down the table and everybody built their own tacos or nachos.

This idea is great if you’re short on cooking help because the items can be made ahead of time.

Use crock pots to carry food to the party because they can travel easy and be turned on low to keep food heated.

Make Family Time Memorable

5._Have a ceremony where you and the Mr. present your teen with his diploma.

6._If your teen has studied a foreign language, use some of the words he has learned as part of the decorations. Todos Bienvenidos!

7._If you’re hosting your gathering at home, have an area set up in your home, garage or media area for the kids to play video games together. They’ve enjoyed being with each other during the years at field trips and will love this if you’re planning a less formal gathering.

8._We love to dance group dances at any party we have. So the boys told some of their friends ahead of time the songs that we would playing. This allowed their friends to practice their polished dance moves ahead of time. Then they all did group dances together. It made for a lot of fun and laughs.

Also though because my boys took ballroom dancing in high school, they were able to make that part of the party.

9._Decide the dress and communicate it clearly to your guests. Mr. Senior 2013 wanted something a bit more dressy casual and Mr. Awesome 2015 was all about shorts and comfort.

Sometimes this is a time, especially by girls, to dress formal and wear that long formal gown they’ve been wanting to wear.

Let each kid’s personality dictate the night of fun.

10._Have a photo booth. We gathered up items from the dollar store and made some other props. Browse thrift shops for costumes and fun things to use in a photo booth.

This was so much fun because it allowed for friends to take pictures together as well as a whole family to get in on it. Even the little kids had fun doing this.

11._While some of our friends were having fun taking pictures, we had a prepared music list so that others could enjoy dancing. I didn’t just let the boys pick the music. We’re pretty selective, but too I wanted grandparents and older ones to join in. So we got music from different time periods.

12._If you don’t have a sound system you can borrow, some places still have a jukebox, which you can rent from a party or music supply place.

13._Don’t forget creating keepsakes like a program for the night. I wished I had done that but you have to remember, I have all boys. So in the scheme of things it wasn’t a big deal for them.

I think if I had a girl, she would like a few more momentoes.

A prepared program along with taking pictures of their homeschool classmates was on tap for the evening too.

14._And whatever you do also don’t forget to get a picture of you and your family for the special occasion. I had a list of photo ideas for the photographer that we hired.

Some photo ideas were non-negotiable meaning the photographer had to be sure to capture certain moments. Other ideas we had on the list were for fun things to take pictures of while the party was going on.

15._Don’t forget to put the ending time on your invitations.

I know some people forget to put the ending time on invitations and that makes it hard to clean up or pack up when everybody has been having so much fun.



However, because you and your family are probably doing most of the work, be sure you have enough time to shut the party down and not be dead tired the next morning. Okay, you will be but at least you won’t ever forget the party.

16._Remember to appoint somebody to record at the party AND to email different ones to follow up and get their recordings as well. If you like DVDs you can ask somebody to record and have a keepsake DVD.

17._Another graduation we went to the girl had a father and daughter dance.

The graduate was adopted by her grandparents and you could see her deep moving gratitude. The obvious emotion in the dance was full of meaning to all present and tear jerking because we all knew the story.

Create New Memorable Homeschool Moments

I know I’ve said it before, but each event should be unique to your family.

18._ Have a book or big board for your family and friends to write on for advice. One party the family had a huge poster board where all the family and friends could give their tidbits of wisdom. One party we went to recently, the graduate passed around a small book decorated by her for her special night.

19._As far as more fun food, we did a candy buffet at both parties complete with what each son really loved.

For the non-sugar eating friends, we assigned out a few deserts made with splenda. This was a big hit as not everybody can eat sugar. A lot of our family is diabetic. We have it on both sides of the family. So this night was one time to splurge – just a bit.

20._Another practical idea I liked by one family was to have a jar at the party. They ask family and friends to bring their favorite recipe to put in the jar.

Later the girl’s parents made a collage book out of it. Such a memorable and practical gift – a first cookbook.

21._Not every homeschool graduate wants to celebrate with others.

Some families I’ve known planned a special cruise or hike to their favorite vacation spot.

You’ll also love reading my 10 Days of Planning a Homeschool High School Graduation where I go into more detail and you’ll love these absolutely stunning and creative ideas from this Purdy Purdy Pink – Homeschool Graduation.

Tell me! What homeschool graduation ideas have you come up with or want to do with your family?

Hugs and love ya,

Signature T

 

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!

Treasure-the-Moments-of-Homeschooling-Testosterone-Armed-Teen-Boys.png

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.”

3-homeschooling-myths-debunked.png

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!

New-Bee-Homeschooler-Program-Tinas-Dynamic-Homeschool-Plus.jpg

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.

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,