Quieting The Inner Critic

parental comparison
  As I sat and listened to each of the children read their short stories, I was amazed. These kids had excellent writing skills. It didn’t take long for my enjoyment and wonder to turn to negativity as my inner critic emerged. “My kids can’t write like that,” I thought. “I must be a failure.”
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Planning to Finish Strong

fall behind schedule
  As spring sets in, thoughts about finishing the school year may surface. This is a great time to refocus and look toward the finish. This may be a source of excitement or stress. Are you on track? Are you frustrated with the school year? Recently, I was feeling stressed because we had fallen behind
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Five Step Plan for Independent Study

independent study
  One of my goals in homeschooling is to encourage my children to become lifelong learners. I desire that my kids pursue their interests and learn continually throughout their lives. Completing an independent study is a great way for students to learn about something outside of their regular curriculum or to expand on a topic
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New Year’s Resolution: Rest

winter burn-out
  The new year brings with it the promise of a fresh start. We make goals and write resolutions. We edit lesson plans and evaluate our students’ progress. Then, we forge full-steam ahead into the new year convinced that our efforts will be fruitful. But, what happens before winter’s end? We are completely exhausted! Why
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Keeping it Simple

homeschool curriculum
  Through the years, I have found that the way I approach choosing curriculum has changed. When my children were young, I used a thematic unit study approach to teach most of their subjects. It required some research on my part, but it was a simple strategy. It provided for many opportunities to expand on
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Don’t Forget Financial Fitness

financial fitness
  Sometimes we can get so caught up in academics that we forget to teach our kids important life skills. Now, I’m not talking about basic life skills, like brushing your teeth or doing household chores. I’m talking about things like money management. Do your children know what it takes to create a budget? Do
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