Wherever you are in your homeschool journey you are not alone! We hope these articles provide a little boost in the midst of the stresses of life.

 

  • Seize This Homeschool Day!

    Ever have one of those days where all the good things you wanted to do didn’t get done? Or is it just me? I usually end up moving those things to the next day’s plans. And, sometimes, by the third or fourth move, they get done out of sheer willpower […]

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  • Your Favorite Posts of 2023

    If you’ve been around here for any length of time, you know I love year-end reflections in all their forms! Today I’m excited to share what posts were most popular on the Homeschool Compass blog this year. Thank you to all of you who have read these articles and shared […]

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  • 2024 List of Christian Homeschool Conventions, Conferences, and Retreats

    Have you ever been to a homeschool convention? It’s a great way to get ideas, connect with the broader homeschool community, and be inspired by veteran homeschool speakers. Check out this master list of Christian homeschool conferences happening in 2024 to find one near you. By state Alaska Arizona Arkansas […]

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  • When You Want to Homeschool, But Your Husband Isn’t on Board

    One of the questions we get frequently at the Homeschool Compass goes something like this: “I feel called to homeschool, but my husband isn’t on board. What should I do?” “How can I convince my husband to let me homeschool?” “I hate sending my kids away to school for hours […]

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  • A Joyful Mother of Children: How Do I Get There from Here?

    There are days that fly by smoothly, and then there are those days that seem to never end, especially when everything goes wrong and everyone’s attitudes go south. Your well-ordered day ends up in chaos. You start raising your voice and you stop seeing your children as beautiful creations of […]

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  • Finishing the Homeschool Race: Reflections on Life After Homeschooling

    If you’re nursing a baby while watching a toddler while listening to an early reader, you have a ways to go. And if you have kids of multiple ages spread around the table or around the house completing the day’s assignments, this may not even be on your radar. But […]

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  • Homeschool Mama Self-Care: Nurturing the Nurturer

    It’s an honor to welcome Teresa Wiedrick to the Homeschool Compass today to share an excerpt of her book, Homeschool Mama Self-Care: Nurturing the Nurturer. Teresa is a homeschooling mom of 4 who makes her home among the Kootenay Mountains of Canada. She spends her days driving kids to dance […]

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  • Children Should Be Seen and Heard!

    Today we are delighted to welcome Leah Boden to the Homeschool Compass blog to share an excerpt from her upcoming book, Modern Miss Mason: Discover How Charlotte Mason’s Revolutionary Ideas on Home Education Can Change How You and Your Children Learn and Grow Together. Leah is a mother of four, […]

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  • Your Favorite Posts of 2022

    Year-end reflections are my favorite, and I love looking back to see which articles you read most in 2022. These are the posts that had the most pageviews, the ones you liked and shared the most. Maybe you’ll be reminded of an old favorite here or find some fresh encouragement […]

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  • 2023 List of Christian Homeschool Conventions, Conferences, and Retreats

    Have you ever been to a homeschool convention? It’s a great way to get ideas, connect with the broader homeschool community, and be inspired by veteran homeschool speakers. Check out this master list of Christian homeschool conferences happening in 2023 to find one near you. You can search by state […]

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  • When You Feel Alone (and You Will)

    This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting the Homeschool Compass by shopping through our page! No matter how long you have been homeschooling, there will be seasons where you feel alone. No matter how many people are around you, or how much or how little support you have, you may have a season […]

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  • Our 19-Year Homeschool Story: Why We Did It, How We Did It, and What We Learned

    We never intended to homeschool. In fact, I wasn’t even familiar with the idea of homeschooling, other than knowing some historical figures were taught at home. But a series of events led our family to explore different educational options and choose homeschooling for our family. It was a 19-year journey […]

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  • I Am a (Blessed) Homeschool Mess

    I have been a mess in so many ways lately. I am a mess thinking about how fast these homeschooling years are moving. I am a mess thinking of the future as we are working on graduating our seventh child, and considering the high school years of our eighth. And […]

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  • Your 10 Favorite Posts of 2021

    I love year-end reflections of all kinds, so it’s no surprise I had to see which articles were our most popular in 2021 as determined by you! These are the posts that had the most pageviews, the ones you liked and shared the most. Maybe you’ll find an old favorite […]

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  • 10 Best Books to Encourage Your Heart As a Homeschool Mom

    Reading books by other homeschoolers is a great way to reconnect with your vision for homeschooling and remind yourself why you’re doing this. Here, in no particular order, are ten books that we believe will help keep your passion for this homeschooling adventure going strong! Teaching from Rest: A Homeschooler’s […]

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  • Are We Ready for This? How to Prepare Your Heart and Home for the School Year

    I am a procrastinator. Not because I am lazy, but because I am highly occupied with family, ministry, and work. So getting ready for a new school year often becomes a last-minute endeavor. Not that my children’s education is my last priority, because it most certainly is not, but because […]

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  • Public School to Homeschool: How One Mama Made the Leap

    I’m so excited to welcome Kal-le Schrader to the Homeschool Compass to share her story of stepping off the mainstream path and embracing homeschooling for her family. Kal-le is a homemaker and homeschool mama living in the hills of Southeastern Ohio where she and her family enjoy the peaceful beauty […]

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  • college

    5 Ways Being Homeschooled Helped Me Excel in College

    The summer of 2009 found my dad and me embarking on a 1,200-mile trip across prairies, through deserts, and into a suburb of Los Angeles, where I would be attending a private university. During the twenty-four-hour trek from Kansas to California, I had plenty of time to mull over the […]

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  • 12 Lessons I Learned from Homeschooling My Child with Dyslexia

    Teaching children with learning differences can be challenging, especially if you feel like you don’t know what you are doing.  My son has severe dyslexia. It was a complex challenge for both of us. There were lots of emotions to be dealt with, both for myself and my son, as well […]

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  • The Freedom of Home Education and How it Has Benefited My Life

    I am blessed to have been born into a homeschool family and experienced firsthand the benefits of being a homeschooled student. As a homeschooler, I have received love and support from my family, time to pursue my own dreams and interests, the ability to learn subjects at a speed that […]

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  • Home Education: Is it a Pursuit or a Passion?

    If you have been homeschooling for any length of time, you will eventually question your pursuit of this education-at-home idea. Difficult seasons, difficult children, difficult life circumstances—all can cause you to pause and wonder if you can keep going. Especially in the winters of our lives, we need a reason, […]

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  • Home Education: Choices, Challenges, and Faith

    Educating a child’s mind is the ultimate goal in developing a lifetime love for learning by means of experiences. Education is not merely grasping concepts forced into the brain to dissipate shortly after the information has been regurgitated through quick ways of testing. Our home education journey was a choice […]

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  • Your 10 Favorite Posts of 2020

    I love year-end reflections, and today we’re sharing our 10 most popular articles of 2020 as determined by you! These are the posts that had the most pageviews, the ones you liked and shared the most. Maybe you’ll find an old favorite here or some fresh inspiration to carry you […]

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  • comfort

    Finding Comfort and Joy This Christmas

    In the midst of this season’s twinkle lights, Christmas music, shopping, and festivities, the refrain of “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” has been echoing in my mind: “Oh tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy. Oh tidings of comfort and joy.” These tidings (or news) refer, of course, to […]

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  • What Am I Doing?

    What am I doing? Will I ruin them? What is the goal? Can I keep it up? Every homeschool parent has asked at least one of these questions at one time or another. As we begin this new school year, these questions can nag at us and either make our […]

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  • Awaking Wonder with Sally Clarkson

    Today it is our great joy to welcome Sally Clarkson to the Homeschool Compass. For over three decades, Sally has been pouring her heart into helping parents disciple their children for Christ with grace and love. Her wisdom can be found in numerous books including Own Your Life, The Life-Giving […]

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  • Wading Through Difficult Seasons

    When we find ourselves in a difficult season of life, whether it is a heavy moment that feels as if our world has come crashing down around us or a circumstance we have been enduring for an extended period, we need the tenacity and wherewithal to hang on and keep […]

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  • freedom

    Freedom: It’s Why We Homeschool!

    Sitting at music lessons, I met a mom who had just started homeschooling this year. She pulled her little one out of public school because her daughter was struggling in that environment. She was telling me how much better it is going at home for her and how glad she […]

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  • Tell Me Again: Why Are We Homeschooling?

    Summer time is a great time to start over, add or subtract curriculum, and try out new extracurricular programs. Even if we school year round, we can take some time in the summer to regroup, reorganize, and make some changes. It is always great to have a time to reset […]

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  • Why I Don’t Regret Being Homeschooled

    I’m an autistic 19-year-old junior in college named Rebecca Giles. I was homeschooled, and I feel that this allowed me to achieve far more than I could have in an institutional school environment, because homeschooling is more adaptable to each student’s individual needs, strengths, and interests. Homeschooling was uniquely right […]

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  • Your Sacrifice Is Not in Vain: A Letter from a Homeschool Graduate

    You sit on the leather couch in your living room and pore over yet another math lesson. You can’t help but notice the scratches on the furniture peeking out from underneath the spiral-bound math book. The couch used to be in pristine condition. Before kids, that is. A frown tugs […]

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  • Running Out of Time? Finish the School Year Strong!

    Thoughts of failure start closing in on me, choking out reason, and I become panicked at the end of each school year. I have had the same feeling every year for as long as I can remember. I have learned that those thoughts and fears are not about what I […]

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  • graduation

    A Graduation Speech

    As I type this, I am preparing for our fifth high school graduation and looking forward to the celebration of this milestone in our son’s life. At the same time, I am having an emotional crisis. No matter how many times we go through this, it just seems surreal as […]

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  • Avoiding the School’s Almost Out Spring Panic

    It is springtime and the usual panic calls and emails will start any day. They will sound like this: “We are just so far behind this year.” “We will be going all summer just to finish.” “My mother got sick and I ended up letting school slide, and we are […]

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  • Coronavirus Outbreak: Looking on the Bright Side

    It is no surprise that this coronavirus outbreak has caused much devastation, stress and sadness for many. It has been very challenging for all of us. So much time has passed already that it has become the new “norm”, the way of life. Who would have thought that after ringing […]

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  • Homeschool Hybrids: Combining Learning at Home with Traditional School

    What is a homeschool hybrid, you ask?  I define a homeschool hybrid to be homeschooling alongside traditional schooling options. With the ever-increasing costs of living and the demands for two-income households and long work hours, it is not easy for some families to homeschool full time.  Many families have no […]

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  • Living as a Righteous Teen in an Unrighteous World

    We have all had experiences with the wickedness of this fallen world—from a rude gesture to an unexpected (and inappropriate) website pop-up, to movies filled with murder. It can be difficult to live righteously for the Lord when there are so many opportunities to fit into the mold of the […]

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  • homeschool graduate

    My Life as a Homeschool Graduate

    I grew up a homeschooled kid in the early 80s, when it was still pretty unusual – some people didn’t even know the term homeschooling back then! For those who want to know more about the nitty gritty of my daily life as a child, check out my mom Mary […]

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  • Keep Your Perspective

    I can still remember the day about 10 years ago that I broke down crying in the paint aisle at Wal-Mart when I ran into another homeschool mom, and we started discussing our frustrations with our 6-year-olds not reading. I mumbled things like “He seems to have it one day, […]

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  • A Worthwhile Investment

    It was a daunting task, and the choice to start was even more difficult. Ralph and Lucy Cone were newly minted missionaries in an isolated island village in Alaska. They eagerly sought to serve their community, but they quickly realized that if their two sons were to receive a quality, […]

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  • Your 10 Favorite Posts of 2019

    The Homeschool Compass is almost one year old, and as we look back on 2019, we thought we’d share a little year-end recap: the most popular articles of the year as determined by you! These are the posts that had the most pageviews, the ones you liked and shared the […]

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  • comfort

    Comfort and Joy or Stress and Exhaustion?

    Christmas – the holiday we’re all supposed to love. The mere mention of the word Christmas should evoke feelings of joy, warmth and anticipation – as, with a sly smile, we begin to ponder secretly what gifts we might bestow on our loved ones or the favorite recipes we might […]

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  • holidays

    Turning Hearts to Home at the Holidays

    Once again the holidays are upon us, and for many, it’s a season of mixed feelings. The joyful memories of our childhood celebrations get dampened somewhat by sheer busyness, what with travel, cooking, shopping and family visits. Some Christians even downplay holidays, concerned that the world’s materialism may have robbed […]

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  • Christmas heart

    Having a Holiday Heart: 7 Reasons to Celebrate (Even If You Don’t Feel Like It!)

    Somewhere between November and December I often get cold feet; not because it’s cold outside (I live in sunny California), but because it’s cold inside: I have little strength for celebration. I am depressed. I am anxious. I am sick. I am definitely not in the mood to celebrate. The […]

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  • unexpected rewards

    Unexpected Rewards!

    Every day—often several times a day—he calls. Of course, I am thrilled! What mom isn’t overjoyed to hear the voice of a beloved 19-year-old son who is absolutely thriving in college? Once they get to be over six feet tall, need to shave their beards, and have what has been […]

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  • The call of the wild and free

    The Call of the Wild + Free: An Interview with Ainsley Arment

    Today we’d like to share with you a conversation between Christianbook.com homeschool editor, Kalila, and Ainsley Arment, founder of the Wild + Free homeschool community. Ainsley is the author of the newly released book, The Call of the Wild + Free: Reclaiming Wonder in Your Child’s Education. We hope you […]

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  • homeschooling backwards

    Homeschooling Backwards!

    In our new state of Colorado, we have to take standardized tests every odd year. Because my kids are not used to testing, we purchased the practice test first so that we could go slowly and understand the test before taking it. We also took the practice as opportunity to […]

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  • distracted

    3 Myths About the Distracted Child

    Jenny was sitting in church trying desperately to listen to the sermon, but her mind kept wandering, thinking about having to pick Dennis up from his Sunday school class. Every Sunday the knot in her stomach accompanied her as she traveled to church. She just knew people thought she was […]

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  • thanking God

    Begin the New Year Thanking God for Your Homeschool

    In the stress of getting everything ready for a new school year, it’s easy to lose sight of the privilege it is to get to pour God’s love into our children day after day, year after year. Thank God for His Protection Because your children stay home with you, you […]

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  • Prayer

    Your Children Need a Prayer Warrior

    As homeschool parents, we “sacrifice” quite a bit. Putting aside our career, doing without luxuries, living on one salary, or giving up some hobbies is not considered unreasonable because we know our primary task as parents is to raise our children to know, love, and serve the Lord. But what […]

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  • fair winds

    Fair Winds and Following Seas

    “Fair winds and following seas” is a common phrase often rendered to a shipmate as she or he retires or encounters another change of station. But this phrase is not only a way of bidding farewell to shipmates, I believe it is a phrase that summarizes the hope and attitude […]

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  • Homeschool dad

    ”You Do What?” True Confessions of a Stay-at-Home Homeschooling Father

    “You do what?” “How do you do it?” “I could never do that!” These are just some of the questions and comments that I have heard over the last five years of homeschooling my boys. While many homeschool moms hear similar things quite often, there seems to be even more […]

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  • Homeschooling through Illness

    God Has Plans for Us: Homeschooling Through Illness or Pain

    “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” (Jeremiah 29:11) This is the Scripture that has gotten me through some very serious situations in the past few years. Let me share my […]

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  • God of hope

    The God of Hope, Grace and Comfort

    Homeschooling takes courage. It also requires discipline, vision, and faith. Perhaps that is why I love it so much. The struggles to maintain our homeschooling life style require the kind of character that I admire most. And certainly, God has used it to change me into the kind of person […]

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  • Home Improvement

    Home Improvement

    There we were in the middle of the large home improvement store, my feet aching and my somewhat patient children getting more than somewhat hungry. This had been more time-consuming than I thought it would be. We were going from aisle to aisle as my husband was asking me more […]

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  • burnout

    10 Burnout Busters

    “Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.” (Proverbs 4:25–27) Burnout. In my ten-plus years of […]

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  • You Are Doing Awesome

    Hey Mama! You Are Doing Awesome

    Just wanted to stop in and deliver a quick message as I run out the door. It’s ironic. I don’t know; I just found it funny and had to tell you. You know how you have been kind of down on yourself about certain things lately? You look at your […]

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  • Homeschooling blindfolded

    Homeschooling Blindfolded

    At the beginning of each school year, I look ahead and am easily intimidated by my inability to make the year (and my children) successful. I can’t see what’s ahead, and I wonder about the outcome of their education. Will I be able to prepare my children for their future, […]

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  • Homeschool mom journaling

    Why Homeschooling Moms Need to Journal

    As homeschooling moms, we are always on the hunt for new and creative ways to encourage our kids to write. We try innovative writing programs and prompts that promise enthusiastic and proficient scribes. Worry and concern fill our minds when they struggle with or resist writing. As we strive to […]

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  • Young homeschool student writing with a pencil

    Intentional Homeschooling or Falling Through the Cracks?

    Last year, my 6-year-old fell through the cracks of my homeschool. I had it all planned out in my mind so that wouldn’t happen again this school year. I started school early at the end of July, and by September I was still not working with my now 7-year-old. He […]

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  • I Am Not Prepared!

    ‘Twas the night before co-op, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring . . . except me and the mouse! For all of a sudden I remembered what I’d said, so I grabbed my computer and jumped out of the bed. I promised last month that I’d […]

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  • 4 Ways to Finish Strong When Your School Year Isn’t Going as Planned

    When you’re shooting for a fixed school year end date, this time of year can be one of stress, frustration and worry. If you’re one of the lucky few cruising across the finish line right on time or even ahead of schedule, we commend you! But if you’re facing unexpected […]

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  • For the Mamas: When They Start to Leave the Nest

    When my firstborn graduated high school, I could not believe we had survived and that she was a thriving adult on the cusp of college and a bright future. I watched with pride and tears as she left for her first day. The family nest was changing. I still had […]

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  • 10 Reasons to Homeschool Your Child with Special Needs

    Choosing to homeschool your child is a huge decision. Then add to that a child with special needs. This brings up all kinds of mixed feelings, uncertainties, and emotions. I feel we tend to sell ourselves short when it comes to our children with special needs because this is uncharted […]

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  • Homeschooling for a Season

    Not everyone knows they want to homeschool before their children are even born, like my co-worker, Aimee.  She started researching educational philosophy, homeschooling methods and curriculum choices while her children were babies!  Other couples seem to know as soon as they are married that they want the freedom a homeschooling […]

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  • Lighten your Load

    Empower your children to take care of their own needs. Obviously this doesn’t apply to infants and toddlers, but if you’re shouldering the responsibility for educating your school age children, as well as doing all the cooking, cleaning, and laundry yourself, you are setting yourself up for burnout. When I’m […]

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  • Beating Homeschool Burnout

    Homeschool burnout is real. And it’s no surprise. As homeschool parents we are tasked with stewarding our children’s spiritual, emotional, intellectual, and social development, all while nurturing a healthy marriage, keeping a home running smoothly, and quite possibly holding down a job as well.  That can be a heavy load […]

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  • Overcoming Your Fears About Homeschooling

    What keeps you up nights? Do you find yourself fighting to overcome fear? Do you ever lie awake wondering whether you are equipped to educate your children? Do you wonder whether you are adequately preparing them for life? Do you wonder how they will handle interacting with the world? Will […]

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  • Is There Any Hope for My Homeschool?

    We just started school in August and it seems like it’s been a year already, especially with all the whining, the school clutter, the cooking, the extracurricular and church activities, the discipline and training issues, the service opportunities, the neighbors, the needy, not to mention the people involved in all […]

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  • Hey Mama! It’s “One of Those Days”

    Hey Mama: This school year has not been easy. There were times when you would have liked to quit. We have those days sometimes. It feels like it would be better to just go back to bed (or hide under it). Seems pointless … or downright “over” at times. All of […]

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  • Hey Mama! Wait on Him

    Hey Mama, I heard you are drowning. You thought you were going to wake up and start a fresh new day, lots would get done, and you’d go to bed tonight content that so much was actually accomplished. It’s not looking that way, though, and the day is already under […]

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  • Finding Meaning for Today; Gaining Vision for Tomorrow

    The day I said, “I do!” I had no idea what the future would look like. I was in love and all would be right with my world. I didn’t know I would have to wait eight years before motherhood finally began. I had no idea that it would begin […]

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  • supposed to be homeschooling

    Am I Really Supposed to Be Homeschooling?

    God knows that homeschooling can be tough sometimes. Some days are wonderful, and you can see the fruits of your labor. Your child’s handwriting is neat, the answers are correct, and his attitude is cooperative. On those days, you know why you homeschool. We all love those days–reading together as […]

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  • Teaching This Teacher

    “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother: For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.” Proverbs 1:7-9 […]

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  • Ten Things I’ve Learned . . . in Ten Years of Homeschooling

    When I first started homeschooling ten years ago, I quickly learned to depend upon the wisdom of experienced homeschooling moms. These ladies provided me with a listening ear and wise advice that proved true time after time. The longer I’ve homeschooled, the more I’ve added little nuggets to my own […]

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  • mountain

    Climbing Mt. Homeschooling

    I was discouraged about the progress of our homeschooling recently. I dumped my tale of woe to my dear husband (over a Starbucks, of course). “Nothing seems to be going as planned,” I lamented. “How did I ever think I could teach one child how to figure out the area […]

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  • Fall Harvest: Where’s the Fruit?

    Empty cornucopias. In my heart and in my house, that which should be full of the fall harvest of God’s goodness and righteousness is sometimes hauntingly empty. Do you ever feel that way? Where is that harvest I am supposed to have? Why doesn’t my family have any of the […]

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  • Slowing down

    Dealing with Pressure? The Benefits of Slowing Down

    You know the story of the frog in the kettle, right? The one where the frog remains in water that used to be a healthy temperature? As you remember from that story, not being aware of the rising heat in your circumstances has a very bad outcome! Across our modern […]

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  • Change: An Inevitable Part of Homeschooling

    Kids’ “Back to School” picture, Fall 2017 If I had to describe our homeschool journey in one word it would be change. My reason for homeschooling has changed over the years. It started as simply not wanting my mature but impressionable daughter to be the oldest child in her class. I […]

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