The Rainbow Resource Center Homeschool Blog

It’s November and we are soon approaching Thanksgiving and Christmas. I know life seems to always be busy, but this time of year it becomes even busier. This is exactly why I thought it would be timely to talk about being thankful, thinking positive, and showing gratitude. Thankfulness. Positivity. Gratefulness. These three words are all interrelated so I will be using them interchangeably. Amid the stress of preparing meals, cleaning, decorating the house, and traveling (I haven’t even mentioned homeschooling), we become so focused on tasks that we forget to count our blessings.

Besides being home educators, many parents also join homeschool co-ops and have to teach in a classroom. And if you haven’t had much experience as a teacher, it can be overwhelming to suddenly be in charge of a roomful of students! So how do you begin when you’ve been assigned to teach a co-op class and you feel unprepared for the task? Every co-op has their own personality and variables to consider as you prepare!

Remember that beautiful homeschool plan you made in August? The carefully chosen curriculum, the schedule that looked completely doable, and the vision of everyone happily getting their work done each day? And then the school year started. In August, we make plans based on what we think our days are going to look like. By October, we have some actual information to work with, which makes this a really good time to stop, take a look at how things are going, and regroup.

You made an important decision to homeschool your children, and with it comes a lot of changes. Walking away from the rhythm and structure of the school day might leave you a little overwhelmed. But take heart, even though there are big changes, the blessings will be plentiful! Many years ago, my husband and I decided to homeschool just a few days before the new school year started. Although my children were only in early elementary school, it was still frightening stepping into an unfamiliar new chapter. Yet a part of me felt confident and at peace, knowing we were following through on our convictions and embarking on an exciting journey with our children. Here are a few tips that helped us acclimate that first year and made the transition a little smoother.

Reading aloud equips your children with a personal toolbox they’ll use throughout their lives as readers, learners and communicators. In our busy and demanding home school lives, though, making time for this activity can be a challenge. In Part 1, we discussed the Why of reading aloud to all ages. If you desire to take the plunge or enhance your current read aloud time, consider some of these tips for using the 5 Ws!

Snuggle up before bedtime, pull out a picture book, and read to your preschooler. Many families read to their children in the early years. They know that reading aloud plays a significant role in a preschool child’s thinking and language development. Reading aloud to preschoolers increases their phonic and grammatical awareness, solidifies their language development, and strengthens their reading readiness. But what about after that? Why read to a student who can read independently? Is there value to reading aloud to our older children? 

Lesson plans done. School books organized and tucked neatly on the shelf. Pencils sharpened. Meals planned. Laundry caught up. The conditions are PERFECT for back to (home)school! In my mind, I can see your total look of despair and eye rolling. That’s ok! Looking back on 15 years of homeschooling, this never described my home or life! Guess what? It is ok! Homeschooling happens when life and home aren’t perfect. And part of kicking off the school year right, mom and dad, is for you to give yourself grace. The house won’t be perfect. The laundry may not get done. The pencils break. The books get misplaced. It is called real life, and it is ok!

We fill our lives with a lot of busyness. In the case of homeschool parents, this can put a lot of pressure on mom and dad to do their best multitasking on a day-to-day basis. You always have a multitude of things to accomplish – not only homeschooling your children, but also cleaning, laundry, cooking, errands, paying bills, making calls, and the list goes on and on. If you weren’t tired before you started homeschooling, you certainly are now! Multitasking can be overwhelming and chaotic if there is not some sort of organization to your days, weeks, or homeschool year.

You have made the decision to homeschool! If you are anything like me, the fear, anxiety, and nerves soon start to weigh on your decision. The self-talk begins to chip away at the resolve over the well-researched, prayed-over, and supported decision you just made. Whether your first child is starting out at kindergarten, you have a student coming out of the public school system, or you have a new student joining your established homeschool routine, this is a new year of education, and we can choose to start strong right out of the gate! Doing so means we approach our new year of homeschooling with goals in mind, a plan established, and the flexibility to evaluate.

“One man’s junk is another man’s treasure!” In this article I want to talk about having a garage sale. I know, it’s a lot of work! But hear me out…During summer break (or at a time that is good for you), take the time to go through your house. We have done this just about every summer as a family. This will help bring some order to everything and help you to be ready to start the new school year out on top. Decluttering is so good for everyone! Garage sales give your kids, even young ones, an opportunity to experience the entrepreneurial spirit.