A Little behind
My sweet mother-in-love used to have this little ceramic doll that sat on a shelf in her living room. I remember seeing it long before I ever made the decision to homeschool. If memory serves, it was a gift given to her back in her homeschooling days...back when The Hubs sat at her dining room table poring over books about World War II and sloughing through algebra worksheets.
The doll stood bent over with its fanny pointed to the sky and on its bloomer bottoms were etched the words, "A little behind in school."
Listen or read more at https://www.theunlikelyhomeschool.com/2015/03/why-im-no-longer-behind-in-homeschool.html
It’s no secret that comparison is a thief of joy. That’s true in all of areas of life, including homeschooling. We all know that nothing good comes from comparing our homeschools, yet too often we spend our days drowning in homeschool comparison and looking for that next surefire thing that will magically bring us up to some self-imposed standard.
I’m not a “fun” homeschool mom. You’d come to that realization pretty quickly after scrolling through my Instagram feed. Sure, you’ll see lots of books, art, and scenes from our time outside, but you won’t find a lot of jazzy activities and “magical” experiences in our day-to-day homeschool life. I’m not that mom and that’s not our homeschool.
Listen or read more at https://tablelifeblog.com/homeschool-comparison/
Tell me I’m not the only one…
You spend hours crafting the Ultimate Book List…
You incorporate hands-on-projects…
You basically make learning awesome and fun…
And a few years (or maybe even months or – worse – weeks) later, your children don’t seem to remember any of it.
It’s tempting to get a little grumpy about the perceived waste of time and effort.
Listen or read more at https://humilityanddoxology.com/why-bother/
Each day as we wrap up school I take a moment to return our table from desk back to gathering place. I stack books, collect papers and brush up the eraser dust from the day’s lessons.
Eraser dust. Everywhere.
From the small eraser at the end of the pencils that fail to be enough, to the eraser caps we buy by the dozens, to the ‘big guys’ that can handle the jobs the others can’t, erasers are always made available… but are often forgotten.
Listen or read more at https://rinellafamilyoutdoors.com/2019/02/01/the-eraser/
I never like to admit when I’m barely treading water, but it happens almost every year as Thanksgiving approaches. The moment the leftover turkey is put in the fridge, it seems that December and its giant to-do list overwhelm me.
Besides the regular crazy that we call our day-to-day around here, December kicks it up more than a notch or two.
Listen or read more at https://ourjourneywestward.com/take-the-stress-out-of-december/
Why do we homeschool? Our story to coming to terms with what is really best for our family – and getting over-explaining it to everyone on the street.
“You’re homeschooling? How lovely. WHY would you want to do that?”
Going against the mainstream opens the door to big questions about big life choices to random strangers at the post office.
Listen or read more at https://thehomeschoolresourceroom.com/2017/12/14/pros-and-cons-of-homeschool/
I don't know about your kids, but mine love to bake. There is something about getting in the kitchen and making a mess while making something yummy that appeals.
This summer I had the pleasure of meeting Tiffany Dahle who has a brand new baking book out for kids. My favorite thing about it (other than the gorgeous photos)? It makes things easy. It is written in clear, kid-friendly language. I could totally hand this over to my kids and they will actually learn to bake all the things.
On this episode of the podcast Tiffany and I chat about the book, but also many of the benefits of baking with kids. You also get to hear Tiffany's story of how she came unexpectedly to homeschooling and what it is meaning to her family.
For links and more info: https://pambarnhill.com/cooking-with-kids/
How many times have you heard the phrase that kids just can’t stick to an instrument long enough? Or that kids like to explore music but don’t like to commit to anyone instrument?
As a music teacher, I hear this complaint all the time. I hear it from parents and I hear it from other music teachers. They just say things like “Oh well, the child quit again! They have a short attention span, that’s just how it is”. But I’m here to tell you “No – that’s not how it is”! It shouldn’t be that way. It’s a fallacy that kids can’t persevere with music or that they can’t stick to an instrument long enough.
Absolutely not true.
Listen or read more at https://www.gentleguitar.com/parent-role-in-music-education/
Andrew Stanley was homeschooled through eighth grade and gets it. He knows homeschooling makes the fodder for some funny jokes.
Join me and Andrew on this episode of the podcast as we chat about how a finance major ended up as a standup comedian, if his years as a homeschooler somehow uniquely prepared him for his current profession, and other things he might not want his mother to know (as if she doesn't already).
So you’ve been doing Morning Time in your home and that now your kids are getting a little bit older, you’re wondering should I still be doing Morning Time? Can I still be do Morning Time and how is that going to work?
Maybe you’ve been doing Morning Time for quite a while and now some of your kids are starting to get a little bit older. They might even become a little reluctant to keep participating in Morning Time.
Listen or read more at https://pambarnhill.com/morning-basket-with-older-kids/
Morning baskets are something that have been taking the homeschool world by storm. Everywhere you look there they are. So you might be wondering what is this morning basket thing and do I want to do one?
Morning basket is just another name for a practice that has been going on in homeschool circles for over 30 years now. Simply, it’s a time in the day when everyone in the family can come together and learn together about specific subjects and morning basket is just one of the names for it.
Listen or read more at https://pambarnhill.com/homeschool-morning-basket/
Today on the podcast I am joined by Amy Sloan from humilityanddoxology.com and mom of five kids ages 4 to 14. For about the past five years Amy has made memory work a central part of her homeschool day.
In this episode Amy and I discuss how to be consistent with memory work, how you find great pieces to memorize, and practical ways you can make this happen in your home.
We also chat about the debate between memorizing facts versus spending your time memorizing other worthy passages, how to make it work for multiple ages, and even how to deal with attitudes if they arise.
It's a fun episode! Check out the show notes at pambarnhill.com/hs179
Congratulations on making the decision to homeschool! Homeschooling has many benefits, and it is a decision that you will not regret. When it comes to how to homeschool, one thing you may be nervous about is how to tell others you’re homeschooling.
Telling friends and family may leave you concerned about possible negative feedback. Sharing the news with others also cements your decision; it makes it more real, and the thought of that may be scary.
Listen or read more at https://www.findingjoyinthejourney.net/tell-others-youre-homeschooling/
Steve Demme has believed in homeschooling since before he had kids of his own. This former math teacher and pastor joined the fight of the homeschooling movement early, helping to lobby and shape legislation that gives us the homeschool freedoms we have today. Along the way, he and his wife homeschooled their own kids, he write a math curriculum, and became the funny, favorite math teacher of a generation of homeschool kids.
He is on the podcast today to tell the story of the early days of the homeschooling movement, the fight to become legal, and the journey so far.
Deciding to homeschool was one of the hardest decisions I ever had to make as a parent. I remember being so torn with emotions, worrying we were doing the right thing. I know now it was the best choice for my son. It's what worked for our family then and we just kept going. It's hard to believe, but we just graduated our oldest and he's off to college! My youngest is heading into 7th grade this year, and we're busy putting off the start of school as long as we can. All summer I've been cleaning out old notebooks, curriculum, and all sorts of homeschool clutter that reminds me of our first years on this journey.
Listen or read more at https://www.adriennebolton.com/blog/2017/08/survive-first-year-homeschooling.html
The final interview in the Ultimate Guide to Homeschool Methods is with a super-special friend of mine, Brandy Vencel. I am not (currently) a Charlotte Mason homeschooler, but sitting at the feet of Brandy keeps inching me more and more in that direction I think. I just love chatting with her about Charlotte Mason.
Brandy, who has used Ambleside Online since her oldest was in first grade, is on the Ambleside Online Auxiliary Board. She also provides excellent Charlotte Mason support on her blog Afterthoughts.
Find the show notes for this episode at: https://pambarnhill.com/charlottemason
The fourth interview in the Ultimate Guide to Homeschool Methods I got to chat with one of my very favorite people, Jennifer Dow from Expanding Wisdom.
Jennifer is a joy, because she makes me think about life, education, and being a more virtuous person every single time we talk. In this episode we talk about the day-in-the-life of a classical homeschool and about a version of classical homeschooling that is outside the norm of what most people assume about classical homeschooling.
Different than neo-classicism and tons of memory work, the classical homeschool Jennifer describes focuses on virture.
The shownotes for this episode can be found here: https://pambarnhill.com/are-you-a-classical-homeschooler-the-ultimate-guide-to-homeschooling-methods
The third interview in the Ultimate Guide to Homeschool Methods series was a delight to record. I loved chatting with a friend, Margaret in Minnesota. blogs about her beautiful life with seven kids at her blog -- Minnesota Mom where she focuses on family, faith, and lots of love.
Margaret uses a school-at-home method of homeschooling. In this interview, we talk about what a typical day looks like in her home, why she chose a box of books for her homeschool, and how she adapts that to meet the needs of her family.
Listen or read more at https://pambarnhill.com/school-at-home/
As part of our interview series on the Ultimate Guide to Homeschool Methods, I recently had the opportunity to speak to Heather Woodie of Blog She Wrote.
Heather homeschooled her children using the unit study method for ten years. Sometimes she usel purchased unit studies, while at other times she (or her children!) wrote their own studies.
She mentors other homeschool moms with her participation in the Five in a Row forums and through her blog, where she is a helpful voice with resources and techniques for homeschooling high school.
I think you are going to enjoy Heather’s interview, so relax and have a listen.
For the show notes visit https://pambarnhill.com/hs172
This episode from the archives is from our Ultimate Guide to Homeschool Methods and it was a delight to record three years ago. I loved chatting with my old friend, Sue Elvis who blogs at https://www.storiesofanunschoolingfamily.com/ and has a new book out called Curious Unschoolers.
Sue unschools her large family where they focus on doing their own projects, relationships, and trusting the child.
For more information and the show notes visit https://pambarnhill.com/unschooling.
Homeschooling through high school can feel intimidating. I am a teacher by trade, and I am constantly second guessing myself and checking to be sure that I have not left my children with a gaping hole in their education.
We tell our kids that they can do anything they want, but am I stealing part of that future from them if I don’t aptly prepare them to meet it?
Listen or read more at https://thesparrowshome.com/homeschooling-high-school-2-things-you-might-be-missing/
What happens to your morning time as your kids get older? Does it change or do we stop requiring them to attend? Can your teen outgrow Morning Time?
These are the questions that Cindy West from Our Journey Westward joins me to answer today.
In this episode of the podcast we talk about how the tone of Morning Time changes as your kids get older, how to get their buy in with what you are doing, and what a Morning Time with older kids can look like. Enjoy!
Find out more at pambarnhill.com/hs168
The giddiness of families making educational choices for next year has begun! It is exciting to head to the NC Thrive! Conference and see all the bright shiny new choices. It’s like Christmas to flip through a catalog or browse an online market full of books and perfect curriculum choices.
But with so many good options out there, how do we know what is best for our family? Do you ever get stymied by indecision? Do you come in like Franck in Father of the Bride and say, “Let’s change everything”? Do you blow your budget buying all the things that only sit collecting dust on your shelf the following year?
Here are four questions I suggest you ask yourself before you begin buying all the books at the conference center!
Listen or read more at https://