homeschool mom Archives - My Blessed Mess

Recommended Books for the Homeschool Mom (or the Mom thinking about it)

03.01.2019 by myblessedmess // Leave a Comment

Nine years ago I was faced with a huge life change - my husband was finishing up his Army training and we had received orders for Ft. Lewis in Washington state. My way of coping with changes is to research, research, research and prepare. Upon reading the homeschool laws for our soon-to-be new home, I realized I had some work to do in order to continue to homeschool there. I was required to take a “state approved homeschooling course” since I did not have a college degree.

So I began preparing months ahead of time as I knew this was something that would take some time. An in-person full day course wasn’t possible as there was so much up in the air and I didn’t want to leave anything to chance. I found an online, independent study course that met the criteria and applied.

Little did I know how much I would learn and grow as a result of reading through and studying some of the required materials! I honestly feel like most parents would benefit immensely by reading some of these selections in the beginning of their homeschool journeys. So I’ve decided to share some of my favorite books for the homeschool mom , here we go!

Why I Don’t Keep Homeschool Grades

02.15.2019 by myblessedmess // 2 Comments

Many long years ago, when I first started my homeschooling journey, our homeschool looked very much like "school at home". I used a textbook-style boxed curriculum, I graded every page of written work and kept meticulous records. I assigned grades and issued a report card every 9 weeks. I put a lot of pressure on my kids (and myself) to make sure they were doing things on the typical public school timeline, and keeping grades helped to show they were jumping through all those hoops.

We schooled this way for a few years. As I became more comfortable with home education and more knowledgeable about learning styles, educational methods, and how to foster real learning - our homeschool evolved. The way we "do school" now couldn't be further from the way things were done at the beginning of our journey! One thing I stopped doing was tracking and assigning grades.

Why not keep grades?

Homeschooling Questions I am Always Asked – with Answers – Vol 2

01.25.2019 by myblessedmess // 7 Comments

Welcome to the second post in the "Homeschooling Questions" series here at My Blessed Mess! If you haven't already read the first post you can find it HERE.

After 14 years of home educating I have found that I am asked the same kinds of questions over and over again. What better way to address these “frequently asked questions” than in a post? Better yet – a series of posts I can add to over time. For this post, we will address five more questions I am often asked, let's get going!

How do you manage homeschooling your older children with a baby/toddler at home?

This is THE question isn’t it? I’ve had babies or toddlers in tow while homeschooling through the majority of my journey. It’s not an easy feat! I have learned some tricks and tips I can share but be warned - they don’t always have the desired results! We all know that sometimes the little ones just want all of mommas undivided attention and will settle for nothing else. In those cases, my advice is to allow yourself a cushion in your yearly schedule for days when you just can’t seem to accomplish much. Here are some tips I’ve had success with through the years:

Homeschooling Questions I am Always Asked (with answers) – Volume 1

11.15.2018 by myblessedmess // 2 Comments

After 14 years of home educating my kids, I have become kind of the "go-to" person when people in my circle of friends and aquaintances have homeschooling questions. I have found that I am asked the same kinds of questions over and over again. What better way to address these "frequently asked questions" in a post? Better yet - a series of posts I can add to over time. Maybe I'll just start sending people this link instead of having seperate conversations! Just kidding.... kinda ;) Read More...