Why I Homeschool - Jess’s Story
My number one reason, hands down, for homeschooling is freedom. I homeschool because I was homeschooled and it was an amazing experience for me. I homeschool to create the life I want for my kids and to build a community that will support us and grow with us.
Adventure the World and Beyond with Advice from Mr. DeMaio, Social Studies and Science Teaching Expert
In our galaxy, far, far, away...a Franken Berry cereal box travels to distant lands in outer space. And “it’s just me, you, and Uranus. Wait a minute...who thought it was a good idea to name a planet Uranus?”
It’s quiz time: What’s the funniest kids’ show ever? Put your hands down! Everyone knows it’s...Mr. DeMaio!!
Theme Days: Poetry Teatime
Pinkies out! Clinkies! It’s time for tea with poetry. Seriously, just sitting in rest together as a family, sharing captivating stories and reveling in beautiful, creative, and sometimes pungent words is the best part of our homeschooling day. It doesn’t take much - and it’s a big bang for your buck.
Favorite Books: Bigger Than Just a Book
You don’t always know it when you see it. It’s beauty and changing and love. You won’t know it until you read it. It’s a moment that I love. It’s when a book becomes bigger than just a book, it’s: the biggers.
Theme Days: Diary of a Wimpy Kid Day
“Let me just say for the record that I think middle school is the dumbest idea ever invented. You got kids like me who haven't hit their growth spurt yet mixed in with these gorillas who need to shave twice a day.” Greg Heffley cracks me up a bunch of times in The Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney. His “diary” hits the mark for life in middle school. Even though my kids are homeschooled, they totally related.
Unmasking the Rappin’ Mathematician: Your Math Education Questions Answered by a Real Life Math Superhero.
It’s a scary world out there! Seriously, between a pandemic, earthquakes, a tornado, and a threat of economic collapse - it’s enough for anyone’s anxiety to skyrocket. And we have big questions right now…What about my kids? What about their education, their activities, their brains? What about my time, my work, my SANITY?!? Never fear, the Rappin’ Mathematician is here!
When Happy Hour Fills Your Cup
Happy Hour is just that - HAPPY! Does it need to be anything else? Grab your Kombucha, and grab your kid and their favorite drink - and have your own Happy Hour. Right now we cannot go out on “dates” with our kids, but we can still have dates…in our home!
Real Mom Series: 5 Tips for Homeschooling as a Working Mom
So many people believe that if they are working full-time they are unable to homeschool their children. This isn’t always true! The beauty of homeschooling is that it is flexible and can be organized to fit every family. While parents who have to work full-time outside of the house may have a much harder time figuring this out, parents who can work from home can absolutely homeschool too!
Virtual Playdate: Mad Hatter Mad Libs
It’s mayhem. It’s madness. It’s Mad Libs. We love it in our goofy giggly house and it’s part of our Delightful Dailies. Sometimes my kids peacefully play them individually, or we complete them round-robin style like we did today with our Coop Group. It’s word play at its finest - actually at its silliest…especially when your kids pick tortuous toots, boisterous burps, and tumbling toilets as their fill-in-the-blank words.
How to Create Your Own Epic Theme Day
Are you wondering, “How can I put on a theme day?” We are here to help! We have set up number of theme days planned for you! Check out our list below to either incorporate theme days into your next week, or to even just inspire you to create a theme for your own children’s unique interests.
Theme Days: Frozen Fever
“How I wish it could stay this way forever, and yet change mocks us with her beauty.” Olaf’s deep thoughts were a highlight in Frozen 2, and so timely. This current time is one of change - and it is difficult for sure. But there is also beauty to be found. Let’s find that beauty each day - by giving our kids a memorable fun day with a deep, loving relationship at the heart of it…with a Frozen Fever Day!
Theme Days: Sports Day
My first-born almost ten-year-old son has never missed an opening day of Major League Baseball EVER! For nine seasons Opening Day symbolized a season of bonding for the three biggest Angels fans; three generations - my son, my spouse, and my dad. That is…until this year. This year, we are crestfallen. We have no “Opening Day.” Cheer up! Yes we do! We can have our own “Opening Day” Sports Day instead!
Forget Social Distancing - Try Some Virtual Togetherness!
Through our struggles with homeschooling during a pandemic, we are having to cope and create our own version of normal to best serve our children that looks so different than our normal homeschooling life. As part of our coping, we decided to plan an amazing schedule of Zoom meet-ups for our sweet homeschool friend group.
Star Wars Day, May the Fourth be with You
It’s Star Wars Day on May 4th, and we share our favorite ways to celebrate. There are books, games, educational activities and so much more to make your Star Wars Day come to life.
Dear Corona Schooling Parents...We See You
Dear Emergency Corona Schooling Moms and Dads,
We see you. We feel you. This is hard and it’s different. It sometimes feel like a gift of time and togetherness, and sometimes it feels incredibly lonely and disconnected. Take heart, know that you are not alone. Find ways to homeschool that work for you.
Minimal PrepTip 5 - Capturing the Now with a Time Capsule
If I had a time capsule when I was a kid, it would have contained roller skates, Chuck-e-Cheese tokens, my Swatch Watch, my New Kids on the Block t-shirt, a mixed tape of Whitney Houston’s greatest hits, and a scrunchie...and I’m super bummed I don’t have one to open. But my kids can, and so can yours!
Minimal Prep Tip 4 - The Delightful Dose of the Dailies
Dailies are the things your kids love to do to start off their day that is not the major curriculum. It can be songs you sing together, questions you discuss, or a specific journal they complete and share with you. It’s a time to grow together...a time to nurture character development...a time to laugh together. It’s a time to discuss big topics about life. It’s a time to remember that life is short and relationships are to be treasured.
Minimal Prep Tip 3 - Give them the Gift of Board Games
What was your favorite game as a kid? Mine was Mastermind and Speed. And, Uno, Connect Four, Operation, Chutes and Ladders, Candyland, oh, I could go on. Give the gift of games to your kids and to your homeschool.
Minimal Prep Time Tip 2 - Egg Hunt, Scavenger Hunt, Treasure Hunt
Call it whatever you want – it’s awesome any which way and my kids played it today, twice – fun cooperative learning, satisfaction in conquering the challenge, and of course, gummy, yummy treats.
Minimal Prep Time Tip 1 - The Magic of the Read Aloud
With little kids you are used to reading aloud picture books and Dr. Suess, but once our kids learn how to read well, many of us parents end up giving up that cuddly past-time in favor of our kids reading on their own. There is magic in the read-aloud, so, don’t give it up! Grow it, increase the time you spend doing it as your children get older.