When I first decided to home-school, retired school teachers I know graciously wanted to gift me the entirety of their saved classroom supplies, which they had each saved for just such an occasion. At first, I was excited at the thought of all those books, wall maps, ABC charts and games, but then the clutter of unused and over-saved items took over and I got overwhelmed. Questions swirled in my mind: ‘What might I need in the future? What do I need this year? What could I pass on to another home schooler?’ Home-school clutter can cause you to waste a lot of time searching for things you may or may not own, and cause you to spend more money buying things you already have! Here are some ways I found help tame the different kinds of home-school clutter and paper monsters and find some peace and organization in my home while saving money, too.
Read on for my top suggestions and ideas for getting more cooperation and less power struggles from your homeschool student. Give choices in subject matter, time, or place of study. For example, would your child like to do Math or English today? When is your child’s best, most alert time of day to do schoolwork? Would they like to study in their room or on the couch?
Depending on your homeschooling family, you may find yourself needing to teach more than one grade level simultaneously. While this may seem like an overwhelming situation, with a little preparation and patience, you can successfully teach multiple grades. I have four children, and this year has been the first year that I’ve really had four different grade levels going all at once. I’m not gonna lie to you, it can be slightly overwhelming! But with a little prep work and a few tips, you can make it work for your family, too!
Wanted: A group of local or online homeschoolers to form a tribe where we all feel relaxed and comfortable with each other. Must naturally hit it off and if our kids get along, even better! Must share ideas, field trips, encouragement, tears, laughs, curriculum, coffee, playdates, and frustrations. Future possibilities include starting a small learning co-op, enjoying holiday parties, starting book clubs for different ages, interacting in sports, and more.
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