Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers

Honest. Quirky. Real. Practical tips, candid reviews, and stereotype-smashing humor for homeschooling families.

Honest. Quirky. Real. Practical tips, candid reviews, and stereotype-smashing humor for homeschooling families.

How to Cope When Your Homeschooler Balks at Schoolwork

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What do you do when your child refuses to do his work? It’s frustrating! Learn how to cope when your homeschooler balks at schoolwork.

What do you do when your homeschooled child won’t do his schoolwork? The situation is frustrating, but how to handle it depends on why it’s happening. In most cases, blatant defiance isn’t why your homeschooler is balking at schoolwork.

Homeschooler Balks at Schoolwork

First, determine the cause of the resistance. The coping method you choose will vary if it’s a discipline problem instead of, say, a readiness issue.

Consider factors such as:

  • The age of the child
  • Possible physical or medical issues (ADHD, vision or hearing problems, Asperger’s)
  • Potential learning challenges (dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia)
  • Significant changes in the child’s life (divorce, a death in the family, the birth of a sibling, a move)
  • How your current curriculum meshes with his learning style or your teaching style

Once you pinpoint why your homeschooler doesn’t want to do his schoolwork, you can start exploring solutions. [Read more…]

How to Easily Cover All Subjects with Interest-Led Learning

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Discover how easy it is for children to learn what they need to know in all subject areas while following an interest-led learning approach.

Written by Erin Vincent of Nourishing My Scholars.

Can children really learn all they need to learn by following their interests? Covering all subjects is indeed possible whether you follow an interest-led learning approach all the time, part-time, only in spring and summer, or just in the afternoon.

You can integrate your children’s passions into your homeschool rhythm if you are willing to support and nurture their growing interests. But sometimes you have to think outside the box.

How to Easily Cover All Subjects with Interest-Led Learning

Interest-Led Learning

To make the most of interest-led learning, look for ways to support your children’s interests.  For example, one of my son’s interests is the guitar, so I look for ways to nurture that.

He has been taking guitar lessons for several years with Gentle Guitar. His goal when he started was to learn to play Beethoven’s 5th. Now he’s researching the greatest guitarists of all time like B.B. King, Jimi Hendrix, and Keith Richards by looking up their most notable songs on YouTube and comparing different techniques.

He is also learning to play by ear the theme songs from his favorite video games and considering the MasterClass, Carlos Santana Teaches the Art and Soul of Guitar. [Read more…]

Checking Boxes Without Your Kids Checking Out

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What do you do when homeschool laws force you to teach boring subjects? Get tips for checking boxes without your kids checking out mentally.

One of the biggest homeschooling pros is the fact that we can teach what we want how we want to teach it.

Usually.

Depending on where you homeschool, your state may dictate some of what you have to include in your homeschool. And, if you have a college-bound teen, admissions requirements may play a role in course planning.

Checking Boxes Without Your Kids Checking Out

So, what happens when you have to teach something that is less-than-appealing to your student? How do you satisfy state regulations or college expectations without boring your kids?

I’ve got some tips for checking boxes without your kid checking out. [Read more…]

Simple Ways to Overcome Bad Attitudes in Homeschooling

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Bad attitudes – from you or your kids – can derail your homeschool day. Try these simple ways to quickly overcome bad attitudes.

Written by Amy Dingmann of The Hmmm…schooling Mom.

Homeschooling is wonderfully magical. Full of smiles and giggles every day, right? Well…The truth of the matter is that while there are a lot of amazing days along the journey of homeschooling, there are really rotten days, too.

Find yourself dealing with bad attitudes in your homeschool? Let’s chat about why they happen, and what you can do.

Simple Ways to Overcome Bad Attitudes in Homeschooling

Before we start, we need to be honest. When we talk about having a bad attitude, it’s not only our kiddos that can flip the day upside down because of sass, apathy, or crabbiness. Sometimes parents are just as guilty.

I mean, I can’t be the only homeschooling mama whose cruddy attitude has ruined a perfectly magical day, right? So keep in mind that these suggestions not only apply to our sons and daughters but to us as parents, too. [Read more…]

Had Enough? 7 Reasons You Might Need Homeschooling Help (and Where to Find It)

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Homeschooling is exciting and rewarding, but it can also be overwhelming and isolating. Learn why you might need homeschooling help and where to find it.

Homeschooling families tend to be a fiercely independent breed. We want to do our own thing without interference from anyone else. And, we’re often extremely reluctant to ask for help – or even admit that we need it.

But you know what? Sometimes, we do need help. And, do you know what else? It’s okay to admit that we can’t do it all. Our job, as homeschooling parents, is to tailor our kids’ educations to meet their needs. And, sometimes that means asking for help and outsourcing some parts of their home education.

7 Reasons You Might Need Homeschooling Help

Why You Might Need Homeschooling Help

Homeschooling can be hard. Asking for help isn’t admitting defeat; it’s being honest about your needs and those of your kids. Consider the following challenges. [Read more…]