Modern Homeschool Today

I love the period between Christmas and the new year. I love reflecting on all that has happened in the past year with a thankful heart and I love making plans for a new beginning. In reflection, this was the year we began homeschooling - a socially unpopular decision but a choice that we knew was right for our family. It was the beginning of an amazing journey and one that continues to surprise me. In looking ahead, I am excited about a new year! We are making some changes to the way we home educate in our household. I'll admit that at the end of this year I got a little tired and slack and we weren't spending enough time at home. I lost my motivation and was throwing together lessons at the last minute and then wondering why the kids seemed disinterested. So, what changes are we making to the way we homeschool? 1. My planning and organisation My goal is to GET MORE ORGANISED! I'm going to plan a term in advance as a 10 week block and with the exception of...

Every year I try desperately not to buy in to the consumerism of Christmas. Sadly, I often still find myself in a mad panic rushing through K-mart on Christmas Eve with a trolley full of, um, stuff. These experiences inspired the creation of my ebook Consumer-less kids - A gift guide for the kids who have everything . It discusses how to buy, or not buy, for kids who have everything. It discusses how home made gifts are such a thoughtful alternative to mass-produced store-bought um, stuff. So, we got to work making playdough gifts. Ingredients white flour – 1 cup salt – 2 tbsps cream of tartar – 2 tbsps cooking oil – 4 tbsps warm water – 1 cup Jelly – 1 pack Method Add all the ingredients together in a big mixing bowl Mix all the ingredients together until consistent Pour into a saucepan and stir continuously Wait for it to thicken into a big ball and then place it on some grease-proof paper to co...

I have a confession to make. I don't like craft. There. I said it. What good homeschooling mother doesn't like craft? You might ask. Well, me. So, when craft happens in our homeschool I'm going to blog about it! So, on December 1st I reluctantly embarked on an exciting adventure to find out how to make an advent calendar. I browsed a few on the net but felt overwhelmed - they all looked so HARD! I needed something simple. I decided to brave the shops and see what I could find. I found myself at a low priced department store. I bought a sheet of red cardboard which was a good start. I then looked around for some Christmas stickers. Then I stumbled across some cute gift tags and had the idea of just sticking the gift tags on the cardboard - one for each day. My son suggested we write a special Christmas activity for each day and write a tick box to tick off when each one was completed. I thought this was a great idea. My two older boys then stuc...