parents

Help! My Child Knows More Than Me!! I sometimes hear from homeschooling parents who are concerned that their child knows more than they do! Their child will ask them a question and the parent doesn't understand what they're talking about. Or the child will insist the textbook is wrong!I am here to tell you, it's SO OK for your child to know more than you do! You don't HAVE to know all the stuff they are learning - that's their...

Do you love a teenage computer geek?  Don't you wish someone had a user's manual for them?  They can be as difficult to decipher as a JavaScript manual written in Chinese!  Let me throw a few ideas into the mix!  When I'm consulting with parents of computer geeks, I always try to touch on a few key topics:Grab credits where you can
Your child may be learning computer languages or other highly technical skills that are often learned in...

I worry about peer pressure – not with the children, but with the parents.    As homeschooling becomes more common, and there are more and more parents homeschooling, there seems to be an increase in peer pressure.  Parents feel they should join a homeschool coop, or participate in dual enrollment, or use a specific curriculum or join a particular accreditation group.  I encourage parents to look at their children, not other parents, as they make decisions...

I'll let you in on a secret.  Success in homeschooling is not dependent on how your children turn out.  That's because you can't measure your own success or failure based on the behavior of others.   It may sound shocking, but it is true.  Parents can’t control their adult children.  They can only control their own choices and behaviors.  Therefore, our success in homeschooling must be based on what we do, as parents, and not on...

I always encourage parents to schedule free time.We worked our heavy academic subjects 4 days a week.  The 5th day was when we focused more on delight directed learning.  In elementary school, the 5th day was when we went to the park, or roller skating, or met with friends.  In high school, that was the day for my children to do special projects, or work on their electives. They had to get their math and foreign...

My writer and editor Jill Bell just graduated her high school senior (congratulations, Jill!)  I asked her to write a review of Total Yearbooks so I could see how it would work for a real homeschooler.  Guess what?  She LOVED it!  Read her review and see for yourself - this could be the solution for your homeschool yearbook too! Total Yearbooks Review   If you’re like many homeschool moms, the photos you’ve taken of your family...

 There may come a time when your child says they aren’t interested in learning anything. If they seem disinterested in their studies for a while, try to incorporate more delight-directed learning into your homeschooling.  Delight-directed learning is all about fostering the love of learning in our children, creating lifelong learners who can adapt to any situation. It helps children find areas they are passionate about pursuing, and incorporates this learning into their education.If your child is...

 College Visit TimeIf you’re a parent of a homeschooled teenager, you’ve probably been thinking about college for a while now! As you and your student prepare for that not-so-far-away event, now is the time to start visiting colleges that interest you.  Deciding which colleges to consider is a big job—and you should take your time doing it, since your student will be spending four years of their life in this place.  For help in the process...

How do I get it ALL done? That is a big question. It all depends on what your "ALL" means to you? Is your "All" too big? What are your priorities?I am now a featured expert on Bizymoms.com! You can read my articles here.

 Kids have a learning style, right? Parents do too! I try to have a variety of ways to get information, so you can learn what you need to know. I have freebies for parents just starting to think about things. I have digital products for parents that are pretty good on the computer. And I have products like books, DVDs and CDs that are mailed to your home, because I know that some parents just need...

Books rule! We really like books. We soak up books. Everything that we want to find out can be discovered from a book. Many times people ask me why our reading lists were so incredibly long. It wasn’t due to the fact I assigned all of those books, I can tell you that much! For both of my boys, reading is their “love language. ”  Let them have a book, and they will adore you forever....

Our family LOVES board games!  Every year we would get one big game for our family.  We played them on Christmas morning - and then the boys would play them again while I did some after-Christmas shopping at the sales with my mom!It seems like our MOST favorite games come with variations that are just awesome!  Here are some game suggestions!"Ticket to Ride" games -  great for geography, by the way.  It comes in a variety...

What do you do if your student needs to take a class that is way out of your comfort zone. We all have that subject, don't we? This video shares how I "taught" physics.Whether you teach the classes or not, learn how to translate all those great homeschool high school classes into the words and numbers that colleges will understand.  Get the Total Transcript Solution.

Are you suddenly single?  Death, divorce, and even deployment can happen. Even to homeschool parents.  It may happen suddenly, and unexpectedly.  Even a long-anticipated deployment can seem sudden when they day actually arrives, and while temporary it can still be difficult.  When you are faced with single parenting, know that you are NOT alone!Mary Jo Tate of SingleParentsAtHome.com explained what happened to her.  “I never expected to be a single mother. When my husband left me...

Let's talk about real feelings.  How do you feel when you think about homeschooling high school?  Do any of these words sound familiar? freaked out terrified hyperventilating procrastinating confused stressed overwhelmed immobilized with fear panicky ready to run obsessed worriedDo any of these words describe what you are feeling?  Thinking about homeschooling high school can make you feel uncomfortable.  But what you really need is some down-to-earth advice.  High school is not really terrifying.  It's just...