With the current situation in our nation, many moms are suddenly finding themselves homeschooling, whether they wanted to or not! COVID-19 has changed things abruptly and radically.
But this radical change does not have to be the cause of radical stress and chaos. Yes, there will be some stress. There always is with any change. And yes, there will be some chaos. Again, changes do that! But I believe in the end this could be the biggest blessing of your life.
Many Christians (myself included) have been praying for revival in America. Malachi 4:6 says,
And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.
Is it any wonder that God has forced families to be stuck together rather than running around in different directions, staying busy all the time? A former pastor of ours had a quote that I really love: “If Satan can’t make you sin, he’ll make you busy.” Truly, we have lost our sense of what is most important. We have sacrificed the best for the sake of good. And we don’t have time to even stop for a moment to ponder the situation and realize it!
Perhaps this is God’s good gift to His people?
I’ve watched as even homeschoolers have succumbed to the busyness of our culture, signing up for all kinds of co-ops, classes, and activities. We’ve sacrificed relationships because we have decided (often out of fear) that academics are more important.
Ah, but you didn’t come here to be preached at, did you?
On with the practical help.
This post contains affiliate links, meaning I will receive a percentage from any of the sales through these links. However, I only recommend resources that I believe in and usually have personal experience with, so I know you’ll find them helpful!
10 Simple Steps to Start Homeschooling (or Lifeschooling)
First things first, you will need to research the laws in your state. I could have added this to the list, but I was already done and 10 was such a nice, round number. 🙂 It’s a pretty simple point, though, and doesn’t need much explaining. You will find all the help you need at that link to the Home School Legal Defense (HSLDA) website.
I have found that most new homescholers want to be told what to do. They want the step-by-step approach. Don’t we all want life to be that simple? But it’s not. This journey that you are on is very individual to your family and your children’s needs (which is why I encourage lifeschooling, by the way).
Nevertheless, this is a general “outline” that I think is helpful for new homeschoolers. Most new homeschoolers skip steps #1-2 and jump right into #3-4. It’s tempting, especially when you get just a peek at what’s out there available to you! But I’m warning you. Don’t. You may waste a lot of time and money if you choose to ignore my advice. 😉
- Figure out your “why.”
- Develop your educational philosophy.
- Set up your homeschool room (or area).
- Choose your curricula.
- Decide on outside classes and co-ops.
- Find your tribe and support system.
- Change your curricula. (You will!)
- Rest.
- Repeat.
- Practice “continuing education“!
At the end of this post, you can find one comprehensive list with all the resources (plus a few extras) that I’ve mentioned in this article. I know some of you would rather skip to the end and be on your way!
For the rest of you…
1. Figure Out Your Why
For many right now, the “why” is the easiest part. “COVID-19. We have no other choice!” But understand that there are many good reasons to homeschool:
- safety reasons
- avoid bullying
- accommodate a child with learning differences (gifted or challenged)
- provide a better academic education
- streamline the education and graduate early
- avoid negative peer pressure and influences
- instill a proper worldview and values
- build relationships
- tailor the education
- save money on private education
Your “why” may be any combination of these reasons, but it’s important to write it down so you remember on the hard days. If you don’t really know why you are homeschooling, it will be too easy for you to quit!
When I started homeschooling 18 years ago, I, too, felt I had no other choice. We were living in California at the time and having both had Christian educations our entire upbringings, my husband and I both knew we didn’t want to send our children to a public school. Yet the cost of Christian education was prohibitive. Thus, we were “default homeschoolers.” Our “why” was:
It’s better and safer than public education, and it’s cheaper than Christian school.
It’s funny, though, how God can change your thinking! Over time as we saw the spiritual benefits and studied Scripture more, we developed a true conviction to homeschool. I remember thinking in the early day, “Why would any Christian feel this is a conviction? It’s just school!”
But over time, I recognized that education is so much more than academics, and you simply can’t divorce worldview and spiritual training/parenting from “school”! We are sadly seeing the results of that attempt today in our culture.
Recently, I had the opportunity to be involved with the Homegrown Generation Online Family Expo. Aby Rinella gave an excellent talk on the conviction of homeschooling that you may also find enlightening. (You can also grab some of the other conference videos for free in the “Conferences” section below!)
2. Develop Your Educational Philosophy
Once you have a general sense of your “why,” you need to develop a fuller sense of your philosophy of education (and then you may find yourself changing your “why”!).
We all have a philosophy of education, whether we realize it or not. For most of us, it was developed subtly from our own experience. It was in a way ingrained into us and we simply assume it is the “right way” because it’s all we’ve ever really known.
I’m here to change that.
I want to encourage you to change your mindset. Or at least be open to changing it. Successful homeschoolers who graduate their children are not super moms! But if you try to homeschool the way you were schooled, you will fail. I promise.
There are only so many hours in a day. We homeschool moms do not get any extra! There is simply no possible way that you can take a “school-at-home” approach, teaching each child at their individual grade levels and covering all subjects separately, every day, just like you remember from school.
Please understand… it is just not going to happen.
No matter how true you think this meme is right now. 😉
March 2020
Furthermore, many of you are under incredible stress right now, having been thrown into homeschooling mid-year, unexpectedly, and with many other responsibilities and life stresses on you at the moment. Allow yourself and your children time to rest and adjust!
Until you shift your thinking about what a true education is, you are destined to be a stressed-out, burned-out homeschool mom who falls by the wayside and wonders why all the other homeschool moms seem to have it together and get it all done and have brilliant children.
Here’s a secret: They don’t.
(Well, they might have brilliant children, but I can assure you they don’t have it all together or get it all done!)
That is not to say you cannot use a boxed curriculum or have subjects and grade levels. (I bet you didn’t even know it was possible not to! I may challenge your thinking a lot here.) And there are some good ones out there (BJU Press, which I grew up on, and Apologia, for example).
But what you need to understand from the get-go is that many homeschoolers who stick with this thing long term often do not use boxed curriculum, and if they do, it is neither exclusive nor exhaustive. Most use other curricula, books, and activities for learning so that they can tailor to each child, and they don’t complete each and every lesson or activity in the boxed curriculum.
Life, remember? It’s still happening and education cannot dictate it. Education must fit around your life and relationships! You still have to go to the grocery store, pick up the dry cleaning, cook dinner, and do the dishes. So how can you gently fit education around that, and even into it?
There are those of us who don’t use much formal curriculum at all and instead look at each day and what God brings as a learning experience. I call it “lifeschooling.” I know I’m probably turning some of you off right now, but you need to understand that as radical as this may sound, there is plenty of science to support this style of learning and many success stories.
Lifeschooling also allows parents to focus on each child’s individual gifts and talents… those things that God has put in them to do to bring Him glory. Our children don’t need to wait until they are older (link here) to start using their gifts in a serious way! The learning that comes out of life experiences that are tailored to our children’s gifts is incredible. It is life-changing and lasting!
The lifeschooling philosophy is also heavily focused on our children’s relationship with God as the priority over anything else.
Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you.
It is an amazing thing how God blesses our children with increased academic knowledge when we focus on the Bible and spiritual things. It’s like C.S. Lewis SAID,
Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither.
There are far too many homeschoolers who have not heeded God’s warning:
What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world, but loses his own soul?
A prestigious college and a good job were the goals, with little to no time for the Bible or spiritual things, and the children learned that temporal things are what matters most in life.
The most successful homeschoolers in both life and careers that I know are the ones who prioritized God and the Bible in their homeschooling. And by prioritize, I mean the percentage of time spent on the subject. You will spend the most time on what is most important to you! And God will bless in abundant ways!
But this topic is waaaaay too much for one little blog post! You need to dedicate some time to dig into this topic with some good books. Here is my list of recommendationsthat will help you understand lifeschooling. For a broader understanding of the many different philosophies, Mary Pride’s Complete Guide to Getting Started in Homeschooling is what really helped me figure things out back in the early days of my homeschooling.
3. Set up your homeschool room (or area).
Now comes the fun part! Setting up the school room! You can set up an entire room if you have one, or a dedicated corner of a room. Even the kitchen table or living room can serve for the purpose of educating, as long as you have a place to store things when you are done.
Before you rush out to buy a desk and chalkboard, however, let’s have a little chat. You don’t need to do things like what you are used to! And in fact, the “schooly” way is often not the best for homeschooling (you’re probably starting to see that by now).
Rather than desks, many homeschoolers opt for comfy chairs, the living room couch, or even the kitchen table. No, you don’t have to have a separate room dedicated to learning (though it helps.)! And an alternative to the chalkboard is simple paper and pencils. I mean, you don’t have a big class filled with students, right? Why do you need a giant board for writing, then? Keep it simple.
Remember, children were designed to move. They have a lot of energy that is difficult to contain behind a desk or sometimes even on a comfy chair. Find an area that will allow them stand up and move if it helps them (even if just for breaks)! Yes, all that movement will drive you crazy sometimes, but there are times we just need to learn patience. Our kids are not the only ones learning and growing through this process!
Here are some good tips for setting up your homeschooling area or room:
- Make sure there is space to spread out and be comfortable.
- Make sure there will be few distractions.
- Make sure you have room to store books and other materials in or close by the area so you are not running all over the house.
My friend Jessica Anderson also has some Practical Ways to Organize Your Homeschool Space that I know you’ll find helpful!
4. Choose Your Curricula, Planner, and Other Tools
Now comes another fun part! After all that thinking and philosophizing, you get to go shopping! It’s time to fill that beautiful space with some books and curricula! See? Homeschooling can be fun! 😀
Curricula
While my personal philosophy and the one I promote is lifeschooling, I have tried to make this list flexible for other styles, as well. After all, lifeschooling is about what works for you and your family! So it’s okay to pull resources from other philosophies and mix them in as needed.
Here are some of my favorite curricula:
Apologia – I’ve already made it clear that I am not a huge boxed curriculum fan, but I’m also a realist. I know that for those new to homeschooling, you may need something that feels more comfortable as you transition. And some kids do love the more schooly curriculum! It’s about finding what works and finding the best of whatever style you choose. Apologia is a fantastic curriculum with a solid Christian worldview! I would just encourage you to use boxed curricula as a guide and not fall into a box-checking, legalistic pattern.
BJU Press Homeschool Solutions – Again, this is a great all-in-one boxed curriculum option as you transition. I went to school at Bob Jones from nursery school all the way up through college (actually, I was born at their hospital!), so you might say I know their materials very well. 😉 I feel I got a really solid foundation academically and spiritually! In my opinion, boxed curricula that are divided by grade level and subject tends to work better for school classrooms than homeschools but do what works. Bottom line: don’t get bogged down and let it rule your life.
Homeschool in the Woods – I love, love, love all the resources from Homeschool in the Woods! The hand-drawn illustrations for timelines and lapbooks are marvelous and bring history alive. Check it out!
Five in a Row – Oh, how I love the simplicity and “snuggly” approach of this gentle curriculum! I couldn’t think of a better way to describe it because it encourages you to use reading time with your children as the foundation of all the subjects. I used it with my youngest and we so enjoyed snuggling up on the couch reading good, classic books together (Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, The Big Snow, and Ping, for example) and then choosing which corresponding activities we would do. Sweet memories! You can order off their site or find copies on Amazon.
JourneyForth Books – I’ve always loved incorporating plenty of living and non-fiction books into the learning and I absolutely love JourneyForth books from BJU Press! I’ve always assigned a “reading time” after lunch (a quiet break for me!) and it is a wonderful thing to know that my kids are reading good books that are teaching them Christian values and worldview in a way that is enjoyable and relaxing. Education can be edifying and entertaining! Or maybe, in this case, I should say that entertainment can be edifying and educational! The lines can sometimes blur.
MasterBooks – I am a big fan of MasterBooks! While they are going the way of grade-level, subject divided curriculum, they do have wonderful resources and regular flash sales with huge discounts that I like to take advantage of! I love all the creation science materials, in particular, and they carry a lot of books and materials from Answers in Genesis.
MathUSee – We have used MathUSee for many years in our homeschool and it has worked well for us! My daughter did hit a wall eventually and we had to bring in some other resources. It’s next to impossible to find one curriculum that works for all children, so bear that in mind.
TalkBox – This is another very lifeschooling type of curricula for languages that I think is amazing! When I first discovered it at our state homeschool convention, I was very excited to promote it because it fits so well with my philosophy of “merging life with homeschooling.” Education should integrate naturally as much as possible, and this language curricula helps you to use it naturally as you go through your daily life. Children learn best when the learning is meaningful, so the elegant simplicity of this is genius!
You can also use the following coupon codes:
- lifeschooler20 – Get $20 off a TalkBox and book bundle
- lifeschooler5 – Get $5 off any TalkBox.mom phrasebook
This is another topic that is waaaaay too big for one little blog post! I’ve only scratched the surface with a few things we’ve tried and liked. (I may do a post in the future that is more comprehensive, covering all the things we’ve tried…that would be a LOT more comprehensive! Ha!) So I would recommend Cathy Duffy’s book, 102 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum to dive deeper.
But just remember, there is no perfect homeschool curriculum, so don’t stress out trying to find it! Try to enjoy this grand experiment.
Planners
Even if you plan to follow a more relaxed style of homeschooling or lifeschooling, you also need to find a good planner to help you stay organized and productive. Here are some of my favorites:
Lifeschooling Launch Kit – I spent many hours crafting the Lifeschooling Vision Planner, a printable planner that would work for both the more relaxed lifeschooler and those who are a little more structured in their thinking and personality. The feedback I’ve received has been amazing!
You can order this printable planner as a stand-alone product in our store, but I recommend that new homeschoolers purchase the Lifeschooling Launch Kit so they have a full set of resources to help them get started in the lifeschooling style of homeschooling. Enter coupon code NEWHS10OFF for an additional 10% off!
They Call Me Blessed Life Planner – If you need a printable planner that goes beyond homeschooling and helps you organize every aspect of your life, then this is the one for you! My friend Ana Willis has put together this beautiful resource that will be a huge blessing to you!
Apologia Planners – If you’re looking for a planner that is already bound and ready to go, check out the planners from Apologia. We have enjoyed using several of them over the years (although, admittedly, I struggle with planners and my own planner in the kit above is more my speed).
Other tools
No self-respecting homeschool mom would be without her laminator, binder, and printer! 😀 These are tools of the trade that will make your life easier…plus, they are just fun to use! Few things make me happier than a freshly printed and bound eBook or that hot sheet of lamination coming out the other side of the machine!
Okay, maybe I’m just weird.
But I will say when that when I took a tour of the Bob Jones print shop with a large group of fellow homeschool mom bloggers, we all took copious amounts of pictures and videos at the binding station and openly coveted that awesome machine! 😀
So I think I’m actually pretty normal…for a homeschool mom, that is.
The fact of the matter is, you will be printing a lot of eBooks, homeschool printables, and other materials for your homeschooling, so these items will really make your life simpler. Here are some great options:
EcoTank ET-2720 Wireless Color All-in-One Supertank Printer with Scanner and Copier – I assume you already have a printer, but if you are looking to upgrade, this is the one we just purchased. It will print up to 4,500 pages black/7,500 color pages and also includes replacement ink so it saves a lot of money! I love my new printer! 🙂
5. Decide on Outside Classes and Co-ops
Again, we need to question our assumptions. Do we need to have our children involved in extra classes, activities, and co-ops outside the home? I think the simple answer, proved by this crazy time when so many are forced to be home in quarantine, is no. We just don’t.
God will provide everything we need and He has perfectly equipped you to train your children for what they are called to do. In fact, very often our children don’t need us to teach as much as they need us to simply provide the resources for them so that they can research and explore on their own.
That does not always mean that these additional outside activities are wrong, but if your reasons are based on fear, then they probably are. And there are a number of other considerations that should go into your decisions, many of them the same ones that led you to homeschool (see the list of “whys” at the beginning). The bottom line is if your homeschool starts looking more like a school, then what are you doing it for? Maybe you like putting miles on the car and spending money on gas and racing against the clock, but I don’t.
I would highly recommend exploring options such as virtual classes. A great one that my son participated in last year is Frontier Christian Academy. The economics class he took was invaluable for training him in how the economy works and investing, and I loved the lifeschooling nature of it! All of the classes from Frontier are real-world projects that will give your child something tangible, not just a grade when they are finished.
To get a better sense of the pros (there are some, despite my many cautions) and cons of co-ops and outside classes, be sure you listen to my podcast on the subject.
Also, check out this excellent article on one of the dangers of co-ops.
6. Find your Tribe and Support system
I cannot over-emphasize the need for support and connection when you homeschool. You are doing things “outside-the-box” and doubt so easily creeps in! This is especially true if your family is uncertain or antagonistic about your choice. There are enough internal voices telling you you’re making a mistake and failing…you don’t need external ones, as well!
It’s one thing to deal with the cashier at Wal-Mart (whatever, lady), but it’s a whole different situation to deal with those whom we care about! Here are a few tips for dealing with the naysayers in your life:
- Set limits with the naysayers. You don’t have to be ugly, but sometimes you just have to be direct with people who can’t take a hint. Let them know that you appreciate their concern, but your decision is made and you will no longer entertain conversations on the topic.
- Minimize your time with them. Yes, even family if you have to.
- Pray for them. It can be easy to want to “prove” yourself to others who don’t believe in what you are doing. But most of them won’t be convinced even if you are able to produce a house full of 15-year-old Ivy League college grads! Let it go and let God change their hearts. Whether or not He does, pray for His blessings on the naysayers and you will have a hard time feeling upset at them!
On the flip side of minimizing the negativity, you need to maximize the positivity. Surround yourself with people and organizations that will value and affirm what you are doing, and addition we able to provide support and advice for the tough times.
Here are some I would recommend:
HSLDA – Started in 1983 to protect the constitutional and God-given right to homeschool, the Home School Legal Defense Association has been around since the very early days of modern homeschooling and they are a wonderful resource for support. They provide many different services in addition to peace of mind! And I’m so thankful that they alert us to dangers (such as this one)!
State Homeschool Organizations – Now more than ever it’s important to support your state homeschool organization! These are the “boots on the ground” homeschoolers who are monitoring our legislators and helping to protect homeschoolers from unnecessary state government intervention or oversight. And they also help support you in other ways, such as through conventions and coaching sessions.
Online Support Groups – For times when you can’t meet up in person, online support groups are a wonderful way to stay connected! Facebook is probably what you first think of, but there are other online homeschooling groups, as well.
- Lifeschooling Facebook Group – Our little tribe on Facebook! You’ll find inspiration and a lot of encouragement to rest in your homeschooling journey. We have a wonderful, Christ-centered community.
- Christian Homeschool Families Facebook group
- Christian Homeschool Connect Facebook group
- Homeschool Speak – A great option for those of you who are not on Facebook and don’t want to be! Check out our forum here.
Local Support Groups – Sadly, the days of the local homeschool group seem to be disappearing with the advent of more co-ops and other opportunities. These options can be good, also, but I must admit that I really miss the days of heading to the park for Park Day every Friday with our homeschool group. No commitments, just a fun time for whoever could make it!
For those who don’t wish to have the academic aspect and commitment of a co-op, a homeschool support group is a great option! I would highly recommend you do a little digging to see if you can find one in your area and if you can’t, consider starting one! It is so refreshing to meet up together in person and encourage each other.
Co-ops – Sometimes co-ops can be a great option! I really am not totally against them, despite all my caveats. If you can find one that work for you and helps meet needs, it can be a wonderful way to connect regularly with other homeschool moms and kids. Just understand the pros and cons first and be selective! You and your kids will be with this group regularly for a while.
Community Bible Study – Community Bible Study is a worldwide, non-denominational Bible study organization with programs for moms, children, and homeschooled teens, and I have loved every year we have signed up for it! The moms and kids go through the same in-depth, verse-by-verse study (with different level books). If you can find one locally, I would highly recommend it! The spiritual caliber of moms who sign up tends to be higher because they are voluntarily choosing to take extra time to study God’s Word. It is a priority for them. In our experience, this has translated into godly influences and wonderful iron-sharpening-iron friendships.
Homeschool Coaching – When you hit a wall in your homeschooling (or when you don’t even know where to start), you just need to talk to someone who has the wisdom of many years of experience behind them! That is when homeschool coaching come in, and I can’t think of better qualified coaches than those at 7Sisters Homeschool. I know these ladies personally and they are top notch!
7. Change Your Curricula, Planner, and Other Tools
Just a little point to let you know that yes, you will. And it’s okay! After all, it’s in your step-by-step list, so you “Type A”s can just check it off when it happens and feel better about yourselves. 😉
No matter how much you research and ponder, sometimes what you pick just doesn’t work. Theory and reality sometimes don’t match. Please don’t suffer through curricula (or planner, etc.)… and make your children suffer through it… just because you paid for it. Find another homeschool mom who you can bless with it, or sell it to recoup some of your money. There are many Facebook groups and other outlets for doing this.
Then forgive yourself for “wasting” your money and time. After all, if you learned what doesn’t work, then it wasn’t really wasted after all! It was just part of the process.
8. Rest.
There are times when we must step back and just take a break. You won’t get “behind” because that is a concept that someone made up at some point along the way! It is not written in the Bible that all children must learn to read by age 7. And it’s not written in stone that they all must learn multiplication facts in 4th grade. The only thing I know that’s written in stone for us to obey is the 10 commandments. 😉
by Elleina Papageorgiou
So much about homeschooling is about mindset. If we have the wrong mindset, we will not succeed! We must daily remind ourselves not only of what real education looks like but also, and more importantly, of God’s promises to us in this journey. He is faithful and will not fail us if we simply do our best and seek Him for direction! Here are some verses to encourage you.
Meditation is a powerful thing! The Bible says in Psalm 119:15,
I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways.
I am working on adding more printable verses to our store (stay tuned) so you can put them around your house and be constantly meditating on truth!
9. Repeat.
You will find yourself repeating many of steps #1-8! It’s called being a normal homeschool mom. It’s called growth!
Please, newbie homeschooling mama, give yourself lots of grace in this process! God never wastes any of our “mistakes” (or perceived mistakes). We are so often insecure and unsure of ourselves. And guess what? We should be! That is exactly where God wants us so that we will stop and recognize where we must put our faith. We must turn to God and listen to the Holy Spirit for His direction in all things.
We don’t have all the answers and we never see the full picture and that’s okay! That’s a good thing, in fact. It’s the stuff of faith.
10. Practice Continuing Education
None of us has arrived! Our kids don’t graduate from learning and neither should we! In educational fields, instructors are constantly taking new training and courses that they refer to as “continuing education.” While we must not be fearful, we must also take our jobs seriously and be learning as much as we can. (This is also a good example to your children, by the way!)
So always consider your further education and research as a necessary investment. It’s not just about figuring out how to fix the problems and difficulties in your homeschooling, but it’s also about being reaffirmed in what you’ve been doing “right.” You need to be refreshed and encouraged in the journey! And sometimes we can doubt that we’re on the right path until some speaker admits that they never finished a single curriculum with any of their children and we think, “Well, I guess only finishing one this year is not so bad, then!” 😉
There are a number of amazing in-person conferences where you can connect with other homeschoolers, as well as put your hands-on curricula to see if it will work for your family. Sometimes you just need to hold a book and flip through it to fully evaluate it!
(By the way, I would highly encourage you to go ahead and make your purchases there. First of all, you probably won’t find a cheaper price because most vendors have special conference-only pricing. But also, participation in the conferences is a lot of work and expense for these vendors and they are taking time to serve you. It’s kind to show your support, even if it does end up costing you a couple more dollars!)
Here are some of my favorite conferences:
- Great Homeschool Conventions
- Teach Them Diligently – This is a fantastic conference that really focuses on the family discipleship aspect of homeschooling. It is my very favorite!
- Thrive! (NC State Homeschool Convention) – I speak at this one each year and it’s a wonderful conference that has been around for a very long time. Come see me if you’re local!
Here are some of my favorite virtual conferences:
- Homeschool Mom Conference – I am a speaker for this conference for 2020, along with a huge list of 48 other homeschool bloggers and professional speakers! Lots of great resources, lifetime access, and a swag bag with lots of valuable goodies to enjoy for the low price of only $12! This is a very budget-friendly conference.
- Homeschool Summits – I cannot say enough good things about Homeschool Summits! The Parenting Online Summit is coming up in Arpil, so be sure to sign up now. It’s free to watch for a limited time, and you can also pay for lifetime access. The speakers are always so encouraging and practical!
- Homegrown Generation Online Family Expo – This was an excellent virtual conference that I had the opportunity to speak at and help with! Garrit and Yvette, personal friends of mine, have such a big heart to serve the homeschooling community and did an outstanding job at bringing a professional-quality event to homeschoolers. Check out their free preview below, and when you sign up, you will also be able to enjoy their regular Facebook Live interviews!
- The Lifeschooling Conference (of course!) – This is a biennial online conference that I started as an in-person conference in 2016. Our next conference is in 2021, but you can purchase recordings of our past live conferences. We have had many popular speakers, both within and without the homeschooling “real,” including the Benham brothers, Frank Turek, Hal and Melanie Young, and Israel Wayne.
Just the Nuts and Bolts, Please
For those of you who just want to see the consolidated list of resources and skip all the talk, here’s my gift to you (and I’m guessing you might be of the male variety). 😉
Conferences
In-Person
- Great Homeschool Conventions
- Teach Them Diligently
- Thrive! (NC State Homeschool Convention)
Virtual
Curricula
- Apologia
- BJU Press Homeschool Solutions
- Homeschool in the Woods
- Five in a Row
- JourneyForth Books
- MasterBooks
- MathUSee
- TalkBox – You can use the following coupon codes:
- lifeschooler20 – Get $20 off a TalkBox and book bundle
- lifeschooler5 – Get $5 off any TalkBox.mom phrasebook
Other Resources
Coaching
Planners
Support
- HSLDA
- State homeschool organizations
- Lifeschooling Facebook Group
- Christian Homeschool Families Facebook group
- Christian Homeschool Connect Facebook group
- Homeschool Speak
- Local homeschool support groups
- Community Bible Study
Take heart. It’s going to be okay, despite how you may feel at this moment. Your stress and fears in themselves are not wrong, they are human. It’s what you do with them that really matters! Will you give them to God and trust Him? Or will you give in to fear, “lean on your own understanding,” and trust in yourself to get through?
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2 Comments
I would also suggest Rebecca Spooner’s Gather Round Homeschool curriculum is a fantastic option. We love it!
Thanks for that suggestion! I will have to check it out. 🙂