My Top 3 Homeschooling Tips

So you're ready to homeschool or maybe you're still in the can-I-really-do-this?? phase. Or maybe you've been homeschooling but you're not sure you're doing it all right. Well after 16 years of working with homeschooling families I'm going to give you my three top tips!

• TIME - The beauty of homeschooling is you get to be in control of your schedule! Find that natural rhythm in your home and then guard and protect that precious time with your kids. Schedule dentist appointments, playdates and extra curricular activities outside of your family's learning time.
• SPACE - Homeschooling can and should be messy at times. There are lots of books, science labs, math manipulatives, art supplies etc. How can you organize a space to encourage learning? Can you clear out an old bookshelf with unused books and trinkets and replace them with baskets and bins and books that will get lots of use in your day to day? Do you really need that spare bedroom or  could two of your kids benefit from learning to share a room, so that you now have a room dedicated to your supplies and learning?
• PLAN - Start simple. It doesn't have to be elaborate. Start with your core curriculum and map that out for the year. Where do the subjects overlap? Could you move things around a bit to pair up with a sibling or make more connections in history or science? Is there a great field trip you could plan for? There is so much flexibility in homeschool but it's easy to get lost and overwhelmed. So start with the basics and add from there.