Those lazy days of summer feel few and far between most years. Even if you’re not schooling year round, summer break is here and gone in a flash and it’s time to start a new school year. Back-to-school planning for homeschool is fun with these checklists, tips, and resources to help you plan and prepare for your school year.
Not to be confused with an ultimate cleaning list, or a comprehensive list of everything you should clean and how often to clean it, these are realistic cleaning checklists for busy moms. If you need an easy-to-follow checklist to remind you of what to clean daily, weekly, monthly, and seasonally that you might actually get through sometimes, this is it!
Self-discipline is a character trait that feels very aspirational to a lot of us. We see the value of it, but it’s just so much work to maintain. Discipline is key to helping your kids become responsible adults. As part of our character counts series, let’s look at how we can encourage self-discipline in kids.
If you asked all your mom friends what they want most for their kids, one of the top responses would probably be “I want my kids to be happy.” But happiness comes and goes from moment to moment. Even skipping a meal can cause us to feel unhappy. What I really want is for my kids to live from a place of deep joy. So let’s look at how to encourage kids to be joyful.
Gratitude is a popular buzzword these days, with much attention being paid to the connection between gratitude and life satisfaction. Thankfulness has been shown to improve attitudes and relationships and who doesn’t want that? Let’s look at how we can encourage thankfulness in our kids.
Creativity can be cultivated. It is not a characteristic that your child is either born with or without. Let’s talk about ways to encourage creativity in kids.
Curiosity provides the basis for real learning that allows kids to make connections, solve problems, and engage with the world from different perspectives.
Most of us recognize and value hard work, perseverance in the face of obstacles, and a commitment to excellence. I believe these characteristics can be summed up in the word diligence. Let’s take a look at how we can teach diligence to kids.
Self-awareness gives kids a framework to think about what they enjoy most, what their natural strengths and abilities are, and how they deal with their emotions.
While screen-free time is important, there are ways to use the available technology to provoke conversation and introduce our kids to a world they may not otherwise experience. Here’s a list of kid-friendly documentaries to use in your homeschool that both entertain and educate.