Homeschooling. It’s not for everybody. Are you considering this alternate schooling method for the right reasons? Homeschooling may be right for your kids, but are you cut out for it? Do you have the right personality traits to successfully homeschool your kids?
The below articles will help you decide if this is something you feel you’ll be able to do, and if you’re the type of person that can pull it off. It means a lot of “together” time with you and your kiddies. It was impossible to have loved my kids any more than I did, but I have to be honest and admit that we all valued our time away from each other while they were at school. I say to all of you who have chosen to homeschool your children, Good. For. You. You’re blazing trails and making us all proud! And according to what my research tells me, you parents are doing an excellent job and your kids are excelling! If you would love to jump in, but you’re still on the fence, I hope that the below articles will be of help to you in making your decision.
Okay, you all done? So if you’re still reading, you must have decided that you’re the mom bomb and you’re gonna go for it and become a homeschooling parent. Congratulations! You’re all pumped now and ready to get after it, but… what do you do first? Does that saying come to mind, “all dressed up and nowhere to go”? Not to worry, PBS Parents has some steps that will get you headed in the right direction. The link to their article, “Homeschooling: Tips for Getting Started” explains in more detail the steps outlined below.
1. Find Out the Legal Requirements
Learn what the legal requirements are for homeschooling in your state. Easy search by state. (Site also has other useful info)
Home School Legal Defense Association.
2. Choose Your Teaching Style
Lay out your teaching style and game plan. Below are some sites that offer FREE Homeschooling Curriculum, and other useful information that will help you get set up.
Ambleside Online
Printable Curricula for All Ages
Homeschool Buyers Co-Op
Resources for All Aspects of Homeschooling
Guesthollow
Printables, Books, Lessons…all FREE
All-in-one Reading Program
Free Downloadable Books – (Currently No Registration Required)
Starfall
Phonics instruction, games and online interactive books
3. Tap into your Local Homeschool Community
Discover the local homeschool resources available in your area. Get support from homeschoolers in your community.
Homeschool Central
Join local homeschool groups online and connect with other homeschoolers in your State.
Helpful Homeschool Tips
♦ How To Set Up
“Getting Started in Homeschooling” | Life As Mom
“Putting Together a Homeschool Binder” | Life As Mom
♦ How To Tell Everyone You’ve Decided to Homeschool
“7 Tips to Help Explain Your Homeschool Decision With Confidence” | Homeschool Diaries
♦ How to Set Up Your Homeschool Area/Room
“5 Tips For Organizing Your Homeschool Room” | Pioneer Woman Homeschooling
“How To Make a Homeschool Classroom” | Wiki How
♦ How to Plan and Organize Meals and Snacks
“28 Easy Peasy Bento Box Lunch Ideas” | organized CHAOS online
Resources For Planning and Preparing Curriculum
Donna Young
Printables and a TON of resources for homeschooling
Sonlight
Webinars and Workshops regarding socialization, testing, organization and teaching tips
Learning style quizzes for you and your child, printables, teaching tips, resources
And finally, the place that I found to have the greatest selection of homeschooling resources and printables is Pinterest. There you can pretty much find anything you may be looking for. (If you aren’t currently using Pinterest, I really recommend you set up a FREE account and get started). Instead of listing here all the tips and information we found, we created a “Homeschooling” Board where all that great information will now live. We will constantly be adding pins to our board, so to make sure you stay updated, just go HERE , Click on the Red Follow All button, and look for our Homeschooling board below!
Good Luck to all of you awesome Homeschoolers! And to all you homeschooling veterans, be sure to share any helpful advice you have with all this year’s homeschooling newbies! Sharing is caring!
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The first day of school is exciting no matter what grade your child is in. You must do the obligatory first day of school picture in your new clothes standing in front of the door. In fact, I don’t know if this world would still be spinning if we didn’t take the picture. I’m pretty sure we’d all be at a stand-still.
My son started Kindergarten this year (yes, in August when the rest of the normal people are still enjoying summer). I always have big plans but then wait until the last minute and throw something together. WHY do I do this to myself? I can’t remember a time when I didn’t pull through but it’s bound to happen. Not in this case, though. We nailed it. Well, thanks to some creative and generous designers of printables.
We found some cute (and FREE) printables online and wanted to share them with you. Simply click on the image to be led to their printable and download.
Yes, free. Pretty rad, right?
Source: Botanical Paperworks
Click for download
Source: Darci Woodiwiss
Click for download
Source: Classy Clutter
Click for download
Source: Armelle Blog
Click for download
Source: The DIY Mommy
Click for download
Source: I Can Teach My Child
Click for download
Source: My Humble Kitchen
Click for download
Source: A Little Pixel
Click for download
Source: Yellow Bliss Road
Click for download
Source: Botanical Paperworks
Click to download
Before we start into the kids lunch ideas, we need to add a warning or disclaimer or whatever word you’re comfortable with. The following lunch ideas were made by many super human moms. It makes us feel better to think they have a ton of extra time, only made one lunch for the picture and spend 100% of their time on making these lunches.
We like to make it seem like we’re not the only ones with thrown together lunches as we’re literally running out the door with the kids, backpacks, breakfast hanging out of our mouths and a nagging feeling we’re forgetting something. That, in a nutshell, is how we spend our mornings.
This is organizedCHAOS for a reason.
Take each image with a grain of salt. The idea is there and you can do with it what you want. Perfection isn’t the goal – it’s just about feeding your child and moving on. Oh, and looking like a rad parent in the meantime.
At the end of this post, we will list all supplies that will make your bento box lunch preparation a simple one. It’s all about the tools…and budget. It’s not pricey at all. Order, check your doorstep, grocery shop, make the lunch, enjoy time for yourself.
Source: Operation Lunchbox
Hot dog
Strawberries & blueberries
Coleslaw
Baked beans
Source: Keeley McGuire
Apples
Carrots
Cheese
Popcorn
Chocolate milk
Source: Bento Lunch
Cheese sandwich
Kiwi and orange
Yogurt
Source: iPack Lunch
Chicken nugget pita
Carrots
Grain chips
Fresh fruit
Source: Food for Harper
Grapes
Nilla Wafers
Chicken nuggets
Carrots
String cheese
Apples
Source: Bentos on the Bayou
Toast rings
Chicken noodle soup
Carrots
Fresh fruit
Source: Keeley McGuire
Ham and cheese
Carrots
Apple rings with peanut butter
Grapes
Source: Jill Dubien
Cheese blocks
Wheat crackers
Bologna or ham slices
Cucumbers
Carrots
Source: Food for Harper
Crackers
Ham
Cheese
Fresh Fruit
Cucumber
Carrots
Source: Keeley McGuire
Carrot sticks
Ham rollups with cheese
Pita chips
Granola bar
Source: Keeley McGuire
Cheese and crackers
Ham roll ups
Carrots
Fresh fruit
Source: Food for Harper
Bowtie Pasta
Laughing cow cheese
Tomatoes
Green beans
Trail mix
Apples and blueberries
Source: Sun Scholars
Peanut butter sandwiches
Lego Duplo blocks – use as cookie cutter
Source: Keeley McGuire
Cheese sticks
Carrots and Jicama
Salami slices
Pancake sticks
Syrup
Source: Simple as That Blog
Carrots and cucumbers
Strawberries
Mini marshmallows
Pizza buns (recipe HERE)
Pretzels
Source: Wendolonia
Turkey and cheese (or substitute with another meat)
Strawberries
Tomatoes
Carrots
Dip
Pretzel fish crackers
Source: A Boy and His Lunch
Sandwich squares
Annie’s snack mix
Cheese crackers
Gross looking plums
Source: This Lunch Rox
Wheat cups (recipe HERE)
Taco fixin’s
Strawberries
Chicken pieces
Source: Keeley McGuire
Prepared tacos
Mandarin oranges
Broccoli salad
Source: Craftiness is Not Optional
Peaches
Grapes
Sandwich triangles
Pirate’s Booty cheddar puffs
Source: Inhabitots
Banana with peanut butter rolled in a wrap or tortilla
Carrots
Fresh Fruit
Source: Slash Food
String cheese
Sandwich cut into fun shapes
Goldfish crackers
Fresh Fruit
Source: Benton Better Lunches
Sandwich cut into apple
Cucumber
Fruit snacks
Fig newtons
Fresh apples with dip
Granola bar
Boiled egg
Fresh fruit (kiwi and blackberries)
Corn muffin
Raw peppers
Source: Following In My Shoes
Corn dog muffins with ketchup (recipe HERE)
Cheese squares
Sweet peas/snap peas
Apples
Source: Glory Mischief
Hamburger sandwich (ham, cheese, lettuce)
Tangerines
Cucumbers
Pretzels
A kiss
Seasoned potatoes
Pepperoni stick
String cheese
Mandarin oranges
Grapes and yogurt
Vegetables
Source: Bento for Kidlet
Sub sandwich
Macaroni salad
Carrots
Strawberries
Bento box lunches for kids don’t have to be tough. There are FIVE main parts:
- Protein
- Fruit
- Vegetable
- Something sweet
- Something salty
Also, don’t forget the drink.
If you are the plan ahead type, make a grocery list for two weeks and pack the easy stuff early on. If you are the last minute type, grab what you had for dinner the night before and make it bento-friendly. It’s truly that simple.
A TIP: Have enough lunch carriers and containers to last the week. That way, you aren’t having to wash those suckers every night. What a pain. Turns out, you have more important things to do.
visit our school lunch supply store – click for more
More times than I can count, I’ve been told, “Don’t wish the years away.” “Enjoy every moment you have with him.” I am still in awe of how lucky daddy and I are to have you as our son. You’re adorable, you’re smart, you’re feisty, you are independent and you’re hilarious. One problem: You grew up too fast.
As we wash all your new school clothes, buy your supplies and prep to meet your teacher, the first day of Kindergarten creeps closer and closer. Next week, life will change as we know it. Where did the time go?
Since the day you were born, we had planned that both daddy and I would work during the day. It didn’t happen that way. There was a plan greater than our own that kept me home with you. Looking back, I can’t believe I didn’t realize what an honor that was. How rare. While trying to start and run a business from home, there you were. Each day, I got to wake up with you, feed you breakfast and play with trains, trucks and Legos. This all happened while I took on the challenge of working from a home office. You you eventually grew to the age where you could talk my ear off…even when I was on an important phone call. Now we can signal to each other what the other one wants in our own little sign language. If only the people on the other end knew that I spent many of those calls with you in the bathroom, fixing a toy, racing Lighting McQueen and even rocking you to sleep .
Since I was reminded so many times to appreciate each moment, I tried to slow things down a bit and put family first. It didn’t always work out that way. I’ve never noticed it more than I do at this moment. Why? Why didn’t I just turn around and forget about the world for just one second? I knew that as each minute passed, I couldn’t go back in time. Talk about major mom guilt. I am blown away by what you have learned, experienced and even taught yourself. Whether you are in my office or not, I’ll always sit with one leg straight out, ready to jump up at any moment. I’ll always leave the door open and I’ll always welcome play time.
You are such a gift. You are first to enter my mind in the morning and the last I think about at night. In fact, I actually don’t think you ever leave this ol’ noggin.
We’re embarking on a new adventure. This time, you’re leading the way. I’ll be right behind you. I can’t wait to hear your stories when you come home. I can’t wait to meet your new friends. I can’t wait to experience school, friendships and challenges through your eyes.
There are no words to describe the way my heart melts when I see you smile, the pain I feel when you are sad and the lengths I would go to make you happy. I love you so incredibly much and am more proud than I ever thought possible.
To my sweet little boy starting kindergarten next week; Show the world what you have to offer and don’t hold back. They have no idea what’s about to hit ’em.
Love,
Mom
