Audio By Carbonatix

I love making homeschool resolutions. And after almost three decades as a homeschool mom, I can see the benefit each year from evaluating the systems I use and making adjustments. Even tiny changes can reap big rewards. Let’s look at what’s worked to make our homeschool run smoothly.

Homeschool Resolutions

I know it’s only a matter of time until summer—then I’ll be counting down the days until a new homeschool year starts! I love the beginning of the new school year. New school supplies, cracking open new books… I love learning right along with my children. Yet each year there are always challenges. At the beginning of each new school year, I make note of these challenges and try to come up with resolutions—things I can do to make positive changes. Sometimes these resolutions work, sometimes they don’t; but it’s always worth trying something new to fix a current problem.

A few years ago my homeschool problem was teaching six different grades for six different kids. I was only one person. How could I manage that?

My resolution was to find a good system that would work well for my kids, allowing us to do a large chunk of learning together. I accomplished this by using Sonlight Curriculum, a literature-based curriculum, that allowed me to do a lot of reading aloud to all my kids.

In the past, I’ve loved using Sonlight for my kids. I’ve read Read Alouds from both of these sets of books to all my kids. Since both sets of kids were studying the same time period, the books were both enjoyable and educational. We have all loved it, and it has really bonded our family.

To have had our kids that spanned several grades laughing (and sometimes crying!) over the same books has given us common ground. The kids had individual subjects they were learning, too, but it was fun to see my children sharing these stories with each other.

This year I’m continuing using Sonlight, but I also have a few resolutions:

1. Spend time with others. A few years ago, one of my homeschool resolutions was to find a  homeschool co-op that fit our family. The small local homeschool co-op my kids are part of now has been phenomenal for them. They’ve made great friends and have learned so much! Now we want to find more ways to spend time with others by looking into volunteering together as a family.
2. To actually do the Science projects. Confession—when she was home, my eldest daughter Maria was the one who did the Science projects for me. This will mean I’ll have to pull out the manuals for the kids myself.
3. Follow rabbit trails. Instead of just trying to get the next thing done in the teacher’s guide, I want to enjoy exploring new things with my kids. Like my friend Lyndsay recently confessed to me, “Last year had to hold too many ‘check the box’ kind of moments. I want and crave more ‘explore and dig’ moments. Not so rushed.” I can totally relate.
4. Listen more, laugh more.
5. Memorize more Scripture. We’ve memorized a few verses, but I know my kids would do great with this challenge. It’ll just take me challenging them.
6. Pray more about our homeschooling journey with my kids. I do pray about homeschooling (mostly that God will give me wisdom, patience, and strength), but I want to encourage my kids to pray, too. I know it will make all the difference.

What about you? Made any resolutions n the past that have changed things for the better? Also, do you have any current resolutions? I’d love to hear in the comments!

I’ve taken all my experience from almost three decades as a homeschooling mom and given them to you in my new Homeschool Success Course. 

Here is my welcome module to give you a glimpse of this course!

YOU can give the gift of a homeschool education to your family by joining me here: www.homeschoolsuccesscourse.com 

Get a free printable of these homeschool resolutions here!

Hope and Refreshment for Homeschooling Parents

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