Home Education
Understanding Homeschooling
“Homeschooling” is a word most people are now familiar with. It’s not actually a word that I like all that much. We’re not really home
Understanding Unschooling
As mentioned in “Understanding Homeschooling,” many people are now at least familiar with the homeschooling term but still don’t have a full understanding of it.
Homeschooling High School and Socialization: Not all Teen Community has to be Homeschool Community
Homeschooling High School and Socialization: Not all Teen Community has to be Homeschool Community By Erin Teens, friends and leaning into service … This might
The Importance of Patience as a Parent in the Teen Years
Her: I’ll be getting up earlier tomorrow so don’t worry if you’re hearing a bit of noise. I’ll try to be as quiet as possible.
Self-Directed Teens: The Distinction Between Supporting Interests and Entering into Shared Experiences
I’ve been thinking about the distinction between supporting our teens’ interests (and children’s too, but this is more about teens) and entering into shared experiences
Building Resilience Without School
I sat across from my kids at my in-laws’ house, listening to my oldest son (23) fill us in on his last few days of
Homeschooling Terms that Crept Up on Me … Confessions of an Early 2000s Homeschooling Mum
When I first dipped into the homeschooling world, it didn’t occur to me that there would be homeschooling trends to keep up with. The word
A Day in the Life with Teens, Young Adults and New Stages
I decided to write this “spur of the moment” after reading posts a few others had written about their days with teens. I had taken
Homeschooling during Covid: Sifting through a few Pros and Cons
These are interesting times. Choices abound, and so do decisions. Usually it’s easier to just follow the path and yet, suddenly it’s clearer that there
Abundant Homeschooling Doesn’t Need to Cost a Lot of Money:)
There are some phrases that don’t evoke images of abundance… Home educating on a shoestring budget … Home educating for less … Home educating on the cheap … These
O Canada – Glimpses of Canada For Kids, Adults and Families
* I wrote this post in the middle of May, in what now seems like a different time as far as world consciousness around racial
The Personality of Play – Part Three
As Kids Get Older … Is learning that is expressed through play still relevant as kids become older? Do we see differences in the way that
The Personality of Play – Part Two
The Different Ways Children Express Themselves – Real Learning? (photo above by Joan Gilmore) And back to talking about play:). In The Personality of Play,
The Personality of Play – Part One
The Different Ways Children Explore Play is a very individual thing. I love watching it happen. Sometimes I even like being part of it:). Children can
They May Not Be Learning That, But They Are Learning This …
“If she’s not here, she’s somewhere else.” The simplest statements are often the wisest. More than two decades ago, in the middle of a sunny morning,
Finding Yourself Suddenly Expected to Homeschool During a Pandemic? It’s OK if You Haven’t “Got This” – I Haven’t Either:)
One week ago today, I was sitting in the study room of a library, with two text messages coming in simultaneously. One was from my
In Appreciation of Film School 4 Teens
A few months ago, the teenagers in our house, plus a friend, began the Film School 4 Teens course. We were all quite impressed. My
A Day in the Life with Teens, Young Adults, Pets and Whole Life Learning
Mid February is likely a good time to do something interesting and a bit different. Looking back on the day that was and making note
A View from the Other End of the Homeschooling Trail – Enjoying our Teens and Young Adults
The first home education get together that I experienced was in the Spring 2003. Spring Of 2003. 17 years ago. Wow! While it initially doesn’t
Some of our Best Life Learning/Unschooling Resources of All
Things that are simply parts of our lives sometimes – often- have been the things we’ve learned the most deeply from. Over the years, we have
Respecting Teens
I finished my last bite of lunch and put the container in my bag, preparing to head out to drop my daughter and her friend
Exploring Great Literature with Teens in an Unschooling Way
I’ve been wanting to put these experiences to words for a long time because they have been such a rich and interesting part of the
Being a Parent Between Seasons
I heard the librarian announce over the speaker that the library was closing for the evening in fifteen minutes. Perfect. I needed to pick my
Living Grace And Kindness With Our Kids – More Important Than Character Building Curriculum Can Ever Be
I suddenly realized I was shifting my weight impatiently from foot to foot. Although my face was smiling, my body language was probably showing that
Reflecting on the Process of Self-directed Learning
The young girl from next door suddenly went soaring by on her bicycle the other evening as I watered plants on my porch. I had
Usborne Books – Broad and Deep Learning
I think I first was really drawn to Usborne Books about 15 years ago when M was 3. He and I were perusing the children’s
Building A Great Home Reference Library With Usborne Books: Supporting a Lifestyle of Learning
From the early years through the teens and into the adult years, Usborne offers top-notch reference books that support and deepen learning. For almost fifteen
Homeschool High School Ideas – The Beauty of Mentorships For Teens
Mentorships can be seriously rich for life- learning or homeschooling teens. They provide an opportunity for developing a skill or knowledge base from someone else
Parenting with Visually Creative Kids, Homeschooling with Visually Creative Kids
When my daughter was an infant, she would sit in her bright yellow Bumbo seat in the middle of the table while I made dinner
Family Strewing – When Your Kids Strew Things for You
Strew. It’s kind of an interesting word. When I google it, the dictionary tells me that it means, “scatter or spread untidily over an area”
Canadian Picture Books
I love picture books. I love the covers, the art, the words, the ideas, the characters and I always check out where the author and