I have been homeschooling for 10 years now, and I’ve never really questioned our decision to homeschool. I have always enjoyed teaching my kids and being there for the “lightbulb” moments on […]
Homeschool Encouragement
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Mother & Teacher: How Do You Wear Both Hats?
When I first started homeschooling my two middle-school-aged daughters more than 10 years ago, I remember really struggling with the mother vs. teacher dynamic right off the bat. I thought that homeschooling […]
NextGen Perspectives
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Homeschool Graduates: The Next Chapter
Many readers know that our two daughters are homeschool graduates: They both graduated from our homeschool when they were 16. Now that several years have passed, I thought it would be a good […]
Homeschool Encouragement
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Tools to Help You Bloom as a Homeschool Mama
Although I’m a NextGen homeschooler and had a positive personal experience with homeschooling, I struggled with many of the same doubts and fears — the “big fat lies” — that […]
Faith & Family / Homeschool Encouragement
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Find Freedom From Your Homeschooling Fears
Fear often holds us back in our homeschooling journey and robs us of the joy God has in store for us as we teach our children and create deeper relationships with […]
Homeschool Encouragement / Real-Life Homeschooling
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Learning Continues Despite Life’s Distractions
Even after 10 years of homeschooling, my biggest challenge is still consistency. Because of our lifestyle — owning two busy donut shops — my plans are interrupted on an almost daily […]
Homeschool Encouragement
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Spring Dilemma: Must We Finish Curriculum?
With the joy and sunshine of spring comes this very familiar reader question each year: “I feel like the end of this school year is coming much faster that I want […]
Homeschool Encouragement
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Finding Relief for Homeschool Burnout
There are many reasons why homeschooling parents can experience burnout during the school year. It could be seasonal (a long winter), topical (curriculum feels stale), or more personal (family crisis, […]
Faith & Family
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Ten Things to Let Go of This Year: Fear
Fear often holds us back in our homeschooling journey and robs us of the joy God has in store for us as we teach our children and create deeper relationships with […]
Homeschool Encouragement
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Ten Things to Let Go of This Year: Not Qualified
One of the top reasons for not homeschooling that I hear from parents is that they don’t feel qualified to teach their children. They believe that if they don’t know Chemistry or Calculus, or whatever […]
Faith & Family
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Ten Things to Let Go of This Year: Being Overprotective
There seems to be an epidemic of helicopter parenting in our country today… Or maybe it’s just in my suburban neighborhood. But I also notice it a lot in the homeschooling community. In […]
Homeschool Encouragement
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Ten Things to Let Go of This Year: Sensitivity
When I first started homeschooling more than 10 years ago, I felt a lot of pressure and judgment — not only from outsiders, but also family members and even my own children. […]
Homeschool Encouragement
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Ten Things to Let Go of This Year: The Schedule
I am one of those list-making/calendar-posting/digital-app-updating Type A mamas who thought I would have no trouble keeping it all together once we started homeschooling. After all, I’m a former editorial manager who steered multiple magazine sections like a […]
Homeschool Encouragement
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Ten Things to Let Go of This Year: Perfect House
If you are expecting to have the same clean, picture-perfect house you had (or imagined you would have) when your kids left the house for six hours a day to […]
Homeschool Encouragement
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Ten Things to Let Go of This Year: Scope & Sequence
I have written before about my love for lists and all things organizational, and with that came a love of scope and sequences. I love being able to check off a […]
Homeschool Encouragement
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Ten Things to Let Go of This Year: Writing Plans in Pen
I am a planner. I love homeschool planners, lists, outlines, organizing things, file folders, three ring binders — the whole nine yards. I would much rather shop at an office supply store than any […]
Homeschool Encouragement
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Ten Things to Let Go of This Year: Comparison
I love going to homeschool conventions. I have written about them here several times. In fact, this year I am helping to plan the OCHEC Tulsa Convention. Last year, though, […]
Homeschool How-To
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Top Homeschool Posts of 2014: Curriculum
Welcome to NextGen Homeschool’s Top Homeschool Posts of 2014 Series! This week we’ll be sharing the top homeschooling topics — and most viewed posts — of last year based on the […]
Faith & Family
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Tango With Traditions or Time For Our Own?
I love the idea of traditions just as much as the next person, and the warm and fuzzy feelings that word evokes in my heart. However I’ll admit that try […]
Homeschool Encouragement / Real-Life Homeschooling
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Thankful to Homeschool When Life Happens
I’m going to be honest here: This year has been particularly hard. Life has gotten pretty crazy with major changes for our business, home and family, including the building and […]
Homeschool Encouragement
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31 Days of Homeschool How-To: Avoid Burnout
Welcome to our October “31 Days” series at NextGen Homeschool: 31 Days of Homeschool How-To Tips! As NextGen Homeschoolers, we remember what it was like to be homeschooled ourselves, and our experiences […]
Homeschool Encouragement / Homeschool How-To
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31 Days of Homeschool How-To: Find Support
Welcome to our October “31 Days” series at NextGen Homeschool: 31 Days of Homeschool How-To Tips! As NextGen Homeschoolers, we remember what it was like to be homeschooled ourselves, and our experiences […]
Homeschool How-To
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31 Days of Homeschool How-To: With Toddlers
Welcome to our October “31 Days” series at NextGen Homeschool: 31 Days of Homeschool How-To Tips! As NextGen Homeschoolers, we remember what it was like to be homeschooled ourselves, and our experiences […]
Homeschool How-To
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31 Days of Homeschool How-To: Keep Working
Welcome to our October “31 Days” series at NextGen Homeschool: 31 Days of Homeschool How-To Tips! As NextGen Homeschoolers, we remember what it was like to be homeschooled ourselves, and our experiences […]
Homeschool How-To
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31 Days of Homeschool How-To: Manage Chores
Welcome to our October “31 Days” series at NextGen Homeschool: 31 Days of Homeschool How-To Tips! As NextGen Homeschoolers, we remember what it was like to be homeschooled ourselves, and our […]
Real-Life Homeschooling
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Back to School at Guardian Academy, First Day
If I had to sum up our first day of school here at the Ward house in one word, it would be “hectic.” But hey, that is just my life […]
Real-Life Homeschooling
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When Back-to-School Isn’t Picture Perfect
What do you remember most about the back-to-school season of your youth? The smell of freshly sharpened pencils, perfectly tipped crayons and a clean backpack? Picking out a cooler lunchbox? Laying […]
Faith & Family
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10 Tips for Parenting Teens With Wisdom & Love
We’re all familiar with the common conflicts between parents and teens, situations like: “My teenage daughter is addicted to her phone, and if we take it away for punishment, she […]
Faith & Family
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Homeschool Mom on a Mission: Nina Taylor
Welcome to Homeschool Moms on a Mission! We believe that ALL moms have a unique mission to serve the family that God has blessed them with, raising their children diligently […]
Ask a NextGen Homeschooler
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Ask a NextGen Homeschooler: How Can I Breathe Life Into My Homeschool Curriculum?
Welcome to “Ask a NextGen Homeschooler.” It’s your turn to ask the authors of NextGen Homeschool — formerly homeschooled moms who are now homeschooling our children — to weigh in […]