Every homeschool mom could use a little more joy, sanity, and time! Check out this amazing resource that gives tips, plans, and encouragements for a more joy-filled and successful homeschool!
We are wrapping up our first year of homeschooling in a few weeks. I know it will be July by then, and that is a late time to typically end a school year, but as I spent almost all of last year pregnant (first with James and then with Josiah), our pace was slow and at times somewhat sporadic.
Homeschool veterans say to expect your first couple of years to be full of trial and error— finding your groove, and discovering what styles and philosophies best suit your family. That is just what this past year was for us.
I definitely did not have it all together but I can look back on the year and be thankful for the freedom to figure out what works and the flexibility to try new things.
More than ever, I know that a Charlotte Mason style education is the best fit for our family. Give us great books, plenty of time outdoors, and simple time together pursuing our interests and we are happy.
I found a curriculum I loved for kindergarten and I plan to continue it on into first grade. Since I am still learning the ropes with homeschooling, I wanted a curriculum that did a lot of the planning and thinking for me. The curriculum we used, My Father’s World, is a great blend of Charlotte Mason’s methods and rich Bible teaching.
A special area was set up as our homeschool nook and a year later, it still is exciting to look at, despite being a little more cluttered than it was back in the fall.
We joined a co-op made-up of other CM homeschooling families further along than we are, and have really benefited from their examples and experiences.
These are the things that I feel good about. I know what I love about teaching my kids and generally how I want to teach them. What I need help with, though, is EVERYTHING ELSE.
I am not naturally super organized. Schedules and punctuality are not my strengths. But even for the most type-A homeschooling mom, there is a major learning curve when it comes to setting up routines, organizing papers and plans, structuring everyone’s time, and finding all the resources you need to start your homeschool year.
And all of this is especially true when you add a baby or a toddler (or both!) into the mix.
I know from experience that when there are not routines and systems in place, the joy of teaching (and learning) can quickly be sapped. Not being prepared means being stressed– and a stressed out homeschool mom is going to have a hard time being patient and excited about lessons.
True story: I used to teach elementary school in a past life. I loved teaching, but all the planning and paperwork and procedures often got me bogged down. Six years later, I still have nightmares about showing up at school with no plans and no organization. Believe me, it’s a scary situation to be in!
Stressed out, unprepared, disorganized…these are not the things I want to describe our homeschool life. Even just one year has given me the perspective of how draining it feels to not know what you’re doing or not to have working systems in place.
Which is why I am really so thankful and excited for the incredible eCourse that Kristi from Raising Clovers has put together. Kristi is a seasoned homeschool mom– she’s been teaching for years and has developed systems that WORK.
Kristi’s Ultimate Homeschool Organization eCourse is designed to help homeschool moms get the joy back in homeschooling by starting from a foundation of solid organization and planning.
Through a series of engaging videos, she shares very practical tips, experience and lots of encouragement. What’s more, each video has an outline of notes to go along with it and a place for comments or questions.
There are also a ton of free printables and resources with the eCourse– this alone is worth the investment! There’s even a menu planning page!
Making all of those worksheets and labels (or even finding them on Pinterest) takes TIME! And time isn’t a commodity that most homeschool moms have a lot of!
What’s Covered In the Course?
The course is broken up into three modules, with a handful of videos in each. The videos are so thorough and Kristi shares tons of ideas and insights she has gleaned from years of experience.
In the course, Kristi explains how to:
- plan and prepare for the whole year
- create simple, flexible routines for your homeschool day
- implement five different organizational systems for curriculum and resources
- set up your homeschool space and organize all those books!
- motivate your kids to enjoy school
- teach with little kids in the room
- and much more!
What I love about the course…
Obviously, if you are going to spend money on something you want to know that it’s worth it. Me too.
I love this course because I feel like I am investing in my sanity for another year of homeschooling.
Homeschooling is hard work. But mix it together with keeping your home, parenting your children, and loving your spouse…and that is a very full plate! I am more than happy to invite help in when I can in order to lighten my workload and make things easier.
Kristi is the help I’m inviting in. She has five kids at home, currently teaches four of them, and has so much of the experience that I am lacking. Rather than trying to do it all on my own, I am thrilled to be able to listen to her share her wisdom and follow her examples in creating a joy-filled homeschool environment.
The videos are fun to watch, which is actually pretty important. Kristi is a great communicator and shares her ideas in a way that is engaging and easy to follow. I have been watching the videos while working in the kitchen or while I’m on the couch watching my kids play.
I love that I can go back and watch them as many times as I need to– this will come in handy when I’m ready to start setting things up for next year.
Mostly I just love how easy and accessible Kristi’s ideas are. The plans and systems are not rigid. They are designed to be flexible and she gives tons of tips on how to make things work in your home with your family’s dynamics. You don’t have to go spend a lot of money on organizers–a little will go a long way.
Right now Kristi is offering The Ultimate Homeschool Organization eCourse on sale to celebrate its release!
You can get the whole course for $39.99 ($20 off the retail price!). The sale ends on June 30th, though, so don’t wait too long.
If you are wanting more joy in your homeschool, or simply don’t want to try to figure everything out on your own, then this course is for you!
Invest in this simple, time-saving course and get back more time this summer to enjoy your well-earned break! Your school is worth it!
Get The Ultimate Homeschool Organization eCourse here!
Kristi Clover says
Great post! Thanks so much for sharing about it! I love seeing how people are using it. I know I wish something like this was around when I was first looking for ways to get organized. So excited to see how much you like it! Enjoy!! 🙂 & thanks again!