Forgetful Momma

Secular Homeschooling in Canada

Natural Homeschooling

50 Reasons to Homeschool!

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We have been homeschooling for five years, going into our sixth year now. A few months ago I had this little whisper in the back the back of my mind that said, how about about putting the kids in public school for the 2020/2021 year? I quickly shut it down, we love our life homeschooling. I wanted to share with you what our reasons to homeschool are.

50 Reasons to Homeschool!

50 Reasons to Homeschool Your Kids

This post contains affiliate links, see my disclosure policy for more information.

Social Reasons to Homeschool

  1. less peer pressure
  2. homeschoolers become adept at interacting with a wide variety of age groups
  3. more opportunities to interact with the community
  4. children at home don’t need to suppress their personal identity to fit into the crowd
  5. learn in a less judgmental environment
  6. child can become independent thinkers
  7. children become empowered when their ideas are heard and validated

Family

  1. increases bonding in a family
  2. parents are able to know their child
  3. parents create the perfect learning environment for their child
  4. families can relax – no planned vacations or appointments around a school schedule
  5. your kids can be kids longer – they keep that innocence about them longer
  6. you get to see the light bulb moments
Siblings

Educational Reasons to Homeschool

  1. homeschoolers tend to get less tired because they can sleep more – they can learn more because they are more rested
  2. can learn anywhere
  3. skip subjects your kids find boring or unsatisfying – or find another way to learn the material
  4. they learn at their own pace
  5. you get to learn interesting things that you may not have had the opportunity to learn before
  6. younger sibling can learn by watching older siblings
  7. they are able to discuss and explore thoughts and ideas without fear of ridicule
  8. when they’re done with their work for the day, they’re done…no extra busy work or homework
  9. they learn life skills – cooking, caring for others, and all the things that go along with running a home.
  10. they can take frequent breaks if they need to.
  11. education for for mastery, not a grade
  12. creativity is nurtured and celebrated
  13. imagination is encouraged
  14. your child can learn in a way that fits them best
  15. real life experiences for learning opportunities – raising animals
  16. they can learn from documentaries instead of textbooks
  17. homeschoolers perform well academically
  18. there is no time line for your child to learn something. Some need a little more time, and then some graduate early
  19. the ability to choose to unschool
Homeschool Tips for Beginners

Unexpected Reasons to Homeschool

  1. kids are eating healthy – eating to keep up with their growing bodies
  2. school doesn’t have to be stuck inside on nice spring or fall days
  3. cuddling pets while learning – pets are great for reading to
  4. ability to visit museums and such places without large crowds
  5. children learn time management skills
  6. your kids won’t get every cold that goes through the classroom
  7. everyday can be pajama day!
  8. birthdays are holidays from school
  9. poetry/morning tea time – butter beer or hot chocolate during reading time
  10. no waste time during “school”
  11. video games can count as learning
  12. Lego totally counts as school – the skills these kids learn from putting Lego sets together.
  13. kids don’t have 15 minutes to finish their lunch – this always breaks my heart – which leads me to…
  14. kids learn to cook by making their lunch
  15. it doesn’t matter if they fidget
  16. it might not matter if they talk – depending on if they are driving a sibling nuts while they are trying to accomplish something
  17. you can world or road school which is traveling around the country or world while doing homeschool
  18. healthier – no having to wait until recess to use the bathroom! Or needing any other permission

Whatever your reason for thinking about homeschooling, I’m sure it’s great.

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Best Jobs for Homeschool Moms

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I recently shared ways that homeschool moms can make money from home, but I also wanted to share jobs that homeschool moms can do from home and still earn an income, not just gift cards or pocket change.

Best Jobs for homeschool moms - mom with girl child

Best Jobs for Homeschool Moms

This post contains affiliate links, see my disclosure policy for more information.

I tried really hard to find sources of income that have flexible hours of work, where you can work as much or as little as you’d like as well. Most of the options are available everywhere, so hopefully you can find something for you.

At Home Job for Homeschool Moms

Virtual Assistant – you can take skills you may have used in your job before staying home and offer them to bloggers, small or large business owners. This includes working on social media sites where you might already be spending time, why not get paid to be there.

In-home Daycare/Childcare – You can earn pretty good money depending on where you are live and how many children you are able to take care of by providing childcare in your home.

I lack the management skills to get everything done (lessons) everyday, and I’m not good at be “stuck” home. Which is something very important to consider. We love being able to go to the library in the middle of the day which this option prevents.

Teaching Online – one of the most popular sites I see other homeschool moms mention is VipKid, which is teaching English online. You do need a bachelor’s degree however, which is why I am not using this option.

Freelancing – If you enjoy writing it is a great job to get into. The hours are flexible, and the pay can be quite good. I’ve done this in the past and have enjoyed it.

Customer Service – Many companies require remote customer service representatives, from major retail companies to the medical, financial, educational fields, and more. Indeed is a great place to look for these jobs.

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Out of Home Job for Homeschool Moms

If you are looking to get out of your home there are still more jobs that you can find to fit your schedule.

Dog Sit or Dog Walking – I haven’t done this, but I have never lived in an area where there was a need. There is an app (US only, sorry) called Rover that allows you to watch dogs, walk dogs or even just drop in and let them out to go potty! You choose when you work, what you earn and what dogs you work with!

Uber Driver – Uber might be one of the most flexible part time jobs to make money while homeschooling. You can literally start working whenever you want. There is no set schedule.

Best Jobs for homeschool moms - mom working on computer

UberEATS – deliver food instead of people! It offers just as much flexibility as Uber but there is a lot less customer service.

Care Homes – It seems like there is always a need for workers in care homes that are willing to work in the evenings and night shift. It can be hard to get enough sleep to avoid burn out, but it is always an option.

There are a lot of great ways for a homeschooling mom to earn income whether it is to completely support her family, or help out with expenses or to cover the extras that she wants for her family.

Best Jobs for homeschool moms

Recommended Products for Working Homeschool Moms

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Homeschool Winter Nature Study Tips

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The groundhog has spoken and it will be 6 more weeks of winter here. I’m not surprised with a storm in the forecast. We’ll be continuing our winter nature study for awhile longer as things melt and freeze again and again. After living in the freezing Saskatchewan for years, we’re enjoying learning about everything about winter on a lake.

Homeschool Winter Nature Study Tips

Homeschool Winter Nature Study Tips

This post contains affiliate links, see my disclosure policy for more information.

As a child I hated going outside. It was boring as an only child with no one to play with. My children love being outside and have since my oldest was little. I made a point of going outside with them so that they could love it out there. 10 year later, my kids would rather be outside than in the house. And if we could get some more great sledding snow/weather, I’ll be right out there with them.

Tip #1: Go Out in the Sun

Watch the weather forecast and make plans for the sunny days. This was the biggest challenge after leaving Saskatchewan, it’s not always sunny here in New Brunswick, and I am a sunshine person.

The afternoons are often the warmer time of day to go as well, so that’s when I venture out. And when my kids go out and stay out for longer periods of time too.

Tip #2: Study Winter-Specific Topics Outside

Spend time learning about hibernation and winter adaptations of local animals, and animals in other parts of Canada. Look for and study tracks and scat. Ice, snow, and conifers also make excellent winter subjects for nature study, including building snowmen, and igloos. You can check your local library for books on animals that you have in your area to learn more about them.

Arctic Animals – Science Experiment

Snow Reaction in a Bag

Snowy Owl

Homeschool Winter Nature Study Tips

Tip #3: Invest in Good Winter Clothing

I buy the majority of our outside winter clothing – boots, coats, snow-pants, at the end of winter, beginning of spring. It can be expensive to buy boots for 3 kids, and I want warm boots, no frozen toes over here please.

Mommas, don’t forget to buy warm outside winter clothing for yourself. Snow pants, boots, winter coat, hat, mittens, the whole works. It’s a lot more fun when you can feel your legs still.

My kids are super hard on things and I am always sewing them back together. This year I found this waterproof spray to coat their things after I sew them and it has been reported back to me that they are staying dry!

Tip #4: Enjoy the Cozy Rewards

Come in from learning about animal tracks to a cup of hot chocolate. Grab your read aloud or book of poetry to enjoy at the same time. Talk about what you learned, what you observed while out there. Maybe make a plan for your next outside adventure.

If you are lucky enough to live where you are able to make and enjoy an igloo, maybe take your hot chocolate outside to enjoy in your igloo… I really wish we could do this!

Tip #5: Stay Inside and Keep Learning

Observe what is happening out there. Watch the squirrels come down from the trees to dig through the snow for seeds, or to come down all crazy as the snow is melting. Or the hawk that is enjoying a duck for lunch out on the ice and we can watch from our living room with binoculars.

We have learned more about nature from standing in our living room. Nature is beautiful and prefers us to take a step a back from them. Set up or make bird feeders for the birds that are around all winter.

Winter Nature Study - Hawk eating

Similar post you may be interested in:

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National Thesaurus Day – January 18

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Did you know that this day existed? I did not. But I thought it might make a fun school theme day, this year with the 18th landing on a Saturday, I’ll be introducing our thesaurus cards on the Friday. I have been thinking about this and have a few ideas and ways that you can include a Thesaurus Day in your homeschool.

National Thesaurus Day

National Thesaurus Day – January 18

This post contains affiliate links, see my disclosure policy for more information.

I think that the very first thing you need to do, and I need to do, is to get a Thesaurus for your homeschool if you haven’t already got one. I do not have one at the time of writing this but I have ordered the one linked above as I like the idea of also getting the vocabulary builder. You can also get student ones that might be better for younger students such as the one below.

Let’s Have Some Thesaurus Fun

You can have your kids make a list describing pets, family members, or friends. Have them find new words or their feelings and emotions as well.

Encourage your kids to look up words that use everyday. I should have my kids look the word “even”. I have come to hate that word. Actually too, because it sounds very close to Ashley.

Have your kids write a paragraph describing themselves. Practice expanding their vocabulary by using at least three new words.

Lessons from Teachers Pay Teachers

Teachers Pay Teachers has a few resources for this day, including one I have included myself. Just in time for National Thesaurus Day, I made these word charts for my own kids, and to share with you homeschoolers. 40+ words, their definition, synonym and antonyms.

I have mine printed on colorful AstroBright paper. I love using colorful paper instead of water, it just looks move fun, engaging, and something I would actually want to look at and use. I also have them on a binder ring as to make them easy to flip through and we’re less likely to lose one.

Thesaurus Word Charts - Synonym and Antonyms Words

This resource includes 40 commonly used words: angry, big, boring, clean, cold, crying, cute, easy, excited, fast, funny, good, happy, hard, hot, hungry, important, kid, laugh, like, look, make, more, naughty, nice, pretty, quiet, run, sad, said scared, slow, small, smart, smelly, tired, walk, went, worried, write, and a lot

These word charts also come in half page sizes for bulletin boards if you have one set up and like to use.

National Creativity Month – January

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This is a monthly theme that I am on board with. January is National Creativity Month, how fun is that? Everything this month should be creative.

National Creativity Month - January

National Creativity Month – January

This post contains affiliate links, see my disclosure policy for more information.

My kids each got a few craft kits because everyone knows that they are crafty, creative little people. Their bedroom floor are littered with paper right now as proof of their creative spirit.

Ways to Be More Creative

Kits & Subscriptions

Art isn’t always seen as a necessity in homeschool, especially when some of us are just trying to make it through each day. But for some it needs to be. For my kids and I, we need to be creative, it is part of who we are.

Art kits from Amazon are great. They are perfect for parents who aren’t crafty but want to provide their children with projects to work on. With everything needed included, including the instructions they’re perfect.

You could also check out Green Kid Crafts subscription box. Everything in one box, delivered to your door each month. The perfect way to be crafty each month.

Books

Head to your local library and check out their selection of books in the crafting section. My 10 and eight year olds love to get these books and then find something to re-create.

Make sure to check out my Amazon store front to find some fun craft books, including a book with a years worth of crafts.

Paper, Pencils, Glue

Just having craft supplies in your home can make all the difference. Your kids can use their imagination to create their own works of art. You don’t have to let them have free range to art materials at all times, but instead give them scheduled time whether it is once a week or more often.

Lego

Want to encourage your kids to be creativity everyday? Get them a set of Lego. You don’t have to buy the fancy kits, the classic creative box of Lego is the best for getting your kids to use their creative imagination. Our local library has a large selection of Lego books that my kids all borrow all the time so that they can create new designs, or draw from those ideas to create their own.

I would spend every penny I have spent on Lego over the year, all over again. It is the best toy any of my kids have gotten, and I love when they choice to spend their birthday or Christmas money on more of it.