Written by Jamie Martin of Simple Homeschool and Steady Mom

“The first time I really thought about what I wanted to do in life was a few months before high school graduation.”

My mom spoke those words on a recent visit, after reading through the kids’ compasses we’d completed in our homeschool.

She was impressed that her grandchildren, at ages nine, ten, and eleven, could articulate possibilities for their future–and that they recognized the way their lives could reach and touch others.

Shortly after Mom left last week I got a text message from her: “Could you email me more info about that compass? I’d like to do one myself!”

Schooling Without a Mission

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Written by Rachel Wolf of Clean and Lusa Organics Skin Care

Homeschooling can be such serious business.

Each day you juggle more tasks than a CEO.

Learning styles, lunch, and laundry.

Geometry, groceries, and gardening.

Disputes, diapers, and long division.

It’s a big job you’ve taken on. 

And yes, also the most rewarding.

Even so, sometimes I get a little too serious about it.
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The following is a post by contributor Angie Kauffman of Real Life at Home.

Homeschooling is such an amazing educational and lifestyle choice. The benefits of it are plentiful, and often get touted by homeschoolers.

There’s another side to homeschooling, however. That other side is that homeschooling can be challenging.

It can drain you mentally and physically. Even if it’s worth it, it is not an easy lifestyle to choose.

On the up side, however, there are things you can do when you’re feeling discouraged in your homeschooling lifestyle to help change your mindset and lighten your mood.  Sometimes, it’s just about making changes in logistics and in your thinking.

As an added bonus, it may also help your children feel better too.

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The following is a guest post by Beth Watson of Classical Conversations at Home.

“All that I own, I carry with me.” ~ Cicero

This quote has stayed with me since I read a blog post a little while back by Ruth at GraceLaced. It made me ponder. What do I own? What do my children own?

What do I want them to carry with them long after this homeschooling journey we’re on has ended?

So much of what I do today is based on my dreams or hopes for their futures. While I would love for them to be great at baseball or whizzes in the kitchen, more importantly I want them to be kind, strong, thoughtful, adventurous, creative, and loving.

I want them to share light and hope to those around them.

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The following is a guest post written by Julie Bogart of Brave Writer.

Recently my daughter, Caitrin, took up “longboarding.”

A longboard is an over-sized skateboard, and it looks like you’re surfing on asphalt! My youngest son, Liam, owns one and uses it all the time. Caitrin got curious.

The other day Caitrin flung open the front door and exclaimed through stifled sobs: “Get me bandages. I’m bleeding.”

Liam leapt to his feet; I abandoned my laptop.

Caitrin took quite a spill (“street pizza”)! One knee gouged and bloodied, an elbow throbbing in pain, scraped red, another patch of skin bleeding on her side, with lesser abrasions littered across her thighs and forearms. Spectacular crash!

I quickly assessed my resources and agreed with myself: “I’m no nurse.”

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