Hi Reader! I’ve raised two kids with ADHD, and if there’s one thing that experience has taught me, it’s that ADHD doesn’t have one particular “look.” My son’s ADHD has been much easier to recognize from the outside. Hyperactivity. Impulsivity. The kinds of things people often picture when they hear ADHD. My daughter presents very differently. Having two kids whose struggles can look so different has made me really interested in understanding what ADHD actually is, not just the behaviors we...
9 days ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader! When I first started homeschooling, some of the voices I needed most weren’t the ones telling me what curriculum to buy or how to organize our day. They were the homeschool moms who were farther down the road than I was. The ones who had made it through the hard seasons. Who had changed course when something wasn’t working. Who had questioned themselves, learned from mistakes, and discovered along the way what really mattered. Their words carried me through some of my hardest...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader! There’s something about the beginning of a new homeschool year that always makes me reflective. When I first started homeschooling, I wanted to have the whole year figured out before we even began. And when I say figured out, I mean figured out. I had color-coded folders for every week of the school year, with worksheets already torn out and carefully organized. I had a plan. Then I met actual homeschool life. Some lessons took longer than I expected. Others we flew through. An...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader! When I first started homeschooling, I was determined to be organized. I'm talking color-coded file folders for every single week of the school year. Every worksheet had been torn out of the workbooks, sorted, and filed into its assigned week. I had the entire year planned before we even began. It looked beautiful. It lasted... not very long. Some lessons took twice as long as I expected. Others my kids flew through. Then there were the rabbit trails. The books we discovered, the...
2 months ago • 1 min read
Friday Favorites A few things we're excited to share this week. Upcoming Live Online Workshop Every homeschool family has a starting point. Some are just beginning. Others are ready to rethink what isn't working and create a fresh path forward. Join this free live workshop to discover practical strategies that help you homeschool with greater confidence, less overwhelm, and a plan that truly fits your child, your family, and your life. Register Now Featured Product The Ultimate Homeschool...
2 months ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader! As many of us begin a new homeschool year this month, I'd like to try something new with my emails to you. I know some of you homeschool year old and some don't start until September. That's okay. This will still align with your rhythm. We are growing at Homeschool Essentials and we have more ways to encourage you and support you. My hope and goal is that I do not add to the noise of your inbox, but that I bring you a fresh word of encouragement or an idea on how to build a skill...
2 months ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader! There's a page in the Daily Planner that I've watched change the way moms see their homeschool. It doesn't track assignments. It doesn't measure academic progress. It captures curiosity, interest, rabbit trails and real life skills. We call it the Natural Learning page, and it shows up every single week. This is the space to jot down those spontaneous experiences that happen outside the structured lesson plan. The questions they ask at breakfast. The things they discover on a walk....
3 months ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader! Before I begin a new school, it's been so helpful for me to name our priorities. I'll have priorities for myself, my family as a whole and for each individual child. This helps me know how I want to show up in the next year and what I have the capacity for. There were years we were navigating a move, taking care of parents as they reached the end of life, regaining our health, working through learning challenges. When life become challenging, our priorities shifted to creating...
3 months ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader! There's a page in the Homeschool Essentials Yearly Planner that we feel is so important, we actually put it in both the Yearly & the Daily Planner. It's not the curriculum map. It's not the schedule. It's the Know Your Why page. Because here's what I know after years of working with homeschool families: the moms who navigate the hard days well... they know why they're doing this. They have it written down somewhere they can return to. That "somewhere" is this page. When life...
3 months ago • 2 min read