Homeschooling Lately

As a mama, my heart is for my children and supporting them through every stage. It became clear to us that homeschooling might be a great option for our family, and we’ve been really happy with our decision.

I want to continue sharing more of our homeschool journey here, especially since so many of you reach out with questions!

Right now we homeschool two of our four children — Aiden and Apple. We take a unique approach where we decide kid by kid, year by year what their schooling decision will be. We have been beyond happy with how homeschooling has impacted Aiden and Apple!

You can see some of our family’s favorites for homeschooling.  Don’t forget to check out my Amazon storefront!

Benefits of Homeschooling

One of the biggest benefits of homeschooling is the flexibility it provides. We can tailor our curriculum to fit our children’s individual needs and interests. For example, Aiden has been pursuing his passion for video editing and graphic design by creating a YouTube channel and designing his own merch that he sells on his website. He gets to learn practical skills along with the curriculum for his grade level.

Apple is in elementary school, and she is passionate about art and creativity, so we incorporate this into her curriculum. Apple has recently been really interested in sewing and we have a sewing machine and dress form for her! She honestly has the sweetest soul, and I have loved connecting with her in this way!

Homeschooling preschool is another great option, especially if you incorporate socialization through activities outside of the home!

More Quality Time Together

Another great thing about homeschooling is that we have more time as a family together. We can take field trips and explore the world around us more often. Especially with Aiden being in 8th grade, the homework had started to really ramp up and with all of the extracurricular activities as well we really felt like we weren’t getting the time with him that we know is so important. We wanted him to have time to decompress and to be with his sisters and friends too! It’s amazing to see how much our children are learning just by being out in the world and experiencing new things.

Flexibility and Creativity are Critical

As for our homeschooling schedule, we try to keep it flexible and allow for breaks throughout the day. We use a mix resources both online and printed materials, lots of books, and tons of hands-on learning activities. And of course, we always make time for art and creativity, and their unique special interests! Incorporating art into our curriculum has been a passion of mine, I was an art teacher for years and we even had our own art studio, A Little Artsy! It’s amazing to see how art inspires and engages our children.

Here are a few of our favorite homeschooling products that we love using at home. Don’t forget to check out my Amazon storefront!

If you’re looking for homeschooling ideas, inspiration, or support, there are plenty of great resources out there! I love scrolling through homeschooling quotes on Pinterest or browsing homeschooling aesthetic accounts on Instagram.

Homeschooling is all about empowering parents to choose what is best for each of their kids. It’s not always easy, but it’s definitely worth it. The most important part of this journey for me has been listening to my heart, trusting my gut, hearing out each child and what is on their hearts and minds. One of the most important parts of this has been believing that I know my kiddos and what would be best for them. If you’re considering homeschooling, I encourage you to go for it! You’ve got this, mama!

XO,

Casey Wiegand