HOMESCHOOL GLUE || Real-Life Simple Systems + Rhythms for Overwhelmed Homeschool Moms – Details, episodes & analysis

Right now — whether you’re actively homeschooling or not — there’s a curriculum already running your homeschool. You didn’t choose it from a catalog. But your kids are being shaped by it every single day.

In this first episode of the relaunched Homeschool Glue Podcast, I break down what the hidden curriculum actually is (hint: it’s the atmosphere of your home), why it matters more than any lesson plan you’ll ever write, and what you can actually do to make it work for you instead of against you.

This one is for the mom who is exhausted in a way that goes beyond just being tired. The mom who knows it matters and feels the weight of that every single day.

Not a perfect mom. A peaceful one.

That’s what we’re building here.

Links:

•  Shop all Homeschool Glue resources

•  Daily Riches — open-and-go Charlotte Mason rich subjects curriculum, ~20 minutes a day, family-style, 4 days a week

•  Buds, Blooms + Bees — living-books botany science, perfect for spring and summer

•  Seashore Science — living-books ocean science, perfect for summer

•  Join my email list — hear about sales and new resources before anyone else

Sale — this week only:

Everything in the Homeschool Glue shop is 20% off through Saturday March 29th at 11:59pm. No code needed — the discount is already applied at checkout.

Every once in a while it's fun to switch things up and answer some of your questions on the podcast!  Over on Instagram, I encouraged followers to submit questions, and submit they did!  In this episode I'm answering questions like, "Was homeschooling always in your plans?" and "Do you ever feel like you are not doing enough?" among many others!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Winter Indoor Survival Guide
• Quiet Time Podcast Episode
• Games Highlight on IG
• Alphabet Go Fish
• Raccoon Rumpus
• Sneaky Snacky Squirrel Game
• Tea Party Game
• King's Corner
• Skip Bo
• Qwixx
• Hues and Cues
• Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza

The new school year is just around the corner so I suppose it’s time to start thinking about what our school rhythm will be!  I always find it so interesting how other people (especially working homeschool parents) fit everything in, so I thought it would be fun to share how I’m balancing running 2 businesses and the social media for a friend’s business alongside homeschooling my 3 daughters (oh yeah, and to add to the chaos, baby 4 is due in January)!  I'm breaking down how I "do it all" (haha - I don't actually do "it all" but you know what I mean) in a typical homeschool week in today's episode!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• 2023-2024 Curriculum Review (Kindergarten + 3rd Grade)
• 2024-2025 Curriculum Choices (1st Grade + 4th Grade)
• Implementing Quiet Times Podcast Episode
• Activity Bins Highligh on IG

I’m definitely not at the end of my homeschooling journey – with baby 4 on the way I have another 18 years to go – but I have definitely learned a thing or two (or 20) that I would want to tell myself if I was starting again.  So, if you are new to homeschooling, thinking about starting, or just feeling kind of lost, I hope this episode can give you some tips and also offer you some grace as you chart new territory!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
- Things I Did That I Recommend Other New Homeschoolers Do Reel
- How I Created My Homeschool Tribe Podcast Episode

No matter how early or late into your homeschool journey you are, how old your kids are, or how much time you spend homeschooling each day – it is never too late to start a family morning time routine in your homeschool!

Our morning time is our favorite time of day in our homeschool and something we do whether we have a lot planned or barely anything planned for our homeschool.

My daughters are currently 9, 6, and 3, and we have a baby on the way, but I foresee us doing morning time until all my kids are graduated even when they are doing a lot of their school work on their own because it has so many benefits!  Today I’m going to share what we love about morning times, how you can start your very own to fit with your family’s needs, and what our current routine is!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

• Alphablock Book
• Activity Bins Highlight
• Menu Covers
• Homeschool Morning Menus

We learned in late May we are expecting baby #4.  This was definitely a surprise baby as we had convinced ourselves we were happy with three kids because I get SO sick during pregnancy.  Well, God had other plans and now we are having a baby in early January!  I’m now 12 weeks when this podcast is released and despite horrible nausea and exhaustion, baby 4 is doing amazing and we are looking forward to hopefully having an easier time soon.

I had a very clear picture of what our next homeschool year would look like, but having a baby in the middle of the school year definitely changed things!  So, I thought I would share what changes we will be making and some things I’m very grateful I already planned!

The reality of homeschooling for an introverted mom, or just being a mom in general, with so many needs, so many sounds, so many behaviors to help regulate, so many emotions, so much touching, and being pulled in a million directions can be EXCRUCIATINGLY HARD on the hardest days if I’m being honest.  Needing time alone to recharge as a mom, especially a homeschool mom where you are with your kids usually 24/7, can be a recipe for anxiety and depression.  However, it doesn’t have to be that way.  I’ve gone through seasons of overwhelm adapting to motherhood and being home with my kids since our first child was born 9 years ago, but as someone who thrives off creating solutions to all of life’s difficulties, I want to share my top 10 tips for homeschooling as an introverted mom with you today!

Juggling the demands of homeschooling and homemaking (and many time working) can be a real circus act sometimes if I'm being honest!  As a former daycare provider who used to watch 10 kids (including my own) 10 hours a day, 5 days a week, I got really good at structuring our days and creating a 2 hour naptime for the kids and a quiet time for me.  We have carried this practice into our homeschool days and it has been so essential to not only our success as a homeschooling family, but it has allowed me to work so we can homeschool our kids, and it's also been a wonderful break in the day for our kids.

In this episode, I share why we implement quiet time, what we do during that time, and why I think this part of the day can be very beneficial to all homeschool families if they are able to make it work!

Last week, I shared a recap of our homeschool choices we used this current school year and shared what we will be using for next year, but we have a solid 3 months in between the school years.  So, what are we doing this summer in our homeschool?  Listen to find out!

• Summer Scholé Podcast Episode
• Summer Scholé Blog Post

If you haven’t figured out a plan for next school year – why are you here listening to me?!?  Just kidding – whether you’ve figured out your plan for next year or not, I always find it fun and interesting to learn about what other families did during their homeschool year and how that affected their choices for the upcoming year.  So, today, I’m going to be recapping what we did this year, sharing my thoughts on each subject and what we used, and then sharing what we are using next year!

 MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Third Grade + Kindergarten Recap + Review Blog Post
• Fourth Grade + First Grade Homeschool Choices Blog Post
• Family-Style Learning Blog Post