Whether clutter drives you batty or you’re the one who always knows where everything is amid the chaos, too much homeschool clutter may be a problem. Read on to discover why too much clutter may be hurting your homeschool and what you can do about it. 

Everywhere we look – on Pinterest, blogs, Instagram, you name it – people are decluttering. I’ve seen umpteen clutter-purging room-by-room lists and photos of donation bin bags piled high, boasting another victory in the challenge of getting rid of the obscene amount of things we don’t really need.

Marie Kondo has undoubtedly made heaps of money with her tactics on purging your home down to the very bare essentials.

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I know Valentine’s Day is nearly a month away, but if you’re anything like me – a procrastinator – and you want to plan a party for your homeschool group or a small group of friends, consider this a friendly reminder to start thinking about it now. I usually start thinking about it around February 7. I don’t recommend that approach.

We haven’t done a homeschool Valentine’s Day party in several years, but when my kids were younger, they used to love our annual gathering, which started with just a small group of friends and grew larger each year.

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If you’re new to homeschooling, you’re probably wondering what the real homeschool essentials are.

The first time I walked into a homeschooling convention, I almost had a panic attack. I’d been planning to homeschool for a while so I had already researched and purchased our curriculum. After walking the aisles for a few minutes, though, I was certain I’d made a huge mistake and was ready to send it all back.

Thankfully, I had a friend who had homeschooled for several years who was able to talk me down. 

Despite what homeschool conventions, Pinterest, and other homeschooling parents might have you believe, you don’t need everything under the sun to homeschool successfully.

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One of my biggest pet peeves as a homeschooling mom? When people (specifically non-homeschooling people) ASSUME that they know what homeschooling looks like. And if you’re reading this, that’s probably something we have in common.

People love to put mental boxes around anything that’s a little bit different, rebellious, or wild. The reason that generalizations (even the positive kind)  can be annoying for us homeschooling families is because the secret, wonderful, more complicated truth is this: homeschooling looks different for everyone and that includes what the best homeschool curriculum is for your family. The reality is that there are almost as many different ways to homeschool as there are people who choose to homeschool, and that’s part of why we love it so much!

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Whether it’s the holidays, illness, a new baby, a vacation, a move, or another significant life event, there are days, weeks, and yes, sometimes even months when school work — academics — take a back seat to other life events. That’s normal and necessary. It’s also normal and necessary that we find a way to get back to school after a break, to find our rhythm and structure and focus on academics. There are many different strategies for restarting – here are a few. Find one that works for you, or if your style isn’t listed, be sure to share it in the comments below!

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