Mama's Musings

Aussie homeschooling parents, we made it through 2024! Can I get a collective high five? Now it’s time to pause, take a deep breath, and set ourselves up for an even better year ahead. I’m talking about a fresh start for 2025 — one that doesn’t feel like a hamster wheel of curriculums, activities, and Pinterest-perfect goals. Let’s keep it simple, real, and joyful.

Take Stock of 2024

Before we dive headfirst into planning, let’s reflect. Gather your kids, grab some snacks, and chat about the highs and lows of 2024. What worked? What didn’t? Did those fancy science kits gather dust? Did a random library book spark a month-long passion for volcanoes? Did a daily schedule feel like too much?

Be honest with yourselves and your kids. This is the time to let go of what didn’t work without guilt. Didn’t finish the math workbook? Who cares? Your child still learned. Didn’t stick to that detailed timetable? Maybe your family thrives...

Homeschooling is a journey of growth - not just for our kids but for us as parents and educators. Like any journey, it brings with it twists, turns, and unexpected leaps, and in my experience, the ability to adapt to these changes is as essential as any lesson plan. Today, I’d like to share some thoughts on adapting to change as a homeschooler and why flexibility, openness, and family-centered priorities are key.

Recognising the Need to Be Flexible

One of the greatest gifts homeschooling offers is flexibility. Unlike traditional schooling, where a rigid schedule dictates the pace, homeschooling allows us to pivot when needed. But it’s easy to get caught up in our own expectations - believing we have to “finish the curriculum” or “stick to the plan” no matter what. We must remember that plans are just that: a rough guide, not a rulebook. Life will throw curveballs, and learning to embrace them with grace and flexibility helps us model adaptability...

The 2024 Australian Homeschooling Summit starts today.  Just a friendly reminder because I think it's very much worth attending.  See you there?

As parents embark on the journey of homeschooling in Australia, they may encounter various misconceptions surrounding this educational choice. Below, I aim to address some of the most common homeschooling myths, empowering home educators with accurate information and dispelling any doubts they may have.

Myth #1: Homeschooled children lack socialisation opportunities.
Contrary to popular belief, homeschooling does not isolate children from social interactions. In fact, homeschoolers often engage in numerous social opportunities, such as joining homeschooling groups, attending co-op classes, participating in community programs, and taking part in extracurricular activities. These avenues provide ample opportunities for children to develop social skills, make friends, and build lasting relationships.

Myth #2: Homeschooling is less academically rigorous than traditional schooling.
Homeschooling allows parents to tailor their children's education to their individual strengths, interests,...

Just Checking In... I love this offering from Twinkl. Page 6 is my #1 because I'm back into gratitude journaling for 2024 - my absolute favourite tool for finding peace. How often do we say/think "I'm fiiiinnnne!" with tight shoulders, furrowed brow, clenched jaw? If you're a home educating parent (or any parent/carer, let's face it), it's likely you're overwhelmed from time to time. And that doesn't mean you don't love your life, it just means that things are out of balance somewhere.

Please take care of you. Find the tools you need (like this printable from Twinkl, or my free printable 20 page workbook here), get support, be honest with yourself about your needs.

If you want to chat further about finding this balance, don't hesitate to book in with me at calendly.com/spiralbel for a 1:1 session. I'll validate the heck out of your need to prioritise yourself, and we'll chat about homeschooling along the way!

Photo Credit: M Sessions / Unsplash - woman moving through a field of...

In recent years, the landscape of education has been evolving rapidly, with more families opting for non-traditional approaches to learning. Homeschooling has gained popularity for its flexibility and personalised learning experience. In Australia, a growing number of homeschooling families are finding community and support through learning co-ops, creating collaborative environments that enrich the educational journey for both home educators and students.

What is a Learning Co-op?
A learning co-op, short for cooperative, is a collaborative effort among homeschooling families to share resources, knowledge, and expertise. These co-ops provide a supportive community for parents/carers and students alike, fostering a sense of belonging and shared responsibility for education.

Structure of Learning Co-ops:
Learning co-ops vary in structure, but they generally involve a group of families coming together to pool their time, resources, and talents. These co-ops can be formal or...

Confidence is a feeling of wellbeing and calm, and belief in yourself as an educator.

Homeschool Confidently is about building confidence - sharing good news stories, fun and useful resources and ideas, and little bits of encouragement across various platforms.  In my 1:1 sessions and groups I break down the overwhelming task of homeschooling into manageable activities.  I'm here to boost your confidence.  There are many other homeschool coaches and mentors like me - and I recommend you find someone further along the journey to encourage you.

What are some other ways you can gain confidence as a homeschooler?

READ books about homeschooling.  Anything by John Holt (classic), Julie Bogart, John Grey, or Laura Grace Weldon is a good start.  There are audiobooks, ebooks, library books, international books, Australian books - there are SO many books to encourage you as an educator!

TALK to other homeschooling parents - in person, online - it doesn't matter, just...

I regularly write for the Twinkl Home Ed Magazine because it's a fantastic resource made by the home ed community for our community!  The October theme is Life Skills and the Twinkl team included an article I wrote about Child-Led Learning.  I think the research and resourcefulness of child-led learning make it a very important life skill!  The magazine is available here.

This month I'm walking 100km to raise money for a Mental Health service provider I refer to regularly at work.  The Black Dog Institute has wonderful free information, self-tests, apps, webinars and more.  They can help guide people to access the support they need, when they need it, and that includes ongoing support for better mental wellbeing long-term.  My fundraiser is here.  I'm also helping my colleagues with mental health events for Queensland Mental Health Week at work, which is an interesting process as I'm learning what services are available.  During my Mental Health First Aid training, and my current Diploma of Community Services I've been alarmed by the statistics around mental health and suicide.  I'm also aware that mental health issues affect a large proportion of the service users where I work, and that a person's mental health can affect employment, economic security, social connection, physical wellbeing, and almost all...