MojoMommaMagic Homeschooling

A Homeschooler is Born In the past 12 weeks as a fledgling full-time homeschooler, Liam has taught me so much. The first day I tried to homeschool with him, I was desperate to conform us both to the "the magical" online program. I was sucking wind to prove to everyone--especially me--that he was more than an alphabet soup of diagnoses. He was more than a third grader with a quickly evolved "bad" reputation. He was NOT "just" the kid who dropped THAT WORD (which I didn't EVEN know he knew) in front of the principal AS I was escorting him out of school after yet ANOTHER EPIC meltdown. He wasn't angry. He was scared. And I was TERRIFIED As we approached homeschooling together, I reeked of desperation. What NOT to DO: My Top 5  1. Ever say "we have to do this online program or we (you!) will have to go back to school." Yep. I did it. Shamed and all that. You could find me arm-deep in a vat of peanut butter with a bottle of w...

"Create a space in a child's soul and in a child's being for that fine delicate work to come into the child's being instead of being part of the spillage." (Kim John Payne- Simplicity Parenting ). My #1 job as a homeschooler is creating soul space for Liam. If that sounds woo-woo, new age-y and homeschooler-in-pj's-with-curtains- drawn-all-day, let me back that up a bit and share how a recent conference discovery, a brand new lens and a fantastic planning tool merged to breathe life into our learning approach. I encountered Kim John Payne of Simplicity Parenting during A Fine Parent Conference held online. His research into the effects of cumulative stressors--be it PTSD in war-torn countries or children with ADD--pierced my heart. What helped most across cultures? DIALING IT DOWN! Simplicity. Intuitively (guiltily if I am honest), Liam's days have been filled with rest, down time and space for constructive conversations. I have felt shame...