Easy Ways the Homeschool Mom
Can Stay Committed

It is not easy being a homeschool mom. We need some ways to keep us committed to teaching our children. We also need some ways to make our life easier. Here are some of the ideas that I have come up with though my years of homeschooling.

Commitment

As a homeschool mom we need to be committed. Homeschooling can not be a passing phase for us. The moment that it starts to get tough we will quit.

So how do we stay committed? First we need to believe that homeschooling is God's plan for our lives. Then we need to believe that we can homeschool.

Also it is good to find people who will hold us accountable; maybe it is just our husbands or a trusted friend. Some of us need to join a homeschool support group.

To help me stay committed I like to read books and magazines about homeschooling. In the beginning I read one homeschooling book a year. I still subscribe to several magazines.

One of my favorite resources is The Old Schoolhouse Magazine. The magazine is published quarterly. It is filled with tips for homeschooling preschool through high school. I usually find ideas that I can use. I also like the recipe that is in every issue.

The Old Schoolhouse has started a new e-mail addition to their magazine. Every month you will receive the Teacher's Toolbox, an e-mail with downloadable information. You will only receive the Teachers Toolbox if you subscribe to the magazine. Each month will have a theme.

There is:

• a month of recipes,
• downloadable e-books,
• a calendar with history events,
• and crafts.

I liked the e-books that I downloaded. They will be helpful for teaching my children next year. You can also read past editions of the magazine online. You get a lot of free information after you subscribe to the magazine.

Relationships

As a homeschool mom we need to plan to take care of our other relationships. First if we are a Christian we need to have personal time with God. We need to regularly read the Bible and pray.

Next we need to have time with our husbands. Some couples plan a date night away from the children. We like to spend time doing the grocery shopping together.

It is always good to have some friends that homeschool. You can find fiends by joining a local support group.

If you do not have a support group close you can find friends on the internet. Twitter and facebook are good places to find like minded people. On both sites you can search for homeschooling sites.

Another way to connect to homeschoolers is to find homeschooling forums. But we need to balance our friendships with our homeschooling. If we are social we can have the tendency to spend all of our time outside the home and not homeschooling.

Inexpensive, Time Saving Meals for the Busy Homeschool Mom

I am always looking for meal ideas that are inexpensive and do not take a lot of time to make. I try to have the ingredients for such meals on hand. Times saving meals are good for busy days. Sometimes we get home late in the afternoon from errands or field trips.

In the autumn and winter we eat a lot of soup. I can make homemade soup in about 30 minutes. I can make tortilla soup by having some canned refried beans, black beans, corn, salsa, and chicken broth on hand. The only fresh items that I need are cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips.

Taco soup is similar. I usually have hamburger in the freezer

I also like to have frozen tortellini on hand. I heat two cans of chicken broth with two cans of water. I then add seasonings and tortellini. When the tortellini is cooked I add Parmesan cheese. I like to serve this soup with rolls. If I do not have rolls I will make biscuits.

Some people like to take a weekend once a month and cook meals for that month. I have tried but did not like the recipes in the book.

I do have some recipes that freeze well that I like. We like a lot of Mexican food so I will make chicken salsa in the Crockpot and freeze the leftovers.

Another thing that I like to have in the freezer is hamburger patties. Even my children can cook hamburgers for dinner.

Frozen chicken tenders are also good to have on hand. I have made casseroles using them.

In spring and summer we like to eat salads. Again frozen hamburger is good to have on hand. I can take a pound of frozen hamburger and cook it up to make taco salad.

Hopefully some of my ideas can keep the homeschool mom motivated.

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