Mama's Musings

In the journey of early childhood education, parents often find themselves at a crossroads, contemplating the best way to instill values, culture, and beliefs in their children. Homeschooling preschool emerges as a powerful option in this quest, offering a unique opportunity to incorporate family values into the educational experience and foster a deep sense of identity and belonging.

Homeschooling allows parents to customise the curriculum to align with their family's core values, cultural heritage, and beliefs. Whether it's teaching morals, traditions, or languages, parents can tailor lessons to reflect what matters most to their family. This approach creates an immersive educational environment where children not only learn about their heritage but also live it every day.

Home education promotes an open dialogue within the family, providing a platform for discussing values and beliefs openly and honestly. It helps children understand the "why" behind the family's customs,...

How does homeschooling encourage critical and lateral thinking, growth mindset, and other ways to view the world?

Flexible Curriculum: Homeschooling allows parents to choose materials and resources that promote problem-solving, analysis, and creativity.

Individualised Instruction: In a homeschooling environment, children receive the one-on-one or small-group instruction that is held up as the ultimate education setting in most educational theory taught to teaching students today. 

Emphasis on Depth over Breadth: Homeschooling doesn't have to adhere strictly to a fixed curriculum. Parents can delve deeper into subjects that interest their children.  In fact, many families focus only on the child or family's interests and all learning stems from there. This allows for a more profound understanding and encourages critical thinking by exploring topics in greater detail.

Encouraging Curiosity: Homeschooling often encourages a love of learning and a sense of curiosity. This...

Last month I was a guest at The Sweet Society to talk with Kylie about Powerful Planning.  We discussed the big picture, what worked and what didn't, how I made a commitment to my kids and got them to make a commitment to me - in learning, large families vs one child, collaborating with other families, and SO much more!  You can check out the replay here.

This post is an article originally published in What's On Tablelands magazine in 2021.  It refers to places on the Atherton Tablelands, but it also has many general ideas for what do to when the rain doesn't stop.  Because we've had over 3 metres of rain this year, and it hasn't stopped yet, I decided to publish this for families like ours who have had many more wet weeks than dry ones!

GOING OUT

Go outside into the rain and mud. Have a plan to clean the kids up (or strip them off) and transfer them to the bath/shower, and then have a towel and warm clothes waiting! Depends where you are, the temperature, and how old the kids are, a run in the rain can be done in undies or togs, or wearing a raincoat and gumboots. Whatever they wear, make sure it’s okay for them to get wet & muddy. This approach is messy, but worth it!

Wet weather outings – wear appropriate clothes and shoes and head outdoors to experience nature. There are raging rivers & waterfalls,...

We had some lumpy fabric paint to use up, so I mixed it with water to tie dye shirts... The kids simply twisted and wrapped with rubber bands, sploshed the watery paint on, worked it in, unravelled the bands, set the shirts in the sun to dry, I ironed them to set paint, rinsed them with water and vinegar, then washed as normal. They are soft like dyed shirts (not stiff), and each one was different. Quick results, but a pretty messy activity!

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...

Wondering how you'll afford to homeschool? I have a simple worksheet you might like - something to start conversations and get you thinking about the real costs of homeschooling, and the alternatives. Head here! 

Using Instagram to record homeschooling can be a creative and effective way to document your homeschooling journey and share it with others. Here are some steps and tips for using Instagram for homeschooling.  Some of them are only relevant if you want to build a following.  It's also fine to have a private Instagram account and just use it for your personal record-keeping and/or share it with family members.

Create a Homeschooling Instagram Account: If you don't already have an Instagram account, create one specifically for your homeschooling content. Choose a username that reflects your homeschooling focus.  Ours is instagram.com/homeschoolconfidently.

Set Up Your Profile: Write a brief bio that explains your homeschooling approach, goals, and any other relevant information. Add a profile picture, and if comfortable, use a family photo or an image that represents your homeschool. You could make a little logo for your homeschool, if you like!  Canva is a great...

Nature walks for homeschooled children can be a valuable and enriching educational experience.  They are one of our favourite things to do as a family!  These walks can serve as a hands-on, outdoor extension of their curriculum and offer a wide range of benefits for their learning and development. Here are some considerations for nature walks specifically designed for homeschooled children...

Learning Opportunities: Nature walks can be integrated into various subjects, such as biology, ecology, botany, geology, and environmental science. Parents or educators can use these walks to teach children about the natural world, including identifying plants, animals, rocks, and more.

Hands-On Science: Nature walks provide an excellent opportunity for children to engage in hands-on scientific exploration. They can collect specimens, observe wildlife behavior, and conduct simple experiments related to their surroundings.

Nature Journals: Encourage children to keep nature journals...

Originally appeared in the August 2023 issue of What's On Magazine

As the world becomes more aware of the impacts of climate change and environmental degradation, a new phenomenon is emerging: eco-anxiety. This term describes the feeling of anxiety, fear, and despair that can arise in response to any environmental crisis. Unfortunately, it's not just adults who are experiencing it - children are also feeling the effects of eco-anxiety.

It's understandable why children might be feeling anxious about the state of the environment. They see images of natural disasters, hear stories about species going extinct, and are told that the planet is in trouble. It's a lot for them to take in, and it can be overwhelming.

So, what can parents, carers, and educators do to help children cope with eco-anxiety?

Listen: Listen to children’s’ concerns. Let them express their feelings, and then validate their emotions. Don't dismiss their worries or tell them that they're overreacting....