Mama's Musings

If you're experiencing 'school can't' or school refusal with your child/ren, you won't want to miss this workshop with Rebecca English - Tuesday evening at 7pm AEDT (Sydney, Australia time).  It's FREE!

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,...

I love how Twinkl Australia creates resources especially for homeschoolers. It's like they can read our minds! 

There's this Special Days Planner here which has clickable links to a lot of resources, and a link at the bottom to even more things to acknowledge and celebrate.

I love anything that gives some rhythm to the year - months, terms, special days, seasons, solstices, equinoxes, the moon... 

In Australia, each state and territory has its own regulations regarding homeschooling. While the overall principles are similar, it is crucial to check the specific requirements for the state or territory in which you reside. Generally, parents register with their state or territory's education department or homeschooling authority. This registration process may involve filling out an application form, providing education plans, and occasionally, submitting to home visits or assessments. Some families choose not to ever register - understanding the requirements, your rights, and any repercussions is important.

Parents of registered children are responsible for maintaining records of their child's educational progress. This may include documenting completed assignments to record progress, and maintaining portfolios of their child's work. These records serve as evidence of the child's educational development and may be required during registration or assessment processes.

It...

This is not a homeschooling post, but if you are a local to the Atherton Tablelands, Queensland, Australia, or you ever visit - here's an educational history tour of this area!  And if you live elsewhere, maybe this article, originally published in What's On Tablelands magazine in April 2022, will give you some ideas for exploring the history of your local area?

The natural and geological history of the Atherton Tablelands and surrounding areas is fascinating! It includes giant trees and ancient forests, craters and crater lakes, lava tubes, gems, and gorges. Between four million and 10,000 years ago, a series of volcanic eruptions occurred over the Atherton Tablelands. Learn more about local volcanic history from the interactive displays at Malanda Falls Visitor Centre, where you can also explore the adjacent rainforest walking trails. Mt Hypipamee Crater, Bromfield Swamp, Lake Eacham, Lake Barrine, and Hallorans Hill, as well as the Seven Sisters and Lake Euramoo, all form...

Did you know that 1 in 5 people experience symptoms of mental illness each year?

In fact, every day in Australia, 9 people will die by suicide.

Mental illness can be debilitating and can have a devastating impact on not only those living with it, but those around them.

This October, I’ll be taking part in One Foot Forward to help reduce the impact of mental illness and suicide.  It's the first time I've ever done a fundraising challenge like this!  My goal is to walk 100km and raise $350.

I'm walking to raise funds for Black Dog Institute, so that they can put ground-breaking new mental health treatment, education, and digital services into the hands of the people who need them most.  It would mean so much to me if you donated to support my walk.  In my 'day job', I refer clients to resources like the Black Dog Institute every week.  It's important to me that free mental health care services are available to assist those in need 24/7.

Together,...

The last theme I shared was when we had a Dinosaur adventure! We've enjoyed a couple of themes since then, which you may have seen on our Instagram or Facebook, but I haven't collated them into a post here ... until now!  Australia is a unit I repeat with my children most years through their childhoods.  We usually start with Aussie animals and move all the way through history, geology, geography, literature and politics as they grow.  This, of course, is because we live here!

We already had a large number of Australian books including a shelf full of Aboriginal Australian stories I've collected for over two decades.  With Zeah my emphasis explored the first nations culture and stories more than I had with my other children because I had just finished studying a fascinating, transformational unit through University of Tasmania called Indigenous Lifeworlds.  I now realise that we need to have these stories, this culture, as the basis...

I'm SUPER excited to be involved with the 2021 Australian Homeschooling Summit!  I really enjoyed presenting the past couple of years, and also watching the other workshops (both live, and later, because everything is recorded with access forever).  In 2021 the Summit will be all online from Monday 15th February.

These Summits are fantastic for increasing your confidence in home based learning no matter what your family's circumstances. With dozens of Aussie presenters doing different workshops, there really is something for everyone! 

Excellent value for money ($29 AUD) with 37 workshops plus bonus sessions - all recorded for your access at any time either as video or audio files. Plus downloads / resources. Plus discounts. Plus giveaways. Plus access to the AMAZING team of homeschool experts from across Australia for the duration of the conference to ask questions specific to your family's journey.

Check the schedule for the 2 weeks & plan to see...