If you are parenting a neurodivergent or twice-exceptional kiddo, you might also be dealing with impulsivity. At its core, impulsivity is a struggle with executive functioning skills. This means, that in addition to what we might typically think of as impulsivity - rash behavior or actions - it can also manifest as difficulty with decision-making or carefully considering a plan of action. We, as homeschooling parents, need to understand where the impulsivity is coming from and what is causing it.   Signs of Impulsivity Sometimes it can be challenging to tell the difference between...

As summer approaches, homeschool families often ask about the school schedule. Do you follow the schedule of the local public school? Do you take a summer break? Do you school year-round? And if you do include some learning during the summer, what does that look like?     How Formal Is Your School Year? ​One factor that impacts our summer approach to learning is that even during the school year, our school doesn't often look like the typical classroom environment. We don't do a lot of workbooks or textbooks. Lots of learning happens through individual exploration and is...

It's important for kids to strive for excellence, have high standards, and value hard work. But high standards are not the same as unrealistic expectations. When our kiddos have perfectionist tendencies or thinking, they can suffer from low self-esteem and a host of other negative consequences.   Perfectionistic Tendencies and the Impact of Perfectionism Children who struggle with perfectionism have unrealistic standards for themselves or others. They believe that they must be perfect to be valuable and worthy of love. This can result in negative self-talk, fear of failure,...

There are so many things that you need to accomplish in your homeschool each day and week. Besides school work and parenting, homeschool parents have to find ways to manage household work, meal planning, grocery shopping, volunteer work, and lots more. The to-do list seems impossible. So how do you find or create the perfect balance?   The Truth about Homeschool Life When you plan your homeschool schedule over the summer, it's easy to believe you've found the best way to fit in all the things. But you don't have to homeschool for very long before you find out that homeschool plans...

​Parents begin homeschooling for a wide variety of reasons. Some of us (hello!) began homeschooling completely unexpectedly because it was what our kid needed, even if it wasn't what we had pictured for our family at all! Some of us chose homeschooling for relationship building or because of the educational flexibility and opportunities it provides. But at some point along the way, you are going to question your choices. You are going to wonder if your kids are missing out because they are homeschooled. What if there are gaps in their education? What if there things they don't do that...

Building your child's self-esteem or sense of self-worth is an important aspect of raising resilient kids. While healthy self-confidence is a part of positive self-esteem, these two terms are not interchangeable. Self-confidence applies in specific contexts, subject areas, or social situations where your child has developed a particular strength or learned to face new challenges and found success. Self-esteem, on the other hand, is a global awareness of the worth and value one has simply by being themselves. It manifests in a child's confidence that he has something of value to offer the...

Homeschooling your gifted kiddo was supposed to be a breeze, right? After all, they're super smart, driven, and independent... right? Well, maybe not. Gifted kiddos are just as different from each other as they are from neurotypical kids, and they're often 2e, or twice-exceptional, too. 2e kiddos are hard to tease out because their struggles can mask their strengths, and their strengths can mask their struggles.     Getting to Know Your Individual Learners One way to help struggling learners is to help them understand and explore their own personal strengths and weaknesses. Kids...

A reader shared that she is considering homeschooling her twice-exceptional student after watching her daughter "crumple" in the public school system - loosing her enthusiasm for learning and her ability to thrive in a public school setting. What about you? Are you considering homeschooling your twice-exceptional, gifted, or otherwise quirky kiddo? Public Schools and Twice-Exceptional Students In the early years of our parenting journey, we assumed we would make use of traditional schools for our children's education. My oldest was actually excited to get up every day. He looked forward...