Every year I sit down to compile a list of The Best for you. It's kind of like a one-stop-shop for those who've come late to the party or those who just want the cliff-notes.
But, here's the thing, putting together a list of The Best based on page views alone is tricky business. The following posts garnered the most clicks, but aren't necessarily a true reflection of the posts you liked best or that I liked best or even the ones that created the most conversation between the two of us.
Page views happen for various reasons and sort of skew the results, in my opinion. But, then again, one of my best friends is always quick to remind me that numbers don't lie, only words are guilty of that. (She's a financial advisor. What does she know?!)
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Looking Back
So which posts were actually The Best ones? The verdict's out.
One thing I know for sure, however, is that this year's list is a great sampling of the many talented writer-mamas that have gathered here with me. Their words and wisdom have been my favorite part of this space these past twelve months.
Together, we thank you for continuing to stick with us as we stick with homeschooling.
Here are the most read posts of 2018!
1- 7 Homeschool Mom Hacks to Start Today
"As a homeschool mom, life can get away from me in an instant. A sane morning can turn into a three-ring circus faster than you can say 'two and a half cups of fruit smoothie dropped from a height of three feet.' So, consider this little diatribe an ode to small bits of sanity. Here are seven small mom hacks that have rescued my homeschool time and time again."
2- 100 Manners to Teach My Kids Before They Turn 18
"Manners/etiquette are never about doing-all-the-right-things to look good. Manners are about serving others. When a person knows how to act in every social setting, they put others at ease. They can focus on ministering to those around them with hospitality, friendship, and kindness. Learning and using good manners is a choice to love others in a practical way."
3- Homeschool Curriculum 2018-2019
"Like a shock of cold water, my 11th year of homeschooling (12th, if you count preschool) has awakened some renewed excitement in my bones. We're trying a few new things this year and returning to a few very old things. Like a 1990s DJ wearing neon colored Zuba pants, I'll be mixin' it up come fall. (Only without the neon colored Zuba pants because let's face it, those weren't flattering on the 13-year-old me, let alone the 38-year-old me.)"
4- The Case for the One-Day House Cleaning
"I love homeschooling. I love that through schooling at home, Jesus gets to be the biggest, most important part of our day. I love that my kiddo’s interests get to take center stage and that state curriculums that don’t truly have my child’s actual education in mind get to take a seat. I love that, for us, a 4 ½ day schedule is a perfect fit and that on our ½ day (Friday) we get to wear our pajamas. All.Day.Long. No apologies necessary."
5- Top Living History Museums and Tips for Visiting
"Unlike regular history museums which have traditional tour guides and only display artifacts and photographs, living history museums are interactive, have actors wearing costumes and reenacting the lives and livelihoods of the past, and usually focus on one particular place or event in history. While at a living history museum, you don't just look at and learn about the past, you actually step back into it."
6- 7 Steps to Take in a Season of Burnout
"You feel emotionally and physically exhausted. There are more conflicts in your house than normal. You have absolutely no motivation. You dread homeschooling each day. In fact, you might even be ready to quit."
7- When the First Month Feels Like a Loss
"Getting back into homeschooling in September, or whenever you officially “begin” your homeschool year, is not always easy. It can be tough to transition from the laid-back, carefree days of summer into the routine and genuine hard work of the school year. Kids don’t always like it. We mamas don’t always like it."
8- Teaching Textbooks 3.0: Learning for the Digital Age
"Once upon a time, I hated math and my kids did too. But then I Providentially stumbled upon Teaching Textbooks and like manna from the heavens, it was exactly what we all needed. My kids love math now. In fact, it's not unusual for my oldest son to plunk away at long division and complete an entire assignment even before the rest of us have rolled out of bed in the morning."
9- How to Organize a Home Library
"My husband built a home children's library in our attic a few years ago. Technically, it was a team effort. He created the space and I supplied the books. I spent a few hours unpacking and organizing hundreds of books to create an inviting feast for my kids. In all honesty, even after a few years, the library is not complete. No library ever is. The really great ones take a lifetime to build and are constantly evolving to suit the needs of its patrons. My attic library is no exception. Since then, I've been asked by many blog readers and even a couple of friends to help them tame their bookshelves."
10- A Simple Solution for Homeschool Down Time
"The new school year is in sight now. And while I've been spending quite a bit of time thinking ahead to the future, I've also been looking back at last year, specifically those blocks of unstructured time when my kids weren't working one-on-one with me, doing independent work, or doing a lesson all together as a group. To be honest, those scraps of free time between subjects didn't go as smoothly as I would have liked."
11- What You Should Know About Teaching Reading
"When I was a classroom teacher, I always had a group of students in my class each year that were significantly behind in reading. In the traditional school system, if you are behind in reading in fourth grade it's difficult to catch up. By then, reading is required for every other subject. My students who struggled in reading didn’t just struggle in reading, they struggled in everything. Conversely, my students who excelled in reading excelled in other subjects as well. Reading is the cornerstone for so much of learning."
12- The Busy Mom's Guide for Reading More Books This Year
"I'm a work-at-home, homeschooling mom. I'm currently buried somewhere under a book deadline for my first book, Homeschool Bravely, and I have what feels like 0 seconds of "extra" time. And yet, I somehow managed to carve out enough time to read 30 books this past year, as in books just for me. That number doesn't include the dozens upon dozen upon dozens of books that I read aloud to my kids for fun, for history, for science, for Bible...(You get the idea.) I'm often asked how I squeeze reading into a jam-packed day. After all, busy is riding shotgun with me all day long."Looking ahead
2019 has come in like a freight train! I've been working on a project that I can't wait to tell you about. Look for a big announcement at the end of the month.
I've also got a book coming out on April 2nd. It's my heart on the page for any mom who finds herself homeschooling from a place of fear instead of faith. If you've been letting your fears, faults, or failures rule your days, know this: Fear will never lead you well because it speaks in falsehoods and cannot be trusted. Doubt is a bully that will always try to knock you down. I hope you'll let April 2nd be freedom day!
Until then, let's continue to link arms and march on together, homeschooling with the end in mind.
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