5 Days of Homeschooling Essentials -People

Got Influencers? I've known a lot of homeschoolers who go it alone. That's so not my style. I'm all about gathering info and people and ideas and possibilities; the more the merrier, you know? I've been involved in alternative education for a while now and one of the best things I've done in that time is to get acquainted with the trail blazers. The mavens who have made being part of this tribe exciting. Need help getting started? My always incomplete list of Educational Influencers will give you a brief intro to some of the finest minds in the world of education.

Got Kids? These are essential to homeschooling, obviously. We talk to our kids about their place in the world and who they are connected to; their people ethnically, socially, religiously. Not in any way so that they think of themselves as better or less than, but so they understand the time and place in which they live.

Got Friends? Park-days, co-ops, class days, Mom's Night Out, curriculum and resource sharing, etc. Like I said, I've known many a homeschooler who has gone it alone. While I'm not a true-blue extrovert, I'm certainly no lone-wolf either. Our lives have been richer, broader and far more diverse because of the people that we've engaged with as we've homeschooled- the educators, bibliophiles, performers and travelers, writers, star-gazers and so many others.

Breathe first. You know the old adage- if the plane is going down and you are traveling with a child, put your oxygen mask on first. If you don't take care of yourself, you are of no use to anyone. Take care of your health; build your stamina, discover resources, outsource when necessary or possible, don't believe the crazies that say if you aren't doing it all yourself you are cheating. We've known folks who've had it all handed them. That's so not been our life. So, we hack our way; improvise, adapt and overcome. It often feels like Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, but then a life of middle class status-quo wouldn't suit us.

The wild ride is so much more fun with a tribe. Please visit my tribe of wild and wonderful Crewbies and read what they have to say about Homeschooling Essentials:

Marcy @ Ben and Me
Lisa @ Golden Grasses
Tess @ Circling Through This Life
Victoria @ Homemaking with Heart
Kayla @ The Arrowood Zoo
Joelle @ Homeschooling for His Glory
Deanna @ His Treasure Seekers
Melissa @ Grace Christian Homeschool
Beth @ Ozark Ramblings
Rebecca @ Raventhreads

In truth, there are 89 of us writing all week long about Homeschooling Essentials. The complete list is here! Enjoy! 

@Golden Grasses 2008-2013. All photographs, artwork and text are the property of the owner unless otherwise stated. Don't miss a thing! Subscribe to Golden Grasses and get our articles right to your inbox!