Homeschooling Essentials

I am hoping to start a series on homeschooling essentials.

While there are plenty of excellent sites relating to curriculum etc.  there are very few out there dealing with the coalface issues which many families face in the day to day living out of their homeschooling.

I have begun to do an informal survey of my friends and am really hoping there are others out there who can add to this list.  There is no particular order of preference to this.  Just as they pop up.

So far I have:

A PAIR OF BIRKENSTOCKS

Why, you may ask do these feature?

Great for around the house and for heading out, they go with just about anything and don’t need you to even bend down to put them on (helpful if arms are filled with babies/water bottles/car keys/ shopping lists etc.)

They are not, however, handy when you have to meet with clergy,  as I discovered after a particularly crushing meeting.  I was talking to another priest and lamenting the outcome, suggesting it may have been my abysmal choice of footwear.  He then stated, “You know amongst clergy it is widely believed that all feminist nuns wear Birkenstocks?”

Here I was thinking it may make me seem less intimidating.  Wrong.

No wonder I was so unsuccessful.

MARRIAGE TO A HUSBAND

Ahh .. Mawwidge…

It is helpful if the husband is the opposite of this one.  Preferably one who can be home before dark and “suicide hour” starts.  One who says, “Yes you can do this.” when you feel like another DAY with the kids will KILL you.

My great, supportive husband really steers the homeschool ship while I am down on my knees scrubbing the decks.

Or to use the mining analogy, surveys the best spots to dig while I am swinging the pick.

A SENSE OF HUMOR

The great sanity saver for all mums, but especially those homeschooling.  Also good if you can share with friends.

ANY ITEM FROM IKEA

Any item will do, but a particular favourite from my rough survey at this point would have to be the Bookcase.  All those cubes to be filled.  Mmmm.

A SMARTPHONE

Really good so you can look like you are busily assisting Johnny with his maths, while simultaneously playing Words with Friends or texting your  homeschool buddies about some hilarious moment which you have to respond to immediately due to Short Term Memory Loss ensuring you will forget it when you do get a chance later on.

Would love to hear what are your favourite homeschooling essentials?