There is nothing that can more joyfully throw a homeschool year off balance than pregnancy and a new baby. Moms have so much to do already and now throw morning sickness, extreme fatigue, and a new born into the mix and homeschooling gets even harder.
Joining me today is mom of many Amy Roberts who knows a thing or two about homeschooling while pregnant and with a newborn. Amy gives us her best tips for planning a year that you know will be challenged by all these big changes. She is pulling out her best big family tips. Enjoy!
Links and resources from today’s show:
- SPONSOR: Big Life Journal
- SPONSOR: Maestro Classics (Use coupon code pam for 17% off of your order)
- Big Life Journal Podcast
- Big Life Journal: A Growth Mindset Journal for Children
- Big Life Journal – Teen Edition: A Growth Mindset Journal for Tweens & Teens
- Amy’s Website, Raising Arrows
- Raising Arrows Podcast
- Large Family Homeschooling
- Home Management for the Homeschool Mom
- HSP 31 Amy Roberts: Homeschooling a Large Family
- LibriVox
- Evernote
Homeschool Planning for Pregnancy Details:
00:56 About Amy’s family
03:02 What is year-round homeschooling?
05:58 A typical pregnancy for Amy
06:55 How Amy sets up her school year when she knows she is pregnant
07:45 The flexibility of homeschooling
09:20 Creating a plan so kids can work independently using tools like Evernote and Pinterest
11:45 Building habits of independence in your kids
14:57 What Amy doesn’t “front load” her homeschool work during the final weeks of pregnancy
19:53 Keeping the curriculum simple to give kids time to pursue their passions
20:36 What happens with a tough pregnancy or unexpected newborn situation?
22:16 How to accept help with a newborn.
26:05 The mom’s homeschool basket tool and how to use it when you have a newborn.
27:58 The effect of multiple pregnancies on the older kids’ education.
31:31 Amy’s favorite planning tools