Wendy and Shirley have launched a series of (almost) weekly homeschool videos, where in a conversation of about 10 minutes, they chat about topics and issues that affect homeschooling families.
After more than 20 years of homeschooling, they have ‘been there and done it’ and have valuable insight and lessons from their experiences to share.
Your should bookmark this page, so that you can visit it again to view more and follow the updates.
Mama, Stop Nagging Your Kids
We all do it! We hate it! Get tips to break the negative patterns and find more effective ways to train children
Homeschooling with Busy Toddlers
Toddlers so often disrupt the homeschool day for the rest of the family. How do you handle the busy days with a little one while trying to do school work with older children. With 10 children between the two of us, we had a lot of practice. In this video we share some practical tips to help you manage and keep your stress levels down!
Encouragement for Weary Homeschool Moms
As the end of a year draws near moms are usually very weary. The burdens they carry and the tasks they juggle can cause much tiredness. Add to it the 2020 year with its additional challenges…Shirley and Wendy bring you some encouragement and some thoughts from lessons learnt in the trenches.
Record Keeping
Do we need records and who are we keeping them for? A few happy tangents in the discussion but below find the link to some other resources to help.
Homeschooling Specific Needs
Parents with children ho have special education needs can be afraid to jump in and take the reign with homeschooling their children. But whether it is dyslexia, apraxia, autism or something else, Shirley and Wendy discuss how it benefits the family to give it a try.
Combining and Alternating Footprints and Sonlight
We are often asked how to use Footprints and Sonlight together for the most benefit. Here Shirley and Wendy discuss the options for alternating the program and how to get the best mileage out of both.
Support for Homeschool Moms
Finding a support network is important for homeschool mums for help with outings, activity groups and advice when things are tough.
Homeschooling and Entrepreneurship
Raise children to be job creators, not job takers. We share our ideas and experience with incorporating an entrepreneurial slant into our homeschooling journey.
Eclectic High School
A focus on what eclectic education looks like in the high school years. How do you give your child a customised education, while preparing them for school leaving exams and life? We looked at popular curriculum choices and our Footprints into the 21st Century programme.
Eclectic Primary Years Homeschoolling
How does eclectic homeschooling work in the primary grades? We looked at how to pick and mix and give your children a tailor-made education. We also showed our Footprints On Our Land programme.
Eclectic Homeschooling in the Early Years (Preschool)
Focussing on The Moore Formula for preschool, Wendy and Shirley talk about an eclectic homeschooling approach for preschoolers and an in depth look at Little Footprints curriculum.
Dealing with Critics
How do you have friends and even family who are skeptical or even openly hostile about your choice to homeschool? How can you engage with them without getting emotionally rattled and can you win them over to become more supportive of your choice? Many families have been through this.
Nature Study – a Different Take
Charlotte Mason says: “Let them once get touch with nature, and a habit is formed which will be a source of delight through life. We were all meant to be naturalists, each in his degree, and it is inexcusable to live in a world so full of the marvels of plant and animal life and to care for none of these things.” In this video Shirley and Wendy talk about what nature study was (and wasn’t) in their own homes.
Raising Independent Learners
While we should most definitely be involved in the education of our children, our goal should be to raise children who are self-motivated and capable of learning anything they want to learn for the rest of their lives. In this chat we discuss how to foster more independent learning as the children grow and mature.
Homeschooling Empowers Moms
Too often parents don’t believe they have what is needed to shepherd their children through life and education, in particular. Have they been disempowered by an archaic system that says only teachers can educate? Is so, how can they become empowered again to trust in their ability to homeschool their children all the way?
Socialisation and Social Activity
Many parents worry about having well “socialised” children when they begin to homeschool their own. In the video we chat about the difference between socialisation and social activity for homeschooled children.
Christian Homeschooling: What is it? How does it work?
As parents who chose to homeschool our children to give them a Christian worldview we share our thoughts of what we could have done differently, what some of our favourite curriculum are and some of our wisdom from the trenches.
Juggling Life and Getting it All Done
Homeschool mom or not, there are many good things to do, but are they best? And how do we give each child individual attention? This video holds some tips for moms who are struggling to “do it all”!
Homeschooling Preschoolers
Early learning is not about learning to read, write and do maths. Letting our preschoolers grow and develop at their own pace in a learning rich environment is shown to produce much better abilities later on as they pick up more formal academics. So what should you do in the preschool years?
Overwhelmed by All the Choices?
There are hundreds of homeschooling programmes to choose from…how are you meant to decide? Shirley and Wendy talk about how to make the best decision, deal with the anxiety about making a mistake and some personal anecdotes about what really matters.
Homeschooling on a Budget
Whether it’s due to loss of income due to lock down, or whether one parent is giving up a full time job to homeschool their children, here Shirley and Wendy share some ways to homeschool on a tight budget.
Bad Homeschooling Days? How to Handle Them!
We all have them…”bad” homeschooling days. Today Shirley and Wendy chat about what the issues and curveballs are and how to reclaim the day!
Eclectic Homeschooling? What is Eclectic Homeschooling? How does it work?
Shirley & Wendy share what their own eclectic home education journeys looke/d like and encourage parents to tailor make their children’s home education to suit their interests and needs instead of buying a boxed curriculum.
Homeschooling Multiple Ages
Most homeschoolers go through a season of have multiple ages and grades in the home and it is a juggle to get through the day with a sense of humour and relationships in tact. Today’s video we discuss some tips and techniques for juggling multi-age and multi-grade home education.
Developing Patience as a Homeschool Mom
Have you ever thought: “I could never homeschool, I don’t have the patience!” Or has anyone said to you: “I wouldn’t have the patience to homeschool my own children! I don’t know how you do it!” In this video we share how patience a skill learnt as we grow with our children.
Be Set Free from the School Mindset
Do you find yourself comparing your homeschooling to what is being done in a school, even if its just in the quiet of your own heart? Be set free from these comparisons which only seek to undermine your happy homeschool journey.
What is The Best Curriculum?
Parents often ask us, “What is the BEST curriculum?” This chat focuses on the ins and outs of choosing the best one for YOUR family!
What to Do with Kids During Lockdown (2020)
Due to the lockdown in South Africa there is a huge need to encourage “temporary” homeschoolers and existing homeschool moms with some different stay at home ideas for you and your children. Charlotte Mason to the rescue! Enjoy.
Dealing with Bias in History – How to Raise Discerning Learners
How we handle bias in our history program – Footprints on Our Land – to develop critical thinking skills, good discussion and debating ability and to understand that the only way to know “for sure”is to develop research skills.
Multilevel Homeschooling with Footprints
Footprints on Our Land allows you to teach many children of a broad range of ages at one time – and each can take away as much as they can, and apply what they have learnt in their own way. Time saving, money saving and simple for Mom!
Why Reading to Our Children is So Important
Reading aloud to your children offers hundreds of benefits for growing minds, filling gaps, developing critical thinking and building relationship.
Why Footprints Makes Homeschooling Easy for Moms
Discover the ease of using one of our 3 Footprints programmes: Little Footprints 4-8yr – South Africa in picture story books Footprints on Our Land 7-12yrs – our heritage
Testing – Is it Necessary for Homeschoolers?
Do we as homeschoolers need to test our children’s knowledge? How do you know your child is learning? How do you know they have passed one grade to the next. Come and listen to a freer way for your home.
Who is Charlotte Mason? What is Charlotte Mason Homeschooling?
Charlotte Mason has inspired many homeschoolers over the years and her legacy of home education lives on 200 years after her death. What makes her so special? How have we incorporated her principles into our Footprints programs?
Relaxed Homeschooling
When days are going hard, or you and your children just need a break and to do something different, who gives you permission to pack up the books and go have fun and recharge your batteries?