Free Homeschool Books

This time of the year, school supplies are on sale, and many homeschooling parents start thinking about the books, curriculum, supplies, software, etc. they’ll need for the coming year.

They’ll also need encouragement to get them through another year of homeschooling. When I was still homeschooling, I wrote three eBooks for homeschooling parents. I called them the Stages of Homeschooling series: one eBook for prospective and beginning homeschooling parents, one eBook for those in the thick of homeschooling, and one eBook for parents of homeschooled teens.

These three eBooks will be available for FREE on Amazon.com next month:

Stages of Homeschooling Book 1: Beginnings will be free from August 5-9, 2019

Stages of Homeschooling Book 2: Enjoying the Journey will be free from August 12-16, 2019

Stages of Homeschooling Book 3: Letting Go will be free from August 19-23, 2019.

So mark your calendar and tell your friends. Get your free eBooks while you can!

My Guide to Homeschooling…just 99 cents!

  • Is homeschooling stressing you out?
  • Do you wonder whether your children are learning the right things?
  • Does it seem like the longer you homeschool, the harder it gets?
  • Do you sometimes ask yourself how other moms homeschool their children, keep their houses running smoothly, and still hang on to their sanity?

If you answered “Yes!” to any of these questions, you need my book, The Imperfect Homeschooler’s Guide to Homeschooling. Click here to get the Kindle eBook version right now for just 99 cents…..while you can!

(No Kindle? Download the free Kindle app. Learn how HERE.)

1890s Curriculum 1/2 Price Sale (Amazon Kindle eBook Version Only)

Kindergarten Stories and Morning Talks, With Over 125 Illustrations (the eBook version) is on sale for just $4.99; that’s 1/2 off the regular price and $13 less than the print edition. Check out this limited time offer HERE.

Don’t have a Kindle? Get the Kindle app free; learn how HERE.

Celebrate Easter with a Free eBook

When I first read The 40 Days, I was struck by this charming, peaceful story of how Jesus might have spent the 40 days after He was resurrected and before He ascended into heaven. The fact that one of the main characters has developmental disabilities is a bonus, as is the fact that Jesus’ words in the story are supported by nearly 500 Bible verses.

In celebration of Easter, you can get this eBook free at Amazon for the Kindle and for only 99 cents at Barnes & Noble for the Nook. Don’t miss out! This offer is only good tomorrow (Easter Sunday) and April 1 and 2, 2013.

Making Time to be Alone

We all need time alone. We need time to think, to dream, and to create….without relentless interruptions from our children.

Finding time to be alone is especially difficult for those of us who homeschool, because we’re with our children so much. But we aren’t superhuman, no matter what outsiders may think. We need to be refreshed. The hard part is figuring out how to do that.

It sure gets easier once your children are older. I recently found that one of the quickest ways to find myself alone is to put on my DVD, Josh Groban’s “Live at the Greek” (or, as my husband calls it, “Live at the Geek.”) You should see my loved ones scatter when it comes on! Another surefire road to solitude is my collection of Doris Day movies. The opening credits of “That Touch of Mink” send my kids flying out of the room as if it were on fire.

Still, it wasn’t always so easy to find myself alone. There was a time when I was outnumbered 4 to 1, and I couldn’t even go to the bathroom without someone banging on the door with some real or imagined emergency. Back then, I truly believed I would never be alone again. If only I had bought those Doris Day videos sooner…..

My point here is that you must carve out some regular time alone for yourself to prevent homeschool burnout, a very real occurrence that you’ll want to avoid. Some homeschool moms feel guilty for wanting time to themselves. Don’t! Even Jesus took time to be alone and pray….it’s important to regroup when you need to.

Working moms have time alone while commuting and on their lunch breaks. Most stay-at-home moms experience time alone once they send their children off to school, which these days can be as early as age two. But those of us who homeschool are never alone, it seems, especially during the early years of raising our families. (I love sleep, but I actually enjoyed waking up for middle-of-the-night feedings of my third and fourth babies because the house was quiet and no one was talking to me!)

Believe it or not, there will come a time when you can be alone for minutes, even hours, at a time, on a regular basis! But if that’s far down the road for you, don’t wait that long. Try to schedule some time for yourself now, when you really need it. Snag your husband, a close friend or Grandma to keep track of the kids, and set a date for your time alone.

You can start small, by going for a walk alone. Doing the grocery shopping is much easier and quicker if you do it by yourself. Find a Ladies’ Bible study that keeps its meetings brief. (I joined my church’s hour-long evening class when my youngest was six months old—what a blessing! I ended up attending that class every week for 14 years.)

As your family becomes accustomed to Mom’s little breaks, stay out a little longer. Take an exercise class, or a crafts class. It’s a nice break to be the student instead of the teacher. Find another mom and go out for coffee and chat. The time will fly!

Whatever you do, try to enjoy yourself. Don’t feel guilty if there were tears when you left the house. They may cry, but the kids need a break from you, too. Besides, they’ll appreciate you more when you come back.

(Excerpted from Stages of Homeschooling (Book 1): Beginnings, available HERE.)