Welcome to a new issue of “Inspired Homeschool Highlights.” This is a new series where I share helpful resources that I find. These resources are useful for homeschooling or for parenting life in general. These aren’t affiliate links, or paid advertising. If you find something useful, please share it with friends and family.
I want to welcome those who are new here. I’ve been homeschooling my now middle school aged kiddos. Their homeschooling journey began at the start of their education. I’m discovering a ton of new resources and I want to share them with you. My background in public media and my love for PBS KIDS will definitely influence the content I share.
Thanks for reading!
In case you missed it:
From NAMI: Back to School Resources
The NAMI “Back to School Resources” web page provides mental health support for students, parents, and educators. These resources are important for all families. This includes those who homeschool. They address challenges like burnout, conflict, and time management, among others.
I learned about NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) as part of my Youth Mental Health First Aid Training.
From Common Sense Media – Movies That Promote Communication
Since I became a parent, I have gained a new understanding of the importance of communication. Especially about teaching about it from an early age — as it helps create a solid foundation when building relationships.
And now, with the internet, communication seems easier than ever. You can send a direct message to someone on the other side of the world instantly. But there’s more to communication than words on a page or screen, and that’s where these movies come in. This list is full of films that help teach kids the value of thoughtful listening. They encourage clear expression. The films emphasize the importance of honoring differences and being respectful. They also feature characters who express their true selves and learn how their words and actions affect others.
Free Printables from Big Life Journal
I shared this last week, but felt it was worth a share again. As we used these resources extensively for our SEL (Social Emotional Learning). This upcoming year, we’re planning on spending 15 minutes each day on SEL. We plan to use some of these principles outlined in their teen curriculum.
Big Life Journal offers science-based resources. These are designed for children, teens, and adults. The goal is to help them develop a growth mindset and strong social-emotional skills. They offer guided journals, printable resources, podcasts, e-books and a membership plan. If you sign up for their email list, you can access free printables. These include gratitude activities, goal-setting worksheets, and social emotional learning tools.
From Great Conversations – Fall Puberty Classes
Great Conversations is an organization that provides classes and resources. These resources help preteens, teens, and their families have conversations about puberty and sexuality. They have been operating for over 35 years. They have served more than 100,000 families worldwide. Their focus is on the Pacific Northwest. Their curriculum is medically accurate and developmentally appropriate. They aim to empower parents to be the primary source of information for their children on these topics.
Great Conversations invites you to join their in-person and virtual classes. These classes include parent talks on puberty and relationships. Upcoming workshop dates are available in Seattle Children’s Hospital and Overlake Hospital.
Our family participated in this online class last year and got a lot of out it.
Thanks for reading. Be sure to share any of these things if you found them useful. Until next time.