Raising Arrows - Large Family Homeschool Life

Menu planning is one of those homemaking chores that can easily become drudgery.  You spend copious amounts of time putting together a list of meals you "hope" everyone will love, then you have to write out your grocery list, and then you have to actually make the meals you planned.  But, what if you had a list of meals you knew your family loved?  Trust me - it will revolutionize your menu planni...

What makes you strong as a family?  What makes your home a haven?  What makes you unique?  It's the things you do together as a family - the traditions your family has created over the years.  And often, the stronger the family, the more traditions you see that family celebrating. If you find yourself lacking in these rich family traditions (or you want to build even more!), this podcast is for yo...

Is it possible to homeschool an entire grade over the summer or at least get a child caught up in a subject or two?  Absolutely!  With a little hard work and diligence it is doable and here's how! In this episode: What topics to cover to maximize your time. Resources to make summer schooling easier (and cheaper!). Reward ideas for you and your child working so hard! You can find the full post here...

Some children take more energy to parent.  They are emotionally, physically, and mentally taxing, but we can learn how to parent them best if we just take the time to understand who they are and what makes them tick. In this episode: The one thing that will change how you parent your high maintenance child. How to avoid making a diagnosis an excuse. Finding new discipline methods and coping mechan...

Are extracurricular activities overwhelming you? Learn a better way to choose activities for your family that put the entire family first and build strong relationships within your family rather than pulling you apart! In this episode: What activities work well for the entire family. How to decide it the amount of time it is taking away from the family is worth it. How to fight the "that's not fai...

Are you feeling stressed out and stretched thin?  Are you wondering how to better manage your day so you can be a better mom?  This podcast gives you tons of great tips on having enough of you to go around in your parenting, homemaking, and every day life! In this episode: How to delegate and who to delegate to. How to spot time wasters. When to let go of a schedule. How to find peace with your da...

Moving creates a lot of upheaval for your family, and homeschooling often suffers in the move.  Our family has moved many times, so today I am sharing our tips and tricks for homeschooling during a move. In this episode: How to keep homeschooling and when to stop How to pack and unpack while homeschooling How to create a new schedule Find more information in these blogs posts: Homeschooling Year R...

Everyone has an opinion on the controversial topic of putting babies on a schedule.  Here's my take as a mom of 10! In this episode: Why babies don't sleep. How to make the choice between scheduling and not scheduling. My favorite ways to help babies sleep. Resources mentioned: Sleep Training post on Raising Arrows -  https://www.raisingarrows.net/2013/03/ask-amy-sleep-training-babies/ No Cry Slee...

Stomach flu with a house full of children is never fun, but as a mom of 10, I've learned a few tips and tricks to managing the sickness that will make the mess less and help you keep your sanity through it all! In this episode: What supplies you should always have on hand. How to "contain" the sickness. (or not) The best way to take care of a vomiting baby. The #1 thing you MUST do while in the th...

Every child is unique, but how can a homeschool mom teach to so many different styles without wearing herself out? This podcast is sponsored by Sweet Hairlooms Lilla Rose - this mom of many is also a missionary, so please take a look around her site and know that your purchase is going to help spread the Gospel! Resources mentioned: (some links are affiliate links) Understanding My Child Worksheet...

The follow-up podcast to how I declutter room by room, this episode gives you a detailed description of one of my decluttering sessions, as well as an overview of what I've been getting rid and how I'm organizing as I go. In this episode: My big declutter mistake! How to organize as you declutter. Why you shouldn't buy organizational tools {right away}. How to organize so it stays organized! Find...

For the past month or more, Halloween decor, costumes, commercials, and more have been bombarding our lives.  While my response in the past has been to ignore the day completely, this year I'm taking a new look at Halloween. In this episode: How we used to celebrate Halloween. Why I started rethinking what we should do on Halloween. Plans and links for meaningful object lessons. Resources can be f...

Are you looking for a no nonsense approach to decluttering? Jump in right where you are and get started today with this easy quick start podcast! In this episode: How I dug out of my messy life. Why I'm sick of {most} decluttering books and websites. How much time it takes each day to declutter. Resources mentioned: Decluttering Room by Room | Part 2 - [COMING SOON!] FLYlady.net Flylady Kat on You...

Are you tired of having a harried, crazy, unrestful Sunday? Can you truly have a day of rest? Yes, you can! This podcast shares how I began the search for a relaxing Sabbath and where it led me.  In this episode: Why Sunday never felt restful to me, and why I began searching for something better. The resources that led me to where I am now. How I have changed how I look at my weekend. How our fami...

When you homeschool, it is imperative you have some sense of order to your day because the flow and productivity of your day is entirely up to you.  However, having a well-ordered day isn't about a tight schedule and huge to-do lists.  It's more about structure and margin. In this episode: Learn how to begin ordering your day. Learn how to make meals, school, and personal time more productive. Lea...

Are you worried you aren't homeschooling enough hours?  Or perhaps your homeschool schedule has you stressed out.  Or maybe you need to know how to count homeschooling hours that aren't seatwork.  Everything you need to know is here! Thanks to a partnership with JonathanPark.com, I have a coupon code for 20% off the Series Packs (ends up being 40% off the Original Adventures!) Use this link -  htt...

If you are looking for a way to pull together an easy meal plan that gives you tons of freedom and flexibility, a 30 Day Master Meal List is the way to go!  Don't miss the Trim Healthy Table GIVEAWAY!   In this episode: How I use a rotating list to make shopping easier. Why the Miscellaneous/Sides category is so important. Tons of great recipes! Resources mentioned: --> Once a Month Shopping Serie...

It's time to say goodbye to summer!  Whether you love Summer and are sorry to see it go, or you are more than ready for Fall and all the smells and sights it brings, start a new family tradition by having an End of Summer Picnic with your favorite summer treats as we usher in the new season! In this episode: Our picnic menu. How we incorporated our back to school kick off. Ideas for creating your...

Go to  https://www.raisingarrows.net/podcasts/  to find the show notes and resources mentioned in this podcast! Are you overwhelmed by the task of homeschooling?  Are you stressed out by everything you have to do during the day?  Do you feel like homeschooling isn't at all what you had dreamed it would be.  This podcast will give you the tools you need to find rest and relaxation in your homeschoo...

As a mother of 10, you'd think I'd be an expert at potty training, but it has been a lot of trial and error, and I still don't think I'm very good at it!  However, I have discovered one method and a lot of tips and tricks that work really well, even with my stubborn potty trainer! In this episode: Find out if my boys were easier to train than my girls! Learn my potty training in 1 day method! Get...

This podcast is my very best advice for running your home and parenting your children during morning sickness! In this episode: The one thing you need more than a schedule! How I managed to grocery shop with morning sickness! How I meal planned while I was sick! Show notes with resources can be found here - https://www.raisingarrows.net/2017/08/morning-sickness-managing-home-podcast/

Over the years, how I do laundry has changed to accommodate many factors including how many kids I have, where my laundry room is located, and my current life circumstances.  This podcast goes through all of the methods I have used along with my current method.  Find inspiration and ideas for conquering your own Mt. Washmore!

It is my passion to provide encouragement for the homeschooling mom, so the first podcast of every month this school year will be a Homeschool Mom Support Group!  We'll call it the RAP session (Raising Arrows Podcast - get it?!), and this is the very first one!  Today's podcast will be all about finding your focus and purpose this year as a homeschooling mother!

No homeschool science curriculum would be complete without learning about God's creation!  Keep your nature study tools all in one place with a Nature Bag! In this episode: What nature study tools are best to keep in your Nature Bag. Where to keep your Nature Bag. How to incorporate unit studies into your Nature Bag.

It's that time of year again!  Check out our Preschool through High School homeschool curriculum choices!