A few years ago, I wrote a post called Our must have hands on learning supplies, and I wanted to revisit the idea of homeschool supplies, but our needs in that area haven’t changed at all. But, I’ve learned over the past couple of years that there are some things every homeschool Mom needs, and I think this is a great idea for a Homeschool How-To post.
These are listed in no particular order, except for the last one.
What every homeschool Mom needs
1. Every homeschool Mom needs a friend she can complain to.
We have all had those days, where you’re seriously considering putting your kids into public school OR putting them up for adoption. You doubt your abilities as a mother, and you’re about to go crazy. That’s when you pick up the phone and call your friend. Sometimes it’s a fellow homeschooling Mom, sometimes it’s just a friend you’ve known for years. I have been very blessed by God to have two friends for years (who, unfortunately, moved). I could pick up the phone and call and say, “I need to rant for a few minutes.” I’m also very blessed to have new friends I’ve made that still live here. I can call them and say, “You need to take my kids, or they will not live the day.”
2. Every homeschool Mom needs a drink to relax.
This is going to look different for each Mom. I love to drink tea, and I’ve filled my Facebook feed with jokes about drinking tea. I also love Dr Pepper. I’d drink it a lot more if it weren’t so bad for me, but I love it (Future Ticia 2026 is trying to cut back even further, and I wish I didn’t like it so much). It helps me relax after a busy day, or gives me the energy to confront the day when I haven’t slept well.
3. Every homeschool Mom needs a plan
I don’t know about you, but if I have no plan for the day, I look up and it’s 3:00 and I have no idea what I’ve done that day. For us, Illuminations is the key to having a plan. It’s not a schedule, because we don’t keep schedules, but if I have a list of goals for the day I’m much more likely to achieve everything that way. Find the plan that works for you.
Future Ticia 2026 says that after a few years, we quit using Illuminations because we quit using some of the products in it, and we tried several different homeschool schedulers, but a plan was always necessary.
4. Every homeschool Mom needs a library card.
You will go broke without a library card. You will go slightly less broke with a library card. We visit our library regularly to get books for the kids to read, supplemental reading for our history and science lessons, and don’t forget the books on CD. My boys are addicted to audiobooks. Addicted.
5. Every homeschool Mom needs time alone.
We love our kids; we would not homeschool our kids if we didn’t love them, but that doesn’t mean we need to BE with them 24/7. As a matter of fact, it is not good for us to do that. We need a break from each other, and it’s good for our kids to learn from another person from time to time.
6. Every homeschool Mom needs a hobby.
And this needs to be something that recharges you, not something you find stressful. Homeschooling, like any full-time job (and it is a job, just a non-profit one), can be stressful. What helps you recharge? Is it sewing? Is it drawing, reading, or scrapbooking? Find something to recharge you.
7. Every homeschool Mom needs a working printer
I don’t know about you, but the day my printer runs out of ink is a sad day, and a day that immediately needs to be remedied by going to get more. While we don’t do a lot of worksheets, I still use my printer a lot, for Mystery of history 1 notebooking pages*, or science notebooking pages, or a coloring page to illustrate clothing choices in the 1500s, I print a lot.
8. Every homeschool Mom needs a clipboard.
For me it’s a clipboard, actually it’s THE Plastic Storage Clipboard* and between this and Illuminations it’s all that keeps me organized. I put all my papers for the week inside of it, and it’s wonderful. Find the organization item that keeps you functioning. Is it a milk crate to carry stuff around in, is it a file folder box, what helps you function?
9. Every homeschool Mom needs Pinterest.
I meant to say this one earlier, but I got distracted thinking about time alone and support from friends. This is a great time-saver. You’re looking for how to explain the Battle of Hastings, and you search Pinterest or go to your Mystery of History 2 board (yes, I’ve broken history down according to our history book) and find ideas. It’s wonderful how much time it saves me. But it’s a double-edged sword and it can also be a huge time sink for me. HUGE time sink.
10. Every homeschool Mom needs support from their family
Unfortunately this is not one every homeschool Mom gets. But homeschooling is infinitely easier if you have support from your husband and family, but especially your husband if you’re married.
Bonus #11. Every homeschool Mom needs prayer.
I couldn’t do this without the support and confidence I get from praying. I know not every homeschooler is a Christian, and not every homeschooler even believes in God, but having prayer makes life so much calmer and less stressful for me I cannot imagine trying to go without it.
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