Hi all! I haven’t posted in awhile since I’ve been busy with real estate and the kids. Right now the COVID cases in my area are on the rise (although not as much as in the South). As a result, I decided to homeschool my kids until they can get a vaccine. It was a tough decision, but in the long run, it was ultimately the best choice for our family.

Here are a few things that I’ve done so far:

• I’m addicted to Teachers Pay Teachers. I know there are a lot of homeschool curriculums out there, but I really wanted to find something that aligned with what is being taught in school. I don’t plan to do this forever, so I want to make sure the kids can easily transition back to class without missing any materials. The other thing I love about TpT is that you can buy an entire year of lesson plans where they literally spell out what to do every day.
• I also really liked the idea of being able to customize the curriculum. For example, my son is in 3rd grade, but he is doing math at the 4th grade level. So I was able to find a great 4th grade math curriculum for him, but pair it with a 3rd grade level writing curriculum. I really like the ability to customize it to what my kids need.
• It has been really interesting to understand how the kids learn and what are gaps in their understanding. In the past I always just assumed the school would teach them everything and I could be hands off. After last year’s disappointing virtual instruction, I realized that no one is going to take my child’s education as seriously as I do. While I still plan on putting the kids back into school, I also will be much more involved in making sure they are being appropriately challenged.
• I also found a great Outschool class for writing. I really like the teacher and I think it is good to have interaction with a teacher other then myself and to have some other kids to talk to. Plus, the teacher definitely knows what she is doing and writing is not my strong suit. It’s a win/win!
• I set up our homeschooling space in our living room. I love that it is right next to the window looking out to the backyard. I basically sit in the middle between the kids so I can help each of them out.

What about my Etsy shop?

I plan to do some more Etsy stuff in the future, but is just on the backburner right now with the kids. The good news is that I am still getting about 1-2 sales a day for my Toddler Busy Book. I love passive income! I like that I can start and stop it at any time and there are no “obligations” to do anything. Of course, with that flexibility, this month has probably been one of my lowest income months since starting the shop. But it is worth it to keep my kids safe and see them thrive with one on one attention.