Sanity-Saving Supplies for Homeschool Moms

Supplies for homeschool moms don’t always make the cut when it’s time for back to school shopping.  We remember to buy paper, pencils, and all kinds of cool school supplies for the kids, but we often neglect our own needs.

As homeschool moms, our needs are important.  There’s a lot of pressure that comes with homeschooling; we’ve got big jobs to do!  Because of that, we need to take a look at those items that keep us focused and pointed in the right direction.  We need to recognize our sanity-savers and be sure we’re equipped with the resources we need to homeschool well.

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One of my favorite sanity savers can be found on the shelf at Target at any given time.  The others aren’t the first things you’d think of when purchasing homeschool supplies.

Nonetheless, all four of these items keep me going and make my life as a homeschooler more manageable.  These are my favorite sanity-saving supplies for homeschool moms.

Sanity-Saving Supplies for Homeschool Moms

A Planner

A planner is one of my go-to supplies for homeschool moms.  After all, there’s a lot going on in the day-to-day juggling act that goes along with homeschooling.

Whether a simple notebook with detailed lists, a pen and paper planner, or an online planner, it’s crucial to have a place to organize your thoughts and create a plan for your homeschool.

But what if you’re not the “planning” type? You still need a planner!  You may not use every line and you may not fill in every detail.  It’s perfectly okay to write loose homeschool plans and fill in the details after the fact.

If for no other reason, you need that planner because you need an organized place to keep track of what your kids have done!  Whatever your preference, be sure to get yourself a good homeschool planner and use it.  It will save your sanity, for sure!

A Roadmap

Regardless of where you are in your homeschool journey, you’ve got to have a map in your pocket.

The roadmap is a sanity-saver and a must-have because there will be times when you need help deciding what to teach, when to teach it, and even how to teach it. You may not consult it every day, but you never want to be without it.  Life happens and curricula changes.  We all need something to show us our next steps and remind us of our direction.

If you’re a classical homeschooler, your best roadmap might be The Well-Trained Mind.  If you’re a Charlotte Mason family, Ambleside Online might be your roadmap.

If you’re eclectic like us and borrow from several homeschool methods, you may prefer Blueprint Homeschooling or Home Learning Year by Year.  I particularly love Home Learning Year by Year because it spells out everything from preschool to grade twelve.  Author Rebecca Rupp takes it grade by grade and gives clear, attainable suggestions on what topics to cover under each subject heading for that year.  Book and curriculum suggestions are also included.

If you don’t have a roadmap of some sort, take a look at the options and see what will best meet the needs of your family. You’ll never regret having a map to guide your homeschool journey.

We all need help with what to teach and when to teach it. Click to Tweet

Single-Subject Notebooks

This is the only item on this list that falls under the typical school supplies heading, but it’s the most inexpensive sanity-saver around. Believe it or not, a simple notebook covers a lot of ground.  That’s why it’s a great idea to have a stash of these on hand at all times.  You never know when you’ll need to:

• write out the grocery list
• take a phone message
• make a note about library books
• take notes on homeschool-related research
• copy a great quote from a book
• make a to-do list
• make a journal entry
• empty your brain

I love technology as much as the next person, but sometimes I need to jot something down in a notebook and move on with my day!  Call it a commonplace book, command center, or whatever you like, but those little notebooks keep me from losing my mind.  They also help me remember the gazillion things that are taking up real estate in my brain.

In all fairness, there are some gorgeous journals out there that serve the same purpose, but the simple notebooks are the true sanity-savers.  Single-subject notebooks are usually available for less than a dollar, while the fancy journals are more of a splurge.

A Source of Encouragement

Let’s face it, this homeschooling gig isn’t easy.  Sure, there are days that are smooth and heavensent.  There are also days when our kids aren’t cooperating, the laundry is piling up, and we forget to thaw the meat for dinner.

That’s why I love Homeschooling: What to Do When You Want to Quit.  This is one of my favorite sanity-saving supplies for homeschool moms because it covers anything and everything in terms of discouragement that shows up during the homeschool journey. It’s how I fight the overwhelm and resolve to keep calm and homeschool on.

A book like this is great because it lets you know you’re not alone.  It lets you know you’re not the only one who deals with a house full of homeschool clutter.  You’re not the only one who struggles with doubts and insecurities.  You’re not the only one wondering how to manage homeschool when the budget is tight.

Indeed, a source of encouragement is a must-have for homeschool moms.  No matter how many good days we have, a bad day can be enough to make it all fall apart.  A bad couple of months can be enough to make you want to quit homeschooling altogether.

As unconventional as it may seem, that’s why the encouragement source makes the supply list.  That’s why it’s sanity-saver for rookie, veterans, and all the homeschool moms in between.

What about you, homeschool mom? I’d love to know what’s working for you.  What items save your sanity and make it possible to keep going?

There’s more of this conversation happening over at iHomeschool Network.  Be sure to stop by and take a look at School Supplies that Changed My Life.

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