Julie Naturally
natural self-reliance for Christians
Ah, spring! Finally, we throw open the windows to let out the stuffy winter air. Time for new beginnings, fresh looks, and a super clean home that invites people in for parties and cookouts! It’s time for spring cleaning and that means everything, from the house to the patio to the garage. This spring cleaning …
Teaching kids to clean seems daunting. Where do you start? The task takes twice as long when we have to teach and do at the same time. It’s so much easier to just do it ourselves! But, the long-term benefits of teaching kids to clean outweigh the short-term challenges. If we want our teaching to …
Are you struggling with how to motivate a teenager in your life? Maybe he sleeps half the day or falls asleep in the middle of your co-op class. Maybe he doesn’t seem to put much effort into his science book and leaves a lot of blanks on the experiment sheet. Perhaps it’s not your son, …
When I was a new homeschool mom, I researched local support groups. I wanted to learn more about homeschooling, which had been first introduced to me through the now defunct Mothering magazine. At that time, only a few online sites about homeschooling existed. A to Z Home’s Cool was one of the few sites available …
Sometimes, homeschooling disappoints us. It’s true that often, when we first start homeschooling, many of us envision our child going to college early or winning the National Spelling Bee. After all, homeschoolers make headlines all the time with such amazing feats. We see potential in our own children and our imaginations take flight with all …
I really hate giving kids prizes for Bible memory. I usually get puzzled looks from people when I say this. After all, prizes are a major motivator in school, at home, and in church. The argument for this usually goes like this, “Well, they won’t do it if we don’t give a prize.” Why wouldn’t …
After my youngest son was born, I had four children eight years of age and under. All of them were either ADHD or Asperger’s. Looking back, I wonder how I survived. God made it clear that we were to homeschool them. My heart ached at the thought of sending them to public school, a place …
Herbs and trees offer us many health benefits. But, what about the months when everything turns brown and withers? The trees that never turn brown–pine, spruce, fur, juniper–offer us exactly what we need. In this article, we will discover how to make a nutritious, healthy pine needle tea. How to identify a pine tree Before …
We think we know what to teach preschoolers, but what if we’re wrong? Even in homeschooling, many preschool curriculums and learning resources focus on early reading skills. These include learning the alphabet and letter sounds. Some include basic math activities such as counting to 100 and single digit addition up to 10. Ideas for what …
Historical knowledge of the health benefits of cod liver oil Have you heard about grandma’s secret remedy for winter? I did not personally experience this, but the story is that moms lined up their kids and forced a spoonful of cod liver oil into each grimacing mouth. Even though kids resisted, they knew they’d better …
At this time of year, we often find ourselves frantically cleaning in order to get the house ready for visiting relatives. With small children, it feels like the filth multiplies and we can’t keep up. It certainly challenged me. I often felt like a maid on steroids. Keeping the house clean with four children under …
How long does it take to learn to read? Judging by the age at which many folks start teaching reading skills, they must think it takes 3-4 years. I would argue that it takes much, much less time than that. It takes about thirty hours. That’s right, only one hour a week for less than …
Should Homeschoolers Participate in Church Youth Group? Recently, I listened to a conversation happening among millennials sitting next to me at church. I wasn’t snooping as they eventually asked me a few questions to involve me in their discussion. But their observations and conclusions struck me. They knew my children and they knew a few …
Many, many Bible curricula promise that our children will know and love Jesus and his Word if we use their program. We also diligently take our children to Sunday School, and maybe we discuss the day’s lesson afterward. Some of us may do morning devotions as a family as well. While there’s nothing wrong with …
As homeschooling parents, we want to know how to teach our children everything, including how to teach little kids to write a story. But, telling stories and writing stories require very different skills. Some of these skills are developmentally based. All children under age 10 tell stories. However, their writing efforts usually don’t match the …
While we have used math curriculum periodically (check out my list of math resources), I always try to unschool math in some way as well. Why? Isn’t the curriculum enough? First, I generally don’t use a curriculum until the child is around age 10. Until that time, I focus mostly on math facts, money, and …
Some days, nothing works out. The toddler screams and throws his toys. The four-year-old refuses to nap and the seven-year-old crosses her arms and pouts over her math. All. At. The. Same. Time. You cleaned your house yesterday, but today, dirty dishes cover the counters, an unattended spill dries on the carpet, and toys threaten …
I sank to my knees in despair, sobbing, imagining the next forty years. I loved Jesus, but still I felt as though all hope for a graceful ripening of years slipped away with the diagnosis. My mind filled with thoughts of broken dreams, maddening headaches and a body wracked with pain, an eventual wheelchair, and …
In 2018, we graduated our second child from our homeschool. The first question everyone asks upon discovering this is–you guessed it–“Where is he going to college?” Well, he’s not going to college. He completed a career assessment tool and his path doesn’t necessarily need college. The question is uncomfortable, and I wish people would broaden …
Sometimes we want to change the world through homeschooling. When we hear someone say that they wish they could homeschool, our ears prick up. Before we can stop ourselves, we say, “I can help you!” or even think about homeschooling other people’s kids for them. Mostly, though, they outright ask us, “Hey, you homeschool your …
Forgiving others can be a lot like dealing with physical pain. Have you ever been riddled with muscular knots all over your back? Doctors call them “trigger points.” As a woman living with fibromyalgia, my back frequently hurts with several of these. The only way to truly dissolve the knots is by pressing on them. …
It’s easy to trust in God when everything goes well. We may start thinking of God as a cosmic vending machine. Prayer in and blessings out. Thanks, God. But what about when you see tragedy coming and you are helpless to stop it–whether it be a car accident, poor life choices, or other circumstances? What …
I love fall. Usually, it’s still warm enough to get outside for fall nature activities but cool enough that I’m not sweating buckets. I hate feeling sticky and lethargic. But, I love cool, crisp mornings with a hot drink and wrapping myself in fuzzy softness. Can you tell I’m a northerner? I also love fall …
I’m loving those back-to-school sales, aren’t you? Now is the time to stock up! Just because we homeschool doesn’t mean we don’t use school supplies, right? I’ve flipped through the pages of catalogs and scrolled through the websites, ordering the books and materials we will use for the next several months, if not the whole …
