Homeschool Wins (and Why Celebrating Makes a Big Difference)

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Homeschool Wins (and Why Celebrating Makes a Big Difference)

Do you feel like your homeschool needs a little boost? Maybe you're stuck in a rut or questioning whether you're doing enough? You're not alone—many homeschool moms face these struggles! 

In today's episode, we'll talk about homeschool wins—what they are, why they matter, and how celebrating them can help you and your kids stay motivated, positive, and connected.

⭐ In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• What Are Homeschool Wins?
• Why Celebrating Wins is Important
  Celebrating wins helps shift focus away from negativity, boosts motivation, reduces stress, builds confidence, and encourages a growth mindset.
• Practical and Fun Ways to Celebrate Homeschool Wins
  Simple activities like reflecting on the day, using visual trackers, setting up traditions like "Gold Star Day," or enjoying a dance party or picnic can make all the difference.
• Overcoming Obstacles to Celebrating Your Wins
  We all face moments of doubt and pressure. If you're feeling stuck or afraid of perfectionism, this episode will remind you that celebrating wins is not about perfection—it's about progress and acknowledging the efforts you've made.

⭐ Tools & Resources Mentioned:

• Free Learning Celebration Log: A customizable Google Sheet to track goals, celebrate wins, and build momentum with your kids. Plus, there’s a helpful tutorial video to get you started!
• Free Printable Affirmation Cards: Grab these tools to help reinforce positive thinking for both moms and kids!

⭐ Action Step: Think about a recent homeschool win (big or small) and share it with someone! Whether it's with a friend, on social media, or by emailing me at rockyourhomeschool@gmail.com, let’s keep the positive momentum going!

I’d love to hear about the ways you celebrate your homeschool wins. What traditions or practices do you use to celebrate progress in your homeschooling journey? 

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend! Your support means so much—thank you for tuning in!

Stay encouraged, celebrate those wins, and keep rocking your homeschool journey!

A Powerful Way to Add Positivity to Your Homeschool

Could your homeschool use a bit of a boost? Feel like you’re kind of stuck in a rut or just going through the motions in your homeschool life? Tired of feeling like you’re never doing enough with your homeschooling (or like you’re going backwards)?

I’m so glad you’re here! All of the above are very common ways to feel as a homeschool mom. It can be so easy to get caught up in negativity or worry over one thing (or many things) not going exactly the way you thought they would. 

Today, I’ll be talking about homeschool wins - what they are, why they’re important, who benefits from them, and how to celebrate them - big or small. Let’s dig in to how homeschool wins can make a big difference for your kids and you - because acknowledging progress is key to staying motivated and positive.

My A-Ha Moment with Homeschool Wins

Before I really dig into homeschool wins, I want to share a bit of our story and why these positive practices have had such a strong impact on our homeschooling adventures.

During one of our early years of homeschooling (I can’t remember exactly which one because they’ve now beautifully blurred together), I remember feeling so down. I distinctly recall having all 5 boys and my youngest wandering around so it must have been about 10 years ago. So, I had 2 boys in middle school, 1 elementary, 1 preschool, and a young toddler. And, oh my! were they busy. I often joked that I felt like I was herding cats trying to keep them all in one room.

It often felt like an uphill battle to get any homeschool work done. I’d have 1 or 2 boys working on a task and then scurry around to “contain” a younger boy. By the time I’d get back to the table, the working boys would be distracted or wander off themselves. 

At the time, I knew that homeschooling multiple ages was a challenge. But, instead of giving myself grace, I started to be really critical of myself. Why wasn’t I handling this better? Why weren’t the boys getting all of their work done (or school was taking forever)?

At night, I struggled to fall asleep because I had so many negative thoughts swirling around my brain. We didn’t do this or we forgot to do that. Was I a homeschool failure?!?

If only I could go back to that younger version of myself, I would give her a great big hug and say “This too shall pass!” - an encouraging phrase my PopPop continues to say to me!). And I would share these tips for celebrating homeschool wins.

Fortunately, that struggle didn’t last too long because I found a way to push back at that negativity and start moving forward.

One thing that my boys and I had enjoyed was poetry teatime on Tuesdays. When the little ones became more mobile, we found it harder and harder to make it happen. The practice kind of slipped through the cracks. And I felt guilty about it.

When the next Tuesday came about, I decided that we were going to figure out a new way to enjoy poetry teatime together. And so we did!

Instead of having a more formal version at our dining room (also homeschool) table with candles in the afternoon, we moved the occasion to that morning on an old quilt on the floor. The older boys spread some pillows out and gathered books with some favorite poems. We had some simple snacks (and the little one snuggled up to mama). The whole thing probably lasted only 15 - 20 minutes. But, it felt like such a major win!

I could have just kept right on going and stuck with our homeschool plan for the day. But, we decided to celebrate! We took the rest of the day off, went to the local park, and played until nap time.

Looking back, that was our first official homeschool win (we had more before and many after but that one felt significant). And it made a big difference moving forward.

What Are Homeschool Wins?

Okay, let’s get down to it: What do I mean when I talk about “homeschool wins”? 

Homeschool wins are when you have moments of progress or achievement in your homeschooling journey. And those moments can be big or small. Wins are when you (and your kids) take steps forward and show improvement, not necessarily with just academics, but in the overall experience of homeschooling.

A homeschool win could be anything from finally getting a math concept to adjusting to a new routine. It could also be something like starting your homeschool day on time or positive communication between siblings or parents.

The key is that a win doesn't have to be a "big" achievement. It’s about celebrating wins, acknowledging progress (no matter how small), and recognizing the effort that’s been put in. It's about celebrating growth, resilience, and moments of joy in the homeschool journey, no matter how or what they look like.

Why Celebrating Wins In Your Homeschool is Important

From my personal experience, celebrating wins helps my boys and me rise above the negative. Instead of getting stuck on what went “wrong” or a mistake, we focus on what’s working - and that’s flexing some real growth mindset skills!

Here are a few of the benefits that we’ve discovered from celebrating homeschool wins:

• Boosts Motivation: When you pause to celebrate progress, it really motivates you to keep going and, well, go for more progress!
• Reduces Stress: Celebrating wins helps both you and your kids focus on the positives which can really reduce stress and anxiety.
• Builds Confidence: When you stop and recognize a win, you acknowledge the effort it took to get there which is so empowering.
• Encourages a Growth Mindset: Wins are powerful ways to build growth mindset skills because you’re recognizing your part in learning and homeschooling. It’s not about a bunch of external things going on. It’s about what’s going on inside of you and what you’ve been able to make happen. 

Practical and Fun Ways to Celebrate Homeschool Wins

• Take Time to Reflect: Pause at the end of each day to reflect on what went well. You can also do this at the end of your homeschool week. 
• Use a Visual Tracker: Use a visual progress tracker or a “win wall” where you and your  kids can add stickers, drawings, or notes about your wins. You can also use my new FREE Learning Celebration Log. It’s on a Google Sheet, customizable, and can be used to set and track goals plus has all sorts of ideas for celebrating. I have a video tutorial that goes with it so you can easily get started. 
• Create Fun Traditions: You can have something like a “Gold Star Day,” where your homeschool celebrates accomplishments together. It can be fun to set aside a day out of the week or month to do this type of celebration.
• Use Affirmations: These positive self-statements can be so huge when it comes to celebrating growth and mindset shifts. I have free printable cards (for kids and moms) over on the blog so make sure to grab those freebies. Affirmations are also recommended in that Learning Celebration Log I mentioned. 
• Accountability: Do these positive practices with a homeschool friend or two. Share on your favorite social media. You’ve worked hard and it can be such fantastic positive reinforcement to put it out there. 

Oh, and remember: Celebrating wins does NOT have to be fancy, complicated, or expensive! 

You can have a dance party, enjoy a homeschool fun activity, play a board game, have a picnic, or maybe a movie night. I’ve found that experiences mean so much more to my boys (and me) than spending money on something.

Overcoming Obstacles so You Can Enjoy Your Wins

I wanted to address one more thing before I wrap this episode up. I know that it can sometimes be hard to pause, reflect, and celebrate when you’re in the middle of a funk or feeling stuck. 

You might feel pressure (internal and/or external) to keep going, do more. You might fear “getting behind” or “having gaps”. Or maybe perfectionism is holding you back and you “can’t celebrate until everything is just right”.

Mama, I understand. I really do. You’re working so hard to do your best and provide your children with wonderful learning experiences at home. And I applaud you for that!

I’m here as your friend (maybe like a big sister?). And I’ll give you the gentle advice that I would give to my younger self:  You’re doing an amazing job. I’m proud of you. And it’s okay to slow down and enjoy this time with your kids. In fact, it will actually help all of you now and in the long run. Learning happens all the time and in so many different ways. And taking time to celebrate wins is such a smart thing to do!

⭐ Action Step (or challenge):  Think about one recent win—big or small—and share it with others. That can be in person, on your favorite social media platform, or my favorite:  email me at rockyourhomeschool@gmail.com

And take that win and let it build momentum! Make a plan for how you can celebrate future homeschool wins. Jot down ideas for big and small. Better yet, work with your kids to make a big ol’ list of homeschool win ideas.

I’d love to hear from you! What are your ideas for celebrating homeschool wins? What questions do you have? Please share by emailing me at rockyourhomeschool@gmail.com 

Well my friend, that does it for another episode of Positively Homeschooling. If you enjoyed this podcast, I ask that you please share it with a friend or two. Your sharing means so much - thank you!

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