Moving Forward with Homeschooling

Well, it’s that time of year – back to school or homeschool, whichever the case may be for your family. For mine, it is actually both. My youngest started kindergarten at the local public school (GREAT little rural school, LOVE them!) and my older three started their new homeschool curricula.

I will be very honest with you, last year I let Everyday Elements and all things related to it cause me to get way behind with homeschooling. That was MY fault, no one made me do that, and it affected my kids and me in many ways. So, after some serious soul searching and praying, I knew I had to change.

This year I started with a fresh commitment to homeschooling and honestly, we are all so much happier. I am able to be online a bit from 8:00 AM to 8:30 AM EST, but then I cut it off and homeschool until almost 4:00 (for the oldest). I have kept my vow to stay off for three straight weeks, so I am hoping it is close to being a firmly established habit.

What does that mean for Everyday Elements? I am still going to be posting, hopefully three times a week, and still doing workshops, just less often. I will check the Facebook page twice daily and answer as many questions as I can. I will be using HootSuite to help me schedule out tweets and posts to Facebook that y’all might be interested in.

I actually have some things in the works that will help me work smarter and not harder, allowing me to continually provide helpful photography and editing tutorials for you. These will not be put in place to mid-September, so please bear with me until then.

Okay, more on the photography front, I have two posts coming up this week for you: white balance (in camera) and sharpening 102. If you have any special requests, I am taking them as I am trying to line up the next 12 posts and would love to provide information that you really want to see.

About Amanda

I am passionate about helping others learn how to use their DSLR cameras and editing programs. More information about me can be found at my About page, or by visiting my personal blog.

Comments

  1. I also tried running a business while homeschooling my children – it’s very difficult! God will certainly bless you for putting your family first!

  2. Good for you! You take the time you need and we will be here whenever you can share your wisdom. You are a awesome mom! God Bless!

  3. Good luck! I don’t have the patience. 🙂
    ~ingrid

    I would love to see more on skin tones. I took you skin tone class but still need help. It’s bane of my photographic existence. 🙁

  4. I am looking forward to your next two post – I need help with both – especially white balance. You are doing the right thing – cutting back on your online life. Your kids are the priority and will be grown up and gone before you know it. Enjoy every moment.

    My best- Diane

  5. Love to read about other homeschooling moms out there who are stiving for a work/life/teaching balance. We have been homeschooling for 20 years now and it is a new game each year. Thanks for posting about your jouney.

    Maddie

  6. can I just say thank you! I’m going into 4th & 7th grades with my boys and I let my school year suffer somewhat last year too with the facebooking and blogging and editing – ugh! I’m putting my kids as the priority too this year, I think the Lord with bless us by getting our priorities straight, I really do. I’m having a hard time finding time to edit in general, I have taught myself editing in elements and now will be in LR. I just shot a wedding (usually just do seniors & families) and another one coming in less than 2 wks and I’m worried how I will be able to edit either and still prioritize my schooling? Any processing tips, edit tips for volume would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for sharing your struggles, it helps to know I’m not the only one trying to keep all the plates spinning ;D

  7. Looking forward to the post on sharpening! And good job on staying offline to tend to the homeschooling. 🙂

  8. I love how honest you are! I stumbled onto your blog while searching for something to do w/ homeschool, now I don’t even remember. After I read this post I to have some of the same issues. Staying on the computer to long or letting things slide in our homeschool. Believe it or not for me it is my preschooler who is missing out. My 12 year old knows the routine. We do our work and are done in a few hours. But it take a lot more for me to get my preschooler any one on one time for those beginning skills. I like your idea of doing something for 3 weeks. I might have to give that a try. Thanks for being honest in your post. It makes me realize I am not alone. :^)
    Lil’Momma
    Homeschooling mom of a kid whose main educational goal is to one day beat her at hangman. (Ain’t ever gonna happen, btw)

  9. I’m so happy I found your website. I love photography and am just getting into the art of editing pictures using PSE. Your tutorials have helped me more than you know! As long as you are taking requests….I would love more information on using levels…beyond the basic levels adjustment with the histogram. I know there is so much that can be done with levels but feel like I am barely skimming the surface!

  10. I totally understand. As a photographer in my second year, I’m still learning how many shoots I can schedule without taking too much time away from my kids (I homeschool a 1st grader too). Because when mommy is on the computer all day (or staying up all night on the computer) the household can turn to chaos!

  11. It’s so hard to find balance, isn’t it? Thank you for posting about how you’re working things out.

  12. Katherine Huff says:

    Amanda: I am so proud of you. Your children are so luck to have such a dedicated mom. You are so intelligent, and wonderful. So many people have NO idea how hard it is to homeschool and run a business. Love ya- Katherine

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