Fall 2021

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FALL 2021 HOMESCHOOL IOWA 9
sports, dance classes, art classes, 4H projects, club information, etc.
• Portfolios and any test results. If you use an option that does
not require a portfolio or have chosen not to do testing, that’s okay!
By keeping samples of schoolwork that shows progress in a subject,
you are building an informal portfolio.
How long to keep it:
I would keep it forever! As you are organizing your files, think of the
endinmind.Itcanbeagreatpresenttogiveyourkidsupongraduating
high school, highlighting their time in homeschool. Additionally, be
sure to keep a couple of copies of your high school transcript and
supporting documents. These records can sometimes be needed
later in life when pursuing further studies.
How to keep it:
Create a binder with dividers for each topic for each school year.
You can even grab a plastic tote and add hanging files for each grade
for each child and add their files into it. Add a nice touch with a re-
port card at the end of each year, and create a transcript when it is
time to graduate. Remember, you are not keeping everything, just
samples of the work that shows progress in a subject. Keep key re-
ports, tests, examples of work from your kids’ best days, etc. Addi-
tionally, if a project is too big to keep or is perishable, take pictures
of it, print those out, and include those pictures in your records for
the year.
Key Point: Remember, the correct record-keeping system is the
one that works for your family.
Q: How can I organize a space for homeschooling and
integrate it into the overall flow of a room?
The biggest thing to consider when setting up a space for learning
is to limit distractions as much as possible. Here are a few tips to get
you started:
• Noise-canceling headphones can help everyone focus on the
task at hand by limiting distractions.
• Take frequent breaks or rotate the room. For example, use the
space for 1 hour for schoolwork, and the next hour use the space to
fold laundry, play a game, or take a 15-minute movement break and
have a dance party, or send everyone outside for a nature break.
• Add a closed cabinet cubby or designate a cabinet in the space
for homeschooling. Give each kid a labeled area/cubby and only
bring out what they are working on, and then they put it away when
finished. Communicate each area’s purpose clearly and effectively.
Key Point: Make it a part of your kids’ life skills lessons to keep
their school areas neat. Remember, we are not looking for perfec-
tion, but for progress and the development of healthy habits. You
may have to remind them a bit at the beginning. Add this into their
curriculum as a life skill grade, if needed.
Q: How can I declutter and reset my kid’s clothes
closets each year or season, especially when they are
in growing spurts?
I can truly relate. My kids tend to grow over the summer and right
before their birthdays. Helping your kids declutter their clothes
closet is a great life skill to have, no matter how old they are. Have
your kids go through the clothes and shoes they have outgrown,
and make a list of what they need. While decluttering, here are a few
things your family can do:
• Consign: You can consign the clothes and use the money you
get to buy more items right in the same store. Even if you do not
consign, we love to shop at secondhand stores and events because
we can save so much money by buying gently used items.
• Donate: You can donate what does not fit. You can pass those
items along to another homeschooling family, a friend or cousins, or
a charitable organization in your region that collects clothes to help
the needy. Additionally, you can often donate your outgrown items
to the local thrift store.
• Store to hand down to the next child in your family: Do you
have a large family? Maybe you need to store things for a season
before they are ready to rotate down to your next child. A few things
to keep in mind as you plan to do this.
• Will your next child need clothing in this size and season, or
are your children out of sync on seasons and growth spurts for
passing down clothes?
• Are the clothes still in good enough condition that it makes
sense to hold on to them for a younger sibling? If they are worn
or stained, don’t store them for a younger child.
• Are the clothes things that your younger child will enjoy
wearing, or is their sense of style and individuality at odds with
their older sibling’s sense of style? There will be pieces that all of
your kids can wear, but if you have an older daughter who loves
frilly pink dresses and a younger daughter who would prefer
simpler fashions, try to be sensitive to that as well, especially
when considering what to save and what to pass on to others.
• Trash/Repurpose: Sometimes the clothes are too worn out to
donate. You can turn them into cleaning rags or find another way
to repurpose those items. Additionally, some donation places turn
the items into scraps and use the items in other ways, so check the
donation sites in your area. It is a great way to keep things out of the
landfill and be repurposed.
Please note: It is best to declutter your kids’clothing at least twice
per year. Have the older kids put clothes aside during the year that
no longer fit and make a list of what they need to replace. Declutter-
ing the clothes closet can take a weekend or one day. Work together
as a team and make memories in the process.
Q:What are the top three things I can teachmy child
to help them be organized and neat as an adult?
The answer to this question is easy!
1) Put away things as soon as you are finished with them.
Take the time to put the item away exactly where it goes. Don’t just
set it on a counter or toss it in a container. If it’s a hammer that be-
longs in the garage, walk out there and put it on its peg. That way,
the item is precisely where you need it next time. This saves you time
and frustration in the long run.
2) Clean up messes as soon as they happen, even little
messes. If you are pouring yourself a glass of milk and a little bit
spills on the counter, stop and clean up the counter before you
drink your milk. This effort keeps the counter clean and only takes a
minute. If you don’t clean up messes right away, they tend to spread
and become overwhelming.
3) Follow directions. Following directions is one of the most
essential life skills we can teach our kids. When we teach our kids
this skill, we teach them to organize their thoughts and plan their
next steps. Children are impulsive. By making our kids slow down
and follow directions, we are setting themup for success as adults by
teaching them to control their impulses, which will make life easier
for them. Let us teach them well.
There are so many other areas in decluttering and organizing to
cover, but I’m out of space for this article! I hope you found value in
the tips I offered above.
Hi! I’m Wendy, and I love helping families. If you have any questions
specific to your family or need further support, please check out my web-
site at: .