Tag Archives: family

Picasso, Percentages, and the False Security of Schoolwork

Anna Dusseau | 9th September 2020 It’s a Saturday morning which, technically, means I shouldn’t be stuck in the office printing resources. Still, we are embracing autonomous learning and, if my middle son wants a blank treasure map, then a blank treasure map he shall have. “What’s it for?” I ask him, absentmindedly. “Treasure,” heContinue reading “Picasso, Percentages, and the False Security of Schoolwork”

Dark Chocolate and Screaming Orgasms: the Not-So-Secret Recipe to Being a Yummy Mummy

Anna Dusseau | 21st April 2020 Or daddy? I feel this is a universal post. And you already know the first two items, so let’s get cracking with the rest, shall we? Confession: I didn’t bounce back at all after my daughter was born and spent the two years between my first and second childContinue reading “Dark Chocolate and Screaming Orgasms: the Not-So-Secret Recipe to Being a Yummy Mummy”

How to Bounce Back After a Bad Day

Anna Dusseau | 16th April 2020 “Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.” Jean-Jacques Rousseau Oh my! Do you ever have one of those days where you just weren’t the kind of parent you normally like to be? I work really hard on keeping my cool and mostly feel like it’s not even anContinue reading “How to Bounce Back After a Bad Day”

50 Homeschooling Resources You Need in Your Life, Like NOW!

Anna Dusseau | 15th April 2020 Google Earth Maths? No Problem! Encyclopaedia Top Trumps Story of the World Recorders Story Cubes Child safety kitchen utensils Scrap paper drawer Matilda Splendid Spelling Game Binoculars Cartoon History of the Universe Curiosity Box Rubik’s Cube Kiddi Zoom Camera An atlas or globe Tennis rackets Skipping rope Magformers DrContinue reading “50 Homeschooling Resources You Need in Your Life, Like NOW!”

My Worldschool Bucket List

Anna Dusseau | 9th April 2020 Let’s dream for a minute. The coronavirus crisis is over, everyone loves how the Prime Minister’s new baby is rocking the same Eton-flick as his famous dad, and the runways are busy again polluting the planet thanks to the jet-set squad which, let’s face it, we all were untilContinue reading “My Worldschool Bucket List”

Why Baking is an Essential Part of Homeschooling

Anna Dusseau | 8th April 2020 “Life is uncertain. Eat dessert first.” -Ernestine Ulmer Like my favourite kind of pastry, I’m going to keep this short and sweet because – well – sometimes things are just better that way. From creamy lasagne to dairy-free banana cupcakes, cooking and baking is surely a fundamental aspect ofContinue reading “Why Baking is an Essential Part of Homeschooling”

101 Things I Might Have Done If I Wasn’t A Homeschooling Mum of 3

Anna Dusseau | 7th April 2020 1. Be a Spice Girl. (It’s not too late. Stop being negative.) 2. Drive a Porsche. 3. Wait, drive an Audi S7. Less noise. I still need to hear Kisstory. 4. Write a kick-ass Kisstory playlist with less garage and more grind. 5. Build a rocket. 6. Think forContinue reading “101 Things I Might Have Done If I Wasn’t A Homeschooling Mum of 3”

The No-Brainer Guide to an Insta-Perfect Homeschool Monday

Anna Dusseau | 6th April 2020 “Here is the ultimate funky Monday to enjoy with your family and please share widely as I can see many people are seeking a proper hand-hold like this at present.” – Homeschool Guru Okay, okay! I’ll do it, but only because I like you. And hey, consider yourself extraContinue reading “The No-Brainer Guide to an Insta-Perfect Homeschool Monday”

Homeschool Rules #5: Creative Play

Anna Dusseau | 3rd April 2020 Teenwolf and I have this game we like to play. Wow wow WOW sweet child of mine! Wash your mouth out with soap and water, for goodness’ sake; this is a family blog. Okay, so this PG-rated game is called ‘where will we be this time next year?’ andContinue reading “Homeschool Rules #5: Creative Play”

Homeschool Rules #4: 50 Genius Ways to Avoid Losing your Shiz with the Kidz

Anna Dusseau | 2nd April 2020 Omfg, these little people! We love them but they can grind your gears, right? I sometimes feel like they were sent to test me. Like, do you remember way back in your first pregnancy when you felt a bit panicky because you couldn’t find those vegan multivitamins with theContinue reading “Homeschool Rules #4: 50 Genius Ways to Avoid Losing your Shiz with the Kidz”

Homeschool Rules #3: The Global Classroom

Anna Dusseau | 1st April 2020 Whatever your experience prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, times have changed and we are now all part of a global think tank. I realised this the other day. In a single morning, we video called our old friends in Capetown, a worldschooling family in Barcelona who we are collaboratingContinue reading “Homeschool Rules #3: The Global Classroom”

Homeschool Rules #2: Fix Up, Look Sharp

Anna Dusseau | 31st March 2020 “This is Homeschool HQ to Gavin’s mum. Put the pjs down and step away from the biscuit tin! I repeat: PUT. THE. PJS. DOWN. This is not a drill!” Hello. Are you Gavin’s mum, by any chance? Or Gavin’s dad, come to think of it? Because we are nowContinue reading “Homeschool Rules #2: Fix Up, Look Sharp”

Going Nowhere: Why a Global Mindset is More Important Than Ever Right Now

Anna Dusseau | 25th March 2020 I am, like you, stuck at home. We are doing our best to keep spirits up and minds focused, but it’s not easy. Not when you allow yourself a glimpse of what’s going on across the world. I absolutely understand the struggle for parents to homeschool their children rightContinue reading “Going Nowhere: Why a Global Mindset is More Important Than Ever Right Now”

He Said, She Said: Resolving Sibling Disputes

Anna Dusseau | 25th March 2020 Kids kicking off? Hungry for a fresh order of parenting wisdom? Look no further than the Homeschool Guru’s sizzling takeaway menu (the restaurant is closed) where fury tastes better with a side order of sarcasm. Oi! (The Classic) Always a winner, this is the number one reprimand of choice.Continue reading “He Said, She Said: Resolving Sibling Disputes”

Gettin’ Jiggy with It: Fresh Air and Exercise Homeschool Style

Anna Dusseau | 23rd March 2020 Happy Monday, guys! How’s everyone doing? Today marks the start of the official UK school closure and I hope you’re all coping okay. Believe me, even experienced homeschool families are struggling here, with cabin fever causing parents and children alike to resort to foot-stamping temper tantrums, like Big BrotherContinue reading “Gettin’ Jiggy with It: Fresh Air and Exercise Homeschool Style”

Waste Not, Want Not: Crafty Leftovers and Cooking From Scratch

Anna Dusseau | 19th March 2020 First, let me make one thing clear; I can do a fancy lunch. Which is another way of saying: ‘I’ve located the whereabouts of my nearest M&S Foodhall and I’m not afraid to use it’. So, just before we dive in and you emerge thinking that I’m 110% anContinue reading “Waste Not, Want Not: Crafty Leftovers and Cooking From Scratch”

The Reading Nest: A Study in Multisensory Learning

Anna Dusseau | 16th March 2020 My kids have this annoying habit of dismantling the furniture. How it came to be that these pint-sized people have the strength and determination before breakfast to transform our old leather sofa into a fortress, I don’t honestly know, but this is how I often find the kitchen arrangedContinue reading “The Reading Nest: A Study in Multisensory Learning”

No School? No Problem! The Calm Mama’s Guide to Surviving the COVID-19 Quarantine

Anna Dusseau | 13th March 2020 Parents, brace yourselves. Because it’s looking increasingly likely that UK schools will soon be following Europe by closing their doors in an international effort to contain – or at least delay – the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Perhaps as you are reading this, you have just received theContinue reading “No School? No Problem! The Calm Mama’s Guide to Surviving the COVID-19 Quarantine”

Top Pick of Board Games for Family Downtime

Anna Dusseau | 12th March 2020 It’s a rainy Thursday afternoon and there’s nothing much to do. The morning was a caffeine-fulled adventure into papier mache death masks and rescuing a family of toads from the end of the garden where they seemed intent on seeking the afterlife themselves upon the grave driveway beyond. AndContinue reading “Top Pick of Board Games for Family Downtime”

Another Manic Monday? Take Control Now!

Anna Dusseau | 9th March 2020 Happy Monday, homeschoolers! It’s the start of a new week; celebrities in surgical masks are already being snapped on their way to the gym and the PM is looking bleary-eyed after another night of emergency meetings and, one can only suppose, locating bottles of Gaviscon for his fiery-haired babyContinue reading “Another Manic Monday? Take Control Now!”

Why I’ve Never Been On Social Media (and You Might Want a Slice of This, Too)

Anna Dusseau | 6th March 2020 Social media is toxic. You don’t need the likes of Stormzy and Billie Eilish to tell you that. Although it certainly helps when high-profile public figures turn their backs on social media – providing a powerful message to young and not-so-young that it is a hateful and unhealthy placeContinue reading “Why I’ve Never Been On Social Media (and You Might Want a Slice of This, Too)”

Top 10 Podcasts for Switched On Kids

Anna Dusseau | 3rd March 2020 We hear it all the time. Kids have too much screen time and are too dependent on Google and YouTube videos for their sources of information. It’s so true and such an easy pattern to fall into, especially when homeschooling, as curious kids naturally want to explore their interestsContinue reading “Top 10 Podcasts for Switched On Kids”

Raising Bilingual Children

Anna Dusseau | 2nd March 2020 It didn’t happen straight away for us. The bilingual thing. My daughter prefers English but speaks French well, albeit with a plummy, British accent. My middle son speaks French and English equally well and, astonishingly, without accent. The little one has adopted the Marseillais growl of his father andContinue reading “Raising Bilingual Children”

Eco and Glam? Why Visiting The Cotswolds Means You Can Have Your Cake and Eat It..

Anna Dusseau | 2nd March 2020 Perhaps I am rather late to the party, but has anyone noticed just how great The Cotswolds are for a mini break or even more extended getaway? Set in the luxuriously undulating landscape that governs the boarder between Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire, this glorious region of the UK enables youContinue reading “Eco and Glam? Why Visiting The Cotswolds Means You Can Have Your Cake and Eat It..”