Skipping the Public School Route and How to Get Started Homeschooling

Summary: Getting started homeschooling is not hard to do.  These tips and resources can help you to get started whether for your kids or your teens.   #homeschooling #twiceexceptional #howtohomeschool #gettingstartedhomeschooling #homeschoolhighschool  This post may included affiliate links to products that we love and have used or would use in our homeschool, and click here for my disclosure policy.

Many families come to homeschooling after having used the public schools for awhile.

And now with the times we are in, with Covid-19 and all, many public school families find themselves suddenly homeschooling.  Others are finding that their child's educational needs just are not being met in the schools.

We welcome you to our homeschooling community.

Many families are asking now, how do I really get started with it all? There are many questions that can pop up, such as:

• How do we get started? 
• What about homeschool reguulations 
• What about homeschool curriculum?
• Where can I find support?

1.  HOW WE GOT STARTED

First, here is a little bit about our story.  We decided to start homeschooling early on.  Our daughter was already reading as a 4 year old, gifted/2e kiddo.

She was SO ready for kindergarten but was too young.  In fact, we would have had to wait 2 more years for her to be at the right age to start K, due to her late birthday.

Why We Chose Homeschooling

The biggest reason that we went the homeschool route, was that we wanted to be able to keep our daughter challenged, and at the same time,  meet her special needs as a 2e kid.

Our child would have been miserable waiting to start Kindergarten until she was 6.

And at the same time, we worried that if she was in a big classroom, she would probably have attentional issues.

Many kids with ADHD and sensory issues do better learning at home than in a public school setting.

Homeschooling allowed us to meet her where she was at, challenge her intellectually.

Ours had sensory issues and was a sensory seeker as a young child.  Learning at home let her take summersault breaks, bounce across the room on an exercise ball, etc.  Things that of course would not be possible in public school.

We also could choose her curriculum and even the style that we wanted to use in our homeschooling.  The freedom was priceless as we went about trying to meet our daughter's needs.  

So we took the plunge early.  I read about homeschooling, talked with my friends who were doing it and got some inital ideas from them.

All of these things thought, really didn't help me to build up my confidence for homeschooling.

Until I started reading.  One of the most helpful books that I found as a newbie homeschooler was the Unofficial Guide to Homeschooling.

It included discussions on making the decision, how to go about learning about your state's homeschool regulations, and much more.  But suddenly homeschooling, we don't have time to read through a lot.

So here is my guide to getting started with all those things.

2.  STATE HOMESCHOOL REGULATIONS

Each state has their own homeschool law and regulations.

As Washington state homeschoolers, we found that in our state, there were few regulations for learning at home.    In WA, those don't start until the child turns 8.  But this varies from state to state.

After that, our state law laid out the subjects that needed to be covered each year, and the annual testing that also needed to be done.

Each state has it's own homeschool law, and they are quite varied.  Some states ask for annual testing, some do not. Our state allowed us to test our own child at home.

Finding Your State's Homeschool Regs

To find out your state's homeschool requirements, a good source is the site called HSLDA, which lists that information here.

When I first looked at that site, I was overwhelmed.  But I found out that it was not hard to deal with our law.

In almost every state, homeschooling gives families the freedom to choose what curriculum they want to use.  Most states also ask for annual testing to be done.  

Homeschool Testing

When you are first getting started, I would not worry at all about homeschool testing.  No state requires that until the end of the year, anyway.  

And some states only ask for it every three years.

Did you know that homeschoolers actually test higher than their public school friends?  In Washington state, we needed to test our child each year, starting at age 8.  But that was not hard to do, at all.

Will you need to do annual testing?  That depends on your state and their homeschool law.  Check above to find your state's regulations, and plan on learning how to do testing in your area, if that is required.

We tested at home each year.  That allowed us to provide an optimal environment for our daughter.  Yes, your child can be tested at home, in most states.  At home we set things up so that our daughter had the best environment for testing.  We could even adjust her annual testing.

3.  WHAT ABOUT HOMESCHOOL CURRICULUM?

This freedom was especially helpful when it came to learning resources and curriculum.  The homeschool community now has tons of homeschool curriculum.  In fact, that can even feel overwhelming, with so many choices out there.

One of the first things I did to find curriculum for my child, was just to visit our local teacher's bookshop.  There they had a number of resources for all ages, up to 8th grade.

I just picked out a few preschool/early learning things, with my daughter's help.  If she was interested in bugs, we got something on that topic.  The library was of course a great resource, too.

And many homeschool families encourage the child to take the lead and follow their interests iin their learning.  One year, it was all about penguins in our house!
                                                           
Some Sources for Homeschool Curriculum and Resources

There are many places to look to get started.  There are even sites that have reviews of curriculum, from families who have already used them.

If you are looking for homeschool curricula ideas, there is a site called Cathy Duffy Reviews, that has been going strong for years, and has reviews on most everything homeschool related right there.

I also write homeschool curriculum reviews on a site called The Curriculum Choice, which features reviews by homeschool moms who have used the resources in their homeschools.  Although they are mostly Christian focused, my reviews are mostly secular.

Some of the faith based options that we liked, and were good for our daughter, could be modified so that we could use them in a secular way as well.

The Rainbow Resource site also has a plethora of creative homeschool resources.  I have often turned to them for less traditional ideas.  I loved their literature guides, so many to choose from.

To teach handwriting and/or to help your child who struggles with handwriting,

Handwriting Resources

I offer a FREE download of playful handwriting activities below, based on my years as an O.T.

Handwriting Helps 

They can help your children to not only learn how to write their letters, but also to develop good find motor skills, a good grasp pattern and all the other things important to handwriting.

I invite you to click on - Handwriting Helps - to get your free download.

With so many homeschool curriculum programs out there, it can feel overwhelming. I have collected our favorites that we used while homeschooling our daughter.

Feel free to browse around and see what we liked, to give you
ideas:


Over the years, I gathered together our favorite homeschool curriculum resources for all ages, in case you are interested.

, 
Our Favorites for Homeschool Curriculum

If you click the links below, you will access  information on our favorite resources for age group, ie, early year, middle school, and high school.

 The Early Years and LINK: Teaching Homeschool Reading

- Middles  

- High School is below.

I invite you to click on High School PDF below to get your FREE download of High School helps, for choosing your curriculum, record keeping and more.

Then once we had our curricula, we started to look around for a homeschool support group to join.  I wanted to connect with other moms who had been there, and of course, also wanted my daughter to meet other kids she might want as friends.

4 - FINDING HOMESCHOOL SUPPORT

This really should have been at the top of the list!  Support is so important for starting out, for the kids and especially for us moms.

Homeschool Support Groups

We found a local Homeschool Support group in our area, and went to their monthly meetings.  There we met lots of experienced homeschooling moms, who helped us a lot.

If you want to connect with one in your area, this site might help.  Every state has a support network for homeschooling families.

The Homeschool Mom also has support groups listed by state and city here.  It lists all the homeschool support groups in each state.

There are also gatherings of families for group classes called Co-ops, and more information on those will be found on your state's homeschool associations's page.  Each state has a Homeschool Association and to find one on your state, that should come up when you click here.

Will Homeschool Co-ops be meeting now?  We will see if those meetups and co-ops can meet, as the fall comes around and we see what is happening with covid-19 guidelines.

Homeschool Blogs

Veteran homeschool bloggers can be a source of support.

I am a long time homeschooler and blogger and can be found here at BJ's Homeschool.   I have lots of resources for homeschooling all ages, and I share how we used them on my blog.  Plus you will find lots on homeschooling high school and getting into college, too.

Vicki from 7 Sisters Homeschool offers frugal PDF ebook-based courses in many the subjects that high schools need.  She also offers tips on getting started homeschooling at the Authoritative Guide to Transitioning to Homeschooling High School.  Their American Lit course, shown to the left is less than $30.00 for a full year course.

Sarah from Freedom Homeschooling offers 12 Tips to Ease the Transition from Public School to Homeschool.

Christine from This Little Bit of Life shares about getting started homeschooling with her Free Homeschooling Guide and More.

Sarah from My Joy Filled Life offers Tips for Choosing The Right Homeschool Curriculum.

Homeschool Facebook Groups

Homeschool Facebook Groups are also a great way to get support and to learn more about homeschooling.  There are so many of them now, that I just recommend going to your Facebook page and searching for  "Homeschool".  That will give you a list of many groups to choose from.

For high schoolers, I host a Facebook Group. For more information on that, you can click the link below.  Homeschool High School Facebook Group

Using Community Resources

I also searched around for another social activity or two for my daughter.  We found some at our local Parks Department.

My daughter loved their gymnastics classes, as they involved a lot of movement, and she was a VERY active kid.  It became such a good way for her to make her first "school" friends.

Homeschool Help Consulting

Are you looking for a little homeschool help to get your started?

I also offer Homeschool Help, where I meet up with families through Facebook messages and/or through phone calls, and offer help in getting started, finding your homeschool curriculum, and more.  Lots of other experienced homeschoolers also offer this sort of help.

Does Homeschooling Really Work?

I have been homeschooling for over 14 years and after that, have been mentoring families for many more years.

From my experience, I have seen so many success stories that show that homeschooling is a solid educational choice. And if you google "Homeschooling - does it work?"  you will get links to lots of research about that.

Homeschooling High School

HIGH SCHOOL HELP 

I have been homeschooling for over 14 years and after that, have been mentoring families.

From my experience, I have seen so many success stories that show that homeschooling is a solid educational choice.

And if you google "Homeschooling - does it work?"  you will get links to lots of research about that.

Many families worry that homeschool high school would be too hard to do.  Is that you?

If so, I offer a FREE download - called  HIGH SCHOOL HELP - full of homeschool high school resources, to make homeschooling your teen not only doable, but also rewarding, for them and for your family.

One of the common questions that people have about homeschooling, is whether homeschoolers can go to college, and if so, will they do well there?

The College Question

If you are wondering if homeschooling can prepare your kids for later college admission, we give you a hearty YES!  Our daughter has thrived there.

Colleges are regularly accepting homeschool applicants now and some are actively recruiting them.
Our teen got accepted into each college on her list, with scholarship offers.  More on that is on my blog, and in my book, below, called Homeschooling High School with College in Mind.

Summary

So by reading up on homeschooling, learning about our state homeschool laws, exploring curricula, and then finding a support group to join, we built up our confidence for homeschooling.

And I am so glad that we did.

This post is linked to our blog hop on Suddenly Homeschooling.  I hope that you get a chance to connect with the other veteran homeschool moms who are a part of September's GHF Learners Blog Hop.

Thanks for stopping by BJ's Homeschool,

Betsy

Betsy is mom to her now college grad, whom she homeschooled through high school.  She blogs at BJ's Homeschool, about the early years, high school & college, gifted/2e and wrote -Homeschooling High School with College in Mind - 2nd edition,  She offers free homeschool help through messages at BJ's Consulting,  and has had her articles picked up by the Huffington Post.


This was a part of the Hoagie's Gifted Education Page Blog Hop on Homeschooling.  Click this title to reach all the other great articles on this month's topic.

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Copyright Revised - 2021

All Rights Reserved

This was also a part of the Hoagie's Gifted Education Page Blog Hop on Homeschooling.  Click this title to reach all the other great articles on this month's topic.

The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling Teens Through High School

Summary: Tons of high school resources here!  Here are lots of resources for planning high school at home, making your own courses if you like, with lots of links. Plus dealing with the college option, if that is where your teen is heading.  Written by over 20 veteran homeschool moms, who have each already graduated at least one teen from their homeschool. This post may included affiliate links to products that we love and have used or would use in our  own homeschool. Please see my disclosure policy.

Are you thinking about homeschooling your teens through high school?  Or are you already teaching your high schooler at home?

How Your TEEN Can Help PAY for COLLEGE

Summary:  Do you have a college bound teen?  With tuition so high these days, how can anyone pay for it?  This article answers that question with ways that your teen can actually help with that, even now, with current college costs. Over 5,000 have read this article. This post may included affiliate links to products that we love and have used or would use in our  own homeschool. Please see my disclosure policy.

Do you have a college bound teen? 

Are you wondering how you and your husband can really get them there, with the high costs of college these days?

Frugal Resources for American History - High School -

Homeschool high school American History frugal curriculum and resources that we loved. We even found some U.S. History videos for FREE. #homeschoolhighschool #ushistory
#homeschoolhighschoolcurriculumNote - This post may included affiliate links to products that we love and have used or would use in our  own homeschool. Please see my disclosure policy.

Are you looking for frugal resources for U S History for your high schooler?  Do you like to put your own course together, or used a prepared curriculum?

Today, I'd like to share frugal resources for both....making your own course, or using a prepared curriculum.  

Let's start with making your own course, using some very frugal resources that I have found..

- Our Homemade Course in U S History

When it came time for our high school US History studies, we used a variety of sources, and made our own course.  To do that, we picked a spine, then added in some geography, literature, and a little art history, for fun.  My teen was a big part of putting it all together. 

So, I'd like to share with you how we went about putting together this course, which included:

- a spine
- literature options
- geography
- a  primary resource
- and some art.

1.  First we needed to find a spine for our learning....My teen was a big part of choosing this resource, and the others as well.

Short Lessons in US History

We searched for something that would cover everything and also encourage critical thinking. This book caught my eye.

We found this book to be engaging while covering all the essentials of our country's history, in it's 11 chapters, each of which included:

-1.  Time Line - related dates for each chapter

-2.  Activating Prior Knowledge - questions to look for as you read

-3.  The text, with sidebars and brief biographies

-4.  Critical thinking questions

-5.  Activities - map work, reviews and puzzles.... click here above to read the rest of my review of this frugal book.

2.  Next, my daughter wanted to add in some living literature...

There are lots of ways to add living literature to your history studies.  Of course, if you add in American Literature, then you will be doing two high school credits, US History for one, and American Lit for another high school credit.

You can pick and choose fiction and non-fiction such as:

To Kill a Mockingbird

Uncle Tom;s Cabin

The Federalist Papers

Tom Sawyer

Miracle at Philadelphia

Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

Thomas Edison - from Heros of History
(there are so many other choices, of course)

At our house, my daughter wanted to add in some living literature and make that a course as well, so we looked around and we found the Oak Meadow's American Lit course. That gave my teen a credit for English as well as one for US History.  We combined the two courses and got 2 credits done together!

Oak Meadow American Literature

But Oak Meadow was not a frugal option.  I so wish we had know about the next course that I want to talk about, as it is just as good and it is frugal, too. 

American Literature by 7 Sisters

Another great option for American Literature is made by our friends at 7 Sisters Homeschool.  This is a 100 + page resource can be used for a whole year long credit in English, and it includes literature guides for so many of the great classics of American Lit. 

American Literature by 7 Sisters is ideal for independent study because it is written by homeschoolers, all set up for your high schooler with no busy work.  Great for getting that English course done, and also super for learning critical thinking and literary analysis. 

I have a lot more information on this well put together course over at the Curriculum Choice.

3.  Our third step was to add in some geography.  We did not do every project in this book, but it was a great supplement to our studies..

U.S. History Map Activities

This book is set up in a workbook style, which my teen enjoyed, with comprehensive mapping activities for each major event in US History.  By answering the questions and mapping out each historical event, my daughter got a hands-on feel for each major event, my teen got a hands-on feel for what she had studied.  It's from Rainbow Resource also, very frugally priced.

4.  Next we found a frugal resource for primary resources, called...

The Patriot's History Reader

This book goes back to the original sources, including documents, speeches, and legal decisions that helped to shape our country. It was so convenient to have this at hand, and it eliminated the need to search the internet for these.  Click here to read the rest of my review.

5.  Then we found a resource for art....

Teaching American History through Art 

This book added a lot of fun to our studies.  The Boston Massacre, Paul Revere's Ride, the End of the Civil War, are all famous paintings included in this book, which teaches about design, rhythm, and perspective...and it is offered as a book or a cd.

I recently found another great art book that is make to add art to your American History studies.  And it is full of American landmarks!  Your student will be learning all about our famous historical landmarks, which will fit so well with their American history studies.

American Landmarks

Here's another lovely art offering that I wish I had found out about years ago.  

This easy to use ebook is made by my friend, Tricia, from Hodgepodge, and is chock full of historical landmarks to make.  The lessons are taught by a professional artist, and will give your high schooler a nice introduction to art using chalk pastels.  It is available at a very frugal price here.  

Those are the key resources that we pulled from for our homemade course.  Which ones might be helpful to you? 

Next, I's like to switch gears and talk about some prepared curricula for American History.  I recently found some frugal prepared curricula for US History, if you would rather use a complete course, instead of piecing one together. 

Two Frugal US History Courses

First let's look at a course from Glencoe, a well established curriculum publisher, who offers a frugal US History course called...

1.  The American Vision 

American Vision offers a complete US History book, a student center that goes along with it, and free videos for each chapter. Free videos...I love that.  American Vision can do all the work of putting together a solid and creative history course for you. And it is a very frugal choice as well.  

This course explores American History from 1775 through the 21st century, through an interdisciplinary approach that includes literature, art, and biographies. 

First let's look at the book itself.  The book includes the following:

1. Vivid and Accurate Re-telling of US History

2. US Geography with National Geographic Maps

3. Primary and Secondary Sources

4. Related Activities

5. Appendix with Supreme Court Case Summaries

- American Lit Library

- Critical Thinking Lessons, such as "Find the Main Idea, and Determining Cause and Effect"

This book is available used on Amazon here for around $20.00. That's the student edition.  I recommend also getting the teacher's edition, as it has all the answers in it.

Now, let's look at the student center...

 Student Center

Here they offer many more online activities, and it is a part of the Glencoe Online Learning Center, which has a whole lot of go-to activities, links, and more...To add a lot to your study of The American Vision, check out the web activities, vocabulary cards, e-puzzles and games, interactive maps and more.

And they offer free videos too...

Videos for Each Chapter

I love how Glencoe puts together their history books.  We used their World History book in 10th grade, and it taught so many of the critical thinking skills to my daughter. And they had primary sources, references to art, and great essay questions to ponder as well.  There was a quiz at the end of each section, which we used at times.  Just click above for free videos that teach the important history concepts that are included in each chapter.

Next, I'd like to share another prepared curriculum option, and this one is from Oak Meadow...

2.  Oak Meadow US History

This is another great option for US History from Oak Meadow, a well established secular educational publisher, that we love....

This course explores American History from 1775 through the 21st century, through an interdisciplinary approach that includes literature, art, and biographies.  It encourages integration of information, critical thinking skills and more, while the student learn US History in depth.  Great for college prep.

Oak Meadow US History includes:

1.  The OM Syllabus

2.  The American Vision by Glencoe, which was mentioned above. 

The Oak Meadow syllabus is great for students who like to work with critical thinking questions and issues. 

What are your favorite resources for high school US History?  I love reading your comments... so please share your knowledge with others here..

The iHomeschool Network is doing a blog hop this week on how to creatively homeschool.  To reach all the other creative posts click here.  

For the iHN History blog hop, click here.

Thanks for stopping by BJ's Homeschool,

Betsy

Betsy is mom to her now college junior, whom she homeschooled from day one.  She blogs at BJ's Homeschool, about the early years, high school & college and wrote the book - Homeschooling High School with College in Mind.   She offers free homeschool help through messages at BJ's Consulting. 

Want to stay in touch?  

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Click here to get yours!

We joined the iHN Massive Guide to Homeschooling History.  Click here to reach more great posts from this blog hop!

This post was shared on my favorite linkups here.

Copyright, 2017, All Rights Reserved

Dealing with the Difficulties of Giftedness - One Day at a Time

Summary:  We learned that our daughter was 2e when she was very young. Along the way we found ways to deal with some of the typical issues associated with giftedness. Along with sensory processing disorder and attentional issue, our daughter struggled with anxiety. Here's our story of what worked and helped her along the way. #gifted #anxiety #2e

We started homeschooling our gifted 2e daughter when she was three. Along the way she encountered some of the typical issues associated with giftedness: including sleep issues, intensities , sensory issues, and anxiety, etc. We tried a variety of strategies to help her.

This article includes a discussion of the things that we found to be most successful and helpful to us. As many of you know, my "kiddo" is now a college grad. Today, I am looking back to the earlier years, when the difficulties of giftedness were more apparent.

One of the biggest issue for our daughter was anxiety. And being 2e, with sensory processing issues and ADHD, those things also contributed to her anxiety.

But before we could work on that, we needed to get us all sleeping.

Let's start with the number one issue that came up in our house, during the toddler, preschool and elementary years....that of helping our daughter get to sleep.

1.  SLEEP

My kiddo took hours to get to sleep as a little one.  Learning to settle her excited intense mind was  a challenges for sure.  Our bedtime routine helped some, with bath and story-time, but each night she often took more than two hours to settle down and get to sleep. Things gradually got better, and we tried a number of approaches to try to help.  Around 6th grade, getting to sleep was much less of an issue.

Things we did that helped:

Bedtime Routine 

Following a similar bedtime routine, with a fairly well set bedtime, helped.  We set things with lots of books and favorite quiet activities, so that she could play on her own, in her room.

As a preschooler, she learned to stay in her room at bedtime, after her storytime, and usually played herself to sleep.  This gave us some time to relax from the hectic day, while we were in the next room, available to her if needed.  Gradually things improved.

Breathing exercises and Relaxation Tapes 

Breathing exercises, kid oriented relaxation tapes, or favorite music cd's also helped some.  We taught our young one how to breath from the diaphragm, but making it a game and doing it together, laying on the floor. We each put a toy on our stomachs and practiced making the toy go up, and then back down, using the diaphragm.

Also, learning to accept that this was our normal.  It just took more time for our daughter to get to sleep for many years.

Now, let's talk intensities.

2.  INTENSITIES and ANXIETY

Having lots of intense feelings and needing tons of attention, along with lots of questions to be answered, led to a very worn out mama, especially when my daughter was young.  We both needed naps, lol!

Things that we did that helped:

Homeschooling 

Learning at home helped a lot with, as our daughter could delve deeply into things intensely or be quite active, as she was at home, instead of being in a classroom setting.  Having lots of books, crafts, supplies around, available for her use, was also a help.

When she was a preschooler, we went through tons of cardboard and tape.  Practically everyday. that was such a joy, to see her creations!

My daughter's art project, after going to a fair.

Having a Routine or Daily Schedule 

Structuring her time as a little one, with a predictable schedule, helped her to learn to manage her intensities.

Things were predictable, and that helped a lot. Our daughter could anticipate what was going to happen next.  Knowing what was coming next helped a lot with our child's anxiety.

We also used quiet breaks, such as a quiet reading time, or a favorite video from the library, when she needed to settle things.

Afternoon Naps or Room Play 

Having naps in the afternoon were essential.  I needed that rest time for me in the afternoons.  When my daughter no longer needed a nap, we  switched to a quiet play time in bedroom.  That helped her settle out, and gave me the important time to put my feet up and de-stress.  And an adjusted mama was essential to my daughter's functioning, too!

Taking Quiet Breaks When Things Got Intense or Anxious

Sometimes during our homeschool day, we used some calming down techniques, especially when she was little.  Quiet time with the cat, watching favorite videos from the library, listening to audio tapes, all of these things helped.

Using Blankets  

Blankets are great for deep pressure, to help calm the nerves. Have you ever heard of "making a burrito" with a blanket?  This can really help a child who is overloaded, overstimulated, or very anxious.

Making a "burrito"  

Place a blanket on couch, and spread it out.  Then ask your child to sit on it, and help them to wrap each side of the blanket across their lap, in effect, making a burrito, with your child all snuggled into it.  This was a favorite way for my preschooler to help calm herself.  We just used a regular blanket for this, not with a weighted blanket and it was not tight.  We only did this for short periods, like a few minutes, when my child felt like it.  Sometimes she even liked being rolled up gentle into a blanket.  Awe, the comfort of blankets.

Baths  

Long baths - As a young one, we had lot of toys for play in the tub, with things to play with and stick on the wall, etc.  This kept her in the bath longer and she calmed so nicely to the warm water.  And had tons of fun!

Baths were not just for the kiddos in our house. I often tried to find time in the evenings for a long bath for me, as my hubby took over the bed time routine most evenings.  I needed my calming time, too!

Intensities also meant that we got to share in our daughter's intense joy, feelings, passions all along the way.  Much joy was had by all of us!

Watching our daughter's love of learning blossom, in Cat School.

Another concern that came up for our daughter was her sensory issues.

3.  SENSORY ISSUES

Sensory issues are quite common among gifted kids.  My daughter was a sensory seeker, always wanting vestibular input, spinning, running, twirling, jumping, doing headstands off the couch, etc.  I have an O.T. background (Occupational Therapy) so I was comfortable finding the sensory activities that she needed to do.  And our couches have lasted all of the hand springs and tumbling!

Our kiddo needed lots of vestibular and deep pressure input. She also reacted to any tags on clothing or any restrictive clothing. Tactile defensive, too.  Also loud noises bothered her.  Sometimes just achknowledging the issue helped.  Oh, that was a siren.  I know your don't like noises like that.

Things that we did that helped:

Gymnastics 

Well, she was a natural gymnastics kid!

So we used Parks dept toddler play, tumbling classes, and these were very helpful.  Preschool gymnastics led to more, through the years.  Having these gymnastics skills meant that she could use them to take active breaks whenever she needed to, to calm or just to by physical, such as tumbling on the living room rug.

She would do cartwheels in the living room and I encouraged that, and headstands, etc. We also made a simple gymnastics floor in her bedroom.  Gymnastics became a favorite activity all the way through high school and that led to good self esteem.

I loved watching her gymnastics meets and seeing her on the balance beam, doing her routines.
But paid classes are not necessary, that is just what we chose to do.  Any traditional playgroup, with swings and merry-go-rounds to push can work very well, too.  Some families look for a pediatric O.T.and use them for sensory integration therapy.

Things we did that helped 

We bought a simple plastic spinner, which my young one could sit on, and spin around in,
Later a desk chair to spin in was a hit.
Small inside trampoline for winter.
Big exercise ball to bounce on across the room
Outside - swing, big trampoline.

Out to the park a lot, especially for the swings.  Lots of that.

Clothing Issues 

Avoiding jeans and instead using sweatpants, sweatshirts, tee shirts, comfortable clothing
Taking tags off.
By middle school, jeans became popular in our house, and the sweat pants not so much anymore. Oh, the fun of shopping for jeans for the first time, with my daughter!

Here's more on how we dealt with anxiety.

4.  ANXIETY 

Our kiddo had some struggles with anxiety, and often wanted to know what was happening next, such as where we were going, on a ride, etc.

What we did that helped:

Predictable routine
Gave her as much control as possible, or choosing from two or three options when she was little
Playing, lots and lots of playing
Taught her self calming
Audio books
Breathing exercises
Built in down time, quiet reading
Baths
Reinforcing developing independence
Sometimes we limited access to tv news
Going to the park
Goofing off
Being silly
Being there for her

Using figets, small items to play with, were a great help when homeschooling, especially when verbal directions or explanations were given. As our daughter became more confident, her anxieties have lessened. a lot.

And lastly, let's talk about competition and perfectionism.

5.  COMPETITIVE TENDENCIES and PERFECTIONISM 

We let her win board games a lot as a young one!  Then we got her a lot of thinking, cognitive games like chess.  She was often distracted by the thinking process, that she forgot to focus on winning.
Still, I have so many good memories of my daughter and my hubby playing all sorts of games together.  We had a lot of fun with it!

We often used humor.  Competitiveness has become a positive thing in my daughter's college life. She has learned to balance it out with other things, like self care, and yet, to push herself towards her dreams.

As far as perfectionism...Well, I am a perfectionist, too, so we have worked together on this, through the years  When my kiddo was young, we had fun practicing making mistakes, and made it a game.
Making mistakes on purpose helped!  It lessened the power of goofing up.

SUMMARY

Many of the concerns mentioned above were pretty well worked out by high school.  We honored our daughter's achievements and, at the same time, tried to help her to find a balance by following her own heart, building in self care, and giving her permission to make lots of mistakes.  And us, too.

 Isn't that what we all need?

I just had to add this last picture of her in college.

This post was shared here - Difficulties of Giftedness Blog Hop and here - Hoagies' Gifted Education Page Blog Hop - Mental Trenches - Thoughts from the Depths.

What are some of the issues that have come up at your house?  I would love it if you shared those or any comments that you may have, in the comments section below.

I also helped my gifted 2e daughter prepare for and get into each of the colleges on her list as an always homeschooled student.  My book - Homeschooling High School with College in Mind shares how we went about doing that, and all my best tips for college prep and homeschooling high school.

Thanks for stopping by BJ's Homeschool,

Betsy

Betsy is a retired O.T. and mom to her now college grad whom she homeschooled from preK.  She blogs at BJ's Homeschool about the early years, high school and college, and is the author of "Homeschooling High School with College in Mind".  She offers homeschool help through messages at BJ's Consulting.

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