While browsing the “New Releases” shelf at my library, I came across a parenting book that was published just six months ago. The title caught my eye since I am in the midst of parenting teens and young adults. The School of Hard Talks: How to Have Real Conversations with Your (Almost Grown) Kids by Emily Kline The book promises to improve our relationships with our children by helping us connect and communicate better.

“Torrid and frigid are antonyms,” I repeat for the third time to my 10-year-old daughter as she takes her vocabulary quiz. “Why can’t she remember their definitions?” I pause in frustration. When we visited Planet Word Museum in Washington, DC, we encountered an exhibit that engaged my daughter in learning all kinds of synonyms and antonyms. This time, she remembered the words: because she used them as paint. Innocuous though it appeared, this little three-sided room was full of learning.

I have been homeschooling for a long time. I know what to expect from my children and from myself. I know how to set up our schedule to succeed. New homeschoolers, especially those who are beginning to homeschool after public schooling for some time, often say, “What if I mess everything up?” Truthfully, I haven’t had much sympathy for this fear. This is probably because I eased myself into homeschooling, starting with one child and adding the others as they aged in.

In my college technical writing class, we were given the challenge to succinctly explain complex tasks without any images. That forever changed my experience reading instructions. I know it is important to keep things short, but it is equally important to be clear. We got this “how-to” book from the library and it made us laugh! Such a collection of skills–from “how to carry a bunny” to “restore a forgotten fruit tree.

“Use the sleeves from this pattern, the bodice from this pattern and the skirt from another.” Recently, while sewing, I was reminded of how much I love to customize. I like mixing and matching, combining and configuring. I like having a product unique to me. This is how I feel about homeschooling, too! I love to homeschool because I can create an education tailored for each child. We go the speed they need, focusing on the topics they are ready for and spend the time to understand to great depth.

Read this with your kids: The Keeper of the Bees by Gene Stratton Porter I have been in charge of many homeschool book clubs. Finding a book for a homeschool book group can be challenging for at least three reasons: Most homeschool book clubs have a wide range of ages. Many homeschoolers believe their 12-year-old children are old enough to handle “high school level” material. Many homeschoolers are protective of their children and don’t want them reading smutty stuff.

This is my eleventh summer in Virginia, but I’m still surprised at how things grow in abundance. Today I noticed a sprout in the door frame. The door frame! As I studied it, I noticed another one nearby in the crack of the deck floor. Ah! “Anything will grow well in this Virginia humidity,” I thought. After all, the conditions for growth are all here: abundant seeds, moisture, and heat.

My summer is spent poolside, participating in our neighborhood swim team. Our team is developmental, which means even children who don’t know how to swim strokes are allowed to join. Over the season, their strokes refine and improve. To me, breaststroke is especially descriptive of the changes. Once the arm pull and frog kick movements are mastered, some children repeat this sequence rapidly. They move their arms and legs as quickly as they can while following proper form.

“While we’re out of town,” my neighbor kindly asked, “will you please come empty our dehumidifier?” During the hot and humid Virginia summer, their basement becomes moldy. The dehumidifier decreases the moisture. Their front door is only steps away from mine, so it wasn’t a big ask. She warned, “you might need to go over more frequently if it is rainy.” As it turns out, during their two week vacation, we had daily summer rainstorms.

“How can I get my child to become a better writer?” is a question I’ve heard repeatedly. One thing that works for me is finding my own pleasure in writing. Reading “First you Write a Sentence” by Joe Moran has increased my enthusiasm and motivation to write well. While on an afternoon walk with a friend, the rain unexpectedly started in on us. I thought of Moran’s descriptions of the onomatopoeia of the rain vocabulary, encouraging his readers to be more precise with their words.