Finishing Strong Month One

Helloooo and welcome to month one of Finishing Strong, my attempt at finishing everything I’ve started before moving on to the next stage of my life: old age middle age late middle age. If you read my first post (A Homeschool Journey Coming to an End), you’ll know I am attempting to complete the following ten things:

• Finish homeschool well
• Finish my master’s degree in childhood and youth studies
• Finish my romance novel
• Finish my Mesopotamia Unit Study
• Finish my Mesopotamia Picture Book
• Update all of the 2000 blog posts on my website
• Add all of these updated blog posts to my Instagram
• Add all these updated blog posts to my Pinterest account
• Create a product to sell each month and open a shop on my website
• Declutter our cottage

Finishing Strong YouTube Video

Homeschooling Teens: GCSEs, Creativity, and Independence

This season of homeschooling looks very different from our early years. With one child in her final year and another approaching it, our homeschool has shifted toward independence, responsibility, and trust.

One daughter is completing multiple GCSEs alongside a formal British Sign Language course, while also teaching herself guitar. Music is built into her school day—not as an “extra,” but as a valid part of her education. The goal isn’t speed or pressure, but steady growth and confidence.

My younger teen’s homeschool path is entirely creative, with courses in art and design, photography, textiles, and mixed media. Her work this month has involved designing and constructing a wearable art piece—a dragon sculpture built onto a corset—requiring research, planning, soldering, and experimentation. This kind of hands-on, project-based learning develops problem-solving skills, resilience, and creative confidence in ways worksheets never could.

Homeschooling at this stage isn’t about micromanaging, it’s about mentoring.

The Quiet Power of Shared Study Time

One of the most grounding rhythms in our week is shared study time. Sitting together in a small coffee shop, my teen works on English while I study history or write. These moments don’t look productive in a traditional sense, but they build connection, model lifelong learning, and create space for conversation.

For homeschool parents, especially mums, learning alongside our children can be one of the most powerful educational tools we have.

Learning as a Homeschool Mum: Study, Research, and Focus

Alongside homeschooling, I’m completing the final year of my master’s degree, focusing on fostered children’s experiences of therapeutic parenting. Research-heavy work is slow and often frustrating, particularly when suitable sources are difficult to find.

This month reminded me of something many homeschool parents already know: deep learning takes time. Whether we’re studying ancient history, child development, or literature, meaningful understanding can’t be rushed.

Writing, Creativity, and Letting Family Be Part of the Process

Another long-term goal is completing a novel I’ve been writing for years. While it’s technically a romance, the heart of the story is family, home, and belonging.

This month’s task was to write a lighter chapter between two emotionally intense ones. Sharing the draft with my daughters, hearing their laughter, insights, and emotional responses, was a reminder that storytelling is relational. Writing, like homeschooling, doesn’t happen in isolation. And their support (whilst utterly biased) is very appreciated.

Building a Living Curriculum: History, Art, and Hands-On Learning

My Mesopotamia unit study continues to grow slowly and intentionally. This month focused on leadership within the Akkadian Empire, comparing rulers and exploring what makes a good leader.

The work involved:

• Research and note-taking
• Creating maps and printables
• Designing hands-on leadership activities

Creating a Picture Book

To go along with my Mesopotamia Unit Study, I am hoping to crerate a picture book for the younger students in the family. It is in its infancy right now, as I am trying to teach myself the skills needed to create a book I am proud of.

Creating Reusable Homeschool Resources

One of the most practical goals this month was creating a reusable picture book unit study resource, a single downloadable guide designed to be used again and again with different books.

It includes:

• Reading trackers and narrations
• Art and picture study ideas
• Tray activities and hands-on learning
• Lapbooks, maps, and creative writing prompts
• Family night ideas and gentle academics

This kind of resource reflects how many homeschool parents actually teach: flexibly, creatively, and relationally.

Slow Growth Online: Blogging, SEO, and Sustainability

Behind the scenes, I’ve been rewriting old blog posts to improve SEO, update content, and make resources easier to find. With thousands of posts, progress is slow, but steady.

Homeschool mums often underestimate the value of their accumulated knowledge. Sharing it sustainably, without burnout, matters. My hope is that all these posts will be helpful to homeschooling parents everywhere.

Decluttering, Books, and Letting Go

Finally, there’s the ongoing work of decluttering a home filled with books. Letting go of hundreds of books doesn’t mean rejecting learning, it means making space for the next season… or something like that. It needs to be done and I am doing it, but I should tell you that I am not finding it easy.

But, I guess, homeschool homes evolve just as our children do.

Reflection Questions for Homeschool Parents

Take a few quiet moments to reflect:

1. Where does your homeschool feel slow, but meaningful, right now?
2. Are there areas where you could allow more independence or creativity?
3. How do you model lifelong learning for your children?
4. What rhythms bring connection to your homeschool days?
5. Is there something you need to let go of to make space for the next season?

Final Thoughts

Finishing strong doesn’t mean finishing fast. For a homeschool mum, it often means staying present, choosing depth over speed, and trusting that small, faithful steps add up.

During month one of my finishing strong project, progress is happening, even when it feels quiet.