About Homestead Hippie

Hi tiny human keeper, my name is Siobhain. I created this community a number of years ago to give free resources to parents, teachers, homeschoolers, tutors and orphanages to teach children how to live a healthy and sustainable life, by way of play.

It started with my own journey to live more holistically. I wanted to share this with my 3 *bonus children and now my own.

For a period of time I was tasked with homeschooling 2 of my 3 bonuses. Whilst doing this I was still trying to run multiple businesses, keep an organised household and look after our many many animals.

IT WAS TOUGH! Homeschooling can quickly become a full time job.

First I had to figure out the curriculum, which honestly was just painful. It was unorganised and ‘bitty’. There were printed sheets that had links to go online, or printed sheets with no numbers or set dates. It was confusing for me, never mind children.

To add to the confusion, it was all ‘mainstream’ stuff. I wondered about resources for teaching children to think outside of the box, or even create their own box. Simple things, like emotional and social skills, or even life skills.

For me homeschooling was meant to offer a more tailored and specific programme. Tailored and specific in a way that it was more flexible. It could be individualised to your childs needs and your life. And you could choose the topics you teach!

Right there and then, I started to make my own resources to supplement the curriculum that I had finally figured out. I wanted to add holistic living, social skills, life skills, mental health care and general health and wellbeing into the learning.

All things that children need to grow to be functioning, happy, healthy and confident adults!

The process was a learning curve for everyone involved. Trust me, it wasn’t smooth! But, we figured it out. And I learnt some really useful tricks along the way. These tricks enabled me to find a balance between schooling, household, business, my relationship and my own health.

We also tackled many challenges faced by parents today:

– technology in the home and screen time
– chores, jobs and household help
– meltdowns, attitude and general misbehaving
– organisation and planning, without being rigid
– socialising and days out
– reward systems
– making the right choices
– money management
– being a blended family

And so much more!

I decided to start putting the resources I had created and the tricks I had learnt online for free to help others in my situation, or at least similar.

I felt alone, like I was the only bonus parent in the world that was learning to homeschool, whilst running businesses, keeping a crazy household running in an organised fashion, all whilst maintaining a 30 acre property that housed chickens, cats, a puppy, 16 horses, and of course, my partner in crime who was 50% responsible for my crazy life.

I realised very quickly I was not the only person with this challenge and that there were many out there also needing support and guidance. I was going to create that all in one place.

I then delved deeper into the process of homeschooling and Child Psychology, completing diplomas in both.

From here I have continued to look at more holistic and sustainable ways of living and turning these teachings into resources suitable for tiny humans, tweens and teens.

As well as this, Homestead Hippie offers a practical approach to homeschooling and extra curricular education so you can find the happy balance between doing life and educating your children.

Homestead Hippie has developed and grown over the years, as have I. Today, it is an extensive network of parents, *bonus parents, guardians, home educators, teachers, government officials and orphanages worldwide.

There are multiple components to suit the needs of many, and each week new resources are added.

If there is anything my tribe feel they are struggling with, I create a solution.

Join us on this crazy journey of life with tiny humans!