Person Behind the Planner: Kelly Faraday

Photo courtesy Kelly Faraday

Golden Coil customer Kelly Faraday, 31, began homeschooling her four-year-old son when the pandemic hit. She also runs her woodworking business, Faraday and Co. (IG: @faradayandco), which focuses on homeschooling resources made of natural materials. Let’s find out a little more about Kelly’s homeschooling journey.

How long have you been using Golden Coil?

Three years! and never not going to use Golden Coil again!

How has your planner helped in homeschooling?

In 2020, when the pandemic started, I was put to work remotely and also had my son with me. I was using my personal planner to do work, life and homeschool part time. When it came time to order a new planner, I planned out the pages as I knew I would be homeschooling going forward. My 2021 planner has the Lessons pages to further help me with my planning. It has been wonderful! I will be making adjustments for the coming school year to go along with his new curriculum.

How do you customize Golden Coil to fit your specific needs?

For 2021, I used the Lessons page and some blank pages for additional notations. As it was my first year homeschooling I wasn't exactly sure what I was looking for, and I didn't know if we would be doing it full time. For the upcoming year, I will be getting a planner that is specific for homeschooling so that I am not using my personal life planner and can be better organized with my son's homeschooling journey. For the upcoming school year, I plan on using the Weekly Double Page Vertical 3 along with a Year at a Glance and some Spreadsheets and Blank pages.

How else has the Golden Coil planner helped you in your life?

If you’re a Big Bang Theory fan, Sheldon Cooper says, “At the top of my list of things that brings me joy is making lists.” Golden Coil is so amazing because I can personalize it to fit my life and that of my family. I love to plan and as good as I am at remembering most things, I still love writing everything down whether it is a small thing like a grocery list or just a random thought that I want to remember later. Golden Coil has great resources too in their blog that I love and refer back to when planning my new planner. The ideas are wonderful and well thought out. I find myself being better at tracking how my days are going to better my mental health and keep track of things that trigger my stress, anxiety and migraines.

Do you have a favorite page or layout?

Spreadsheets!!! So many options for lists and tracking.

What other hobbies or things do you like to do in your free time?

Reading and spending as much time outside as we can.

Any planning advice or homeschooling advice for others?

Write it down! I will have a thought and tell myself I'll write it down later and wind up forgetting it. Be patient with your child and yourself and know that what you have in your home is enough. I started falling into the idea that I need those toys and baskets and a special table, but I don't. There are so many things I have around the house that I reuse. Plan your weeks but nothing too far in advance because plans change! I highly recommend reading some homeschooling books, especially "The Call of the Wild and Free: Reclaiming the Wonder in Your Child's Education, A New Way to Homeschool.” This is my favorite one so far. This first year homeschooling has been long and stressful but it has been wonderful.

Thank you, Kelly, for sharing your homeschooling journey and how Golden Coil has been apart of it!