There seems to be a lot of uncertainty surrounding the upcoming school year in general. No one quite knows when school will be back to "normal" standards...which has many people wondering if homeschool is the right path for their family to take. While I can’t tell you exactly what to expect from your local school, I can share some insights from my personal homeschooling experience that may be helpful for you, if you’re considering homeschooling.
Okay, first things first...I want to go over just a few of the comments and questions stirring through the air. I hear this a lot…”I’ve always wanted to homeschool...but I could never do it.” or…”some people can homeschool but not me, I would be awful at it.” or…”I feel like homeschooling is the best thing to do but It just seems too overwhelming.” “how do I start?” “ I feel so inadequate” “not good enough” “not trained enough” “ it’s too risky” “too...hard.” “too time consuming.” “too…” you fill in the blank.
While you may or may not be stewing in feelings of insecurity and self doubt, I would like to share a few of my personal convictions and insights I have developed in my experience with homeschooling the past 7 years:
There is no one more capable of loving, nurturing, understanding and providing for the individual needs of a child than you.
Sure, there are exceptions. Such as parents who are too drugged up to care, or who are abusive or shockingly neglectful. Chances are, if you’re reading this, you’re not in that category. As a parent, you have the capacity to understand your child better than anyone else on the planet. You have been with your child from day 1. Who better to teach that precious being than you? You are the steward God has placed in their life. Some of you may be grandparents, adoptive parents, foster parents, etc. The same applies to you. Who better than you to teach that precious child! Whether you like it or not, you already are your child’s ultimate teacher. You can do this! You’re already doing it in some way or another.
When you are serving God’s children, you are never serving alone.
If you have felt nudged, called, inspired or moved to homeschool, know that you are not on this path alone. As a woman of faith, I can absolutely testify that God can and will be your guide, every step of the way, as you navigate into the unknown and unfamiliar path of homeschooling. Trust in Him. He will lead the way. He will strengthen you. He will magnify your efforts.
You do not have to be a certified teacher to homeschool your children.
The best word of wisdom I was given when I first began homeschooling was this: “you only ever have to be one step ahead of your child” 1 lesson ahead of your child, one page beyond your child, one problem, one sentence….one concept. In fact, you don’t even have to know more than your child to teach them well. Some of my favorite teaching moments have occurred as I’ve sat on my couch reading and discovering new things right alongside my children. I like to say, if you prepare the right environment, the learning will follow. All you need is a book, a desire and love in your heart and the learning will follow. I can’t even count the number of things my 10 year old son knows that I don’t know. Why? How? I nurtured the environment so he could have the books and resources he needed to learn and grow independently. (hint: A library is a great place to start...so are educational youtube videos).
So, maybe you’ve been stressing about the above, but maybe you’re not worried about being able to teach your child adequately. Perhaps you're more concerned about the inevitable time and energy you will be giving to homeschooling. Perhaps you are not sure how homeschooling could be possible with your already busy life. Rest assured, there are numberless parent-dynamics, maximizing resources and time to to make this work. Which leads me to a few other points.
Homeschooling is NOT at all like public school.
The limitations and dynamics that inevitably come, when teaching a class of 25 or more children, do not transfer well to a home-setting (as you may have discovered, doing public school at home during a pandemic). When you’re only dividing your time between the number of children you have, far more organic and individualized learning can take place. You will likely be able to cover all the basic subjects at home- in less than half the amount of time you would need in a public school-setting. This will leave you with plenty of room for other endeavors- like work, hobbies, play and socialization. (For those working-parents who wish to make this possible, the shortened-time factor, is key). This is the beauty of homeschooling.
You can Maximize Time By teaching all of your children at once.
You do not have to split your school subjects up between each child...even if they are in completely different grades and ages. You can cut down a lot of time by teaching things collectively. This is often referred to as Family Schooling. Science and History are great examples of subjects that would work. For me, it might look like this: I sit down with all of my children (ranging from age 4-10). I read a book. The older ones tend to ask more specific questions, the younger ones are more interested in pictures and basic information. When the younger ones lose interest...they wander away and begin playing near where I am while I continue reading and discovering with my older two children. The younger ones get a nice intro of the subject while I get to go more in depth with my older children. You can adjust Family Schooling to your own desires and needs. It will look a little different for every family.
Your older children can help you teach your younger children.
This is not slave labor by any means. So, don’t be afraid to make the teaching and learning a family experience. All of my younger children have benefited from their older siblings reading to them and teaching them in natural, organic ways. So much so, that I’ve often not needed to teach my younger ones the lessons when the time came for me to do so because they had already picked up on those concepts through watching and interacting with their older siblings. Older siblings are so helpful. I believe it’s good for their character and morale to have opportunities to care for and teach their younger siblings. Not only does teaching solidify what they have already learned, but it boosts their confidence as well. Younger siblings are equally inspired to learn and do more as they watch their older siblings explore subjects they haven’t yet learned. Best of all, this gives your children ample opportunities to build their sibling bonds.
Okay. Maybe you’re totally on board with homeschooling. You’re feeling like it's what you need to do. But you're still just not sure where to begin. If this is you, know this:
You don’t have to have it all Figured out.
Homeschooling is a huge transition. It’s okay to not know what you’re doing. For most people, the first year of homeschooling is mostly all just figuring out how to homeschool. Be gracious with yourself. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard moms recommend taking a few months off of official “home-school” when the academic year begins. Why? So your family can adjust to the new lifestyle and rekindle their passion for learning. Things like reading books together, playing board games, exploring nature, and going on field trips are often recommended by veteran mom’s who know what it’s like to transition from public school to homeschool. If taking a break from normal schooling completely terrifies you, because you're convinced your kids might get "behind", let that go. Your children will be fine. They will learn what they need to learn. If they do get behind, they can catch up in no time. You'd be surprised how quickly children learn once the motivation is there. The key here is, first, to focus on that relationship with your child, second, to rebuild a love for learning. Once those two things are in place, homeschooling is so much easier because those two things are half the battle. And isn't that what you want from your kids anyway? Strong relationships and a Love for learning? One great resource to get you started on your journey is: Welleducatedheart.com. Included, is an intro course and a Mothers University course, to help mothers catch the vision of true learning at home. Which leads me to my next thought...
Take advantage of homeschool resources.
I will have to write an entire post just about available resources for homeschoolers. But for now, I’ll just share a bit so I don’t overwhelm you. Because really, the list is endless. From Free homeschool materials and curriculum, to Homeschool Networks, distance education programs and more. Because the education programs have been so beneficial for homeschoolers (myself included) I’ll take just a second to expound. There are various programs, each providing unique opportunities like extra-curricular classes, class instruction once or twice a week, mentorship for new homeschool parents and more. Above all, these programs will provide you with all of your necessary school materials by loaning them to you, reimbursing you, or purchasing your materials for you to keep. Some of them will pay, up to $1700 per child for school materials. If you are in Idaho or Utah and are interested, I would start by looking into Harmony or MyTechHigh. If you're not in those areas, chances are, there’s another similar program near you. Start asking around. If you have friends who homeschool, pick their brains. I’m sure they’d be more than happy to help you out. If you don’t know anyone, there are dozens of local, homeschool facebook-groups, email chat-groups and more that you can join. Start with a local-area Homeschool search, @ your preferred social-media platform. You're bound to find one. (For Southern Utahn’s, Wasatch Homeschoolers is a great network site, if you’re still not sure where to go). These various networks are also invaluable for hooking you up with local social events, co-ops, field trips and more.
Sacrifice Brings Forth the Blessings.
Well, I’ve really only scratched the surface here with what I’ve shared. But, I don’t want to overload you with too much information all at once. I will end with this. I’m going to be completely upfront and say that homeschooling is NOT easy. It is not for the faint-hearted. Which is why it is so important for you to be committed before you jump in. Part of being committed comes with knowing why you’re homeschooling. Because, let me tell you, there will be days where you feel like you are failing, where you wanna quit, where you’re overwhelmed and wonder what you’ve gotten yourself and your kids into. Every homeschool mom Has those days. Knowing your “Why” will be your anchor during those challenging days. If your reason, your “Why”, isn’t compelling enough for you, you may struggle.
Homeschooling is truly a sacrifice. But does any greatness ever come without great sacrifice? NO. A worthy blessing is brought forth through hard work, endurance and relinquishing some things for that which matters most. Homeschooling has flooded our lives with joy and fulfillment that I wouldn’t give back for anything! I can’t even count the blessings that have come through our homeschooling experience. It may not be easy but it is absolutely worth every penny, sweat and tear.
If you are feeling impressed to begin homeschooling, now is the time! Have faith. Chances are, in the long haul, you will look back and realize things have worked out far better than you could have imagined. I am confident you will see your family relationships heal. You will see your child’s passion for learning grow. You will experience the joy of watching them develop in ways that otherwise wouldn’t have been possible. You will watch the spirit guide you and change you and your children as you begin your awakening into homeschool life. Because, in all honesty, homeschooling isn’t just a form of education, as you will soon see, it is a way of living. I wish you the best in your journey.
As always, I’m more than happy to answer and help you with all things homeschool that I can. You Got This!
Signed,
Me
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