1. Laundry Piles will Accumulate
The number of laundry piles you have does not correlate to success or failure in homeschooling. It has been said that when homeschooling is going strong the house is a mess. I am never one to say you have to chose between a clean house and homeschooling. I will say that lived in homes get lived in. Do not be too hard on yourself. Find a routine that works for your family. Believe it or not, routines give you wings, not clip them.
2. Learning Styles are a Need to Know
Something that does correlate to homeschool success is your knowledge of your child's learning style. Learning styles are key elements in choosing curriculum, homeschool method, and your teaching style. When learning style and teaching style clashes it will be disastrous but when in harmony a symphony will occur.3. Your Homeschool. Your Schedule.
Plan your year as it fits your lifestyle. For instance, if December is particularly busy for you due to holidays, take the entire month off. Make up for those weeks by having a shorter summer or spring break. Maybe you don't need an entire week off for Christmas but would like a longer spring break, Easter break, summer or need a long Memorial Day weekend. If you have an unpredictable lifestyle than plan your year but not all your vacations up front to accommodate last minute visits from grandma and grandpa or three day vacations. Your homeschool should reflect your family's lifestyle. If you try to insert a schedule that places stress on our family everyone will end up frazzled. Relax and plan a year suited to your family and increase your ability to have a successful school year.4. The Naysayers will have their say, just sayin'
The homeschool naysayers always find a way to get a word in edgewise. Just remember, you didn't ask their permission to homeschool and you don't need it now. Remain confident in your decision and wear a big smile on your face.
5. Don't Lose Sleep Over Curriculum Choices.
The first step is to breath. The next step is to find a curriculum that suits your child's learning style. Curriculum choices are not set in stone. Even veteran homeschoolers chose a program that does not suit their homeschool every now and then. Ask homeschoolers for advice and read reviews to get a good start. In the meantime, you may want to consider purchasing a boxed set to get your year going.The Curriculum Choice
Under the Golden Apple Tree: Curriculum Review
A Beka Book :: Excellence in Education from a Christian Perspective
6. You Rule, Not the Textbook
The textbook is an outline not set rules you must follow. Feel free to spice it up, tone it down, or add to it for the best educational experience for your kids. You can twist, bend it, and even break it!7. Everyday is not Little House on the Prairie.
If you have an image in your mind of homeschool moms gliding around perfectly organized homes, with children in perfectly pressed clothes, and cookies in the oven then just shake the thought from your head. It is not reality. Reality is that some days will be pure bliss, some will be pure frustration, and some will be a combination of both. Exhaustion, frustration, and feelings of wanting to give up do happen but they are temporary.
8. Don't You, Forget About You....Don't, Don't You Forget About You
Under the layers of mom and teacher there exists you. To avoid homeschool burn-out we need to take to take care of ourselves. I am not talking about "me time" or the idea that homeschooling and family is not enough. You are mom. You are your children's teacher. Those roles are precious and not a sideline of who we are. However, there are times we need to regroup and to equip ourselves spiritually in order to give our family's our best.9. Yes, you CAN homeschool.
Yes, you can homeschool without a teaching degree. Yes, you can homeschool pregnant, with a baby, or with a toddler. Yes, you can homeschool during a family trial. Yes, upon can homeschool a class you never took in school. Yes, you can homeschool a special needs child or a strong willed child. Yes, you can homeschool even if you are not a master of organization. Yes, you can.10. Have Fun!
Never forget to have fun. Homeschooling is an advernture. The joy of sharing a curiosity about the world with your children should be the theme of your homeschool. Make it a legacy of love and laughter that your children will remember for the rest of their lives.
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6 comments:
I absolutely needed this advice and encouragement. I'll be home schooling my crew of 5 for the first time this year. I'm excited. I'm intimidated. But still excited. I kind of have an idea as far as curriculum goes. I think it's going to be a hodge -podge of worksheets self made, and internet printed, and books i find. I want to take the approach that my lambs and i take during the summer months. We have a schedule, not timed, just more an order of day activities. more time is spent on structured school work on some days than others. I noticed that a lot of teaching happens by circumstance and in play. My children love the structure of sitting and doing the work, because they love the accomplished feeling of completing a work sheet. But they also grasp educational concepts when its more casually approached.
I do need advice on helping a child get past frustration. One of my children, my 8 yr old, has a Very creative mind. Very active, being still is an oxymoron when paired with her. Talks fast, she can't get her thoughts out fast enough. I am trying to pick up her learning style. She loves to sing and dance and do gymnastics. I am thinking, now as i write this, she is a more auditory (music) learner, but i find she still need visual cues, like a hands on approach. I'm still not completely sure. She breaks down in tears when she gets to a problem she can't easily solve. She'll ball up the paper or scratch out the problem, and lay her head down in tears. Its work she's done before, however, so i don't think its too advanced. Advice?
Don't mean to take over the comment section- but i clicked the link: i got it! kinesthetic.
Well said.
Chantel, Funny...as I was reading I was thinking kinesthetic! Looks like you found the answer!
It is not uncommon for math to cause tears. She may be bored or she may be forgetting the steps. When my daughter was learning long division...she thought of it as terribly difficult because of the steps involved. She just could not remember the order and it caused her to become quite upset.
Good post!
P.S. #4 should read WEAR a smile!
Peace, Karen
LOL!!! THANK YOU, Karen!!! I am terrible self editor...terrible!!! I will get that changed...or keep it so everyone can feel better about themselves teaching..at least you are smarter than that golden tree chick, right? LOL
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