1. Take the time to pray and talk with your spouse. Think about why you're doing this, as well as your goals, hopes, dreams, and expectations of each other. Getting on the same page with my husband was key. When we first started homeschooling I had crazy expectations of myself, kids, and husband. Because of this, I assumed my husband's expectations were also crazy high. When I didn't live up to the expectations I put on myself, I felt I disappointed everyone.
2. Homeschool YOUR way. Discover what works for you and go for it. I say discover, because it really is trial and error. Don't beat yourself up if you buy a book or curriculum only to find out that it just isn't working for you or the kids. Try something else. It's okay. Shortly into the first semester of this school year I realized our history program wasn't working. So, I looked at our other subjects to see what WAS working. Realizing one of the publishers also had a history curriculum, I then read some reviews and asked a couple friends who I knew used it. We switched, and it's awesome!
3. Stop reading every blog, post, article, or idea that every homeschooling parent puts out on the internet. For one, you CAN'T do every amazing idea you read about. Two, they aren't you, their kids aren't yours, their life is totally different. Putting pressure on yourself through comparing your homeschool journey to theirs isn't going to make for a blessed homeschooling experience. And, if you're like me, reading these blogs fuels a desire to compete on an unhealthy level--one which you try to out-do something that's truly just a snapshot of someone else's life. Every homeschooling blog I've read sounds like they must live in Perfectville. I don't live in Perfectville. I went so far as to avoid homeschooling conferences too. At least for now. We need to get into our own groove & learn what works for us.
4. Don't try to fit it in a box. You're a mom first and a teacher second. Your days are not going to look anything like what they look like at a public or private school. You have kids of different ages with different needs. You have breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Cleaning. Give yourself the permission to be flexible. Having a schedule and plan is great (and recommended), but be sure give yourself grace on those days when you have a child who's tired today or needing extra time to grasp a math concept, or a younger child going through a growth spurt. Hey, you might even have a day when YOU'RE extra tired. Or, maybe you decide that some time out in the sunshine after weeks of clouds is WAY more important than getting all our lessons done. Things happen. My husband and I decided on this: Bible, English, Math--everything else is icing on the cake. I strive to get those three done every day. If we make it to Science, History, Music, and Art--it's a bonus!
5. Get started. There is no magical moment or formula to get going. If God put it on your heart to pull the kids out of their current school, there is not a moment to lose. I was not prepared the day we brought Owen home. We spent a few weeks decompressing--resting, reading, and rebuilding his passion for learning. I focused on basics--reading and math. I spent a lot of time just trying to figure out where he was--his strengths, struggles, and passions. Then, I spent the bulk of the summer researching curriculums and figuring out what would be my plan for the school year. We school year-round because it works better for my kids. I have a monthly planning day. Each week I become a little more organized, and our school days run a bit more efficiently. All of this to say, don't feel like you have to know it all, or have all your ducks in a row from the get-go to get started.
My final word--Grace. Give yourself and your kids a lot of grace. You'll both be learning in this process. I absolutely love homeschooling. I never thought I would EVER say that. God is good!
5. Get started. There is no magical moment or formula to get going. If God put it on your heart to pull the kids out of their current school, there is not a moment to lose. I was not prepared the day we brought Owen home. We spent a few weeks decompressing--resting, reading, and rebuilding his passion for learning. I focused on basics--reading and math. I spent a lot of time just trying to figure out where he was--his strengths, struggles, and passions. Then, I spent the bulk of the summer researching curriculums and figuring out what would be my plan for the school year. We school year-round because it works better for my kids. I have a monthly planning day. Each week I become a little more organized, and our school days run a bit more efficiently. All of this to say, don't feel like you have to know it all, or have all your ducks in a row from the get-go to get started.
My final word--Grace. Give yourself and your kids a lot of grace. You'll both be learning in this process. I absolutely love homeschooling. I never thought I would EVER say that. God is good!
2 comments:
That was very well written! I really liked it.
Thanks, Angie!
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