Is this your first time homeschooling? Are you approaching this year with trepidation, mixed with excitement? Here are five things I would love for you, as a first time homeschooler, to know before you start this year!
Homeschooling is not the same as doing school at home
As a homeschooler, you can educate your child (or grandchild) in an intimate setting: your home! You can read on the couch. Do math outside. Practice piano in the middle of the morning. Do your science reading after dinner. You don’t need to replicate a classroom in your home, and you don’t need to structure your day in blocks the way a school does. You have freedom to customize your schedule to your child!
Some structure is, of course, good. Your children shouldn’t wonder if they’ll be doing schoolwork today or not. But the way in which you go about learning will look different (in all the best ways) from a traditional classroom. As the saying goes… “not all classrooms have four walls.”
The most important thing you can do is foster a love of learning
Children are naturally inquisitive and love learning about topics that interest them. As their primary educator this year, your job is to cultivate that love of learning, by encouraging them to learn more about the things that interest them.
So if they want to learn more about the moon, or a slug they found outside, or architecture (aka LEGOs), or photography, dig in! Fan that flame! Check out books from the library, plan a field trip, or throw a theme-party. Support your child’s interests and they will blossom into a life-long learner!
Never underestimate the power of a good read aloud
Books are magical. They transport you to other worlds. They unleash the power of the imagination. They bond your family together. Books breathe life into your day. They teach. They inspire. Books make our lives richer, fuller.
If you don’t know what to do next, pour everyone a cup of tea, and pick up a good book and read it out loud.
Some days will be hard, but that doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong
I’m sure this comes as no surprise to you, but some days of homeschooling are downright hard! We’re flawed people and we’re going to have conflicts to work through, attitudes to address, and curriculum that needs to be thrown out the window. Not every day will be Instaworthy.
Ask any seasoned homeschooling parent and they will tell you that there are days when homeschooling is a challenge. So if you have one of those days this year, please know that it’s completely normal! But the good days outnumber the bad ones by far, and you will see fruit not only in your child(ren)’s life, but also in your own life as well.
It’s okay to take it a year at a time
You don’t need to enter this year of first time homeschooling with a vision to homeschool K-12. It is completely acceptable to commit to one year at a time, seeing if homeschooling is a good fit for your family and if it is bearing fruit in the lives of your children.
Embrace this year as a gift! Know that even if this is the only year you homeschool your child(ren), this will be a beautiful, sweet memory of learning together around your dining room table!
Happy learning, friends!
For more resources about homeschooling, click here.
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