Thinking About Homeschooling? Here Are Some Tips.

I'm just about to finish up my fifth year of homeschooling, and I can say with certainty that this choice has been one of the best I've ever made. I wasn't so sure when I started, and there are particular days I'd like to burn from the books--but still. I feel a great sense of contentment in my daily "job."

That being said, anyone starting out on the homeschooling journey always feels overwhelmed. ALWAYS. And it seems that each spring I get a handful of people who wonder if this crazy thing called "homeschooling" could work for them. This is the shortened version of what I tell them.


Ten Tips For Those Thinking About Homeschooling

1. Don't obsess about curriculum. Okay, so some things are better than others, and what works for one kid might not work for another, AND YET. At the end of the day, remember that school used to consist of McGuffey Readers and a chalk slate--AND THAT'S IT. There are no magic bullets no matter how deeply you bury yourself in the internet. Just pick something you think is good and go for it.
   
   
   
2. Find someone similar in personality to you who's a bit further down the homeschooling road. Ask her for advice on curriculum. It helps to talk things over with a human, especially one who approaches the beast in a similar manner as you.
   
   
   
3. Think like a one-room schoolhouse. You'd be amazed how many subjects can be shared across the age groups. For a while, I attempted to teach US history to one child and world history to another. You know how crazy that made me? More crazy than usual. A few weeks into the school year, I ditched that plan and got everyone on board with the same topic. And much like a one-room schoolhouse, I ask my older kids to read to the youngest one, and to lead her through some basic workbook activities. And that is a lovely, lovely thing.
   
   
   
4. Make the library your new best friend. Each child should have his own card, and you should get a teacher card too. You know how many items I can put on hold on my teacher card? A WHOLE HECKOFA LOT. (Bliss!)
   
   
   
5. Build a support network. One or two friends to share the crazy is sufficient. Beyond that, having a larger group to hang out with and do field trips with is ideal.
   
   
   
6. Know why you want to homeschool and write it down. You'll need this for the harder days. And you'll also be asked this question by friends, family, and strangers alike.
   
   
   
7. Determine what homeschooling is going to take the place of. You can't spend a good chunk of time schooling your kids without something else having to go. For me, that thing I don't do is keep an immaculate house. I figure I have the rest of my life to scrub and dust, but only a short time to spend with my kids.
   
   
   
8. Give it two years. It took me that long to get my "school legs." I had no idea what I was doing when I started off, and needed quite a bit of structure and help at first. But then I developed my own opinions (oh, did I!) and my own ways and now the planning and daily execution goes a lot more smoothly. "Daily execution," heh heh heh.
   
   
   
9. Make a plan, but hold it with an open hand. No matter how sparkly the books or how stately the schedule, nothing ever works in real life as well as it does on paper. Prepare to tweak, tweak, and tweak--and even trash something completely if it simply isn't working.
   
   
   
10. Realize that no homeschooling mom is a saint. Not one. We are just as lovingly inadequate as the next gal. If you clash with your child in your parenting, you'll likely clash in your teaching. Realize also that where you adore your child in your parenting, you'll also adore your child in your teaching--and have opportunity to do so more often. This is perhaps my favorite thing of homeschooling.

Well, that's all my shriveled mind could come up with. What would you add to the list?

More tips over at We Are That Family!

Subscribe to this blog's feed and follow me on twitter and facebook!