By Kiera Yore of Let’s Get healed
As a parent, choosing the best educational route is a very important decision. I wanted my child to be around other children who would aid in their social development. So of course, being a first time parent who listened to others; I enrolled my child in Pre–K and then we did some of their elementary school years.
After only a few years in elementary school there were a few different reasons that led me and my family to want to peruse a path towards homeschooling.
1. Flexibility:
For the most obvious reason, it provides more of a flexibility to both the student and parent.
Waking up a toddler to teach them basic knowledge like their alphabet, shapes, and colors seemed liked torment to the child. Early mornings and late afternoons where also a concern.
2. Busy Lifestyle
As a mom who runs her own business and was constantly on the go, things like sitting for hours in a pickup line can be very problematic. Especially for those of us that are in a hurry or using their lunch break to retrieve their kids.
3. Child-Led:
Another reason that led me to want to homeschool my kids are the restrictions both public and private schools place that can at times be inconvenient to families.
I wanted to focus more on my child’s strengths and weakness, which helped dedicate more time to the subjects that they found most challenging.
4. Personalized Curriculum:
Schools often teach certain topics that I disagreed with or exposed my child to certain proclivities that I was not ready to introduce them to. I believe a parent is a child’s first teacher and homeschooling gave me more control as a parent.
5. Love For Learning:
Homeschooling is a great opportunity to provide my kids with the patience and knowledge that they need to be successful. It enriches their love for learning and enhances their personal skills and abilities to be more responsible, reliable, and independent.
6. Daily & Weekly Schedules:
If you start by prioritizing their daily schedule, homeschooling is not as hard as it may seem. I recommend having a weekly agenda to help keep you and your homeschoolers stay on track.
7. Curriculum:
You can find curriculum online or make your own homeschool curriculum, which is a breakdown of the subjects and task assignments that you and your homeschoolers will learn throughout a school year.
8. Tailored Learning:
Homeschooling can be enriching in many ways because of its customized education that allows parents to create a curriculum that is tailored to their child's unique learning style and interests. This can lead to better academic outcomes and a deeper love of learning.
9. Reduces Stress:
Homeschooling has been shown to reduce stress because a home environment can be comfortable, and provide more quiet space. Homeschooling can also be fulfilling since you can incorporate your personal interests such as religion or teaching your child more hands on survival skills.
10. Incorporating Your Lifestyle:
Then there are things like learning on the go for the busy parents who want to expose their children to their entrepreneur lifestyle. For the agriculturist who spends most of their time in nature. They could incorporate outside learning to their agenda.
11. Pursuing Their Interests:
Homeschooling can provide more time and flexibility for children to pursue their interests and hobbies and protect them from bullying and peer pressure, while encouraging real-world experiences such as incorporating nature-based education.
12. Nurturing Adulthood:
Homeschooling is nurturing to not only the parent but also your child. Homeschooling can also be nourishing in many ways, including helping your children develop a sense of independence and self-reliance, which can help them manage their time, set goals, and persist through challenges. It can strengthen family bonds between parents and children, as parents are their children's primary teachers.
A lot of parents feel discouraged with the idea of homeschooling their child or children. They assume they need a certain level of education or that they don’t have the patience to sit with their child, but to be honest that’s just not the case.
When it comes to the decision of homeschooling your kids its best to research all your options like whether or not you will be the teacher, will you hire a tutor, or are you looking into registering them for a homeschool program such as K-12 learning where they get the experience of a traditional school, but in the comforts of their home.
If you decide to try to home school your children, just know there are ample resources, platforms, lesson plans, and curriculums that can help you and your family on your journey to homeschool your kids!
My family has been homeschooling our children for the past six years and we love it. We initially tried the route of using the traditional school system as a way of educating our children, but now everyone enjoys it so much it’s become our lifestyle.
When we take trips we incorporate learning about the place’s we visit. We utilize different learning platforms such as ABC learning, Adapted minds, Khan Academy, and IXL learning for our electric devices or computer time; some platforms require a subscription fee, but they are worth it.
Then there are the abundant online free worksheets, and websites that help build your child’s computer skills and make learning fun.
Tips To Foster Patience While Homeschooling:
- Set realistic expectations: Consider your child's age, interests, strengths, weaknesses, and learning style when setting goals. Make sure your goals are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.
- Take breaks: Try taking a few deep breaths, counting to ten, or getting a snack.
- Process your emotions: Take time to process your emotions by talking to someone, journaling, or praying.
- Know your child: Understand what your child can do and where they are at in their development.
- Take things one at a time: Try to take one thing at a time and avoid feeling overwhelmed.
- Ask for help: Don't hesitate to ask for professional help when you need it.
- Know your limits: Try to be aware of your limits.
- Rest: Make sure you are getting enough sleep and resting your mind and bod
Encouragement For Homeschool Parents:
Here are some things that may be encouraging for homeschool parents:
- Remember the long term: The days may be long, but the years are short.
- Prioritize relationships: Put your relationship with your child before the curriculum.
- Take breaks: If you or your child are having a rough day, take a break and do something different.
- See learning opportunities everywhere: Every environment is a chance to learn, including everyday life.
- Don't compare: Don't compare your child's education to others.
- Let children play: Children learn when they play, so let them play when you can.
- Spend time outdoors: Take advantage of opportunities to spend time outdoors.
- Be patient: Homeschooling takes a couple of years, not a couple of days.
- Accept that children may not be as productive as you'd like: Don't expect your children to sit and study for hours each day.
- Seek help: Ask a director or other homeschool mom for help.
- Remember you are enough: You are a committed and determined educator, don’t forget it!
