Getting Started with Homeschooling

We’ve been homeschooling since our oldest was 4. She’s turning 17 this March. Crazy! We’ve been doing it for a long time, but it seems like just yesterday that we decided homeschooling was the right thing for our family. Luckily we’ve loved <<almost>> every minute of it.

Over the years we’ve had a lot of people talk to us about homeschooling. Some are curious and want help getting started. Some are skeptical and think they could never do it. Some praise us and others criticize us. But, I think overall, most people admire us for our decision to homeschool and have seen how it has benefited our children.

I’ve put together a list of things I think are helpful if you are thinking about homeschooling–some tips, my favorite books and websites and even a couple of good podcasts.

10 OF MY FAVORITE TIPS:

1. Decide why you want to homeschool and what you want as your end result. Understanding your why helps you make decisions regarding curriculum, extra-curricular activities, scheduling, and other important things.
2. Sometimes you and your kids need to detox. This is needed usually if your child has been in public school and has had a bad experience. Detoxing rids the body and mind of the rigors of public school—the forced learning that often occurs there. Detox means no school. It is games and reading, field trips and playing at the park, crafts and fun family activities. How long you detox depends on how long they have been in school. It’s usually 1-4 weeks of detox per year in school.
3. Choose how you want your day to look but be OK with trying a lot of different stuff. At first our homeschool looked like school at home. It didn’t take long for us to know that that wasn’t the right fit for us. We tried a lot of different schedules over the years and finally found one that worked for us. We tweak it a little every year based on the needs of my growing children but for the most part it has stayed the same.
4. Prioritize your school time. Make school time school time and not time for other things. Don’t schedule doctor appointments during school time. Have play dates after school time. Try to have chores done before or after school time. Don’t answer the phone or text or scroll through social media during school time. Make it an important time of your day and focus on the task. For me this includes getting up and ready for the day every day. Homeschooling is my “job” and I’m dressed for success.
5. Find a support group. Association is key; even with homeschooling. Search Facebook for local homeschool groups. Ask at your church. Look at your state home education website. Your kids need opportunities to be around other kids and you need time to talk to adults. Weave participated in a PE group, a history co-op, and an art co-op. We’ve done geography fairs and science fairs. We’ve hosted book clubs and a speech class.
6. Do your own learning. Find something you are passionate about and learn all you can. Then share what you’ve been learning. Show your children that learning is fun and can happen at any age.
7. Take time for yourself every day. Having your kids home with you all the time can be exhausting, so be sure to have a good self-care routine. For me it was an hour of quiet time every afternoon. Even when my kids were out of the nap stage we still had quiet time. I would sometime use this time to read or clean or exercise, but mostly I used it to nap. I was a better person in the afternoon when I had my alone time mid-day.
8. Know your kids. Learn their personalities and love languages. Figure out their learning styles.
9. Don’t compare yourself or your kids with other homeschoolers or kids in public school. You are doing what is right for your family. It may look different. It may bring about different results.  That’s OK. Embrace it.
10.  Be prepared for bad days. They come. If you have sick kids, or a bad attitude, or you just need a break, take it. Do something different. Watch a documentary. Read books all day. Do something outside. Wear your pajamas. Put on a talent show. Homeschooling allows for a lot of flexibility. It’s OK if one day every once in a while doesn’t look like a normal school day.

SOME OF MY FAVORITE BOOKS TO HELP YOU GET STARTED:

How Children Learn (Classics in Child Development) 

A Thomas Jefferson Education: Teaching a Generation of Leaders for the Twenty-First Century h

Passion-Driven Education: How to Use Your Child’s Interests to Ignite a Lifelong Love of Learning

102 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum 

A COUPLE OF MY FAVORITE WEBSITES:

Home Education Council of America
She has so many classes/webinars/info about homeschooling jr high and preparing for high school

Arizona Families for Home Education
This is AZ’s homeschool organization. Every summer they do a convention that is the very informative. There are also links to homeschool groups and legal information. You can find the info for your state site there.

MY FAVORITE HOMESCHOOL PODCASTS:

The Homeschool Sisters

The Brave Writer

Pam Barnhill

There is a lot to learn when it comes to homeschooling. Don’t let that stop you from starting. Learn all you can, but do something. It doesn’t have to be perfect to start. Actually, it doesn’t have to be perfect ever. It’s a process; a journey. Enjoy it.